Finger Pain
Finger pain is a throbbing, cramp-like, or achy pain that’s felt in any of your fingers, including your thumb. It often results from an accident or a medical condition. In most cases, finger pain isn’t serious and will go away on its own. However, unexplained finger pain can be a sign of a more serious medical condition.
The most common cause of finger pain is a hand injury. Injuries to the finger can cause an open cut, a bruised or fractured bone, or muscle and tissue damage.
Common injuries that result in finger pain are:
- Broken fingers are often caused by jamming the finger during contact sports or while improperly handling heavy-duty equipment.
- Cuts
- Broken fingernails
Your doctor will ask questions about your medical history, the medications you take, and your occupation. Using this information, your doctor can decide which tests are necessary for a proper diagnosis.
Common tests for diagnosing finger pain include blood tests and imaging tests, such as x-rays.
An X-ray can show any fractures and abnormal growths within the finger. If an x-ray isn’t enough to determine a diagnosis, your doctor may order additional imaging tests or a nerve study. A nerve study looks for nerve damage or nerve dysfunction.