Finger joints most commonly start pain after 40-45 years of age (1 in 10 people is due to age-related physical changes). After 60 years of age, pain often occurs in the context of polyarthritis (lesions, destruction of articular cartilage in different joints).
10% of elderly people are diagnosed with deformed and broken hand joints.
In addition, finger joint pain is a characteristic symptom of the following diseases:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (80% of cases start with inflammation of the finger joints);
- Psoriatic arthritis (affected first in 70% of fingers);
- Gout (arthritis that affects the fingers of the hand, which occurs in 10-15% of gout patients);
- Osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of the bones (accounting for 6. 5% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system).
Most arthritis, where the finger joints are first involved in the process, are systemic diseases (ie, they affect different systems of the body, not just the joints).They are also often diagnosed in people of any age, including young people; in men, they occur 3-5 times less frequently.
Another cause of pain is mechanical injury, which is the result of a blow or abrasion to the hand (not uncommon among athletes, and the incidence of all traumatic injuries is as high as 40%).
Some diseases that cause finger joint pain cannot be completely cured. Over time, they can cause disability (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis, polyarthritis). And, for example, with timely treatment of osteomyelitis, you can get rid of it forever, but this process will quickly become chronic and may lead to limb loss (in 30% of cases).
If you suspect a systemic disease (arthritis, polyarthritis), you should consult a rheumatologist or arthrologist. Osteomyelitis is treated by orthopedic traumatologists, surgeons, surgeons, and orthopedic traumatologists.
Why do finger joint pain occur: causes and symptoms
Why do finger joints hurt? There are many reasons, and factors that can accelerate or drive this process. Common predisposing factors for all diseases and injuries can be considered:
- Occupation (this category includes people who must use paintbrushes and fingers, musicians, tailors, and programmers).
- Load (injuries and minor trauma caused by hours of exercise training and rehearsal).
- Hormonal changes and disorders (pregnancy, lack of estrogen in elderly women).
- Inheritance (close relatives are more likely to suffer from systemic diseases).
- Immune system deficiency or disease.
- Metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes).
- Chronic infection (tuberculosis).
- Hypothermia (hypothermia).
- Some long-term negative factors (including taking drugs, poisoning by using toxic substances in dangerous companies, smoking, alcoholism, etc. ).
The pathologies and conditions that cause finger joint pain are described in the following article.
trauma
The pain that occurs after an injury is hard to confuse with anything else:
- All symptoms will appear immediately after receiving blows, bruises, pressure and other injuries;
- Swelling, bruising at the impact site, impaired joint mobility and severe pain;
- After moderate and severe injuries, the symptoms will not subside for a long time, but become more obvious-pain, stiffness, swelling;
- When you try to bend or straighten your fingers, the discomfort increases.
Serious injuries to the fingers of the upper limbs are associated with:
- Muscle, ligament, blood vessel rupture, intracapsular hemorrhage (articular hemorrhage) and soft tissue (hematoma);
- Fractures and fractures;
- Nerve damage (loss of finger and skin sensation).
Prognosis: Minor injuries will heal without a trace in 90-95% of cases. Severe and moderate injuries can leave a variety of complications-from impaired finger sensitivity to 70% traumatic arthritis.
Multiple arthritis
Polyarthritis is a chronic pathology, the result of which is the gradual deformation and destruction of finger joints (there is a disease that affects the thumb joints-radiculopathy).
At first, soreness occurs after hard work (sewing, embroidering, rehearsing instruments for a long time). As the disease progresses:
- The pain in the finger joints becomes continuous and does not disappear when resting;
- Clicking and crunching (during exercise) can bring painful sensations;
- Rigidity appears (initially it doesn't matter).
During the exacerbation, edema, swelling, local temperature rise, and sometimes redness in the joint area are the main symptoms.
Over time, the fingers will deform:
- On the joints near the nails, Heberden's nodules (bone hyperplasia, pea-sized seals) are formed.
- Bouchard nodules (articular surface hyperplasia, bone spurs) are formed at the middle joint.
The finger joints lose their original shape (become nodular), and over time they lose their mobility due to the ossification (stiffness) of the soft tissues.
Prognosis: Pathology cannot be cured, but it can be suspended for a long time in the early stage (until deformation occurs). Later, it became the cause of disability (the tissues grow together, ossify, and the mobility of the fingers can only be restored by surgery).
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic inflammatory diseases of the joints occur with the participation of other organs and systems in the pathological process (the outer shell of the heart, lungs, blood vessel walls, and skin).
The characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis are:
- Symptoms gradually increase and increase (at first, exacerbations are replaced by a rather long asymptomatic course, but over time they become shorter);
- Morning stiffness, reminiscent of tight gloves (disappears after 30-60 minutes);
- Severe, violent, and boring pain in the finger joints (hands), which increases into unbearable pain when bent;
- Redness, swelling, swelling, and joint stiffness.
