Pattern-recognition guide
Common things to watch for Hands often show recognizable patterns. These short guides can help you understand what a symptom may resemble, what details matter, and when getting checked may be more useful than starting a general exercise plan.
This section cannot diagnose you. Different conditions can look or feel similar, and an examination may be needed to determine the cause.
All Cannot bend or straighten Pain after injury Joint swelling or stiffness Catching or locking Numbness or tingling Weakness Little-finger-side pain Thumb-side pain Lumps or bumps Color or temperature change
Most commonly recognized patterns Jump to a single canonical guide in the catalog below.
Trigger finger or trigger thumb Carpal tunnel pattern Cubital tunnel pattern Thumb CMC arthritis De Quervain’s pattern Mallet finger Finger-joint osteoarthritis pattern Ganglion cyst
Finger shape, motion, or locking Mallet finger Drooping fingertip The fingertip droops, and you cannot fully straighten the last joint using the finger's own muscles. Cannot bend or straighten Pain after injury See signs and next steps Central-slip injury / boutonnière pattern The middle finger joint stays bent while the fingertip may bend backward. Cannot bend or straighten Pain after injury See signs and next steps Swan-neck pattern The middle joint bends backward too far while the fingertip bends downward. Cannot bend or straighten Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps PIP flexion contracture Middle joint will not fully straighten The middle finger joint remains bent and cannot reach full extension. Cannot bend or straighten Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Trigger finger or trigger thumb A finger or thumb catches, clicks, locks, or becomes stuck during bending or straightening. Catching or locking Cannot bend or straighten See signs and next steps Flexor tendon injury / jersey finger You cannot actively bend the fingertip, often after the finger was forcefully pulled straight while you were gripping. Cannot bend or straighten Pain after injury See signs and next steps Knuckle extensor-tendon injury Sagittal-band or boxer’s-knuckle pattern A tendon may snap or slide to one side over the knuckle, with difficulty starting finger straightening. Cannot bend or straighten Pain after injury See signs and next steps Numbness, tingling, or weakness Carpal tunnel pattern Numbness or tingling often involves the thumb, index, middle, and thumb-side ring finger; the little finger is not the classic distribution. Numbness or tingling Weakness See signs and next steps Cubital tunnel pattern Numbness or tingling often involves the little finger and little-finger-side half of the ring finger, especially with elbow pressure or a bent elbow. Numbness or tingling Weakness See signs and next steps Ulnar tunnel / Guyon canal pattern Little-finger-side numbness or weakness may relate to ulnar nerve pressure at the heel of the palm or wrist. Numbness or tingling Weakness See signs and next steps Wrist drop / radial nerve palsy pattern The wrist or fingers may droop, with difficulty lifting them upward. Weakness Numbness or tingling See signs and next steps Nerve symptoms may come from above the wrist Tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness in the hand can sometimes originate in the neck, shoulder region, arm, or more than one nerve location. Numbness or tingling Weakness See signs and next steps Thumb and wrist pain Thumb CMC arthritis Base-of-thumb arthritis pattern Pain near the base of the thumb often worsens with pinching, gripping, keys, jars, or opening containers. Thumb-side pain Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps De Quervain’s pattern Pain and tenderness occur on the thumb side of the wrist and worsen with lifting, gripping, thumb use, or twisting. Thumb-side pain See signs and next steps TFCC-type wrist pattern Little-finger-side wrist pain Pain on the little-finger side of the wrist may worsen with twisting, gripping, weight bearing, or rotation. Little-finger-side pain Pain after injury See signs and next steps Lumps, swelling, and joint changes Ganglion cyst A rounded lump may appear on the back or palm side of the wrist or hand and may change size. Lumps or bumps See signs and next steps Dupuytren’s pattern Firm nodules or cords in the palm may gradually pull the ring or little finger toward a bent position. Lumps or bumps Cannot bend or straighten See signs and next steps Finger-joint osteoarthritis pattern Finger joints may become achy, stiff, swollen, or bumpy, especially near the DIP or PIP joints. Joint swelling or stiffness Lumps or bumps See signs and next steps Inflammatory arthritis pattern Several joints may be persistently swollen, warm, painful, and stiff—often involving similar joints on both hands. Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Digital mucous cyst A small, firm or translucent bump forms near the nail-side of the last finger joint. Lumps or bumps Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Hot, red, rapidly swollen joint One joint becomes acutely painful, warm, red, and swollen—sometimes without a clear injury. Joint swelling or stiffness Color or temperature change See signs and next steps Raynaud’s phenomenon pattern Fingers have episodes of becoming unusually pale or white, then sometimes blue and red, usually after cold exposure or emotional stress. Color or temperature change Numbness or tingling See signs and next steps Important patterns after an injury Thumb UCL injury pattern Skier’s thumb / gamekeeper-type sprain Pain, swelling, or looseness occurs around the inside of the thumb knuckle after the thumb is forced outward or backward. Pain after injury Thumb-side pain See signs and next steps Scaphoid injury pattern Thumb-side snuffbox wrist pain Thumb-side wrist pain after a fall can involve the scaphoid area, even when swelling or initial X-rays are not dramatic. Pain after injury Thumb-side pain See signs and next steps Jammed middle finger joint Possible PIP sprain or volar-plate injury The middle joint becomes painful and swollen after being bent backward, jammed, or dislocated. Pain after injury Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Wrist sprain or ligament injury Wrist pain, swelling, bruising, or clicking begins after a fall, forceful bend, or twist. Pain after injury Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Possible broken wrist Pain, swelling, bruising, or difficulty using the wrist begins after a fall or significant impact. Pain after injury Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps Possible complex regional pain pattern CRPS-type features Pain and sensitivity seem much greater or longer-lasting than expected and occur with swelling, stiffness, or changing skin temperature or color. Color or temperature change Joint swelling or stiffness See signs and next steps