Joint pains in the hand not only interfere with normal life, reduce physical activity, lead to impaired performance, but also worsen the emotional state due to the painful discomfort that constantly arises.
That is why, when a person has pain in the joints of the fingers, the first thing that interests him is the causes of this phenomenon and a possible treatment.
Causes of pain
Hand pain can be caused by a variety of conditions, many of which have very similar symptoms.Most diseases are chronic and the prerequisites for their development often go unnoticed.Let's find out why the finger joints of one or both hands hurt.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a constantly progressive connective tissue disease that affects the (mostly peripheral) joints. Due to chronic inflammation of the synovial membrane, cartilage destruction occurs. Periarticular tissues are affected. Pathology develops as a result of immune self-harm.The clinical picture is characterized by:
- destruction of cartilage tissue;
- osteoporosis;
- pain, joint deformities (first of all, hands), subluxations, contractures;
- worsening of the condition of blood vessels, damage to the lymph nodes;
- changes in skin, nails, increased pigmentation;
- the formation of specific rheumatoid nodules;
- heart disorders (rheumatoid carditis);
- dystrophic changes in the muscles;
- various pathologies of the kidneys (most often amyloidosis), liver;
- functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- neurological disorders, rheumatoid neuropathy.
The disease can be caused by infections, hypothermia, trauma, physical or nervous tension.There is a genetic predisposition to the disease.Women have arthritis about 3 times more often.
The earliest and most important symptom is a feeling of morning stiffness throughout the body, especially felt in the joints of the hands, which disappears after physical activity. At the initial stage, there may be a temporary deterioration of the general condition, when the joints of the fingers and toes periodically ache, appetite decreases, heartbeat increases, sweating and low temperature appear.
Later, the pain - especially in the small joints of the hands and feet - intensifies, especially in the morning, after sleeping and when moving.The period of morning stiffness is prolonged, which becomes painful.Joint mobility is increasingly limited. Pronounced inflammatory edema, hyperemia appear, the skin temperature rises above the site of inflammation, fever begins.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by alternating periods of exacerbations and remissions, sometimes long - for months and even years. With each exacerbation, the process encompasses new articulations.
osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the spine leads to lumbago in the back, neck, neurovascular disorders, herniated disc formation, impaired blood flow in vertebral arteries, pinched nerve roots, and signs of other neurological symptoms. Most often, the disease is accompanied by a feeling of numbness in the fingers, but the pain can be confused with joint pain.
Osteochondropathy. Kienböck's disease
Finger pain can be caused by osteochondropathy - necrosis of bone tissue caused by increased mechanical stress, especially in childhood and adolescence. In adults, the disease is diagnosed less often.The development of the pathology is provoked by injuries, functional overload, infections, rapid growth in children, characteristics of the constitution and, sometimes, vitamin imbalance.
One such disease is Kienböck's disease, which affects the wrist joint. This type of osteochondropathy is predominantly characteristic of men aged 18 to 30 years with chronic microtraumatization or excessive hand strain (locksmiths, turners, carpenters, carpenters). The symptom complex includes:
- persistent pain covering fingers, wrist area;
- persistent swelling;
- increased pain when pressing on the wrist joint;
- bone destruction, subluxation of the intercarpal joints in the final stage of the disease.
The process, as a rule, affects only one side.
reactive arthritis
A recent infectious disease (1-1, 5 months ago) and the development of joint inflammation after it may explain why fingers hurt, especially when flexed. Reactive arthritis is presumably the result of an immune response to microbial antigens located outside the joint, which causes synovitis to develop from immune complexes in the synovial membrane.
The symptomatology of the disease is expressed:
- pain in the affected joints, tendons;
- deterioration of the condition of the skin, changes in the nails;
- diseases of the genitourinary, cardiovascular, lymphatic systems.
The clinic of reactive arthritis is diverse and depends on the causative agent of the infection: streptococcus, salmonella, meningococcus, shigella and many others.
Drop
Gout belongs to the group of metabolic arthritis - diseases of the musculoskeletal system caused by metabolic disorders, in this case - uric acid. The disease mainly affects men over 40 years of age, but it is possible to develop gout in young people aged 20 to 30 years, in menopausal women.
Violation of purine metabolism can be caused by:
- increased synthesis due to a genetically inherited trait;
- kidney failure;
- some blood diseases;
- take medication;
- significant consumption of foods rich in purines and fats (meat, fish), alcohol;
- infections;
- a combination of several factors that affect uric acid metabolism.
The disease is accompanied by the development of hyperuricemia - an excess of uric acid in the blood serum, resulting in the deposition of urates in the tissues of the joints.
Gout is characterized by an attack-like course with the involvement of an increasing number of joints and tendons in the process, the gradual appearance of persistent visible deformities, stiffness, osteoarthritis and the formation of tophi (gouty nodules).
Symptomatic exacerbation of inflammation is manifested:
- sharp pains, usually at night;
- joint swelling, hyperemia;
- weakness, fever, chills;
- increased nervousness;
- stool disorders.
The location of gouty arthritis in the small joints of the hands is atypical. However, gout could be a very possible explanation for the pain in your knuckles.
psoriatic arthritis
Patients with psoriasis often develop chronic inflammation - psoriatic arthritis, the classic form of which is considered damage to the joints of the hands and feet. The disease usually develops imperceptibly, with a gradual increase in symptoms, although an acute onset is sometimes possible.You can suspect developing arthritis by the following signs:
- the joints of the fingers and feet hurt in the morning or throughout the day;
- there is painful swelling;
- the skin over the joint becomes cyanotic;
- trophic changes occur.
