Inflammation of the joints of the fingers interferes with normal human activities. What can you do well when your hands hurt? During this period, you can forget about skilled labor and creative impulses; Even holding a spoon sometimes becomes difficult. Is it possible to fight such a disease? In an unadvanced state, inflammation of the joints of the fingers can be treated even with folk remedies, and home treatment can relieve suffering. However, most often you need to contact a specialist. Only a doctor can differentiate the pathology and prescribe effective treatment.
The finger joints are constantly in motion, including being subject to stress. High activity of the joints and the load on them increase the likelihood of developing degenerative processes, which increases markedly over the years. The cartilage of the joints experiences enormous stress, which, in the presence of provoking factors, leads to their destruction. The next factor that generates inflammatory reactions is the risk of injury. The fingers perform so many manipulations that their injuries become commonplace: cuts, bruises, etc. Dislocations and subluxations of the joints, especially the thumb, are among the most common injuries. They provoke the destruction of joint tissues.
When performing various work at work and at home, hands come into contact with various substances, including aggressive ones, and at different temperatures. Under these conditions, it is impossible to exclude overheating or hypothermia of the fingers. The substances themselves are very often allergens, which provokes infectious and allergic processes. The finger joint becomes inflamed for various reasons, the process has different pathogenesis. Most often, pain, swelling and inflammation are caused by the following pathologies: arthritis, arthrosis, bursitis, osteomyelitis, poliomyelitis, trauma.
Arthritis is the most common cause of finger inflammation. It begins to develop as inflammation of the synovial membrane of the joint, which leads to an increase in the amount of fluid, a change in its composition and the appearance of exudate. The composition of the exudate can be serous, purulent and bloody. Inflammation leads to damage to cartilage tissue, disruption of the structure of the ligaments and capsule, and then to joint deformation. The main causes of arthritis:
If the joint is inflamed due to arthritis, the following characteristic symptoms are observed:
One of the most common types of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an infectious-allergic disease.
The first manifestation of this pathology is observed on the index and middle fingers; Moreover, rheumatoid arthritis has a characteristic symptom (inflammation has a symmetrical appearance on both hands).
Then the joints of other fingers are involved in the process. A distinctive symptom is increased pain in the morning. All other signs of arthritis are also present. Often the cause of the disease is nervous stress, hypothermia, colds and flu.
Psoriatic arthritis usually develops in people with psoriatic skin lesions on other areas of the body. A distinctive feature is an axial lesion of the finger. Inflammation covers all joints on the finger from bottom to nail. The finger turns completely red. Unlike the previous type, the lesion is not symmetrical and can occur on one arm.
Gouty arthritis is caused by metabolic disorders, most often the level of purines. The main reason is an increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood with the deposition of urates in the tissues of the joints. The first sign is pain in the thumb with gradual spread to all finger joints. The main attacks of pain occur at night. Swelling develops quickly, a rise in local temperature and redness are observed. Exacerbation of the disease is provoked by poor nutrition (fatty foods), excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee and strong tea, and an overheated bath.
Such a common inflammatory disease as arthrosis is dystrophic in nature, developing in the form of gradual long-term destruction of articular cartilage. The pathology is expressed in a slow change in the terminal bone zones under the influence of the inflammatory process and gradual degeneration of the periarticular tissues. Arthrosis occurs due to a metabolic disorder leading to structural changes in cartilage tissue, and is generated by the loss of proteoglycans. Main reasons:
Characteristic signs of arthrosis are noticeable deformation and pain in the thumb.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the joint capsule with a concentration of a significant amount of exudate. The main symptoms are swelling, redness, pain, and a sharp increase in temperature in the affected joint. The main feature is a mobile swelling of a round shape, soft to the touch.
The progressive disease becomes chronic with periodic exacerbation. In the chronic course, salt deposition in the joint joins the process. With open wounds on the finger, a purulent type of bursitis may develop with an increase in the temperature of the whole body.
Osteomyelitis is a purulent-necrotic lesion of bone tissue with transition to the joints of the fingers. The main reason is infection with pathogenic bacteria. The disease develops rapidly (with a rise in temperature to 39°C, severe intoxication of the body manifests itself). Within 3-4 days, very severe joint pain is felt. The swelling quickly spreads to the entire hand. Transition to a chronic form is possible. Purulent fistulas may form on the joints. Advanced disease leads to immobilization of the joint and curvature of the finger.
If the disease is detected at an early stage and correctly diagnosed, then such inflammation of the joints can be cured with compresses, physiotherapy and folk remedies.
With a developed inflammatory process, it is necessary to take anti-inflammatory drugs, including those administered into the joint. Treatment with electrophoresis (Karipain) is effective.
In case of a complex process, complex drug therapy is prescribed. Treatment consists of the following: anti-inflammatory drugs with a restorative effect (Collagen, Methotrexate); non-steroidal drugs (Diclofenac, Piroxicam, Ketoprofen, Indomethacin); steroid injections (Cortisone). For severe pain, you can take Indocin, Naprosyn, Voltaren. For polyarthritis, glucocorticoid drugs such as Prednisolone or Dexamethasone can be prescribed.
As folk remedies, compresses, rubbing, baths with medicinal solutions, taking infusions and decoctions show good results. Anti-inflammatory and restorative effects are observed when taking a bath with the addition of eucalyptus, St. John's wort, sandalwood oil, and calendula. An ancient remedy is grated onions, which are placed on the swelling.
It is recommended to rub with alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe or fir oil. An effective rub is an infusion of a mixture of pine buds and sugar.
Arthritis is a joint disease accompanied by inflammation.