Pain syndrome usually occurs at night or in the morning, and is slightly relieved in the afternoon.
When the acute symptoms subsided (during remission), the pain became less pronounced, pain, and movement increased when working in cold water. The finger joints were injured in the process of flexion and extension, and they were still painful and slightly swollen when touched.
Gradually, the disease causes the fingers to form stable deformities and dysfunctions-they turn outward or upward, bend (the middle, index and ring fingers are more often affected, rarely-the little finger and the big finger), and other joints are involved in this process (Wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders). . .
Prognosis: Pathology is incurable, progresses rapidly and leads to disability, disability-40% in the first 5 years of development.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a serious systemic disease (psoriasis).
The most typical signs of finger joint damage:
- Sudden onset of arthritis;
- Failure of the interdigital and distal (near nail) joints;
- Continuous, uniform, severe pain, accompanied by extensive swelling, redness of the skin, and limited mobility (the shape of the fingers at this time is similar to a carrot or sausage, and the joints of the fingers cannot be bent or straightened due to pain and swelling);
- The overall temperature rises.
In the long run, it can cause damage to the nail plates (they chip and deform), finger deformation (they "turn" outwards or upwards) and disability.
Prognosis: Psoriatic arthritis cannot be cured, treatment is difficult, and progress is rapid. 90-95% of patients will cause disability.
Gouty arthritis
Gouty arthritis occurs under the background of metabolic disorders, so excessive uric acid will accumulate in the body. It falls into the joint tissues and causes inflammation.
Typical symptoms of gouty arthritis:
- Severe, sudden, throbbing, or burning pain in one or more finger joints.
- Any attempt to move the finger or touch it will exacerbate the unpleasant symptoms.
- It is accompanied by severe edema, which usually spreads to the entire hand, changes in skin color (the fingers on the hand turn blue-purple), and the whole body temperature rises (the patient has fever, chills).
- Finger joint pain usually occurs at night.
- The onset can last from 2 days to 2 weeks.
Progressive gouty arthritis becomes the reason why new joints participate in this process and their deformation (articular surface destruction). Tofu, a tissue deposit of uric acid, appears on the fingers.
Prognosis: There is no cure for gout, but uric acid levels can be maintained through medication and diet. This disease rarely causes complete disability in patients (5-8%), but over time, it destroys the finger joints (secondary arthropathy).
Why are the finger joints injured?
Other causes of pain include the following diseases and conditions:
osteomyelitis
Infectious lesions of this bone (periosteal, spongy, and dense material) are usually acute attacks-joint pain in osteomyelitis is severe, severe, convulsive, ruptured, or torn. When flexed or stretched, it becomes unbearable, with signs of severe swelling, redness and thickening of the tissues on the joints, fever, and systemic poisoning (weakness, sweating). In 30% of cases, osteomyelitis will become chronic (may recur), and finger pain will become sore. This process can lead to septic arthritis, malignant tumors of bone tissue, bone and joint deformation.
Vasospasm
Vasospasm is a sharp narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels that supply blood to the joints of the upper limbs, hands, and fingers. It is characterized by tingling, numbness, and pale skin. At the end of the attack (which can be short-term-from 2 minutes, or long-term-up to 60 minutes), the fingers begin to ache, "pain", and the skin on the hands turns red. Over time, similar phenomena (vasospasm) become the cause of trophic ulcers (tissue necrosis caused by malnutrition), bone melting, and fingertip necrosis.
pregnant
Pregnancy is not a morbid state, but with rapid changes in hormones in the body, metabolism is accelerated. Finger joint pain, or soreness, can lead to a lack of calcium and vitamin D3, and too much hormone to prepare for delivery by relaxing the ligaments.
Diagnosis: methods, research
What should I do if I have finger joint pain? First, it is necessary to diagnose the pathology that causes this symptom. In most cases, the attending physician will prescribe some research prescriptions:
| Method name | What can make you diagnose |
|---|---|
X-ray |
With its help, it can detect bone pathological changes, joint deformities, crystal deposits, and tissue ossification |
MRI, CT or ultrasound |
These diagnostic methods allow you to determine any pathological changes in the tissues and joints around the joints that are not visible on X-rays. |
ECG, visceral ultrasound |
Helps to identify the extra-articular manifestations of certain diseases (pericarditis, pneumonia) |
Angiography |
The study of blood vessels provides information on the pathology of damaged blood vessel walls that may cause vasospasm (rheumatoid arthritis) |
Clinical laboratory research |
With the help of analysis, determine the cause of the disease, detect infections and pathogens in the pathological process |
Therapeutic and diagnostic puncture of the joint (procedure to extract fluid from the joint capsule) |
If blood (hemorrhage in the joints), pus (infection process), or a large amount of fluid accumulates in it, hindering movement and threatening its destruction, perform a puncture |
Treatment: principles, drugs, characteristics
Some diseases or conditions that cause finger joint pain cannot be cured (vasospasm, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, gouty arthritis). Some are completely cured without any consequences (prompt treatment-osteomyelitis, minor injuries and vilifications).
