the tip of the index finger of my left hand (I am right-handed) has been overly sensitive to pressure. When I use my hand normally, my fingertip feels like I hit it with a hammer. When I rest my hand, the pain subsides in about an hour. I ve also been waking up with pain in this finger. It feels slighty warm and I can see a very faint, small, light red mark under the skin of the side of the fingertip. I don t recall injuring or over-using my hand or fingers recently
Hithank-you for providing the brief history of you. As you mentioned that pain is in the index finger a thorough neuromuscular assessment is needed. Now to understand this, that the pain is triggered on activity and subsides on relaxing. As you mentioned the nature of the pain is sharp in nature on the tips, what are the other associated symptoms along with the pain. Like any kind of numbness or the pain is just restricted to one location and of one kind.to assess further, are you a higChatDoctorputer usage person? Or a high smartphone usage person? Any injury or skin color changes in the painful area, are the nail beds intact? Since it is totally a sensory symptom, we need to assess two things here. One is to assess the nerve with Nerve conduction velocity test and the other is the MRI of the cervical spine. Nerve conduction study will help assess the course of the nerve and its functioning also any carpal tunnel compression is present will be revealed. Incase this test is negative than an MRI of the cervical spine is guided to see the soft tissues' compression on the nerve roots. Also, how are your motor functions of the strength. Is there any difference in the strength of both the hands? If so than a musculoskeletal assessment will help further. Now since it is a sensory issue of the radial nerve, as radial nerve supplies the index finger and control the motor and sensory functions of it, assessment done in detail will help come close to diagnosis and guide for further rehabilitation plan. With the grace of God I wish you a speedy recoveryregardsJay In Chat Doctor. 