Finger joints most commonly begin to hurt after 40–45 years of age (1 in 10 people this is due to age-related changes in the body). After 60 years, pain often occurs against the background of polyosteoarthritis (lesions, destruction of the articular cartilage of various joints).
Deformation and destruction of the wrists are diagnosed in 10% of the elderly.
Pain in the finger joints is also a characteristic symptom of diseases such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis (in 80% of cases it starts with inflammation of the finger joints);
- Psoriatic arthritis (in 70%, fingers are the first to suffer);
- Gout (arthritis, which affects the fingers of the hands, occurs in 10-15% of patients with gout);
- Osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of the bones (accounts for 6. 5% of all musculoskeletal disorders).
Most arthritis that involves the finger joints first are systemic diseases (that is, they affect different systems of the body, not just the joints).They are diagnosed with the same frequency in people of all ages, including young people, and are 3-5 times less common in men.
Another cause of pain are mechanical injuries, the consequences of blows or bruises of the hands (not uncommon in athletes, the prevalence is up to 40% of all traumatic injuries).
Some of the diseases that cause pain in the finger joints cannot be completely cured, over time they become the cause of disability (rheumatism, psoriatic arthritis, polyosteoarthritis). And, for example, from osteomyelitis with timely treatment you can get rid of forever, but the process quickly becomes chronic and can lead to the loss of a limb (in 30% of cases).
If you suspect a systemic disease (arthritis, polyosteoarthritis), you should consult a rheumatologist or arthrologist. Osteomyelitis is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist, surgeon, injuries - an orthopedic traumatologist.
Why does finger joint pain occur: causes and symptoms
Why do the finger joints hurt? There are many reasons and factors that can speed up or accelerate 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, sewers, programmers).
- Stress (injuries and microtraumas from hours of exercise, rehearsals).
- Hormonal changes, disorders (pregnancy, lack of estrogen in older women).
- Heredity (close relatives are more prone to systemic disease).
- Weaknesses or diseases of the immune system.
- Metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes mellitus).
- Chronic infections (tuberculosis).
- Hypothermia (hypothermia).
- Some long-term negative factors (including - taking medication, poisoning with toxic substances in a dangerous company, smoking, alcoholism, etc. ).
The pathologies and conditions that cause pain in the finger joints are described below in the article.
trauma
Pain that occurs after an injury is difficult to confuse with anything else:
- all symptoms appear immediately after a blow, bruise, compression and other injuries;
- Swelling, bruises at the point of impact, limited mobility of the joints add to the stabbing pain;
- with moderate and severe damage, the symptoms do not subside for a long time, but become more pronounced - pain, stiffness, swelling;
- The discomfort increases when trying to flex or stretch the fingers.
Serious injuries to the fingers of the upper extremity are combined with:
- Ruptures of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, bleeding into the capsule (hemarthrosis) and soft tissues (hematoma);
- Fractures and cracks in bones;
- Nerve damage (loss of sensation in the fingers and skin).
Prognosis: Minor injuries heal without a trace in 90–95% of cases. Severe and moderate injuries can leave various complications - from impaired finger sensitivity to traumatic arthritis in 70%.
Polyosteoarthritis
Polyosteoarthritis is a chronic pathology in which the finger joints are gradually deformed and destroyed (there is a form of the disease that affects the thumb joints - rhizarthrosis).
After hard work (sewing, embroidery, many hours of rehearsals on a musical instrument), painful pain occurs at first. As the disease progresses:
- pain in the finger joints becomes constant, does not go away at rest;
- Clicks and crunches (during movements) combine painful sensations;
- Stiffness occurs (initially insignificant).
During periods of exacerbation, the main symptoms include edema, swelling, an increase in local temperature, and sometimes redness in the area of the joints.
Over time, the fingers deform:
- Heberden nodules (bony growths, pea-sized seals) form on the joints closer to the nails.
- Bouchard nodules form on the middle joints (increase in joint surfaces, bone spines).
The finger joints lose their original shape (nodular) and lose their mobility over time due to ossification of soft tissues (ankylosis).
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable, but in the early stages (until the deformation occurs) it can be suspended for a long time. Later it becomes the cause of disabilities (the tissues grow together, ossify, the mobility of the fingers can only be restored by surgery).
Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, which occurs with the participation of other organs and systems in the pathological process (outer covering of the heart, lungs, vascular walls, skin).
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by:
- a gradual increase and increase in symptoms (at first the exacerbation is replaced by rather long asymptomatic phases, but they become shorter over time);
- morning stiffness reminiscent of tight gloves (disappears in 30-60 minutes);
- sharp, sharp, dull pain in the joints of the fingers (on both hands), which becomes unbearable when bending;
- Redness, swelling, swelling, joint stiffness.
