It is difficult to imagine a person's life without little helpers and workers: fingers. They carefully hold a cup of coffee, write tirelessly, do all the small and difficult work. Due to this high performance, the fingers are susceptible to a number of diseases. In order not to lead pathological processes to irreversible consequences, it is necessary to know why the joints of the hands hurt, how they can be cured.
What is finger joint pain?
The human musculoskeletal system contains more than 300 joints. The fingers of the hands contain the smallest and most mobile. The joints at the ends of the hands have a thin synovium and a small joint surface, which is why they are often exposed to various diseases. Each finger of the hand consists of three joints (proximal phalanx, middle phalanx, distal interphalangeal) and three bones (proximal, middle and distal phalanx).
Pain can be caused by inflammation of the joints. Against the background of hypothermia of the hands, pain may occur, accompanied by cyanosis of the skin, which subsequently turns into redness. As a result of an injury or compression of the wrist joint, paroxysmal pain occurs. Sharp, cutting sensations, accompanied by a sensation of electrical current running through the fingers, may indicate cervical osteochondrosis.
The duration of symptoms depends on the cause of the disease. The longer hand pain syndromes are ignored, the more their motor activity is impaired. If the first signs of developing finger diseases are not treated, an irreversible deformity of the joints can be allowed, in which a person is disabled.
More dangerous complications:
- necrosis of bone tissue;
- osteomyelitis (purulent-necrotic process that develops in the bone);
- osteolysis (complete reabsorption of elements of bone tissue);
- generalized sepsis (purulent infection.
Why do my fingers hurt?
As a general rule, pain in the joints of the upper extremities is a sign of developing diseases of the hands. Often such symptoms indicate manifestations of diseases of other organs. Pain in the phalanges is a sign of cervical osteochondrosis, coronary heart disease and pathologies of the peripheral nerves. If the finger joints hurt, it is important to quickly determine the cause in order to identify possible risk factors for human health.
Folded
The following conditions can cause joint pain when flexing the phalanges:
- Pinching of the spinal nerves. It occurs when nerve roots that extend from the spinal cord compress hernias, cartilage, tumors, spasmodic muscles, tendons, or other vertebrae.
- Osteoarthritis. Degeneration of articular cartilage and the development of osteophytes in the bones occurs, leading to reduced mobility.
- Tunnel syndrome. There is a pinch of the median nerve, which passes into the palm through the carpal tunnel, which protects the nerve fibers from compression. Later, it can lead to tendovaginitis, an inflammatory disease of the tendons and tendon sheaths;
- Ligamentitis stenosing. It is characterized by the blocking of the phalanges in an extended or bent position. Most often the thumb joint hurts in the hand. Pathology refers to diseases of the tendon-ligamentous apparatus.
- Rizarthrosis. Deformation of the cartilaginous plates in the thumb joint occurs after injury or excessive stress.
- Vibration sickness. Occupational disease that occurs when working with a vibrating instrument.
Finger joints are swollen and sore
Both elderly and young patients face the problem of swelling. Sometimes the fingers swell due to fluid retention in the body, but if they also hurt, this may indicate pathological changes in the bone joints.
The reasons for this condition can be as follows:
- open wounds, abrasions, cuts;
- fractures, dislocations, injuries;
- insect bites;
- radial nerve neuropathy;
- pathology of the heart and / or kidneys;
- fibromyalgia (muscle and joint pain);
- polycythemia (abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood);
- bursitis (inflammation of the joint capsule);
- osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone tissue);
- Chronic arthritis of various origins (rheumatoid, gouty, septic, neglected, purulent, and others).
In the morning
Any disease of the finger joints manifests with pain in the morning. To prevent the progression of the pathology, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis, and for this to undergo a proper examination. Most often, the fingers hurt in the morning with arthritis of various origins. The disease may not be infectious in nature, but manifests itself due to disorders of the immune system.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the articular cartilages of the index fingers, where small seals are seen, are more likely to hurt. With this pathology, symmetrical damage to the joints of both hands can also develop. Infectious arthritis affects several fingers at once and develops under the influence of viruses or bacteria. In addition to pain, there is an increase in body temperature in the morning, intoxication of the whole body. The phalanges hurt in the morning and with psoriatic arthritis, and with gout and with osteoarthritis.
