My hands are swollen, what's going on?

There are always some unexpected situations in life that make us feel confused and don’t know what is going on. Sometimes you may suddenly find that your hands are swollen and feel some pain. As we all know, when some parts of the body are swollen, the causes are different. Only effective treatment can be carried out according to different causes. There are many reasons for swelling of the hands.

If there is swelling and pain on the back of the hand, and the swelling is severe, fasciitis and synovitis are generally the most likely causes. It may be related to cold stimulation, and gout may also be present. First, apply hot compress and massage, soak in hot water to promote swelling and relieve pain. If the symptoms do not improve, you need to draw blood to test for uric acid.

Symptoms of fasciitis

1. Back myofasciitis

It mainly occurs in the muscles and fascia of the shoulder and back. Because of the symptoms of the shoulder, back and neck, it is easily confused with cervical spondylosis. It manifests as persistent or recurring pain and discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and back, which worsens after fatigue. There is a pulling sensation and discomfort when moving the neck, but there is usually no obvious movement disorder. Supraspinatus myofasciitis can reflect to the shoulder joint, and trapezius myofasciitis can reflect to the neck. Chronic inflammatory lesions in the body, such as chronic cholecystitis, dental caries, upper respiratory tract infection or other inflammations that cause fever, climate changes such as cold and dampness, and excessive physical fatigue are all inducing factors.

2. Myofasciitis of the neck and shoulders

Also known as cervical and shoulder myofascial pain syndrome, it refers to the aseptic inflammation of soft tissues such as fascia, muscles, tendons and ligaments in the neck, shoulders and back, causing symptoms such as pain, stiffness, limited movement and weakness in the neck, shoulders and back. It is mainly related to minor trauma, fatigue and cold. Main symptoms: soreness and discomfort in the neck, shoulders and back, muscle stiffness, or a feeling of heaviness and numbness, which may radiate to the head, upper limbs, back and between the shoulder blades; symptoms worsen in the morning or after weather changes and cold, and the pain is relieved after activity, and often recurs; there may be a snapping sensation in the neck; physical examination may reveal local muscle tension and tenderness, and the tenderness points are often located near the spinous processes and beside the spinous processes, often involving the trapezius, rhomboids and levator scapulae, etc. The tenderness is localized and often does not radiate.

3. Lumbar myofasciitis

In the acute phase, patients experience severe lower back pain with a burning sensation. Symptoms worsen when the lower back moves. Local tenderness is more significant (mostly at the origin and insertion points of the diseased muscles). Some patients have elevated body temperature, and blood tests show an increase in white blood cells. After an acute attack, the symptoms of a few patients may completely disappear, but most will have residual pain or relapse after several months or years. Chronic cases are manifested by low back pain, muscle stiffness, and a feeling of heaviness. The pain often worsens when the weather changes (such as rainy days), at night, or in humid areas. The low back pain worsens in the morning and can be relieved by a little activity, but worsens again after fatigue. There is extensive tenderness in the lower back, and the lower back function and activities are normal, but there is obvious lower back pain during activities.

4. Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a chronic injury caused by sports, the most common cause of which is frequent and prolonged walking (including activities such as mountain climbing, fitness, hiking, etc.). Walking for a long time can easily cause chronic damage to the sole of the foot, leading to plantar fasciitis. In addition, heels that are too hard can cause pressure on the heel and can also cause plantar fasciitis. Frequent wearing of high heels can also aggravate damage to the sole of the foot. Main symptoms: Plantar fasciitis usually occurs in one foot. In addition to heel pain, some patients also feel pain in the arch or forefoot. When patients get up in the morning, the moment their feet touch the ground and they are about to stand up, they feel severe pain. This is because the plantar tendon has not had a chance to stretch all night and is suddenly pulled when they get out of bed, so they feel pain immediately.