Patients with neck pain due to cervical nerve root irritation may have hand pain significant enough that they may have difficulty making a fist.
The joints of the fingertips may have a hard time bending. This most peripheral joint of the fingertips is known as the distal interphalangeal joint. Bending of this joint is performed by the flexor digitorum profundus muscle.
The nerve supply to the flexor digitorum profundus:
- slips to the index and middle fingers are supplied by the anterior interosseous branch of the median nerve
- slips to the ring and fingers are supplied by the ulnar nerve.