There are several fairly common diseases of the joints of the fingers, which are accompanied by pain, numbness, deformation or signs of inflammation. At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish between them, but this is very important to do, since the treatment of various diseases affecting small joints on the fingers is radically different.
Let's look at the main pathologies and how they manifest themselves.
Arthrosis of the small joints of the hands is the most common disease that affects the joints of the fingers. Approximately 40% of all cases of chronic pain in the fingers of the upper extremities are due to polyosteoarthrosis. The peak incidence occurs at the age of 40-50 years. Mostly women suffer from the disease.
Unfortunately, to date, scientists have not been able to establish the true cause of this disease. But many researchers believe that arthrosis of the fingers develops in people with a genetic predisposition, in those who have provoking factors, for example, diabetes mellitus, thyroid pathology, or increased stress on the joints of the fingers due to their professional activities.
The main symptom of the disease is pain. Pain with polyosteoarthrosis is constant, monotonous. It appears or intensifies in the evening, after physical labor. It goes away or decreases after rest, as well as taking an analgesic tablet. Pain, as a rule, is not accompanied by any other symptoms (no swelling, redness or other manifestations of the inflammatory process). As the disease progresses, crunching or clicking sounds appear when you move your fingers.
If at this stage of development of the pathology no measures are taken and treatment is not started, then stiffness in the joints develops, the amplitude of movements decreases, and deformities of the fingers begin to appear.
Most often, with advanced polyosteoarthrosis, one can observe a picture of “knotted fingers” when Bouchard and Heberden nodes are formed:
Knobby fingers with polyosteoarthrosis (Bouchard and Heberden nodes)
Treatment of polyosteoarthrosis is very difficult. Since the cause of the disease is unknown, there is no etiotropic therapy. Patients are prescribed courses of chondroprotectors, vasodilators, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and physiotherapeutic procedures.
A chronic, slowly progressive disease of the joints of an autoimmune nature, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is in second place among the causes of constant pain in the joints of the fingers of the upper extremities. The pathology affects patients of any age; women are affected slightly more often than men.
Signs of rheumatoid arthritis:
In the later stages of the disease, irreversible changes occur in the joints, which lead to their complete destruction. Clinically, this is manifested by typical deformities of the hands (they are considered the hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis).
Deformation of the hand due to rheumatoid arthritis
Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis should only be prescribed by a doctor. Since the disease affects not only the musculoskeletal system, but also vital organs (heart, kidneys, lungs), drugs from the group of cytostatics are used, glucocorticosteroids are also prescribed for systemic therapy, biological agents, immunosuppressants, etc.
Gout is a metabolic pathology that occurs with changes in purine metabolism, excessive formation and accumulation of uric acid in the body and its penetration in the form of urates (salts) into peripheral tissues, including the joint capsule. Urates cause inflammation (arthritis) with all the corresponding symptoms.
In the classic version of gout, the joints of the first toe suffer, but in 5% of cases the pathology has an atypical manifestation with damage to the joints of the hands. As a rule, this is more typical for women (rheumatoid-like variant of gouty arthritis), although gout itself is more common in men.
Gouty arthritis is characterized by paroxysmal progression. Patients complain of unbearable pain that appeared “in the midst of complete health,” redness, swelling of the affected area, and the inability to perform any movements. The attack lasts 2-4 days, then goes away on its own or under the influence of therapy.
As the disease progresses, hand deformities may develop and subcutaneous urate deposits (tophi) may appear. The periods of remission of the disease are reduced, and attacks become more frequent.
Gouty arthritis with urate deposits (tophi)
The basis of gout treatment is a special diet with a restriction of foods containing a large amount of purines, as well as medications that reduce the level of uric acid in the body.
In approximately 10-15% of cases, a skin disease such as psoriasis is complicated by joint damage. Most often, in this case, it is the small joints of the fingers that suffer.
Psoriatic arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the distal interphalangeal joints. The disease also often occurs as pandactylitis, when all joints of one finger are simultaneously affected. In this case, it takes on a characteristic appearance: it becomes swollen, red, the skin is tense and shiny, and there is severe pain (“sausage finger”). Joint damage in psoriasis is asymmetrical.
Psoriatic arthritis, skin rashes and nail damage due to psoriasis
If treatment is not prescribed on time, then as the pathology progresses, the components of the joints are destroyed and the hand is deformed, its function is impaired, which threatens the development of disability.
Often, but not always, typical psoriatic rashes on the skin or scalp can be observed in parallel with arthritis. Some patients may indicate that they once had psoriasis.
Infectious joint damage can occur as a result of penetrating injury with the entry of infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi) directly into the joint cavity or indirectly through blood and lymph from other foci of infection in the body.