The inflammatory process occurs predominantly in the synovial (inner) membrane (bursa) of the joint. This condition is called synovitis and is accompanied by the accumulation of effusion in the synovial cavity - synovial fluid. Inflammatory exudate creates conditions for even greater stagnation of venous and lymphatic outflow in the joint area, which leads to the progression of arthritis. The process involves other structures that make up the joint - heads (epiphyses) of bones, cartilage, tissue of the joint capsule, ligaments, tendons and other periarticular soft tissue components. Arthritis of one joint in the medical literature is called monoarthritis, and of several (many) joints is called polyarthritis.
The causes of arthritis are varied. These include joint infections and previous injuries (both acute - impacts, car accidents, falls on a joint, and chronic overload injuries), allergies and autoimmune processes with the formation of antibodies that destroy the body's own tissues - components of the joint.
There are many different diseases accompanied by arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, and Reiter's syndrome arthritis. Many autoimmune processes affecting connective tissue - vasculitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, rheumatism, and other systemic diseases can be accompanied by arthritis.
Symptoms of arthritis: the affected joint hurts, there is stiffness of movement, a local increase in the temperature of the soft tissues, hyperemia (redness), swelling (edema), there is an effusion of synovial fluid or specific exudate into the joint cavity with an increase in its size, swelling. Clinical manifestations of general intoxication and autoimmune processes (fever, general weakness) accompanying arthritis are possible. In the tests, an increase in ESR and the number of leukocytes is observed, and c-reactive protein may be present.
Unfortunately, the uniformity of symptom complexes for different etiologies (causes) of the disease makes it difficult to make an accurate and timely diagnosis. For the specialist doctor and the patient himself, other signs accompanying arthritis play an important role in diagnosis - the condition of the skin (rashes, etc.), heart, kidneys, respiratory tract. The paroxysmal course of arthritis is especially characteristic of rheumatism; Reiter's syndrome is characterized by the development of arthritis after an acute but fairly quickly passing infectious urethritis (inflammation of the urethra, possibly the bladder - with pain when urinating), enterocolitis (inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea and flatulence). For gout, the manifestation of the disease after drinking alcohol is indicative. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by symmetrical damage to the peripheral small articular systems of the hands and feet, while ankylosing spondylitis or Reiter's syndrome is characterized by pain, limited mobility, and a feeling of stiffness in the spine. Damage to the joint of the 1st toe is most typical for gout. With psoriatic arthritis, the terminal interphalangeal joints are often affected, accompanied by severe swelling (the finger is like a sausage) and a purple-bluish tint of the skin. In systemic lupus erythematosus, arthritis is associated with butterfly-shaped redness on the face and kidney damage.
In diagnostics, there are special laboratory tests - research methods aimed at identifying special immune complexes, bacterial antigens and other specific components of systemic damage. It is possible to perform arthroscopy, analysis of synovial effusion, and biopsy of joint tissue.
The basis of treatment for arthritis is treatment of its causative disease . For local treatment of joints, arthrologists and rheumatologists use physiotherapeutic procedures, intra-articular therapeutic injections, and general nonspecific anti-inflammatory treatment.
Good additional options in the treatment of arthritis are provided by reflexology, the su-jok method and, during the period of remission of the disease, the method of osteopathy. Osteopathy allows you to restore periarticular blood flow, helps reduce fibrotization of muscles, ligaments, and prevents the adhesion of periarticular bursae. In the presence of concomitant mechanical damage to the joint (chronic microtraumatization due to displacement of the sacrum, lumbar spine, hip joints - with arthritis of the knee joint (gonarthritis) and arthritis of the joints of the foot, damage to the cervical spine, collarbones, ribs and scapula with arthritis of the shoulder or elbow joint) a doctor An osteopath can significantly reduce pain and pathological symptoms by harmonizing muscle and skeletal loads and relationships in adjacent joints.
The prognosis for the course of arthritis is ambiguous, depending on the patient’s immunity status, the characteristics of the primary disease, and the severity of local joint changes. Both complete recovery with restoration of all joint functions and destruction of the joint (deforming arthritis, arthrosis, joint destruction) with subsequent ankylosis (locking, immobility of the joint) are possible. In these situations, surgical treatment of the joint – endoprosthetics – may be indicated. After endoprosthetics, in most cases it is necessary to restore the function of the soft tissues surrounding the joint - along with other functional methods of treatment, osteopathy can quickly relieve postoperative pain, normalize the tone of the muscles surrounding the joint, and increase mobility in adjacent joints.
In the future, it will be possible to treat arthritis without complex operations; it will be enough to use magnetic beads and stem cells, British scientists believe. The new method was tested on mice.
Alicia El Haj from Kiel University (UK) and her colleagues have developed magnetic beads less than two micrometers in diameter that attach to receptors on human mesenchymal stem cells. These cells, which are isolated from adipose tissue or bone marrow, are able to suppress the body's immune response and give rise to different types of connective tissue: fat and cartilage, muscle and bone. When the magnetic field is turned on, the beads begin to move, deforming the surface of the cells and causing them to open their pores. The resulting influx of potassium ions triggers a cascade of reactions inside the cell that determine what it will become.
Scientists implanted human mesenchymal stem cells coated with magnetic beads into the backs of mice and used a magnetic field to turn the cells into cartilage tissue, El Hadj told a stem cell meeting in Oxford. Now her team plans to treat knee joints in goats using magnetic stem cells, which were developed together with Magnecell. They hope that the magnetic field will deliver stem cells to the joints and encourage them to turn into cartilage.