This last disease, in addition to morning pains, is characterized by stiffness and rigidity. Osteoarthritis is most often seen in middle-aged women, as its development is associated with fluctuations in estrogen levels. Gout can be identified by intolerable paroxysmal pain in the morning or at night, accompanied by redness and swelling of the joint.
Acute pain
Stenosing ligamentitis of the wrist is accompanied by burning in all fingers except the little finger. Burning and numbness are felt not only at the ends of the hand, but also throughout the entire palm. Symptoms are worse at night and better during the day. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is also accompanied by sharp pains in the joints of the extremities, but numbness appears only in the little finger.
Panaritium (purulent inflammation of the tissues of the hand) can also cause such a symptom. The disease arises as a result of an infectious infection. The pain is sharp, spasmodic, and gradually intensifies, especially at night. The phalanges swell, turn red, touching them is very painful, and the body temperature often rises. Panaritium requires immediate medical attention, otherwise a person cannot avoid serious complications.
In Raynaud's syndrome, at first, there is a cold and spasms in the vessels, and then, due to poor blood flow, a person feels a sharp pain in the fingers, which swell and turn blue. In the third stage of the disease, when blood flow improves, these symptoms disappear. A painful attack lasts from several minutes to half an hour. Raynaud's disease is a consequence of atherosclerosis of the extremities, so it must be treated first.
During pregnancy
Why do finger joints hurt during pregnancy and after delivery? Gynecologists know for sure.
When the limbs swell when carrying a child, this indicates the following pathologies:
- presence of joint diseases;
- an increase in the level of relaxin, a hormone responsible for softening the ligaments;
- entrapment of the median nerve;
- lack of calcium in the body;
- fibromyalgia due to depression.
Painful sensations can pass quickly and sometimes get worse every day. This often happens at 35 weeks' gestation, which is associated with rapid weight gain, causing compression of the nerve trunks that connect the hand to the arm.
The problem is that a woman is haunted not only by joint pain, but also by other symptoms:
- burning, itchy palms;
- sudden sharp pain in forearm;
- numbness of the upper extremities.
After exercise
The appearance of painful symptoms in the hands after any physical activity is a clear sign of vascular disease. Painful sensations are accompanied by numbness of the joints, cramps, and rapid hand fatigue. The skin becomes pale and cold, the hairline becomes thinner, the nail plates become thicker. The pathology over time acquires a chronic form, as a result of which it becomes impossible to feel the pulse in the radial artery, the lumen of the vessels narrows, and the blood flow to the extremities is disturbed. The pains become constant and reappear even with light exertion.
As a person ages, the cartilage becomes thinner, more fragile, and a cracking noise is heard when moving. If pain in the hands appears after physical exertion, then this symptomatology may indicate the development of polyosteoarthritis. The disease is characterized by destructive changes in the joints that hurt when the fingers are used or before the weather changes. It is difficult for a person to straighten and bend the brush. The pain syndrome subsides when manual work is excluded.
Diagnosis
Early diagnosis will help eliminate symptoms of joint disease and heal completely. Only an experienced specialist (neuropathologist, surgeon, traumatologist) can accurately determine the cause of this symptomatology. Diagnosis is made based on the test results and the patient's history. When collecting information, the nature of the complaints is ascertained, the moment of onset of the first pains, the presence of joint pathologies in the relatives. Family predisposition in the development of arthritis and osteoarthritis plays an important role.
Research Needed for Limb Joint Pain Complaints:
- radiography;
- ultrasound examination;
- computed tomography;
- electrospondylography (computerized diagnosis of the spine);
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- contrasting discography;
- blood and synovial fluid analysis;
- puncture (injection of drug into the cavity of the lump);
- skin biopsy.
Treatment
Therapeutic tactics are determined by the type of pathology, the severity of the symptoms, the dynamics of the inflammatory process and the peculiarities of the clinical course of the disease. When prescribing drug treatment, it is taken into account that the patient has hypersensitivity to the active components of drugs. Complex treatment involves the appointment of chondroprotectors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticosteroids.
