Hand cramping

[smudgie]

About a month ago--starting one night and every night since--my fingers (not thumb) on both hands began cramping when I wake up at night and close my hands.  (If I sleep with my hands closed--no cramping upon wakening and opening them.)  There doesn't seem to be any numbness but maybe some puffiness first thing in the morning--probably from the cramping. I play golf maybe once a month and at first thought it might be from holding my club too tight.  However, it has not gone away--maybe has gotten a bit worse.  No problems whatsoever during the day.  Local doctor is puzzled--do you have any ideas?

[jvas]

A related discussion, hand cramps with numbness was started.

[susiek322]

A related discussion, hands was started.

[esco325]

I just started to research cramping symptoms, and i came accross this website. I have cramping in my hands. I can say that it does happen often to where my hands will stay stuck in a position and i have to apply pressure to move them in a differn't position. For instance i could make a fist and my hands will stay in that position unless I change it myself. or I can have my hands in a bent position like typing and they have little shaking movements, and cramp in that position as well. What could this be?.

[Went to far]

Hello My name is Richard about 4 1/2 yrs ago I broke my neck.I was given a C-5 fusiion with a bone cut from my hip and my neck plated with screws into my vertabry.My question is right at the time of the injury my hands began to hurt severly. The pain in the hands never went away is this normal? My neck only really hurts when the weather gets cold. Could somthing possibly gone wrong with the operation? I was told by a MD this was commen and that I would have this pain for ever. Can this be true?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

Would be unusual for the cramping to be daily despite playing golf only once a month, even if the grip was indeed too tight.  The lack of numbness, tingling or pain make it less likely to be carpal tunnel syndrome (although could represent atypical symptoms for it). Cramps can be seen in a number of disorders including neuromuscular diseases, electrolyte abnormalities like low calcium or magnesium, rheumatological disorders such as arthritis or autoimmune diseases, and genetic syndrome.  There is a benign form called idiopathic cramping which means there is no known underlying cause and it's not a serious disorder.  The symptoms are typically at night and can be found in any muscle group, but usually it's in the calves.  For futher evaluation, start with routine blood work looking at electrolyte levels and CK (protein found in muscle) that can be ordered by your primary care doc.  Then consider an EMG and formal neurological exam as this is continuing to get worse.  In the meantime, try some woda water which contains quinine.  Quinine has been helpful in some of my patients with cramps and in small amounts (as that found in soda water), it shouldn't have any side effects (in some genetically predispositioned people, can lead to heart block).GOod luck.