The joints of the fingers most often start to hurt after 40-45 years (caused by age-related changes in the body in 1 in 10 people). After 60 years, pain often occurs in the background of polyosteoarthritis (lesions, destruction of articular cartilage in various joints).
Deformity and destruction of the joints of the hand are diagnosed in 10% of the elderly.
In addition, pain in the finger joints is a characteristic symptom of diseases such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis (80% of cases begin with inflammation of the joints of the fingers);
- psoriatic arthritis (70% of fingers suffer first);
- gout (arthritis of the fingers of the hand, occurs in 10-15% of patients with gout);
- Osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of the bones (accounting for 6. 5% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system).
Most arthritis, in which the joints of the fingers are first involved in the process, is a systemic disease (that is, they affect different systems in the body, not just the joints).They are just as often diagnosed in people of any age, including young people, and are 3-5 times less common in men.
Another cause of pain is the consequences of mechanical injury, hand blows, or bruises (not uncommon in athletes, accounting for 40% of all traumatic injuries).
Some of the diseases that cause pain in the joints of the fingers cannot be completely cured, over time they become the cause of disability (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis, polyosteoarthritis). And, for example, with timely treatment, you can get rid of osteomyelitis forever, but the process quickly becomes chronic and can lead to limb loss (in 30% of cases).
If systemic disease (arthritis, polyosteoarthritis) is suspected, consult a rheumatologist or arthrologist. Osteomyelitis is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist, surgeon, and an orthopedic traumatologist.
Why finger pain occurs: causes and symptoms
Why do finger joints hurt? There are a number of reasons as well as factors that can speed up or reverse the process. Common predisposing factors for all diseases and injuries can be considered:
- Profession (this category includes people who have to work with brushes and fingers, musicians, seamstresses, programmers).
- Exercises (injuries and microtraumas resulting from several hours of sports training, rehearsals).
- Hormonal changes, disorders (pregnancy, estrogen deficiency in elderly women).
- Inheritance (close relatives are more susceptible to systemic diseases).
- Immune system deficiencies or diseases.
- Metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes mellitus).
- Chronic infections (tuberculosis).
- Hypothermia (hypothermia).
- Some long-term negative factors (including - taking medications, poisoning with toxic substances in a dangerous business, smoking, alcoholism, etc. ).
The following describes the pathologies and conditions that cause pain in the finger joints.
Injury
The pain that occurs after an injury is hard to confuse with anything else:
- all symptoms occur immediately after impact, bruising, compression, and other injuries;
- swelling, bruises at the site of impact, impaired joint mobility are associated with acute pain;
- in the case of moderate and severe damage, the symptoms do not improve for a long time, but become more pronounced - pain, stiffness, swelling;
- the discomfort is increased when you try to bend or straighten your fingers.
Severe injuries to the fingers of the upper limb are associated with:
- rupture of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, bleeding in the capsule (hemarthrosis) and soft tissues (hematomas);
- bone fractures and cracks;
- nerve damage (loss of sensation in the fingers and skin).
Prognosis: minor injuries heal without a trace in 90-95% of cases. Severe to moderate injuries can leave a variety of complications - 70% from finger sensitivity to traumatic arthritis.
Polyosteoarthritis
Polyosteoarthritis is a chronic pathology that results in the joints of the fingers gradually deforming and dying (there is a form of the disease that affects the joints of the thumb - rhizarthrosis).
At first, there is aching pain after hard work (sewing, embroidery, many hours of rehearsal). As the disease progresses:
- the pain in the joints of the fingers becomes constant, does not go away at rest;
- clicks and crackling (while moving) are associated with painful feelings;
- stiffness appears (initially insignificant).
During the period of exacerbation, edema, swelling, elevated local temperature, and sometimes redness of the joints are associated with the main symptoms.
Over time, the fingers deform:
- Heberden nodules (bony growths, pea-sized seals) are formed on the joints closer to the nails.
- Bouchard nodules (proliferation of joint surfaces, bone spikes) form in the middle joints.
The joints of the fingers lose their original shape (become lumpy) and over time they lose their mobility due to the ossification of the soft parts (ankylosis).
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable but can be suspended for a long time at an early stage (until the onset of deformity). Later it becomes a cause of disability (the tissues become fused, ossified, the mobility of the fingers can only be restored by surgery).
Rheumatoid arthritis
It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints that occurs with the involvement of other organs and systems in an abnormal process (the outer shell of the heart, lungs, blood vessel walls, skin).
Features of rheumatoid arthritis:
- gradual increase and increase in symptoms (initially exacerbation is replaced by a rather long, asymptomatic course, but over time they shorten);
- morning stiffness reminiscent of tight gloves (disappears in 30-60 minutes);
- sharp, sharp, dull pain in the joints of the fingers (with both hands) that becomes unbearable when bent;
- redness, swelling, swelling, joint stiffness.
