Arm, wrist, hand, and little finger pain, with little finger curled towards the palm...

[bassoonpiano]

One day I noticed a dull, achey feeling in the little finger side of my hand, which I ignored and tried to sleep off. The next day, I saw that my pinky is curled slightly towards my palm, much like this picture, upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...

and can also look like this, when I try and straighten all my fingers,

d2f7pix2c73koy.cloudfront.n... (except my ring finger is not bent like that, just the little one).

I can move it around, but it takes a lot of effort to straighten it, and it hurts to move/straighten it. I also have trouble gripping things (they are too heavy for that hand, whereas the other hand is no problem).

My hand continues to have off and on cramping/achey pains in the same spot as when I first noticed it, and my little finger has a more sharp pain, second joint down. My wrist also hurts sometimes, and that whole side of my arm, running down to my elbow, feeling uncomfortable, tight, and painful whenever I play bassoon ( which I have been playing for about four years now). As time goes on, it seems to get worse and worse. It started out as only the hand and finger being a problem, but now its my arm that hurts too.

Any ideas on what may be causing this, and what I should do to fix it? I've been wearing a splint, but that helps only minimally. Even while I play bassoon with the splint and don't use it, my finger still swells a little. I have a feeling bassoon is causing it, but what inside my hand is getting damaged/messed up?

Any advice is helpful, thanks. c:

[helixhelix]

There are all sorts of possibilities, like tendonitis or a trapped nerve. But doesn't sound inflammatory arthritis, although maybe it could be. Best think would be to ask your GP for a referral to a specialist. Hope you find a solution. Polly

[hamble99b]

when I had a very bad flare several years ago, both my hands closed up tightly - I could only use my thumb & index fingers. this lasted few weeks.and my meds here adjusted and they slowly released.

[Hidden]

You could try googling duprutrens contracture. Also trigger finger . This is where the tendons cannot get pulled through the joints for some reason ihave both of the complaints and I thought I had just had some hand trauma.When I had my hands scanned and bllod tests I was shockedsto be told I had psoriatic and ra arthritis and that there was notjing wrong with my tendons but there was swellong in nearly every small joint. So it was the sellings stopping the workings of the tendons. My advice is go and sed your gp asap or rhumy if you have one or tele the rhumy nurses who can guve best and correct advice. At first complaint my gp gave md an anti inflamTory (naproxen) this didnt totally work fir me and I dnded up with stetoid injections. Good luck to you. ?..go straight away to drs its the best and inly wsy to get best advice.

[NikolasAlan]

I'm new to the community, but I want to say I'm having the exact problem right now. I have such a bad pain in my left palm on the side and it extends half way up my arm. Did you find a solution?

[binlid]

i got this in my middle finger last month doc said it called trigger finger and tendons on palm of hand went hard doc gave me some gel very painfull but gel keeps it at bay a bit when locks i put gel on and next day seems ok till next time seeing nurse soon so she can see

[bgeorgie]

I got trigger finger during a flare a coupe of months ago, and I only controlled it with painkillers, massage (recommended by my physio) and a splint, as the nurse's suggestion of a steroid injection scared me! speak t your Rheumatology nurse and to your physio if you have one. It's scary but manageable eventually. Hope you find a solution soon.