When the hands and fingers ache, it means that the body is signaling about joint disease or internal pathologies. Often, the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, unaware of the danger of becoming incapacitated in a short time. Information about why finger joint pain develops and what to do is useful for those who have experienced the first symptoms of the disease, whose close relatives suffer from joint pathology.
causes
There are several diseases associated with pain and inflammation of the hands. These include:
gouty arthritis
The disease manifests itself from the age of 20 years. The thumbs are the first to be exposed to the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of joint inflammation. The attack usually starts at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin over the affected joint turns red. The finger becomes hot and difficult to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away suddenly, without treatment, but it will soon reappear.
Polyosteoarthritis
People over 40 are sick: men - less often than women. A hallmark of the disease is Heberden nodules, when nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning, sharp pain are observed; in some patients, nodules form asymptomatically. In polyosteroarthrosis, the formation of nodules in the middle finger joints is also observed. Bouchard's nodules are spindle-shaped, almost painless, and characterized by slow growth.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The onset of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index and middle fingers. Along with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints inflame, swell, ache. The finger joint hurts especially painfully in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis accompanies weakness, joint pain and fever.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis is seen after stress, hypothermia, infections.
psoriatic arthritis
The pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. With pathology, joint pain, swelling are observed. The pathology has another name - "sausage" finger. At the same time, all the joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, the joints of both hands become inflamed, but in different fingers.
de Quervain's tenosynovit
The inflammation only affects the thumb. Pain is caused by the load when trying to extend it to the elbow. Sometimes a finger hurts for no apparent reason.
rhizarthrosis
A rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of arthrosis. Location is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of cartilage tissue. The thumb bone is deformed, limiting movement of the inflamed joint.
carpal tunnel syndrome
The pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- Pain is felt on the inside of the thumb.
- The index finger hurts.
- There is numbness in the skin of the palm.
- Decrease in hand motor skills.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, which leads to impairment.
Raynaud's Disease
The causes of the disease are decreased hair tone. It manifests itself by symptoms: numbness, pallor of the skin on the hand, vasodilation, resulting in redness of the fingers. Sometimes there is a bluish color, sharp pain, edema. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which in the last stage of development become bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are frequently seen.
Trauma
Hand pain most often occurs with bruises and sprains. A bruise on the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, bluish discoloration or redness of the injured site, severe pain when trying to move a finger, bruise formation, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Finger ligament sprains most often occur with sudden movement of the joint, which is seen in athletes, people with excessive mobility, and children.
tendonitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). The "writing" cramp comes with the everyday stress of typing. Pain syndrome is seen in people who suffer from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is especially felt at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a popping sound.
Tingling and numbness in the fingers manifest in a person making small movements with the hands. The appearance of snapping finger syndrome is facilitated by repeated excessive strain on the hand. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if you apply force to extend, you hear a click.
Feelings of pain with internal pathologies
Often, pain in the hand and fingers for reasons not related to joint disease. People suffering from pathologies are at risk. Cardiac ischemia. With myocardial infarction, the onset of an attack usually coincides with a feeling of pain and tingling in the left hand. Diabetes. The pathology takes the hands to a more sensitive state due to circulatory disturbances.
Painful sensations and numbness are often seen in pregnant women. The following changes cause swelling and pain in the finger joints during pregnancy: increased amounts of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, median nerve violation, depression.
Important!Heredity, freezing of the hands, frequent immersion in cold water, and decreased immunity all contribute to pathological changes in the hands.
Pain in the fingers of the right hand
Several fingers hurt at the same time. Half of the painful manifestations occur in the ring and little fingers and a third in the index and thumb. If pain is felt in all fingers of the right hand, the problem is vascular. Pain in the index finger and thumb signal a spinal pathology. If the index finger, ring finger, and thumb hurt at the same time, this indicates radial nerve disease. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
Left hand fingers hurt
If the pain only occurs in all the fingers of the left hand, the problem is looked for in the vessels. Thumb, index and ring finger hurts - the radial or medial nerve is affected, the index and thumb are pathologies of the spine. Pain in the little finger and ring finger presents with foraminal hernia C5-C6. Middle finger joint pains with C4-C5 foraminal hernia.