The beads, which the US Food and Drug Administration has already approved for use as a medical image intensifier, quickly disintegrate and are excreted from the body. By attaching magnetic beads to other receptors, stem cells can be used to grow other tissues, notes El Hadj.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects people of all ages, but most often those over 30. Women have about 5 times more rheumatoid arthritis than men. In general, according to various scientists, this disease affects 1 - 2% of the population.
The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are not fully understood. However, it is clear that there is a certain hereditary predisposition to this disease. That is, family members of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis have a slightly greater chance of developing it than other residents of a given area (country or city). But such a statement should not sound like a verdict. We are talking only about theoretical probability. A person only gets sick when several unfavorable circumstances occur.
Apparently, some hidden infection can contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. This is confirmed by the fact that in approximately half of the cases this disease is preceded by acute respiratory disease (ARI), influenza, sore throat or exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases. In addition, quite often rheumatoid arthritis develops as a continuation of reactive or infectious arthritis.
Another significant factor provoking the development of the disease is severe emotional stress. In about a third of my patients, the disease began after severe blows of fate: divorce, loss of loved ones, etc. And in another 10% of patients, the disease manifested itself after severe hypothermia.
The clinical picture of “classical” rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to confuse with the symptoms of other joint diseases. In the vast majority of cases, at the onset of the disease, inflammation and swelling occurs in the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers (we are talking about the joints located at the base of these fingers, that is, in the area of the protruding bones of a clenched fist). This inflammation of the metacarpophalangeal joints is most often combined with inflammation and swelling of the wrist joints. What is characteristic is that the inflammation of the joints is symmetrical, as with rheumatism - that is, if the joints on the right hand are affected, then the same joints on the left hand are almost certainly affected. But unlike rheumatism, in rheumatoid arthritis the inflammation in these joints is persistent, swelling and pain in them last from several months to several years.
Along with inflammation of the joints of the upper extremities, rheumatoid arthritis almost always affects the small joints of the feet. The joints at the base of the toes become inflamed, which manifests itself as pain when pressing under the “pads” of the toes. It is symptomatic that the joints of the legs become inflamed as symmetrically (on the right and left limbs) as in the arms.
Joint pain intensifies most often in the second half of the night, in the morning. Until about noon the pain is very intense; patients compare them to toothache. However, in the afternoon the pain becomes weaker, and in the evening it is generally insignificant. Relief lasts until the middle of the night, but around 3-4 hours the attacks of joint pain resume.
In addition to intense pain, rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the symptom of “morning stiffness.” Patients describe morning stiffness as a feeling of “stiffness in the body and joints” or as a feeling of tight gloves on the hands and a tight corset on the body.”
With a sluggish, mild course of rheumatoid arthritis, morning stiffness usually disappears half an hour to an hour after the patient gets out of bed. But in severe cases of the disease, this unpleasant sensation can persist until one o’clock in the afternoon or even longer.
Very often, the listed symptoms are accompanied in patients by a feeling of weakness, deterioration of sleep and appetite, a moderate increase in temperature (up to 37.2 - 38?), and chills. Patients often lose weight, sometimes significantly.
As the disease develops, in its advanced stage, more and more new joints are involved in the pathological process. Quite often the knees, elbows, ankle and shoulder joints become inflamed. In this case, the disease has a wave-like character: periods of deterioration in the patient’s well-being are replaced by periods of spontaneous improvements.
After stress, colds or hypothermia, the patient’s condition may again deteriorate significantly. On top of this, over time, various complications in the functioning of internal organs are added to the damage to the joints. Rheumatoid damage to the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, blood vessels and intestines often occurs. Such complications can not only seriously worsen the patient’s already not ideal condition, but can even pose a threat to his life.
That is why it is important to begin treating rheumatoid arthritis as early as possible in order to interrupt the development of the disease in the initial stage, without leading to complications and without waiting for irreversible consequences.
Rheumatoid arthritis is not easy to cure. As a matter of fact, it is possible to achieve a complete cure of this disease in very rare cases, since most of the drugs used in our time have only a symptomatic effect. Such drugs eliminate the manifestations of the disease (pain, inflammation of the joints), but do not affect its causes.
For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used as first aid for joint pain: flexen, diclofenac, indomethacin, piroxicam, brufen, etc. NSAIDs can significantly make the patient’s life easier, although it is impossible to cure rheumatoid arthritis with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone.
NSAIDs act precisely during the period of their use, without a clear focus on the future. And since rheumatoid arthritis requires taking medications for a long time, “classical” non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause various side effects. Most often, they negatively affect the functioning of the stomach, in some cases provoking the development of gastritis or even peptic ulcers.
Fortunately, the development of pharmacology does not stand still, and scientists have developed a new group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - the so-called “selective” anti-inflammatory drugs have appeared. Selective NSAIDs (the drug Movalis) act much more mildly than the “classic” ones and are much less likely to cause any complications. In most cases, Movalis for rheumatoid arthritis can be used long-term, for several months, and sometimes even years, with minimal risk of side effects.
In addition to NSAIDs, to provide quick help to those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, many doctors, especially foreign ones, without hesitation, prescribe anti-inflammatory corticosteroid hormones (prednisolone, methylpred, hydrocortisone, etc.).
The use of such hormones almost always leads to a clear improvement in the patient's condition. Joint pain immediately decreases, morning stiffness, weakness and chills disappear. Naturally, for such a quick result, any patient is willing to pay money, and not little, which is the main incentive of Western medicine.
Unfortunately, patients taking corticosteroid hormones are often unaware that they are receiving a fairly powerful blow to all body systems. After all, corticosteroids are stress hormones. And as long as the patient takes such hormones, he feels good. But as soon as they are canceled or the dose is reduced, the disease will literally attack the person with double or triple force. In addition, such hormones have a huge number of contraindications, and in addition, they reduce immunity.