Pain syndrome usually occurs at night or in the morning and decreases slightly in the afternoon.
When the acute symptoms are relieved (during remission), the pain is less pronounced, it hurts, it increases in movement when working in cold water. The joints of the fingers ache during bending and stretching, remain painful to the touch, and swell slightly.
Gradually, the disease leads to stable deformation and dysfunction of the fingers - they turn outwards or upwards, bend (more often the middle, index and anonymous, very rarely - the little finger and big), other joints are involved in the process (wrist, ankle, knee, shoulder). . .
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable, develops rapidly and leads to disability, disability - in 40% of cases in the first 5 years of development.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of severe systemic disease (psoriasis).
The most common signs of damage to the finger joints are:
- sudden, sudden arthritis;
- defeat of the interphalangeal and distal joints (closer to the nail);
- constant, even, severe pain with extensive swelling, redness, limited movement (the shape of the fingers at this moment resembles a radish or a sausage, it is impossible to bend or bend the joints of the fingers due to pain and swelling);
- increase in general temperature.
In the long run, it leads to the destruction of the nail plates (they crumble, they lose their shape), deformation of the fingers ("turning" outwards or upwards), disability.
Prognosis: Psoriatic arthritis is incurable, severe, develops rapidly, and leads to disability in 90-95% of patients.
Gouty arthritis
Gouty arthritis occurs in the background of metabolic disorders that cause excess uric acid to build up in the body. It falls into the tissue of the joints, causing inflammation.
Typical symptoms of gouty arthritis:
- Sharp, sudden, throbbing or burning pain in one or more joints of the fingers.
- Any attempt to move or touch your finger will aggravate the unpleasant symptom.
- It is accompanied by severe edema, which often affects the entire hand, a change in skin color (the finger of the hand becomes bluish-purple), an increase in general temperature (the patient has a fever, chills).
- Pain in the joints of the fingers usually occurs at night.
- The attack can last from 2 days to 2 weeks.
The cause of progressive gouty arthritis is the involvement of new joints in the process, their deformation (destruction of joint surfaces). Tofus, uric acid tissue deposits appear on the fingers.
Prognosis: Gout is incurable, but uric acid levels can be maintained with medication and diet. The disease rarely causes complete disability in the patient (5-8%), but over time it can destroy the joints of the fingers (secondary arthrosis).
Why might the finger joints hurt anyway?
Other causes of pain include the following diseases and conditions:
Osteomyelitis
This infectious lesion of the bones (periosteum, spongy, and solid material) usually begins acutely — in osteomyelitis, joint pain is severe, sharp, twitching, cracking, or tearing. It becomes unbearable when bent or stretched, accompanied by severe swelling, redness and thickening of the tissues above the joint, signs of fever and general intoxication (weakness, sweating). In 30% of cases, osteomyelitis becomes chronic (may recur), and finger pain becomes aching. The process can cause purulent arthritis, malignant tumors of bone tissue, and deformities of bones and joints.
Vasospasm
Vasospasm is a sharp narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels that supply blood to the upper extremities, hands, and finger joints. It is characterized by a tingling sensation, numbness, pallor of the skin. At the end of the attack (which can be short-term - from 2 minutes or long - up to 60 minutes), the fingers start to ache, "hurt" and the skin of the hands turns red. Over time, a similar phenomenon (vasospasm) becomes the cause of trophic ulcers (tissue necrosis due to malnutrition), bone melting, and fingertip death.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a pathological condition, but it is associated with sharp and rapid hormonal changes in the body, accelerated metabolism. Joint pain in the fingers, or rather pain, can provoke a lack of calcium and vitamin D3 as well as an excess of the hormone that prepares the body for childbirth by relaxing the ligaments.
Diagnostics: methods, research
If the finger joint hurts, what should be done? First, the pathologies that cause such a symptom must be diagnosed. Most often, your doctor will prescribe a number of tests:
| The name of the method | Which allows for a diagnosis |
|---|---|
X-ray |
It can be used to detect abnormal bone changes, joint deformity, crystal deposition, tissue ossification |
MRI, CT or ultrasound |
These diagnostic methods make it possible to detect pathological changes in the periarticular tissues and joints that are not visible on X-rays. |
ECG, ultrasound of internal organs |
Helps to identify extraarticular manifestations of certain diseases (pericarditis, pneumonitis) |
Angiography |
Examination of blood vessels is indicative for diseases that involve damage to their villages and can cause vasospasm (rheumatoid arthritis). |
Clinical laboratory research |
Analyzes are used to determine the cause of the disease, to detect infections and the pathogens of the pathological process |
Therapeutic and diagnostic puncture of joints (procedure for removing fluid from the joint capsule) |
A puncture occurs when blood (hemarthrosis), pus (infectious processes), or large amounts of fluid have accumulated in it, which impedes mobility and threatens death. |
Treatment: principles, drugs, features
Some of the diseases or conditions that cause pain in the joints of the fingers of the hands cannot be cured (vasospasm, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, gouty arthritis). Some heal completely and without consequences (with timely treatment - osteomyelitis, minor and moderate injuries).