The pain syndrome usually occurs at night or in the morning and decreases slightly in the afternoon.
As the acute symptoms subside (during remission), the pain becomes less pronounced, sore, movement increases when working in cold water. The joints on the fingers hurt when flexed and extended, remain painful and slightly swollen when touched.
Gradually, the disease leads to the formation of a stable deformity and dysfunction of the fingers - they twist outward or upward, bend (the middle, index and nameless fingers are more often affected, very rarely - small and large fingers), other joints are on the processinvolved (wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders). . .
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable, rapidly progressing and leading to disability, disability - 40% of cases in the first 5 years of development.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of severe systemic disease (psoriasis).
The most characteristic signs of damage to the finger joints:
- sudden, abrupt onset of arthritis;
- Defeat of the interphalangeal and distal (closer to the nail) joints;
- constant, even, severe pain associated with severe swelling, reddening of the skin, limited mobility (the shape of the fingers at this moment resembles a radish or sausage, it is impossible to bend or loosen the finger joints due to pain and swelling));
- Increase in overall temperature.
In the long term, this leads to the destruction of the nail plates (they crumble, lose their shape), deformation of the fingers (they are "turned" outwards or upwards) and disabilities.
Prognosis: Psoriatic arthritis is incurable, difficult, rapidly progressing, and disabling in 90–95% of patients.
Gouty arthritis
Gouty arthritis occurs against the background of metabolic disorders, due to which excess uric acid accumulates in the body. It falls out into the tissues of the joints and causes inflammation.
Typical signs of gouty arthritis:
- Sharp, sudden, throbbing, or burning pain in one or more finger joints.
- Any attempt to move or touch your finger will make the uncomfortable symptom worse.
- It is accompanied by severe edema, which often spreads to the entire hand, a change in the color of the skin (the finger on the hand turns bluish-purple), an increase in general temperature (the patient has a fever, chills).
- Pain in the finger joints usually occurs at night.
- The attack can last from 2 days to 2 weeks.
The progressive gouty arthritis becomes the reason for the involvement of new joints, their deformation (destruction of the joint surfaces). Tofus, tissue deposits of uric acid, appear on the fingers.
Prognosis: Gout is incurable, but uric acid levels can be maintained with medication and diet. The disease rarely leads to complete disability of the patient (5–8%), but over time it can destroy the finger joints (secondary osteoarthritis).
Why else can finger joints hurt?
Other causes of pain include the following diseases and conditions:
Osteomyelitis
This infectious lesion of the bones (periosteum, spongy and compact substance) usually begins acutely - joint pain in osteomyelitis is severe, sharp, twitching, bursting or tearing. When flexed or stretched, it becomes unbearable, accompanied by severe swelling, reddening and thickening of the tissue over the joint, fever and general symptoms of intoxication (weakness, sweating). In 30% of cases, osteomyelitis becomes chronic (it can recur) and the pain in the fingers becomes painful. The process can cause purulent arthritis, malignancy of bone tissue, deformation of bones and joints.
Vasospasm
Vasospasm is a severe narrowing of the peripheral vessels that supply blood to the upper limbs, hands, and finger joints. It is characterized by tingling, numbness, paleness 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 begin to hurt, "ache", and the skin on the hands turns red. Over time, a similar phenomenon (vasospasm) becomes the cause of the appearance of trophic ulcers (tissue necrosis due to malnutrition), bone enamel and necrosis of the fingertips.
pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a pathological condition, but it is accompanied by strong and rapid hormonal changes in the body and an accelerated metabolism. Pain in the finger joints, or rather pain, can cause a lack of calcium and vitamin D3, as well as an excess of the hormone that prepares the body for labor by relaxing the ligaments.
Diagnostics: methods, research
What to do if the joint on the fingers hurtsFirst of all, it is necessary to diagnose the pathologies that cause such a symptom. Most often, the attending physician prescribes a number of studies:
| Method name | What does the diagnosis enable you to do? |
|---|---|
roentgen |
With its help, pathological bone changes, joint deformities, crystal deposits, and tissue ossification are recognized |
MRI, CT or ultrasound |
These diagnostic methods allow you to identify pathological changes in the periarticular tissue and joint that are not visible on X-rays. |
EKG, ultrasound of internal organs |
Helps identify extra-articular manifestations characteristic of certain diseases (pericarditis, pneumonitis) |
Angiography |
Examining the blood vessels is revealing of pathologies that occur with damage to their walls and that can cause vasospasm (rheumatoid arthritis). |
Clinical laboratory research |
With the help of analyzes, the cause of the disease is determined, infections and pathogens of the pathological process are detected |
Therapeutic and diagnostic puncture of the joints (procedure for removing fluid from the joint capsule) |
The puncture is performed when blood (hemarthrosis), pus (infectious processes) or large amounts of fluid have accumulated in it, which impede mobility and threaten destruction |
Treatment: principles, drugs, characteristics
Some of the diseases or conditions that cause pain in the finger joints of the hands cannot be cured (vasospasm, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, gouty arthritis). Some are cured completely and without consequences (with timely treatment - osteomyelitis, minor and moderate injuries).
