The claw hand: its reasons, signs, and symptoms

 It’s actually a very real condition that affects roughly two percent of the world’s population. The claw hand, or claw finger in its less severe form, results from improper circulation throughout your body and causes your fingers to curl into your palm in an unnaturally flexed position. It can range in severity from your fingers being just slightly bent at the tip to being completely immobile and stuck in this position at all times, even when you’re sleeping.

Claw Hand Causes

Claw hand is a deformity of the hand that is characterized by claw-like fingers. The deformity can be caused by trauma to the forearm or wrist or it can happen spontaneously in individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 

 Claw hands can be caused by both congenital and non-congenital factors. Non-congenital factors are more common than congenital ones. 

Most people with claw hands have them because of a genetic disorder, such as down syndrome, CMT or CP, but some people acquire them because of injuries to their wrists and arms.

Claw hands can be congenital or acquired. In most cases, they are congenital. The causes include 

genetics, fetal alcohol syndrome, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy (CP), spina bifida occulta (where there is some part of the spine not covered by bone), spinal cord injury (SCI), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and others. Claw hand deformities may be limited to one finger or extend to all four fingers on one side of the body.

Claw Hand Symptoms

A claw hand is a deformity of the digits in which the fingers are curved so that they resemble the talons of a bird or the claws of an animal.

Claw hands usually result in significant pain as they inhibit an individual's ability to grip things or use their hands for activities that require significant strength. It is important to see your doctor as soon as you have any suspicion that you may be suffering from claw hand so that he or she can properly diagnose the condition.

Ways to Alleviate Claw Hand

It is important to find the root cause of your claw hand. The first thing a doctor will do is perform an examination of the affected area to see if there are any underlying conditions that may be causing your symptoms. 

Conditions like arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain in the hands that may be relieved with medication. 

There are also many self-care strategies you can use at home to help reduce the risk of worsening your condition or prevent it from coming back.

 One of these methods includes using cold packs on your hands for up to 20 minutes at a time. Ice therapy works by numbing the nerves in the area and preventing them from transmitting pain signals. 

Another treatment for this ailment involves wearing wrist splints during sleep. These devices work by supporting weight off of joints and muscles so they have time to heal properly without being stressed all night long.