Calf Cramps, Know the Causes and How to Overcome Them

Painful fingers can be triggered by various things, from the habit of playing with gadgets for too long to arthritis in the fingers. If the cause is relatively mild, this condition can be treated with home treatment. However, if the cause is serious, medical action is needed to overcome it.

Sick fingers can occur in just 1 finger or more. The pain that appears can feel like tingling, numbness, cramps, stinging, throbbing pain, as well as sharp and stabbing. This pain is also often accompanied by stiffness that limits finger movement.

Even though it sometimes seems trivial, sore fingers can interfere with daily activities. Therefore, it is important to recognize the cause so that treatment steps can be taken immediately.

Sore Fingers and Their Causes

The following are several underlying causes of sore fingers:

1. Fatigue

Fatigue in the fingers can cause mild to moderate pain. This condition generally occurs due to excessive use of the fingers, such as typing for too long, playing continuously playing gadgets, or doing repetitive movements without rest.

This habit makes the muscles of the fingers tense and causes inflammation in the tendons of the fingers. As a result, the fingers will feel stiff, sore, and sometimes accompanied by tingling. 

2. Injuries

Injuries can also cause sore fingers. This injury can be classified as mild to severe. In minor injuries, such as a small impact or pinched finger, the symptoms will also be mild. This condition will generally be accompanied by minor swelling and bruising which can be resolved with home treatment. style="font-weight: 400;">, or tears in the tendons and ligaments, the symptoms felt will be much more intense, such as severe pain, severe swelling, and difficulty moving the fingers. This condition requires immediate medical treatment.

3. Trigger finger

Trigger finger occurs when the membrane covering the tendons of the fingers becomes inflamed or thickened due to fatigue or injury. This condition makes the fingers hurt, feel stiff, difficult to move, or even unable to be moved at all and locked in a certain position.

Apart from that, there are other typical symptoms, namely the appearance of a "clicking" sound between the knuckles when trying to move the fingers. 

4. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Painful fingers can also be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This condition occurs when the carpal tunnel in the wrist narrows and presses on the median nerve. This can cause pain, tingling, stinging and numbness in the fingers.

5. Gout

Gout (gout) is a fairly common cause of sore fingers. Increased levels of uric acid in the blood cause the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints, including the joints in the fingers. This triggers an intense inflammatory response, causing severe pain, swelling and redness of the fingers.

Aside from appearing on the fingers, gout symptoms also often attack the feet and toes.

6. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs due to a degenerative or aging process that causes damage to the cartilage and joints. This condition occurs quite often in the fingers. Over time, thinning of the cartilage causes direct friction between the bones, causing pain and stiffness in the fingers.

7. Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause sore fingers. This disease is caused by an autoimmune disorder, a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks healthy body tissue, including the small joints in the fingers.

Rheumatoid arthritis causes chronic inflammation which causes swelling, pain, stiffness in the joints of the fingers, and gradually destroys the structure of the joints.

8. Peripheral nerve disorders

Painful fingers can also be caused by interference or damage to the nerves in the fingers which is called peripheral neuropathy. The causes of sore fingers due to nerve disorders can vary, from vitamin B deficiency, uncontrolled diabetes, to consuming too much and frequent alcohol. 

Aside from causing sore fingers, damage to the nerves can also cause tingling, numbness and stiffness in the fingers.

9. Joint infections

Joint infections, or what can be called septic arthritis, occur when bacteria manage to enter and multiply in muscle tissue and joints, including the finger joints. This infection can start from a contaminated open wound, the spread of infection from another part of the body, or an unsterile medical procedure.

Joint infections can cause symptoms, such as severe pain, swelling, redness, and a burning sensation in the fingers.

10. Ingrown toenails

The next cause of sore fingers is ingrown toenails. This condition occurs when the nails grow into the surrounding skin, causing irritation and causing inflammation, pain and redness of the fingernails.

Generally, ingrown toenails can be triggered by the habit of cutting nails too short, impact or minor injury to the nails, as well as other factors. genetics that cause nail growth to become misaligned.

11. Other health problems

Apart from the various causes above, several other health problems can also trigger sore fingers. One of them is Raynaud's syndrome, which causes the fingers to feel cold, tingling and painful. There is also Buerger's disease which inhibits blood flow to the fingers so that the fingers can experience pain.

If the painful fingers are only felt in the thumb, this could be caused by de Quervain's tenosynovitis. This disease can cause inflammation of the tendons around the thumb.

Apart from that, the growth of abnormal tissue such as tumors or cysts around the finger joints can also put pressure on the surrounding tissue and cause sore fingers.

Sore Fingers and How to Treat Them

If your fingers hurt due to other causes which is relatively mild, this condition can be treated with home treatments, such as:

• Rest your fingers and avoid activities that worsen the pain, such as typing, playing with gadgets, or other repetitive movements that can burden the fingers.
• Remove jewelry worn on the affected finger.
• Use cold compresses to relieve swelling and reduce inflammation of the finger.
• Do light stretches regularly to maintain finger flexibility. This exercise can also help reduce stiffness and improve blood circulation.
• Take pain relievers that can be purchased at a pharmacy, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, if the pain is severe.

The various steps above should be able to overcome the pain and discomfort that arises in the fingers. However, if after routine self-care, the sore finger does not improve after more than 1 week, don't delay consulting with a doctor.

Consultation can also be done if the sore finger is accompanied by other symptoms, such as severe swelling, numbness of the finger. feeling and always hurt when moved, fever, and weight loss. This condition could be caused by more serious causes and requires immediate medical attention.

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