Infectious arthritis, which is accompanied by redness, swelling, pain
As a rule, infectious arthritis affects only one joint, is serous or purulent in nature, and is accompanied not only by typical local signs (pain, swelling, redness, increased local temperature of the skin, impaired motor activity), but also by general malaise (fever, weakness, pain). in muscles, headache).
Infectious arthritis requires urgent treatment, since in its absence the process can spread to neighboring anatomical structures with the development of panaritium, which threatens amputation of the finger. Therapy includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibacterial drugs, antifungal, antiparasitic medications.
To summarize, we should not forget about other pathologies that are accompanied by pain in the fingers, but are not associated with damage to the joints, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, Raynaud's syndrome, stenosing ligamentitis, vibration disease. Therefore, if pain occurs, be sure to consult a specialist. Only a doctor can determine the cause of your symptoms and prescribe the correct treatment.
There are several diseases that manifest themselves as pain in the joints of the hands. And in most cases, these are quite serious ailments that affect not only the joints of the hands, but also other joints in the body, as well as internal organs. Therefore, it is important to recognize the disease in time, seek medical help and begin treatment. Otherwise, the consequences can be very serious.
Let's look at the main diseases that cause pain in the hands.
This is a chronic, slowly progressive systemic disease of connective tissue, which is of an infectious-allergic nature. The main target of RA is the joints, but as the pathology progresses, internal organs are also affected, which significantly aggravates the course and prognosis.
Rheumatoid polyarthritis is in first place in the frequency of damage to the small joints of the fingers. People of any age and even children get sick (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis); the pathology most often affects women.
The reasons for the development of RA still remain a mystery. There is a certain relationship between the development of the disease and a viral infection (herpes, rubella, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B). But pathology does not always develop, but only in individuals genetically predisposed to this disease.
Symptoms of damage to the joints of the hands in rheumatoid arthritis:
Hand deformity due to rheumatoid arthritis
Subsequently, the function of the joints of the hands begins to suffer. The strength in the hands decreases, the patient cannot clench his hand into a fist. Characteristic deformations gradually develop, which are called the “calling card” of RA: ulnar deviation (deviation of the fingers towards the ulna), swan neck, fusiform fingers.
In second place in frequency is polyosteoarthrosis of the fingers. This is deforming arthrosis with a predominant localization in the joints of the hands. It can occur as an independent disease or be accompanied by arthrosis of the knee, hip and other joints. Mostly women aged 40-50 years get sick.
Pain in the fingers is chronic, with periods of exacerbations and remissions. Appears mainly after physical labor, after a working day. The lesion can be either symmetrical or develop on one arm. In addition to pain, patients complain of crunching and clicking in the fingers when moving, and their stiffness. From time to time (but not necessarily), signs of inflammation of the diseased joints appear (the joint swells, the skin over it turns red, the pain intensifies).
As the disease progresses, the joints begin to bend, and the range of their movements is limited. This is often accompanied by functional impairment and loss of the ability to perform small movements of the hand (the patient cannot fasten buttons, write, or perform other familiar and everyday tasks).
Polyosteoarthrosis (Bouchard's and Heberden's nodes)
A pathognomonic symptom of polyosteoarthrosis is the development of Bouchard and Heberden nodes on the hands. The first affects the proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers, and the second affects the distal ones.
Bouchard's and Heberden's nodes are usually painless, but they can become inflamed, causing intense pain. This situation requires active anti-inflammatory treatment.
Rhizarthrosis is considered a separate type of deforming arthrosis of the fingers. This is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. When diagnosing rhizarthrosis, some difficulties may arise, since this localization of the pain syndrome is also characteristic of gouty and psoriatic arthritis.
Gout is a metabolic disease that is characterized by impaired metabolism of purine bases in the body and increased formation of a substance such as uric acid. The latter is insoluble and is deposited in the form of salts in various organs and tissues, causing a variety of pathological symptoms. One of the variants or signs of gout is gouty arthritis, in which urates are deposited in the peripheral joints and cause inflammation.
In most cases, gouty arthritis has a classic course and affects the big toe, but sometimes (more often in women) the joints of the hands become inflamed. In such cases, the disease must be distinguished from rheumatoid arthritis, since they are very similar in appearance.
The main signs of gouty arthritis:
Gouty arthritis. Tophi are clearly visible
In some cases, a dermatological disease such as psoriasis is accompanied by the development of arthritis. As a rule, it is the joints of the hands that become inflamed. Moreover, arthropathy can accompany a skin rash, occur after the rash, or precede it. The causes of this phenomenon, like psoriasis, remain a mystery today.