General principles of treatment, methods of analgesia
It is common in the treatment of all diseases that cause pain in the joints of the fingers of the hands, prescribing medications to help get rid of severe symptoms.
Usually it is:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that successfully relieve inflammation and pain;
- glucocorticoids, which are prescribed when NSAIDs are ineffective;
- analgesics if joint pain cannot be relieved by other means.
As soon as the symptoms improve, the patient is prescribed: chondroprotectors to slow or prevent cartilage destruction, and physical therapy.
Physiotherapy stimulates metabolic processes, accelerates tissue regeneration. The most popular physiotherapy procedures for joint diseases are:
- electrophoresis with drugs;
- magnetotherapy;
- UHF (ultra high frequency therapy);
- reflexology (acupuncture);
- massage;
- mud therapy;
- balneotherapy (hydrotherapy);
- heating processes (paraffin, ozokerite applications);
- therapeutic gymnastics (exercises to strengthen the joints of the fingers).
If the pain and causes of the finger joints need to be eliminated, sanatorium treatment can give good results. At the instruction of the treating physician, the patient is given the opportunity to change the climate, perform restorative physiotherapy procedures, and consume mineral water from natural sources 1-2 times a year.
Characteristics of the treatment of specific pathologies
In addition to the general methods and tools, there are nuances in the treatment of individual pathologies:
| Pathology | Characteristics of treatment |
|---|---|
Injury |
Trauma is treated step by step. First, the victim is given first aid (fixation bandage, ice wrap for 24 hours). If necessary, a puncture is performed, tissue integrity is restored (in case of severe damage), and fixed with plaster. A 3-5. days they begin to warm up, stimulating healing. |
Polyosteoarthritis |
The use of chondroprotectors and physiotherapy practices at the onset of the disease is effective. Later, only the surgery helps (the problem is solved with a prosthesis). |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
Prescribe basic anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterial, antiallergic drugs, drugs that affect the activity of the immune system. |
Psoriatic arthritis |
|
Gouty arthritis |
The underlying disease (gout) is treated by prescribing drugs that regulate the formation of uric acid and speed up the secretion, drugs that dissolve tissue salt deposits. A mandatory part of treatment is a strict diet during the attack (Table 6), a less strict diet for life. |
Osteomyelitis |
Surgical washing of the purulent cavities of the bone tissue is performed, and the abscesses are opened. Antibiotics and antibacterial drugs are used for treatment. |
Vasospasm |
How to treat vasospasm? In pathology, vasodilators and antispasmodics (relax the muscles of the vessel walls), blood thinners are prescribed. Remove provocative factors (such as smoking) or treat the underlying disease for which vasospasm has occurred (such as rheumatoid arthritis). |
Folk remedies (treatment of pathologies, pain relief)
Finger joint pain can also be treated with folk recipes:
- Infusion on eucalyptus leaves. Take 40 g of eucalyptus leaves, pour a liter of boiling water, let stand for 60 minutes under the lid. When done, filter, drip into a dark glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Take 50 ml every day for 2 weeks - 3 times, 30 minutes before meals.
- Treatment of joint pain in the fingers by infusion of black currant leaves. Pour 10 g of raw material with 0, 5 liters of boiling water, allow to cook for 20 minutes under the lid. Drink with a glass 2-3 times during the day. The duration of the course is 2-3 months.
- Warming ointment for arthritis. Take 50 g of camphor and mustard powder each, dilute in 100 ml of alcohol, add the whipped egg whites. Rub into brushes overnight. Treatment of the finger joints continues for 21 days, after which time the course can be repeated.
- Rubbing oil. Dilute the essential oil of pine with vegetable oil (1: 1), rub into the joints of the fingers until completely absorbed before going to bed. First, "warm up": boil the washed potato peel in water when the broth cools down (warm up nicely), immerse the brush in it and hold for 15-25 minutes, then rinse with clean water. They will continue to be treated like this for 3 weeks or until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Prevention
How to prevent pathologies that cause pain in the finger joints? To do this, you need:
- get rid of bad habits (give up smoking and alcohol);
- to introduce into the diet foods that are useful for the joints and cartilage tissues (sufficient calcium, phosphorus, other minerals and vitamins, protein content);
- be screened regularly to get rid of foci of chronic infection (such as tonsillitis);
- do not overload (change the load with rest) and do not overcool your hands.
It is very important to strengthen the immune system (swimming, yoga, walking) and finger joints with physiotherapy exercises.