Which specialist to choose
Whatever the reason your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. For post-traumatic pain, make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints become inflamed and swelling appears, a rheumatologist will help. When the cause of pain is unclear, you should see a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Diagnosis
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware studies:
- Radiography. The painless procedure makes it possible to examine the bone tissue. The survey results are recorded in the film in 3 screenings.
- CT. The study is carried out with X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
- Electrospondylogram. It reveals the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for the functioning of the hands. The pathology is detected early in development.
- Magnetic resonance. Diagnosis is made using electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, longitudinal and cross-sectional images are obtained.
The X-ray method is considered the most informative for bone tissue pathologies.
laboratory methods
To diagnose joint pathology, studies are carried out:
- General analysis of urine. Allows you to identify advanced forms of bone inflammation.
- General blood analysis. The study determines the presence of leukocytosis and anemia.
- Biochemical blood test. Determines the increased presence of fibrinogen, sialic acids.
- Puncture. After a puncture in the affected joint, the fluid is taken for examination. The study is designed to accurately determine the cause of the development of the pathology; performed in rare cases.
- Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is removed for microscopic examination. Using the method, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are detected.
Treatment
Hand pain is treated according to the cause. For arthritis exacerbations, NSAIDs are used. For the normal supply of food from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilators is necessary. For local therapy, ointments and gels are used. Good results are obtained in the treatment of arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, central analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient of acute pain. In addition to pain relief, medications have an anti-inflammatory effect. In some cases, chondroprotectors are taken continuously. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, laser treatment is used successfully. Significant relief is achieved through physical therapy procedures: massage, mud therapy.
With gout, the drug is indicated to normalize the exchange of purines in the body. Analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet that restricts the use of meat products, fish and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis is not curable, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint using anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage also worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome, a comfortable working environment must be created, taking into account the correct positioning of the hand. For painful sensations, the compresses are made from a chamomile decoction.
surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced with a surgical method. Indications for surgical intervention are:
- Lesions with tendon detachment from the fixation point to the nail phalanx.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant neoplasms of the hand.
How to cure according to popular recipes
Effective Popular Recipes To Deal With Hand Pain:
- Recipe number 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of chopped fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix, cook for 8-10 minutes, until you get a smooth dough. Transfer to a dish without access to light. The brush joints are lubricated morning and night until visible improvement.
- Recipe number 2. Bird cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry bark pour 200 ml of vodka. Insist 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
- Recipe number 3. Bath with marigold. A tablespoon of dried marigold flowers is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. The broth is prepared for 15 minutes. over low heat. Treatment procedures continue - 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 4. Drinking from dandelion roots. Then 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Cook for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe number 5. Three tablespoons of sea salt are heated in a microwave oven. Wrapped in gauze bandage, applied to the joint, kept for 30 minutes.
Procedures are performed daily for 20 days.
Helpful Tips
By following your doctors' recommendations, you can significantly help the body alleviate joint disease. If you feel swelling from the brushes, remove the jewelry. In case of injury, it is necessary to guarantee the immobility of the hand and apply a cold compress. In case of pain from exertion, they should be excluded or significantly reduced. It is necessary to change jobs that require repetitive movements.
You should see a doctor immediately if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain persists, rigidity of movement is noted, and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The brush turns red, there is heat in the skin area.
- Tingling sensation in the hand.
- Finger phalanxes hurt.
- The brush or finger becomes numb.
It is advisable to exclude tobacco, caffeine, which leads to the narrowing of blood vessels, not giving the right amount of blood to the hands.
Prophylaxis
To avoid hand pain, you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen your hand muscles in your morning workout complex.
- If you need to perform repetitive movements, take breaks.
- An extended position in a position that requires a fixed hand position must be excluded.
- Avoid hand hypothermia.
Hand pain is caused by several reasons. For pain relief, medications, physiotherapy, surgical methods and popular prescriptions are used. To improve your quality of life, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations.