Pain in the back of the hand at night | Pain in the back of the hand

Pain in the back of the hand at night

During the night, pain in the back of the hand may increase. Many patients report unbearable pain and numbness at night. This concerns diseases like tendosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and also repetitive strain injury syndrome.One reason may be that the lack of movement at night leads to increased pressure on the pinched nerve or the irritated and inflamed region. Another reason may be that the hand is unconsciously placed in a strongly bent position at night, which increases the pressure and increases the pain.

Pain in the back of the hand during pregnancy

In the course of pregnancy, many women complain of pain in their hands. Often the index and middle finger are affected. Furthermore, tingling and numbness in the hand also occur.

The reason is the increased hormone-induced fluid retention in the tissue (edema during pregnancy). This oedema can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case, the median nerve is constricted on the inside of the wrist.

Normally, there is no constriction, but due to the increased fluid in the tissue, the passage between some ligament structures becomes too narrow. Some women have no complaints, others sometimes very strong. The differences are also due to the fact that some women already had problems or possibly even slight still symptom-free constrictions and changes in the area of the carpal tunnel before pregnancy.

During the course of pregnancy, the pain often increases and can also continue after birth and then slowly subside. This is due to the fact that it takes some time for the stored fluid to dissipate. During the course of the day, pain in the back of the hand usually increases at night and in the morning.

This can be explained by the fact that during the night the hand is bent or otherwise unfavorably held, thus compressing the median nerve over a long period of time. In addition, the lack of hand movement during the night causes more water to be stored in the tissue. Throughout the day, the water is regularly drained away as the hands are moved in everyday life.

Women who gain more weight during pregnancy often have more problems. Regular finger exercises, a balanced diet, massages, acupuncture and homeopathic methods can be helpful to prevent the pain. If there is no improvement despite all therapy approaches and attempts to eliminate the symptoms, surgery can also be performed. This last measure should, if possible, but not be exhausted during pregnancy, as the symptoms usually subside by themselves a few days to weeks after delivery. If such symptoms occur during pregnancy, the treating doctor should be contacted.