So before prescribing hormone therapy to a patient, the doctor must weigh three times whether such treatment will cause more harm or benefit.
You can ask me: if anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs relieve pain and inflammation only during the period of their use, they act precisely “for now,” then how should we try to cure the patient?
The main treatment for rheumatoid arthritis are the so-called basic drugs. They influence the soil that gives rise to the disease, its “base”. These remedies are used with an eye to the future, counting on their ability to influence the causes of the disease and interrupt its development. But you need to keep in mind that, unlike hormones and NSAIDs, basic drugs do not provide an immediate positive effect, that is, they do not eliminate the symptoms of the disease in the first days and weeks of using the drugs. As a rule, they are able to act no earlier than in a month - this is a significant drawback of basic drugs.
Currently, five groups of drugs are most often used as basic therapy: gold salts, antimalarials, the antimicrobial drug sulfasalazine, immunosuppressive drugs and penicillamine.
Gold preparations (krizanol, auranofin) are the most popular group of basic drugs among rheumatologists for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Gold preparations bring significant relief to approximately 70% of patients, but a third of patients may experience complications during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: allergic skin rash, inflammation of the oral mucosa, suppression of hematopoiesis and deterioration in kidney function.
D-penicillamine (cuprenil) is usually prescribed in cases where gold therapy does not bring relief to the patient or when gold preparations have to be discontinued due to adverse reactions. However, D-penicillamine, which is not inferior in effectiveness to gold preparations, is a rather toxic drug that causes complications much more often. They usually appear in the first two months of using the drug, but, fortunately, quickly disappear after discontinuation of the drug.
Complications may include skin rash, disorders of the stomach and intestines, inflammation of the kidneys, jaundice resulting from stagnation of bile, as well as changes in blood composition. Therefore, when using D-penicillamine as a “basic” agent, the patient must initially undergo a blood test once a week and a urine test once every two weeks. It is important to consider that D-penicillamine is contraindicated in pregnant women and those patients who have blood and kidney diseases.
Sulfasalazine (salazopyridazine) is an antimicrobial drug, somewhat less effective than gold drugs, but successfully competes with D-penicillamine, especially since it is much better tolerated than these drugs. Side effects from sulfasalazine develop in only 10 - 20% of patients, and these complications are never severe. They manifest themselves mainly as stool disorders and skin rashes.
The only thing that detracts from the advantages of the drug is the slow development of its therapeutic effect. Improvement in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulfasalazine is usually observed only after three months of therapy, and the “peak form” is reached after six months, after which treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulfasalazine is completed.
The antimalarial drugs delagil and plaquenil were once used by infectious disease specialists to treat dengue fever (malaria). However, in the twentieth century, rheumatologists also paid attention to them. They noticed that with very long-term use, delagil and plaquenil can influence the activity of the rheumatoid process.
Although the effectiveness of these drugs is not very high and they act slowly, we are forced to use them to this day, since we feel a relative shortage of anti-rheumatoid drugs. After all, sometimes situations arise when other basic remedies are tried unsuccessfully and canceled due to ineffectiveness or severe side effects. Then it is necessary to use delagil and plaquenil, which are weak but still have a specific anti-arthritic effect.
Cytostatic drugs, or so-called immunosuppressants (methotrexant, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorobutin, leukeran) were borrowed by rheumatologists from oncologists. Cytostatics are used in oncology to suppress the immune system and inhibit cell division, including cancer cells. Moreover, these drugs are prescribed to cancer patients in huge doses, which leads to a large number of complications. In this regard, both doctors and patients are very wary of the use of cytostatics, fearing severe side effects.
However, when it comes to the use of these drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the danger is clearly exaggerated, because in arthrology, cytostatics are used in significantly lower doses than in oncology - approximately 3 to 10 times less! Such small amounts of immunosuppressive drugs rarely cause side effects, but the therapeutic effect is often significant. The use of cytostatics helps at least 70% of patients, and the greatest benefit comes from the drugs to those suffering from a rapidly progressing severe form of rheumatoid arthritis.
Side effects are possible in 15 - 20% of patients, and are rarely severe. Most often these are allergic rashes, a sensation of “goosebumps” on the skin, stool upset and moderate urination problems. All these manifestations usually disappear immediately after stopping the drugs.
If everything is in order and the patient easily tolerates cytostatic therapy, you can expect a clear improvement in well-being within 2 to 4 weeks after the start of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
So, there are five groups of basic drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. We have just reviewed their advantages and disadvantages. But which medicine is preferable in each specific case? Only your treating rheumatologist can answer this question. Only he knows (in any case, he should know) when and what basic remedy should be used in your case. Although the disadvantage of basic drugs is precisely that it is difficult to guess with one hundred percent probability whether the medicine will have a therapeutic effect. Only after a month or two of using the drug can you get an answer to this question. And if the drug does not work, then you have to change it and again wait a month or two for the result.
Thus, it sometimes takes four to six months to select basic therapy. The period is, of course, extremely long for a sick person, but we have to accept it - we have no other choice. You can, however, try to improve the patient's condition for this period by means of local effects on the joints. For this purpose, dimexide applications, laser therapy, cryotherapy and intra-articular injections of corticosteroid hormones are used.
Applications with dimexide are applied to the most inflamed and painful joints. In rheumatoid patients, improvement is observed after 6-7 days of therapy with dimexide and becomes even more noticeable after a two-week series of applications. In total, the positive effect is expressed in 80% of patients.
Intra-articular administration of corticosteroid hormones (kenalog, hydrocortisone, diprospan, flosterone) helps the patient survive a period of particularly acute inflammation of individual joints. When administered intra-articularly, hormones quite quickly relieve pain and reduce inflammation of the joint, but usually the therapeutic effect lasts only two to three weeks. Then the inflammation begins to gradually increase again.