An axial lesion is typical for the disease, when all joints of one or several fingers become inflamed at the same time. Because of this, they look like a sausage and are called “sausage fingers.”
Psoriasis rash and psoriatic arthropathy
The pain syndrome is very intense and constant. The sore finger turns red, swells, and its function is impaired. In the later stages of the disease, the joints are destroyed, leading to deformities and loss of function of the hand.
Infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi) can also cause inflammation of the joints on the hands. They can penetrate into the tissues of the joint directly from the external environment during open wounds, from foci of infection located nearby, or be carried through the bloodstream. In such cases, acute infectious arthritis occurs.
In the vast majority of cases, it occurs as a monoarthritis, that is, one joint becomes inflamed. The pathological signs are very clear. Patients complain of severe throbbing or twitching pain, which is constant and worsens at night. The affected joint swells, the skin over it turns red and becomes hot to the touch. The function of the finger is completely impaired.
Acute infectious arthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the hand
At the same time, signs of general intoxication of the body develop: the temperature rises, drowsiness appears, general weakness, and appetite is impaired.
Acute infectious arthritis requires immediate treatment. The main treatment measure is the prescription of antibiotics. In case of ineffectiveness, surgical treatment is resorted to. If treatment is not prescribed, the disease may be complicated by the development of panaritium or sepsis, which threatens not only health, but also human life.
There are many more diseases that manifest themselves as pain in the fingers, but they are associated not with damage to the joints, but to other tissues and anatomical structures of the hand. Among them are:
If you have been bothered by pain in the joints of your hands for a long time, and it is not associated with an injury, but is accompanied by other warning signs, then be sure to consult a specialist for help. Indeed, under the guise of such, at first glance, a trifle, a serious illness can be hidden.
Hands are one of the most important parts of the human body. Without them, it is impossible not only to engage in art, create masterpieces, build, sew, heal, but also to perform the simplest everyday actions - for example, combing your hair or brushing your teeth.
Therefore, you should always take care of your hands and monitor the health of their joints.
But precisely because the hands are involved in numerous tasks every day, their joints are very often damaged.
Various diseases and injuries of the fingers are especially common.
The joints of the fingers can be affected by a variety of diseases. Of all of them, the three main ones are most common:
These diseases are more often diagnosed in modern humans than others, so it is worth considering in detail the symptoms, development and treatment of each of them.
Arthritis is an inflammation of the small joints of the hands, which causes symptoms such as pain, swelling of the fingers, and redness of the skin. By its nature, arthritis is classified into two large groups:
In the first case, the disease develops due to infection entering the joints of the fingers. The carrier is usually blood. Rheumatoid arthritis can be recognized by a characteristic rash on the fingers. In the advanced form of the disease, joint stiffness is noted, which progresses and leads to complete immobility of the fingers.
Arthrosis is a non-infectious disease in which degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in the joints of the fingers. The fingers are usually affected synchronously, first the thumbs, then the rest sequentially. Symptoms of the disease are classic for inflammation of the joints:
But at the same time, in the later stages, the joints of the fingers become severely deformed (see photo). The causes of the disease are age-related changes, hypothermia, injury, metabolic disorders, and reduced immunity.
Poor nutrition, bad habits, and lack of routine are often prerequisites for the development of the disease.
It is not without reason that this joint pathology is popularly called “meat-eaters’ disease.” The main reason for the development of this disease in the area of the fingers is a violation of protein metabolism in the body. Mostly men suffer from gout, as they are more prone to eating protein (meat) and high-calorie foods.
The level of uric acid in the blood increases, which is not excreted due to metabolic disorders. The acid accumulates and crystallizes, forming urates - insoluble salts of uric acid. They are deposited in the joint tissues and cause the patient severe discomfort, and during exacerbation of the disease - excruciating pain.
As a rule, gout is localized to the toes, but lesions of the small joints of the hands are also often noted. The photo shows for comparison a healthy hand and a hand in the acute stage of the disease.
The symptoms of the pathologies are similar, but since each disease has different causes, the treatment required is also different. To do this, it is important to conduct a comprehensive examination as early as possible and make the correct diagnosis. Basic diagnostic methods:
Sometimes additional research is required to determine the optimal treatment. Direct treatment of joint disease consists of the following main stages:
Treatment must be comprehensive, that is, it must include all of the listed stages. Only then is it possible to stop the progression of the disease, achieve stable remission and maintain the functionality of the hand.
To treat joint diseases, a whole group of medications with different effects is used. Therapy always begins with a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Such drugs quickly eliminate pain and stop the inflammatory process; in addition, they are offered in a wide range, which allows you to choose the optimal drug for each patient.