General principles of treatment, methods to relieve pain
In the treatment of all diseases that cause finger joint pain, it is common to use drugs that help to get rid of severe symptoms.
It usually looks like this:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs) can successfully relieve inflammation and pain;
- Glucocorticoids, if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ineffective, prescribe them;
- If joint pain cannot be relieved by other means, use painkillers.
Once the symptoms subsided, the patient will be prescribed: chondroprotective agents to slow or prevent cartilage destruction, and physical therapy.
Physical therapy stimulates metabolic processes and accelerates tissue regeneration. Among the physical therapy procedures for joint diseases, the most popular are:
- Drug electrophoresis;
- Magnetic therapy;
- UHF (Ultra High Frequency Therapy);
- Reflexology (acupuncture);
- massage;
- Mud therapy
- Balneotherapy (hydrotherapy);
- Heating procedure (paraffin wax, ozokerite application);
- Therapeutic gymnastics (exercise to strengthen the finger joints).
If it is necessary to eliminate finger joint pain and its causes, treatment in a nursing home can achieve good results. Under the guidance of the attending physician, the patient has the opportunity to change the climate 1 or 2 times a year, undergo a restorative physiotherapy procedure, and drink mineral water from natural sources.
Treatment characteristics of specific pathologies
In addition to the general methods and means, there are also subtle differences in the treatment of each pathology:
| pathology | Treatment characteristics |
|---|---|
trauma |
The treatment of trauma is carried out in stages. First, give first aid to the victim (fix the bandage and apply ice for 24 hours). If necessary, perform a puncture, restore the integrity of the tissue (in case of severe damage), and fix it with a cast. On days 3-5, they begin to warm up and stimulate healing. |
Multiple arthritis |
In the early stages of the disease, the use of cartilage protective agents and physical therapy exercises are effective. Later, only surgery helped (the problem was solved with a prosthesis). |
Rheumatoid Arthritis |
Prescribe basic anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterial drugs, anti-allergic drugs, and drugs that affect the activity of the immune system. |
Psoriatic arthritis |
|
Gouty arthritis |
They treat the underlying disease (gout) by prescribing drugs that regulate the formation of uric acid and accelerate the excretion. These drugs can dissolve the tissue deposits of salt. A mandatory part of treatment is strict diet during the onset (table 6), which is less strict throughout life. |
osteomyelitis |
Surgery to clean the suppurative cavity in the bone tissue to open up the abscess. For treatment, antibiotics and antibacterial drugs are used. |
Vasospasm |
How to treat vasospasm? In pathology, vasodilators and antispasmodics (to relax the muscles of blood vessel walls), blood thinners are prescribed. Eliminate predisposing factors (such as smoking) or treat underlying diseases that cause vasospasm (such as rheumatoid arthritis). |
Folk remedies (treat pathology, relieve pain)
Pain in finger joints can also be treated according to folk recipes:
- Dip on eucalyptus leaves. Take 40 grams of eucalyptus leaves, pour one liter of boiling water, cover and let stand for 60 minutes. When ready, filter, pour into dark glass container and store in refrigerator. Take 50ml daily for 2 weeks-3 times, 30 minutes before meals.
- Treat finger joint pain with black currant leaf infusion. Pour 10 grams of raw materials into 0. 5 liters of boiling water, cover the pot and brew for 20 minutes. Drink a glass 2 to 3 times throughout the day. The duration of the course is 2-3 months.
- A warm ointment for arthritis. Take 50 grams each of camphor and mustard powder, dilute with 100 ml of alcohol in turn, add egg whites, and beat into foam. Rub with a brush overnight. The treatment of the finger joints lasts for 21 days, and the process can be repeated after a period of time.
- Rub oil. Dilute fir essential oil with vegetable oil (1: 1) and rub it into your knuckles until it is completely absorbed before going to bed. First, they need to "warm up": boil the washed potato skins in water, wait for the soup to cool (to warm), immerse the brush in it and keep it for 15-25 minutes, and then rinse it off with clean water. They continue to treat in this way for 3 weeks or until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
prevention
How to prevent the pathological changes that cause finger joint pain? To do this, you need:
- Get rid of bad habits (quit smoking and alcohol);
- Include foods useful for joints and cartilage tissue in the diet (contain enough calcium, phosphorus, other minerals, vitamins, and protein);
- Receive regular check-ups to get rid of chronic infections (such as tonsillitis);
- Don't overload (alternate load and rest), and don't over-cool your hands.
It is very important to strengthen the immune system (swimming, yoga, walking) and finger joints through gymnastics exercises.