Hand pain

You can ease hand pain with simple steps at home. See a GP if the pain doesn't go away.

How to ease hand pain yourself

Try these things first:

• avoid activities that cause pain, if possible
• use an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel) on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen

If you have pain after an injury, don't take ibuprofen for the first 48 hours, as it may slow down healing.

A pharmacist can help with hand pain

A pharmacist can offer practical advice and may suggest:

• the best painkiller – this may be tablets, or a cream or gel you rub on the skin
• things you can buy to help, like cold packs and splints
• seeing a GP, if you need to

Find a pharmacy

See a GP if:

• you see no improvement after treatment at home
• the pain gets worse
• the pain keeps coming back

Go to a minor injuries unit or A&E if:

• you have extreme pain after an injury
• your wrist or finger are a funny shape
• there was a snap or grinding noise at the time of injury
• you have difficulty moving the hand, wrist or fingers

These are signs of a broken bone.

Find a minor injuries unit

Common causes of hand pain

Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing your hand pain. But don't self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.