General principles of treatment, methods of pain relief
In the treatment of all diseases that cause pain in the finger joints, the appointment of drugs that will help get rid of severe symptoms is common.
Usually this:
- anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs (NSAIDs) that are effective in relieving inflammation and pain;
- Glucocorticoids, which are prescribed when NSAIDs are ineffective;
- Painkillers, when joint pain cannot be relieved in other ways.
As soon as the symptoms subside, the patient is prescribed: chondroprotectors to slow down or prevent cartilage destruction and physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy stimulates metabolic processes, accelerates tissue regeneration. Of the physiotherapeutic procedures for joint diseases, the most popular are:
- Electrophoresis with drugs;
- Magnetic therapy;
- UHF (Ultra High Frequency Therapy);
- Reflexology (acupuncture);
- Massage;
- Mud therapy;
- Balneotherapy (hydrotherapy);
- Heating processes (paraffin, ozokerite applications);
- therapeutic gymnastics (exercises to strengthen the finger joints).
If it is necessary to get rid of pain in the finger joints and their causes, then treatment in a sanatorium can give a good result. In the direction of the attending physician, the patient has the opportunity to change the climate 1 or 2 times a year, take part in restorative physiotherapeutic procedures and drink mineral water from natural sources.
Features of the treatment of certain pathologies
In addition to general methods and means, there are nuances in the treatment of any pathology:
| pathology | Treatment features |
|---|---|
trauma |
Treatment of trauma is gradual. First aid is given to the victim (fixation bandage, ice compress for 24 hours). If necessary, a puncture is performed, the integrity of the tissue is restored (in case of severe damage) and immobilized with plaster of paris. On 3-5. Day they start to warm up and stimulate healing. |
Polyosteoarthritis |
At the onset of the disease, the use of chondroprotectors and physical therapy exercises are effective. The only thing that helps later is surgery (the problem is solved with prosthetics). |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
Prescribe basic anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterial, antiallergic 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 of uric acid, drugs that dissolve salt deposits in the tissues. A mandatory part of treatment is a strict diet during a seizure (Table No. 6), a less strict diet throughout life. |
Osteomyelitis |
Surgical washing of purulent cavities in bone tissue, opening of abscesses is carried out. Antibiotics and antibacterial drugs are used for treatment. |
Vasospasm |
How do you treat vasospasm? In pathology, vasodilator drugs and anticonvulsants (relaxation of the walls of the vessels) blood thinners are prescribed. Eliminate provoking factors (e. g. , smoking) or treat the underlying disease that has vasospasm (e. g. , rheumatoid arthritis). |
Folk remedies (treatment of pathologies, pain relief)
Pain in the finger joints can also be treated with means according to folk recipes:
- Infusion on eucalyptus leaves. Take 40 g of eucalyptus leaves, pour a liter of boiling water and leave under the lid for 60 minutes. When done, strain, drain in a dark glass container, store in the refrigerator. Take daily for 2 weeks - 50 ml 3 times, 30 minutes before meals.
- Treatment of pain in the finger joints with an infusion of black currant leaves. Pour 10 g of raw materials with 0. 5 liters of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes under the lid. Drink a glass 2 to 3 times throughout the day. The course duration is 2-3 months.
- Warming ointment for arthritis. Take 50 g each of camphor and mustard powder, dilute one after the other in 100 ml of alcohol, add egg white, and whip into a foam. Rub into the brush overnight. Treatment of finger joints lasts 21 days, after a while the course can be repeated.
- Rub oil. Dilute the fir essential oil with vegetable oil (1: 1), rub it on the finger joints before bed until it is completely absorbed. First they need to "warm up": boil the washed potato peel in water when the broth cools down (to comfortably warm), dip the brushes in it and hold it for 15-25 minutes, then rinse it off with clean water. You will be treated this way for 3 weeks or until the symptoms of the disease go away.
prophylaxis
How to prevent pathologies that cause pain in the finger joints? To do this you need:
- getting rid of bad habits (quit smoking and alcohol);
- introduce into the diet foods useful for joints and cartilage tissues (with a sufficient content of calcium, phosphorus, other minerals and vitamins, protein);
- undergo regular examinations to eliminate chronic sources of infection (for example, tonsillitis);
- Do not overload (alternating stress with rest) and do not overcool your hands.
Strengthening the immune system (swimming, yoga, walking) and the finger joints with therapeutic exercises is very important.