Attention! It is advisable to carry out no more than two to three injections of corticosteroids into each joint. In addition, you need to remember that you cannot get too carried away with hormone injections and do them too often - otherwise the hormones will begin to have a negative effect on the entire body. Therefore, the intervals between such procedures should be at least 7 - 10 days. But, of course, intra-articular injections can significantly make life easier for the patient, even in particularly severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
Laser therapy has a mild anti-inflammatory effect for rheumatoid arthritis. Laser therapy is used both as a separate method of treating rheumatoid arthritis and in combination with basic therapy.
The laser does not irradiate the patient’s joints, but the area of the ulnar vein - that is, the radiation affects the blood circulating inside the body. It is believed that after irradiating blood with a laser, various positive changes occur in the body: immunity is normalized, blood supply to organs and tissues is improved, any inflammation is reduced and foci of infection are suppressed.
The most favorable results are observed in patients with a sluggish, mild form of rheumatoid arthritis. In severe forms of the disease, laser is ineffective
The course of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis consists of 15 - 20 procedures performed every other day.
Cryotherapy (treatment by local freezing) has been successfully used in both the acute and chronic phases of rheumatoid arthritis. This treatment is practically harmless and has no contraindications; unfortunately, it is expensive. Improvement after cryotherapy is observed in 60 - 70% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Other physiotherapeutic procedures, including massage, are carried out only when the exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis has passed and blood counts return to normal. Physiotherapy is done only if the body temperature is normal, blood tests are good and there is no redness or swelling of the joints.
From 2007 to 2010 I had to endure arthritis in my legs. My family and friends have already written me off. First, on the left foot, under the heel near the big toe, there was swelling, pain, redness, heating of the area, then liquid began to float under and above the heel near the other toes, then the shin and again swelling, heating, etc. Don't wear shoes. A terrible misfortune happened when my right leg started to hurt. If you had to limp with pain in one leg, then you had to crawl on your knees on both. And so for 3 whole years. But we need to work.
Whatever I had to do, I turned to doctors, healers, and many times I ended up in divorce. Nothing helped.
I healed myself. It's 2018. Yes, somewhere in the draft in winter it happens that pain sometimes occurs. One tablet of Deflofenact is enough to prevent arthritis.
I would like to repeat that the treatment process itself is important here.
Make an initial appointment
A joint consists of an articular capsule, a cavity filled with fluid, and articular surfaces of bones covered with cartilage. With arthritis, inflammation occurs in the synovium of the joint. Then it spreads to other elements of the joint and periarticular space.
The disease leads to changes in the articular cartilage, surfaces, ligaments and capsule. In severe cases, the joint becomes deformed. Arthritis often leads to inflammation of the small joints of the hands, feet, knees and elbows.
There are the following causes of arthritis:
The disease can occur due to hypothermia, allergies, excess weight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking. Arthritis of the fingers is an occupational disease of massage therapists, seamstresses, and hairdressers. Builders and loaders are susceptible to inflammation of the joints of the limbs.
Symptoms of the disease develop gradually. In the morning, a person feels stiffness in the joints, they begin to hurt, especially during movement, and crunch during physical activity. As the disease progresses, the joint swells, increases in size, becomes hot to the touch, and the skin around the affected area turns red. The person feels weak and has difficulty moving the leg or arm with the affected joint.
Signs of infectious arthritis: fever, chills, joint pain when pressed. Acute arthritis is accompanied by severe pain in the joints, which occurs suddenly. In the chronic form of the disease, symptoms increase gradually.
Depending on the number of affected joints there are:
Rheumatoid arthritis occupies a special place among arthritis. This complex systemic disease occurs due to a whole range of reasons. Among them: damage to the immune system, hereditary factor, infectious and viral diseases, foci of chronic infection, etc.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. A.A. Kryzhanovsky. for good treatment, I would really like to see him again. Also to my attending physician Savelyev V.A. for their attentive and responsible attitude towards their patients. And, of course, I would like to highlight chiropractor S.N. Paronko. for his wonderful hands. I will definitely recommend it to all my friends and, of course, will come back again. Thank you!
Health Workshop specialists make an accurate diagnosis using the following diagnostic methods:
Doctors at the Health Workshop clinics in St. Petersburg have been treating arthritis using non-surgical methods since 2003. Non-surgical treatment relieves the symptoms of the disease and prevents it from becoming chronic. For chronic arthritis, conservative treatment helps to avoid exacerbation and stops the progression of the disease.
The doctor prepares an individual course of treatment for the patient. The course consists of at least 5 procedures. It takes into account the type, stage of the disease, age, gender and characteristics of the patient’s body. Treatment for arthritis will take 3 to 6 weeks. The patient undergoes 2-3 procedures per day, about 3 times a week. Joint pain will go away after the first week of treatment. The course combines the following procedures:
Treatment of arthritis in the Health Workshop clinics allows you to relieve pain and inflammation of the joints, muscle spasms, and restores the structure of the joints. The procedures activate blood supply, oxygen exchange and nutrition of joint tissues. The person regains freedom of movement and good health.
After completing the course, the patient receives a manual with exercises to perform independently at home. The doctor will advise the patient what else to do to prevent the disease.
Doctors at the Health Workshop recommend:
Doctors at the Health Workshop advise adjusting your diet as follows:
How to start living without pain and worries
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Telephone consultation
A medical consultant will ask about your symptoms, select a suitable doctor, tell you about the cost of procedures and make an appointment for an initial appointment.