The problem is that NSAID treatment should not last more than two weeks. These medications have a very aggressive effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines and have a number of other contraindications. NSAIDs are not as harmful as steroid drugs, but they should not be abused.
If non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ineffective, treatment is supplemented with analgesics. If this does not help, hormonal drugs are administered.
Antibiotics for joint pathologies are prescribed only if the nature of the disease is infectious. If doctors find it difficult to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease, a broad-spectrum antibiotic is selected. The duration of the course of treatment and dosage are set only by the attending physician; you cannot independently adjust the treatment with these drugs.
Chondroprotectors are classified as auxiliary medications. It is impossible to cure joint pathologies with their help alone, since chondroprotectors act very slowly and can only eliminate minor pain. The course of treatment with such medications ranges from three months and can last for years, and sometimes until the end of life.
Nevertheless, chondroprotectors must be taken. They contain substances that are part of natural cartilage tissue - chondroitin and glucosamine.
Chondroprotectors are able to stop the destruction of cartilage and stimulate their regeneration. It is impossible to achieve such a result with diet alone.
Since it is malnutrition that in many cases is the cause of the development of pathology and metabolic disorders in the body, diet therapy is a mandatory method of treatment. No medication will be effective unless the patient adjusts his diet. What must be included in it?
First of all, these are products rich in vitamins E and B, which have a beneficial effect on the structure of cartilage tissue. You can find them in legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Bone broths are recommended for consumption. You can additionally take multivitamin complexes.
Various physical procedures are another way to reduce pain without medications and speed up the restoration of joint mobility. As a rule, patients are prescribed:
Treatment is usually carried out in several courses with short intervals between them. Often, before a session, a local medication is applied to the joints - with the help of this combination, the effectiveness of medications and physiotherapy is enhanced.
It is worth noting that the patient feels relief after physiotherapy almost immediately, but this result is not permanent; physiotherapy is also considered as an auxiliary or preventive method.
Developing joints, constantly training them and strengthening muscles and ligaments is also very important. A set of exercises for the hands is not at all difficult to perform, such gymnastics will not take up a lot of time - you can do it at work, without getting up from your desk, or at home on the couch, watching your favorite show.
It is recommended to use auxiliary equipment - a ball or sticks. The complex is always selected by a doctor, who also monitors whether they are performed correctly and makes corrections if necessary.
You can use traditional medicine recipes - sometimes they are more effective than medications. For example, hot sea salt compresses help relieve pain and swelling, and massage with fir oil helps improve mobility.
Modern medicine knows many diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The joints of the hands are often affected; the upper extremities are most susceptible to various injuries and damage. Many patients turn to orthopedists with pain in the fingers.
Additionally, swelling and redness of the skin are noted, rapid fatigue of the hands bothers the patient with no less unpleasant sensations. In advanced cases, people come to doctors with severe deformities of their fingers. It is unrealistic to cope with the pathology on your own; be sure to consult a doctor and get treatment for the pathology.
Inflammation of the joints of the fingers is most often caused by several unfavorable factors:
The hereditary factor plays an important role. Many patients with diseases of the musculoskeletal system have relatives with similar diseases.
The joints in the hands most often become inflamed with various types of arthritis or polyarthritis. The pathology is a chronic disease; the inflammatory process first affects cartilage, then spreads to other tissues (bones, bursae). Arthritis is characterized by an asymptomatic picture at the beginning of its development; it is this aspect that makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. Arthritis differs from arthrosis in that it does not lead to serious deformities of the joints on the fingers, which are visible to the naked eye.
It is quite easy to suspect the first signs of inflammation of the joints of your fingers. Symptoms are characteristic and visible to the naked eye:
The symptoms of many diseases of the musculoskeletal system are similar. Only an experienced specialist can make an accurate diagnosis. Self-medication can worsen the situation and cause irreparable harm to health. Entrust the work to a professional and follow his instructions flawlessly.
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Joint inflammation is treated with an integrated approach. In most cases, special drugs are used. Additionally, folk remedies, gymnastics, and other methods of therapy are used; read more about each of them below.
The main task of the drugs is to relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process. Modern medicine offers a lot of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs aimed at solving these problems. Compared to previous generation drugs, these drugs have few contraindications and side effects. This group includes: Nimesil, Celecoxib.
If the disease is caused by an autoimmune disease, glucocorticosteroid hormones are used. They have an anti-inflammatory effect and relieve pain. Drugs of this type: Metypred, Prednisol. Severe pain syndrome obliges doctors to prescribe narcotic medications.
