For years, Reece* took pride in never experiencing hand pain. It didn’t matter how many articles he wrote, countless notes he scribbled, or long hours he spent hacking away at his keyboard—his hands never let him down. That is, of course, until he noticed a persistent ache and occasional stiffness in his right hand last spring. At first, he tried to blame it on overuse from a new book project, which had him typing late into the night. He also assumed that hand pain is simply part of getting older. But repeated trips to the doctor ruled out arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome—even though the pain wouldn’t go away. That’s when his wife pointed out how much extra stress Reece had been under, given the new book project, tighter deadlines, and little time to step back from work and relax.
Could stress really be the cause, though? As he quickly found out, the answer was yes. Stress affects the body in more ways than most people realize. Sure, we expect headaches, cold sweats, tense shoulders, acne breakouts, and even trouble sleeping. But stress can also appear in lesser-known ways—like pain in the hands.
If you are experiencing hand pain, visit an orthopedic surgeon at Fort Worth Hand Center to confirm conditions like carpal tunnel and arthritis. If no underlying issue is found, stress could be the culprit. It is appropriate that April is Stress Awareness Month, as patients often report less hand pain when they learn to manage stress more effectively.
How Stress Impacts Your Hand Pain
Everyone experiences stress. Some symptoms are minor, such as shoulder knots and occasional headaches. But chronic stress can cause sleeplessness and depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine headaches, and even hand pain. But how is this possible? It all comes down to how our muscles react under extremely stressful conditions. For instance, unchecked stress can trigger a fight-or-flight response that causes all or most of the muscles in your body to tense up. The longer that stress is allowed to stick around, the worse the tension can get.
Typically, you’ll be able to see this phenomenon in action—the veins in your neck might start bulging. You may also subconsciously lift your shoulders, clench or grind your teeth, or furrow your brow to the point of noticeable wrinkles and deep creases on your forehead. You likely won’t notice what is happening to your hands at first.
A few examples of how stress can lead to hand pain include:
- Increased muscle tension — As stress levels rise, you may experience reduced hand dexterity, stiffness, and cramps in one or both hands, fingers, and wrists.
- Inflammation — While you won’t see inflammation building below the surface, stress can cause it, leading to reduced blood flow and constant numbness or tingling. If you do have mild arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome, added inflammation can worsen the condition and cause pain or discomfort that you’ve yet to experience.
- Restless shaking — Beyond cramping and stiffness, stress can lead to restless hand shaking, as the body is flooded with excess adrenaline that is not being used.
- Heightened pain perception — When stressed, we are acutely aware of what is happening with our bodies. As a result, minor aches and pains may feel more intense.
- Repetitive strain — Stress can lead to habits you normally wouldn’t display under relaxed conditions. For instance, some people clench their fists or squeeze objects too tightly when stressed. This can lead to hand pain.
Several studies support the connection between stress and hand pain. One examined whether rural and urban adults differed in the extent to which psychological distress was associated with hand osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms and later functional limitations related to hand pain. The results showed that psychological distress was associated with a higher risk for hand OA symptoms and functional limitations. The findings also suggest greater vulnerability to hand arthritis and hand-related functional limitations among rural adults and the potential for tailored intervention programs to help resolve health disparities among rural communities.
How Can I Manage My Stress To Avoid Hand Pain? (6 Tips)
Stress is the body’s reaction to a threat, but the good news is that it can be managed quickly. Below are a few options for reducing hand pain due to stress:
1. Relaxation techniques
Countless techniques can slow your mind and body down physically, mentally, and emotionally. These relaxation techniques include deep breathing and engaging in enjoyable activities (working out, listening to calming music, meditation, and massage).
2. Social support
Many friends, family, coworkers, and doctors are available to offer support and encouragement along the way. Having an outlet to share your emotions can help tremendously.
3. Lifestyle changes
When you are constantly stressed and experiencing debilitating hand pain, it’s important to make lifestyle changes to improve your situation. For instance, eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid red, processed meat, salty foods, and certain carbohydrates. All of these reduce hand pain.
4. Develop coping mechanisms
Take note of stressful triggers and eliminate them as much as possible to improve your hand pain. When stress is unavoidable, coping mechanisms can help you manage those situations better.
5. Avoid unhealthy habits
As Reece’s story hinted earlier, getting into the habit of working too much and sitting behind a keyboard all day can lead to stress and unintended hand pain. While not taking a break and getting a bunch of work done at work might feel good, it ultimately leaves you in a constant state of stress.
6. Get more sleep
While getting more sleep won’t necessarily do much for your hand pain, it will do wonders for reducing stress. And with less stress, your hand pain symptoms should improve if they are stress related.
Do I Consult With My Doctor First?
Yes. While stress can contribute to hand pain, it’s not the only reason your hands may hurt. A hand doctor’s job is to quickly get you back to work, school, sports, etc., with less pain. Many patients who visit an orthopedic hand surgeon in Fort Worth are there for sprains, strains, fractures, torn ligaments, etc. Others are seeking help for more chronic conditions (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, repetitive strain, degenerative diseases, tendonitis, etc.).
Anyone with persistent pain must seek an evaluation sooner rather than later. Seeing one doesn’t necessarily mean you will end up having surgery. There are conservative options available—such as medications, rest, physical therapy, ice, etc. However, not seeing a hand doctor could delay healing and worsen existing hand pain conditions.
Fort Worth Hand Center: Your Hand Pain Solutions Expert
We all experience hand pain for a variety of reasons. Some are obvious, such as an injury or diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome. Others are less obvious—such as stress. If you are experiencing hand pain, visit an orthopedic surgeon at Fort Worth Hand Center to confirm conditions like carpal tunnel and arthritis. If no underlying issue is found, stress could be the cause. In fact, patients often report less hand pain when they manage stress more effectively.
Fort Worth Hand Center offers expert care for finger, hand, and wrist injuries. Our surgeons are specialists in treating chronic conditions and traumatic injuries, as well as performing state-of-the-art complex microscopic nerve repairs and tendon transfers. But before any of that happens, our goal is to do a thorough examination to determine what the best course of action may be. Sometimes, it may be surgery. Other times, a more conservative approach is better.
If surgery is your best treatment, our orthopedic physicians operate in state-of-the-art, accredited surgery centers. To schedule an appointment, call 817-877-3277 or complete the form below.
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Fort Worth Hand Center serves the DFW area, including Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Euless, Everman, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Kennedale, Lakeside, Lake Worth, Mansfield, Newark, North Richland Hills, Pantego, Pelican Bay, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Southlake, Trophy Club, Watauga, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village, White Settlement, Arlington, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook, Blue Mound, Burleson, Colleyville, Crowley, Dallas, and all of North Texas.
Prior to starting any new treatment or if you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
*Patient names and/or photos may be changed to protect patient confidentiality.