Why do my hands hurt so badly after they've been cold?
Cold exposure, particularly to the distal extremities (fingers and toes) results in profound vasospasm, limiting blood flow. As the fingers and toes are re-warmed, many people experience significant pain that is described as severe as grasping broken glass. Why does this happen? Let's take a look and see if we can describe why fingers and toes can hurt so much upon re-warming.