In addition to drugs, local massages, specially designed gymnastic exercises are prescribed. Excellent therapeutic effect can be achieved with the help of acupuncture and other types of physiotherapy procedures.
Diet table number 10 must be assigned the main rules of which:
- reduce salt intake;
- once a week fast days for vegetables and dairy products;
- diet without tomatoes, sorrel, spicy foods, fatty meats.
In case of joint pain, doctors recommend a spa treatment. For each patient, doctors select an individual rehabilitation program that will be most effective in each specific case. The sanatorium teaches healthy lifestyle skills, conducts therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, massage. As a rule, after such treatment, the patient for a long time forgets about relapses of the disease.
Medications
When prescribing medications, two goals are pursued: to relieve the inflammatory process and to eliminate pain. Basically, doctors use cyclooxygenase inhibitors (NSAIDs), and if the cause of the disease lies in an autoimmune pathology, steroid drugs are prescribed. In an acute infectious process, antibiotics can be used.
Topical medications (creams, ointments, gels) are prescribed to quickly relieve symptoms. With dystrophic lesions of the articular surfaces, it is recommended to use chondroprotectors.
Massage
Medication alone is not enough for arthritis or osteoarthritis of the fingers. Specialists in the period of remission of the disease suggest taking courses of therapeutic massage, the number of sessions that the doctor will determine individually. The procedure begins by kneading each section of the hand. If the patient does not feel severe pain, the effect on the affected joints begins already in the first session.
The preparatory stage of the massage is to warm the arm from the elbow to the fingers with spiral movements. The patient is seated, the hand is placed on the table, the bent elbow rests on the support, and a roller is placed under the hand. After the warm-up, the specialist kneads each finger separately with stroking movements without affecting the joints. To obtain the best effect, 2-3 approaches are performed.
Physiotherapy
Physical therapy helps speed recovery, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications.
Patients experiencing severe pain in the fingers are advised to pay attention to the following techniques:
- Electrophoresis. Treatment is based on deep injections of anti-inflammatories and pain relievers under the skin. The procedure is carried out under the influence of a constant electric current. The course of treatment is 10 procedures, 25 minutes each.
- Ultrasound therapy. During the session, a tissue micromassage is performed using ultrasonic vibrations with a frequency of 800-900 kHz. Ultrasound activates metabolic processes, removes excess uric acid and increases local immunity. The exposure time is 1 to 5 minutes per zone. The session lasts 12 to 15 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 to 12 procedures.
- Microwave (microwave therapy). The treatment is based on the use of electromagnetic waves with a wave of up to 1 m. The impact aims to restore biological processes and functional systems of cell structures. The duration of the exposure is 8 to 12 minutes. The number of sessions: from 2 to 12.
- Thermal procedures. It includes exposing the affected joints to heat. Steam baths are used with the addition of essential oils, salts, or herbs. The duration of the course is 12-20 procedures, 15-20 minutes each.
- Barotherapy. Treatment in a pressure chamber with low or high pressure helps to saturate the body with oxygen, which causes the muscles, tissues and joints to recover faster. The duration of the procedure is 60 minutes. The full course includes 22-25 sessions.
Folk remedies
An alternative treatment will help prevent the destruction of the articular cartilage of the fingers.
Most popular recipes:
- Take a thick fermented dairy product, mix it with oatmeal, which must be pre-cut. Leave the mixture on the sore fingers overnight, wrapped in a cloth;
- Pass 500 g of Kalanchoe through a meat grinder, pour 1 liter of vodka, leave to act for 5 days. After the tincture, rub it daily on sore joints;
- Mix 1 tbsp. l. olive oil with a few drops of freshly squeezed garlic. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach
Prevention
In order not to suffer from inflammatory processes in the finger joints and not to treat osteoarthritis and arthritis for a long time, it is necessary to adhere to simple preventive measures:
- keep your hands warm;
- exclude alcohol, cigarettes;
- include more fruits and vegetables in the daily menu;
- does not tolerate colds in the legs;
- break the habit of "clicking" with your fingers;
- replace tea and coffee with herbal decoctions;
- control body weight.