What should I do to relieve a nerve pain above my fingers?

Finger pain

My answer here is based on the following question: (paraphrased) “I work on a computer keyboard quite a lot. When doing so for a long time, I get pain in the circled area (above). If I take a rest of around 2 days, the pain goes away. However, I have to work at the keyboard, and taking breaks of that length is not an option. Are there any exercises, medicines or foods that can help me with this?”


First of all, you MUST get a physical exam from a physician to receive the best advice. Another thing to address is whether or not you might be holding your hand in slight extension/elevation above your keyboard when you type, like this:

Conventional keyboard trays can increase injury risks

This position puts undue strain on the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis muscle (which extends the hand at the wrist), and can produce a pain pattern as follows:

The extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle

You might examine your keyboard and hand positions during typing and bring them both back to neutral (straight).

Another thing you might try involves the following steps:

  1. Heat the forearm (particularly the muscles, around where the “x” is above),

  2. Compress the muscle knot (trigger point) around the x until it feels dissolved,

  3. Then massage and lightly stretch the muscle, like this:

Massaging the arm

(image: Page on Easyvigor)

Be sure not to stretch so hard that it produces pain; this could further irritate the muscle and tendon.