Common causes of pain in the back of the hand

Pain in the back of your hand is often caused by bruising or injuring your hand, but there are lots of possible causes.

Do not try to diagnose the cause of your pain yourself.

Common causes of pain in the back of the hand
Symptoms	Possible cause
Pain, swelling and stiffness that lasts a long time, may be hard to move your fingers, may have a lump	Tendonitis or arthritis
Sudden, sharp pain, swelling, a popping or snapping sound during the injury	Broken bone in the hand
Smooth lump near a joint or tendon, may be painful	Ganglion cyst
Aching pain that's worse at night, numbness or pins and needles, a weak thumb or difficulty gripping	Carpal tunnel syndrome
Itchy and painful skin, rash	Scabies

Important

If you think you may have broken your hand, do not try to treat it yourself. Contact NHS 111 to find out what to do.

How you can ease pain in the back of your hand yourself

You may be able to treat the pain yourself if your hand if isn't broken.

Do

rest your hand when you can
put an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel and place it on the back of your hand for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
take paracetamol to ease the pain
take off any jewellery if your hand is swollen
wrap a bandage around your hand to support it
wear a splint to support your hand and ease pain, especially at night – you can get these at most pharmacies and supermarkets
gently exercise your hand and fingers to help ease pain and stiffness

Don’t

do not use heat packs or have hot baths for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury

A pharmacist can help with hand pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

the best painkiller to take
treatments for common skin problems
if you need to see a GP

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

pain in the back of your hand is stopping you doing normal activities
the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your hand
you have diabetes and hand pain – hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

Urgent advice: Contact NHS 111 if:

you have severe hand pain
you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of the injury
you are not able to move your hand or hold things
you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand
your hand has changed shape or colour
you have pain in the back of your hand and feel hot, cold or shivery

These might be signs of a broken hand or an infection.

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Self-refer for treatment

If you have pain in the back of your hand, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP. These may include podiatry, musculoskeletal and physiotherapy services.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
check your GP surgery's website
contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB
search online for NHS treatment for hand pain near you

Pain in the back of the hand