The doctor will examine and question you. If you already have the results of MRI, ultrasound and x-rays, he will analyze the images and make a diagnosis. If not, he will write out the necessary directions.
During the course of treatment, repeated appointments with the attending physician are unlimited and free.
Maintain your results after completing the course of treatment.
The doctor will give you a manual with personal recommendations for daily exercise. Try to exercise regularly to prevent the pain from returning.
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After 3 months we will call and invite you for a free inspection.
The doctor will ask about your health and, if necessary, recommend diagnostic and supportive procedures.
The “Health Workshop” employs doctors of the highest, first and second categories. Our specialists have from 5 to 40 years of experience in treating diseases of the spine and joints. The doctor draws up a course of treatment, taking into account the patient’s profession and lifestyle, previous injuries and operations. Orthopedists and neurologists of the clinic regularly take advanced training courses and study professional literature.
Panfilova Nadezhda Iovovna
Gabdrakhmanov Rustam Fanilievich
Lisina Elena Arkadyevna
Karpukhina Valentina Ivanovna
Maslenin Maxim Igorevich
Khislavskaya Elena Vladimirovna
Charin Yuri Konstantinovich
Zhartanov Oleg Alekseevich
Kustova Marina Leonidovna
Savelyev Viktor Anatolievich
Egorov Vladimir Leonidovich
Bogoslovsky Sergey Ivanovich
Kryukov Alexander Sergeevich
Belyaev Evgeniy Mikhailovich
Cherkashin Gennady Vasilievich
years is the average length of service of our doctors
Over the years, our doctors have relieved pain from 60,000 patients. But even now we highly appreciate every positive review and sincere words of gratitude.
Alekseeva Svetlana Nikolaevna, 69 years old
I sincerely thank the attending physician Savelyev V.A. for high professionalism, effective treatment, correct, friendly attitude, patience. Many thanks also to Paronko S.N. for help and recommendations, Bogdanova T.G. for physical therapy classes, detailed explanations, recommendations and responsiveness. I would like to express my gratitude to all the doctors and nurses who carried out various procedures in accordance with the prescribed treatment, as well as the administrators on duty and the consultant. Thank you very much everyone! You help a lot!
Khaikina Rosa Ilyinichna, 85 years old
I, Elektrona Viktorovna, am very grateful to the Health Workshop clinic for the assistance provided. I heard nothing but kind words and respectful attitude from all employees. Thank you, dear employees, for your sensitive and kind attitude towards us, your patients.
Litvikova Elektrona Viktorovna, 87 years old
I completed the full course of treatment and was very satisfied, as all my complaints and pain were a thing of the past. All procedures were carried out quickly and efficiently. The team is very attentive, caring, responsive, and goes along with all the patient’s requests and wishes. I thank everyone for the help they provided me, since nowhere else could I have received such treatment so quickly. I especially thank my attending physician E.V. Khislavskaya. I wish you all good luck in your difficult work. Thank you very much!
Ryabova Antonina Nikolaevna
I, Alexander Sergeevich Naumov, took a course of back and cervical massage with Oleg Vladimirovich in February - March 2018. I have had many massages in my life, but they all pale in comparison to the massages of this specialist! There is no fuss or excess in his movements. His hands seem to know and feel what the patient’s back and neck are asking for. His hands are strong and hot. Real healing energy emanates from them. Oleg Vladimirovich’s massages bring incredible pleasure and relief. Relief after his massages against the backdrop of 40 years of torment with back pain - it looks like magic! I express my deep gratitude to Oleg Vladimirovich! Thank you!
Naumov Alexander Sergeevich
I contacted the Health Workshop clinic at the beginning of January 2017: for 3 months I had been suffering from pain in my legs, I had difficulty walking, every movement caused pain. I had an appointment with neurologist Valentina Ivanovna Karpukhina, a wonderful doctor, who immediately correctly diagnosed me and prescribed procedures. At first I didn’t believe in the success of the treatment, but as soon as I started doing reflexology procedures (needles), getting injections from the wonderful doctors Vladimir Yuryevich and Mikhail Vladimirovich, I immediately felt that the pain was disappearing, and later I began doing manual therapy from the very attentive osteopath Felix Sergeevich, who directed all his efforts to make me feel better with each of his procedures, gave advice and recommendations. Every time I came to the clinic with the greatest pleasure, since all the procedures were painless, everyone: from doctors and nurses to consultants at the reception, were very attentive and friendly. Many thanks to all the doctors - they are really interested in the patient’s recovery, they do everything with their souls. I recommend this clinic to everyone, because no amount of money can buy health, but here everything is in a complex, at a convenient time. All procedures are combined and have already been worked out for this disease. I will only contact you here.
Shustova Angela Zavkievna, 48 years old
Many thanks to the staff of the medical clinic for their warm, responsive attitude and willingness to help. Special thanks to Renat Azgarovich and Oleg Alekseevich for the attentiveness and effectiveness of my treatment. Thanks to Svetlana, Ekaterina, Alexandra - kind, smiling and sensitive workers. I really liked the clinic: warm, cozy, professional.
Yugapova Galina Viktorovna, 70 years old
Very professional, friendly and attentive. Many thanks to all the staff of the clinic, especially E.V. Khislavskaya, A.A. Kabaylov, S.N. Gubernatorov.
Shishova Natalya Yurievna, 67 years old
Thanks to the clinic staff for their conscientious work, attention and kindness. I express special gratitude to chiropractor Sergei Nikolaevich Paronko, ozone therapist Alexandra Anatolyevna Shkarupa and attending neurologist Rustam Fanilievich Gabdrakhmanov.
I wish the entire team of the clinic health and happiness, creative success.