The defeat of the joints in the future becomes the cause of deformation of the fingers, contractures, leads to the development of chronic synovitis, arthrosis.
extra-articular rheumatism
Extra-articular rheumatism in the form of periarticular soft tissue diseases often leads to pain in the fingers. The main factors of development are injuries, prolonged stereotyping of movements, hypothermia, humidity, infections and often lack of nutrition and blood supply.Pain can occur due to:
- tendinitis - a degenerative injury to the tendons;
- tendovaginitis (otherwise - tenosynovitis, ligamentitis) - inflammation of the medial part of the tendons, inner lining of the vagina, extra-articular ligaments;
- bursitis - an inflammatory process in the serous bursa, usually due to tendovaginitis.
In the hands, the tendons of the wrist and hand are the most affected, which is associated with their almost constant functional stress.Most often, the reasons why the finger hurts on the entire surface or in the joint are syndromes caused by:
- de Quervain's disease - Tendovaginitis of the tendons of the muscles responsible for abduction and extension of the thumb;
- carpal tunnel syndrome - tendovaginitis of the flexors of the fingers, often combined with Guyon's canal syndrome - compression in the palmar ligament of the ulnar nerve and ulnar artery;
- wrist tendon ligamentitis;
- Knott's disease ("popping" finger), which affects the tendons of the superficial flexors of the fingers and their sheaths;
- bursitis (tendobursitis).
Pains usually arise or increase at movement, disturb at night.There may be swelling, stiffness, and sensory disturbances.
osteoarthritis
Degenerative-dystrophic processes in articular cartilage with the formation of osteophytes - osteoporosis - are the most common variant of joint pathology, the frequency of which increases with age. It occurs due to two reasons: increased mechanical impact on the joint and cartilage deterioration.
Damage to the joints of the hands leads to the fact that the finger or the entire palm hurts, at first only when bending, significant physical exertion, and then even at rest, in the morning, sometimes in the evening.In addition, the disease is accompanied by:
- stiffness, contractures;
- joint deformities;
- sometimes hot swelling.
Osteoarthritis is characterized by a long-term course with a gradual increase in symptoms, usually without marked exacerbations. The main types of diseases that affect the hands are osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints and the metacarpal joint.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus
It is a polysyndromic autoimmune disease with a chronic course, generalized vascular damage and changes in connective tissue. It mainly affects teenage girls and young women in their 20s and 30s.
The development of the disease can be imperceptible and acute, sudden. Gradual onset occurs against the background of weakness, weight loss, subfebrile temperature, signs of arthritis (synovitis), minor skin manifestations. Sharp - characterized by severe joint pain, fever and bright rashes on the skin.In addition, the disease may be accompanied by:
- hair loss, nail changes;
- sensitivity disorders;
- stomatitis;
- damage to the cardiovascular system, most often pericarditis;
- sometimes muscle atrophy (mainly of the hands), deformity of the joints of the fingers, wrist, ankle;
- pulmonary pathologies (pneumonitis, candidiasis, tuberculosis, etc. );
- kidney damage (lupus glomerulonephritis);
- vegetative and emotional disorders;
- decreased intelligence, hallucinations, convulsions.
Arthritis is the most common symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus.
That is why the appearance of skin erythema and discomfort caused by the fact that the finger joints ache (especially if the causes of pain are in the force created by squeezing the hand) is the basis for an examination of this disease.
Diagnosis
Since hand joint pain can be caused by a wide range of disorders, it is necessary to establish the exact reason why fingers are stiff, swollen and/or injured.The diagnosis is made through the following studies:
- radiography;
- scintigraphy;
- ultrasound examination;
- magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography;
- immunological tests;
- laboratory analysis of blood, urine.
If necessary, for an accurate diagnosis of the causes of joint pain in the fingers, a tissue biopsy is performed, an analysis of synovial fluid.
treatment methods
It is impossible to independently determine what to do if painful swelling or finger joints ache. Treatment is exclusively prescribed by a doctor after diagnosis and examination.
Medical treatment
In case the finger of the hand (during the movement of flexion, abduction, rest) hurts a lot, a short-term intake of analgesics is allowed before examination by a specialist.
The joint should not be heated, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents should not be taken uncontrollably.
You can use an ointment that relieves sharp pain in your finger joints.
Additional therapy depends on the disease and is often complex.Treatment is aimed at:
- to relieve exacerbation with drugs, relieve pain with analgesics, anti-inflammatory ointments, gels;
- in the normalization of metabolic and immunological processes;
- to restore blood supply, improve joint nutrition, increase their functionality.
Therapy of syndromes that have developed against the background of the underlying pathology is carried out. Blood purification procedures are used: plasmapheresis, hemosorption. In severe cases, resort to surgical methods of treatment.
Physiotherapy
If the exact reason why the finger joints hurt is established, the main treatment is supplemented by various physiotherapeutic procedures and balneotherapy methods: electrophoresis, mud applications, amplipulse therapy and others.
Physiotherapy improves metabolic processes, normalizes blood circulation in the fingers.
Physiotherapy
Basic therapy necessarily includes joint discharge, however, it is necessary to restore range of motion. To correct motor disorders of the fingers on the hands, gymnastics is performed using various compressions, pinches, abduction, stretching, which allows to return mobility to the joints and sensitivity to the terminal phalanges. Joint pain that occurs in the fingers requires careful introduction of new exercises and a gradual increase in load.
massage courses
Therapeutic massage improves tissue trophism, helps relieve the symptoms of the disease.However, with pain in the joints of the fingers, there are often contraindications to massage, so treatment should be carried out only with the permission of a doctor.
Folk remedies
Phytotherapy, compresses, rubs, prepared according to popular recipes, can be useful when there are no contraindications and there is no refusal to treat with medication. They help alleviate the condition if your fingers hurt a lot and for a long time.