Chandrasekaran, MD Rheumatoid ... hands or straightening out your fingers. Swelling in the relatively small joints of the fingers and hands can significantly alter their appearance. The palm ...

Factors that may play a role include: One of the first symptoms of RA is inflammation of the smaller joints in the hands and feet ... tissue damage. Rheumatoid nodules are hard lumps that appear ...

Common causes of hands locking up include rheumatoid arthritis ... The condition begins with nodules that form in the palm.