Svitnev Vladimir Evgenievich, 79 years old
Many thanks to all the doctors and staff of the Health Workshop!
Shalikova N.F., 84 years old
I thank the Health Workshop team for the treatment they provided me. Especially to the individually treating doctors Angel Ankhelevich Kabailov, Sergei Nikolaevich Paronko, Yuri Konstantinovich Charin and Vadim Anatolyevich Pak. Good health and success in your work to everyone. I would like to note the good work of the young consultants. They are very polite and attentive.
Demidenko T.G., 86 years old
I express my sincere gratitude to Yuri Konstantinovich Charin for his competence, attention and conscientiousness in his work and treatment of the patient. I wish Charin Yu.K. health and success at work.
Shalnev Alexander Stepanovich, 70 years old
I am grateful to the team of the Health Workshop clinic for their attention and kindness to patients. The treatment had a positive effect. Thank you!
Maksimova G.G., 54 years old
I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Health Workshop team, personally to Dr. Sergei Nikolaevich Paronko for his professional attitude, for his golden hands that heal us and prolong our healthy life. At Dr. Paronko S.N. I was treated 2010-2012-2017, when the clinic was located on Polyustrovsky Prospekt and the treatment result was excellent. I wish him good health for the benefit of us patients.
Antipenko Vera Fedorovna
I express my deep gratitude to Dr. Rustam Fanilievich for the treatment he prescribed for me and for his attention, thank you for the medical care.
I would also like to note all the medical staff, they are very attentive. Having arrived at the clinic along the wall, today I leave as a full-fledged person! Thank you for being.
Demyanchuk Liliya Edwardovna, 55 years old
I, Ivanova N.V., am undergoing treatment at the Health Workshop clinic. I would like to express my gratitude to the massage therapist Dmitry Vyacheslavovich Nikolsky. An excellent specialist, he does massage very well. Feels the body. I am very grateful, thank you very much.
I thank the team for their professionalism and sensitive attitude. Personal thanks to chiropractor Kirill Valerievich Podnesinsky. I wish you further success in your noble activities.
Bukina Alina Evgenievna, 64 years old
I express my deep gratitude to the entire team and wish them to be just as kind and attentive. I am satisfied with the treatment.
Plich Lyudmila Mikhailovna, 83 years old
I thank all the employees of the Health Workshop for their exceptionally warm and attentive attitude. Special thanks to the physical therapy doctor Igor Vasilievich Panin. This is a very qualified, attentive doctor who helped me a lot. I want to come to this wonderful institution again and again.
Byailina L.Ya., 80 years old
In your clinic I gained strength, communicated with smart, tactful people. A little bit about yourself. Despite my scoliosis, oddly enough, I didn’t do much back work and did exercises irregularly. My lifestyle is quite active - I walk quite a bit, go to the countryside.
At the center I receive support and guidance. A high service culture and the opportunities provided are valuable.
I thank the doctors and nurses for their understanding and their efforts. Especially the attending physician Elena Vladimirovna Khislavskaya. The prescribed procedures only benefit me. The pressure is normal. And this is great, given my tendency to hypotension. Exercise therapy doctor Igor Vasilievich Panin proved to me that physical education is the only salvation in my situation
Doctors Kiryanova O.Yu., Kryzhanovsky A.A., Pak V.A. - these are professionals who are not indifferent to the problem.
The nurses are very attentive. I wish you success in your noble cause, and that there are fewer neglected and elderly patients like me.
Arthritis is the medical term used to name a whole group of inflammatory joint disorders. Types of pathology can be different due to causes, localization of inflammation, and symptoms. But what they have in common is that the joint is destroyed, the surface of the bones is exposed, and these changes are in most cases irreversible.
Common types of arthritis include rheumatoid, gouty, juvenile, and psoriatic, and they primarily affect the hands and feet.
Arthritis affects not only the joint itself, but also the connective and other tissues that surround it. If we talk about the reasons, then most often it is a combination of factors that take place in a person’s life and the history of his illness. Nutritional characteristics, age, environmental conditions, heredity, lifestyle, infections - all this plays a role.
Osteoarthritis in the fingers may be caused by a defect in the gene that controls collagen synthesis. This causes the articular cartilage to become thinner. Such a genetic abnormality can cause arthritis at an early age and be inherited.
This is interesting! Scientists have discovered that a defect in another gene - HLA, Human Leukocyte Antigens (human leukocyte antigen) - causes the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
This is a whole group of genes associated with the functioning of the immune system and responsible for tissue compatibility in the body. When there is an abnormality in this chromosomal region, the immune system recognizes the body's tissue as foreign and activates inflammation as a protective reaction.
Other factors that can affect foot and toe arthritis include:
Symptoms depend on the type of disease. Common signs are joint pain, inflammation and redness of the skin over them, stiffness and limited movement. Next, we will discuss the clinical manifestations of the most common forms of arthritis of the toes.
This form always affects the joints of the toes and hands, as well as the knees and ankles. It develops more often in men. The cause is high levels of uric acid in the blood due to excessive production or problems with its elimination. This leads to the deposition of salts on the articular surfaces and to inflammation.
Symptoms of finger gout:
It is typical that without adequate treatment, each subsequent exacerbation is longer than the previous one.
Watch the video in which Dr. Evdokimenko talks about gout.
Attention! Let me remind you that if you have any problem, you can seek advice from our specialists.
This type of arthritis affects both the right and left feet equally. The main symptom, in addition to pain, is stiffness in the joints in the morning and after a long rest. It lasts for at least an hour.
Also, with rheumatoid lesions, a burning sensation or numbness may be felt, thickening of the joints, and specific nodules on the skin near the affected areas may appear. Subsequently, the fingers partially or completely lose mobility and become deformed.
