Thumb and Finger Pain – Could It Be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Pain in your thumb and finger pain may be part of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but it can also be caused by muscles in your upper chest (between your breastbone and arm), on your ribs (under your arm pit), near your elbow in your lower arm (on the palm side) or in your hand.

There’s such a thing as Trigger Points.  Trigger points are hyper-irritable or crabby areas of muscle of other soft tissues that send pain elsewhere on your body.

And trigger points can develop in your chest, ribs, arm and hands.  They can cause thumb and finger pain.  That’s good news!  Why?

When the muscles that cause pain in your hand are unhappy, you can “treat” them (press into them or massage them) to help them feel happier.  They will be uncomfortable at first but will soften and become happier. 🙂 When they are happy, you will be happy, too!

Massaging your own hands and arms when you

wash them or apply lotion is one thing that will help your muscles (and your nerves and other soft tissues, too.)  This is something you can do several times a day.

Massage is very beneficial (it’s old medicine!) and will help relax and normalize tight tissues and “get the blood flowing”.

Take the time to rub or massage around each finger and your thumb.  Rub into your thick thumb muscle.  Massage your forearm all the way to your elbow.

When you do this, look for tender areas.

If you press into a tender area in your arm, does it “fire” or refer into your hand?  If so, you have found a trigger point.  Good job!

Press on a trigger point for about 12 seconds and it will start to release.  It may feel as though your pressure is getting less but actually it’s your muscle “releasing” or relaxing.

Claire Davies wrote an excellent, easy-to-use and understand self-help trigger point book.  Find it on Amazon or your local library.  It’ll be an excellent book to have.

When you understand the causes of pain and other symptoms in your hands, you will have a much better idea of how to get rid of those causes–and getting rid of the causes is what will get rid of your carpal tunnel pain naturally!