I have some pain in my left fingers and left forearm.  I can't spread
out my fingers very much when I open my hand.  If I lift weights my
left hand becomes like a claw and I must pry it open.  What is this?

Hello mrmr7, 

   This could be a number of things, such as a tendonitis, arthritis,
contractures, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or a nerve disorder. You really
should visit your doctor for an acurate diagnosis and therapy.


I have listed some sites that describe various forms of hand pain:


Hand Pain Causes:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_orthopaedics/handpain.cfm

Hand Pain:
http://arthritis.about.com/od/handandfingers/

Hand Pain and/or Stiffness
http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/aa3024.asp

Hand and Finger Pain
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/kbase/topic/symptom/handp/overview.htm

Wrist Pain
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003175.htm

Finger and Hand Pain
http://www.drugs.com/enc/finger_pain.html

Contractures:
  "Dupuytren's contracture is a fairly common disorder of the fingers.
It most often affects the ring or little finger, sometimes both, and
often in both hands. Although the exact cause is unknown, it occurs
most often in middle-aged, white men and is genetic in nature, meaning
it runs in families. This condition is seven times more common in men
than women. It is more common in men of Scandinavian, Irish, or
Eastern European ancestry. Interestingly, the spread of the disease
seems to follow the same pattern as the spread of Viking culture in
ancient times. The disorder may occur suddenly but more commonly
progresses slowly over a period of years. The disease usually doesn't
cause symptoms until after the age of forty."
http://www.handuniversity.com/topics.asp?Topic_ID=27


Clawhand:
"Claw hand is a condition characterized by curved or bent fingers,
which makes it appear like the claw of an animal."
"Claw hand can be something that someone is born with (congenital) or
that they develop because of certain acquired disorders, such as nerve
injury."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003169.htm#contentDescription

RSD:
"Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy is a chronic pain disorder involving the
sympathetic nervous system. It usually is the result of an injury or
trauma, but can also be a complication of surgery, infection, casting
or splitting and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The trauma sets
off the body's mechanism for pain recognition, but then the "normal
system of pain perception" begins to misfire and an abnormal cycle of
intractable pain begins.  As RSD progresses, the abnormal pain of the
sympathetic nervous system has an effect on other areas of the body
and can result in total disability as muscles, bones, skin and the
autonomic immune system become involved."
http://www.rsdsa-ca.org/What%20is%20RSD.html

You may find a previous answer interesting:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=116514

Hope this helps you!

Sincerely, Crabcakes

Hi mrmr7-ga,

First and foremost, let me begin by saying I am not a doctor, nurse or
medical practitioner of any kind. Also I and am not offering medical
advice - only my opinion of what I believe your condition might be.

Have a look at this link and see if it might apply to your symptoms:
http://www.onsightergo.com/articles/overviewarticle.html

I know that I am extremely guilty of resting my elbow (location of the
ulnar nerve) on a hard surface, then placing my chin in my open palm -
usually while reading something on the computer.  This practice has
caused me to have tingling in my pinkie and ring finger, as well as
radiating into the palm of my hand.

My doctor suggested that I get a thick sports pad to rest under my
elbow and obviously... keep my chin out of my palm. ;-)  My doctor
stated that providing there was no nerve damage... the
tingling/numbness should disappear in 2-3 months, but may take up to 6
months.

Hope this helps and I wish you a speedy recovery.

All the best,

-bntyhntr