This form develops in about a third of patients with psoriasis. In addition to the symptoms common to arthritis, psoriatic arthritis may include nail damage, redness and dactylitis (swelling of the fingers), increased local temperature, and tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons). And of course, there are signs of psoriasis - dry, thickened plaques on the skin from pinkish to light gray.
The photo shows signs of psoriasis and arthritis.
This type of arthritis is caused by wear and tear of cartilage tissue due to injury. A fall, dislocation, impact, or sports activities can damage cartilage or bone, thereby disrupting the mechanics of the joint, and the articular surfaces begin to experience friction.
It develops due to softening of the cartilage, resulting in inflammation and proliferation of bone tissue (popularly referred to as “salt deposition”).
Attention! Osteoarthritis may not manifest itself for a long time, and is sometimes detected only during an X-ray.
This is a simultaneous inflammation of several joints. It can be rheumatoid, infectious (brucellosis, gonorrheal, syphilitic and others), psoriatic, post-traumatic or caused by other reasons.
Symptoms depend on the main provoking factor. With infections, this is high body temperature, pain in the fingers and other joints, and weakness. With brucellosis polyarthritis, in addition to damage to the joints, enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen is observed . Polyarthritis has a wide range of symptoms, including detachment of the nail plates, anemia and anorexia.
The treatment regimen for finger arthritis is prescribed only by a doctor and depends on the causes, form and severity of the inflammatory process. The approach is always comprehensive and includes medication, physiotherapeutic treatment, diet and special joint exercises.
In the treatment of arthritis of the interphalangeal joints, different treatment regimens are used depending on the severity and causes of the disease.
The main group of drugs for arthritis in the fingers and other joints are NSAIDs. These drugs suppress the synthesis of prostaglandins, mediators of inflammation. As a result, pain decreases and the inflammatory process subsides. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are available in tablets, capsules, injection solutions and ointments for topical use.
Together with basic medications (Plaquenil, Chloraquine, Leflunomide, Sulfasalazine), NSAIDs are considered first-line drugs for arthritis. That is, they are appointed first.
If the effectiveness of NSAIDs is low, then the doctor moves on to second-line drugs - corticosteroids (Prednisolone, Hydrocortisone, Aristocort). They are inserted intra-articularly and taken orally.
Attention! Glucocorticoids have serious side effects, so when using them, it is important to follow the dosage specified in the prescription exactly.
Third-line drugs – cytostatics, immunosuppressants. They are prescribed in extreme cases when the first two schemes do not work.
This group of drugs is indicated if arthritis is of an autoimmune nature and has become severe - that is, the immune system destroys its own tissues (in this case, joint tissues). Immunosuppressants suppress the activity of pathologically active protective cells and stop the destruction of cartilage.
Carefully! Cytostatics are toxic and require careful use and strict adherence to all doctor’s instructions.
Prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, periarthritis nodosa. Examples of drugs: Methotrexate, Azathioprine, Cyclosporine, Arava, Cytoxan, Cyclophosphamide.
Antimicrobial drugs are indicated for the infectious nature of arthritis. These are purulent, septic, post-infectious types of lesions. It also happens that the pathogen is not in the joint itself, and the source of infection is located in another organ, for example in reactive arthritis. In this case, bacteria serve only as a trigger, however, antibiotics are needed to act on the source of infection outside the joint.
In gouty arthritis, the joint on the big toe is most often affected. NSAIDs and corticosteroids are used for treatment. The following medications must be prescribed:
Exacerbations of finger arthritis are accompanied by severe pain. To relieve pain, painkillers are needed:
For arthritis, you can also use over-the-counter medications such as capsaicin ointment or acetaminophen to relieve pain.
If the joints on your fingers suddenly become swollen, red and begin to hurt, then go to see a rheumatologist as soon as possible. Such a symptom may be associated with various pathological processes in the body. Among them are acute infections that can lead to serious complications.
It is important to understand! A tumor on a joint is a clear indicator of inflammation, a signal from the body that something is going wrong.
A primary flare-up of gout, rheumatoid or infectious or allergic arthritis, a consequence of an injury—whatever it is—go to the doctor.
For joint inflammation of infectious and rheumatoid etiology, diet table No. 10 or No. 15 is prescribed. Salty foods, marinades, alcohol and coffee, excess animal proteins, spices and seasonings, baked goods, fatty meats, coffee, tea, sausage, fast food, nightshade vegetables, chocolate and eggs are prohibited.
Vegetables, bran bread, buckwheat, rice, vegetable fats, fermented milk products, low-fat sea fish, jelly, jellied meat, green tea, carrots are allowed.
For gouty arthritis, therapeutic diet No. 6 according to Pevzner is indicated. You should avoid foods containing purines and oxalic acid - meat and seafood, liver, sorrel, spinach, rhubarb, coffee, strong tea, beets, citrus fruits, bananas, apples, pomegranates, mustard, asparagus.
Milk, cottage cheese, buckwheat, kefir, vegetables, alkaline mineral waters are useful. Salt, proteins, and sweets are limited.
For inflammation of the fingers due to arthritis, the following are useful:
For gouty fingers, the following have proven effective:
There are many pathologies that affect the phalanges and the joints between them. They do not always relate to the field of rheumatology. In addition to those discussed in this article, there are diseases of the toe joints such as:
See what your toes can tell you about your health.
Inflammatory diseases of the joints of the toes on the feet are varied - they have different causes, symptoms and do not always require the same treatment. If you experience any symptoms - pain, stiffness, swelling - rush to see a doctor. Timely diagnosis and treatment will help avoid not only possible complications, but also disability.