Various ointments, gels, and creams show excellent results. They have a warming and analgesic effect. A specific medicinal product is prescribed exclusively by a specialist. Some ailments require the use of chondroprotectors, which restore cartilage tissue and restore motor activity of the fingers.
Sit in the starting position on a chair, bend your arms slightly at the elbows, and place your palms on your knees or a hard pillow. Daily exercise scheme:
Do all the exercises five times, starting with a healthy arm or a less sore one. During periods of exacerbation of the disease, therapeutic exercises are prohibited. Severe pain is a reason to stop medical procedures; be sure to consult a doctor first.
Modern medicine offers a set of procedures aimed at restoring cartilage tissue, eliminating pain and inflammation:
The choice of a specific type of physical therapy rests on the shoulders of an experienced specialist.
For joint ailments, massage is the most effective method of relieving pain. Professional manipulations improve blood circulation and increase the flow of nutrients, in particular oxygen, to the affected areas of the finger joints.
Therapeutic manipulations are carried out from the fingertips to the knuckles, each finger is massaged separately. The procedure is performed in three stages: first, stroke, rub and knead the fingers, then shake. The massage is performed with a healthy hand; if both hands are damaged, use the services of a professional massage therapist.
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Traditional medicine offers a lot of remedies that cope with diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Many patients prefer to supplement therapy with natural drugs; they do not cause side effects and cope well with the inflammatory process:
Regular exercise, giving up bad habits, and be sure to take special vitamins to maintain bone tissue at the proper level will help prevent inflammation of the joints of your fingers. At the first symptoms of pathology, consult a doctor and follow his recommendations.
What to do if your joints are inflamed? How to properly treat inflamed joints? Useful tips in the following video:
Joint pain is usually associated with illnesses in older people. However, this is not quite true. There are many diseases that can cause this symptom at a fairly young age. What to do if your finger joints hurt, and what causes it?
There are more than 300 joints in the entire musculoskeletal system. Some are constantly involved in human movements, others function less frequently. The joints of the fingers are the most mobile. In addition, they are quite small, which increases the likelihood of their damage at the slightest excess load.
A joint is the junction of bones that surrounds:
Anatomy of the hand
Pathologies of any of the structures described above lead to various diseases that affect the entire joint and provoke pain.
Each finger has 3 bones and 3 joints. The cause of pain can be inflammatory or traumatic.
Below are the main diseases that can cause joint pain in the hand.
This is a disease of inflammatory etiology. It can occur both acutely and chronically. The joint itself and adjacent tissues are subject to inflammation.
The connective tissue becomes inflamed, and symptoms most often occur on the middle and index fingers. Characteristic features are the symmetry of the lesion on both hands and increased pain at night.
If left untreated, the disease can spread from small joints to larger ones.
It occurs due to metabolic disorders, in particular purines. The accumulation of salts in the joint provokes inflammation, pain and limited mobility.
It usually starts on the big toe and then spreads to other joints. Inflamed and enlarged bones become very swollen and burn. An exacerbation may last up to several weeks.
The lesion is not symmetrical. All the bones on my finger ache. The disease leads to deformation of the joints, as a result of which the fingers of the two hands look different.
When infection gets into the bones or other structural elements of the joint, infectious arthritis appears. How to treat such a disease depends on the nature of the pathogen and the location of the lesion.
Such pathologies are accompanied by additional symptoms:
Occurs when the ligament is damaged. Pain appears in all fingers of the hand except the little finger. The patient complains of burning and numbness, cyanosis and swelling are visually visible. With this disease, the knuckles are difficult to straighten. Symptoms occur mainly in the morning. Inflammation of the thumb ligament is called de Quervain's disease.
This is the name of the condition when cartilage tissue is destroyed. Why is this happening? The reasons may lie in hormonal or metabolic disorders, genetic predisposition, or prolonged increased stress.
When the joint of the thumb on the hand hurts, rhizarthrosis is possible, which is also a degenerative disease. If the thumb is under constant stress, the likelihood of a problem increasing.
The cause is bacteria that trigger a purulent-necrotic process in the joints and soft tissues. Local symptoms are joined by general ones - fever, headache, malaise.
The consequence may be curvature of bones and immobility of joints.
The inflammation is localized in the joint capsules, where fluid begins to accumulate. You may notice that the finger is swollen, does not bend, and upon palpation there is a sharp pain. The process may involve the addition of a secondary infection and the onset of purulent bursitis.
If the pain is accompanied by certain changes in the skin (cyanosis, coldness, and then redness), angiospastic crisis of the peripheral vessels can be assumed.
An injury to the radiocarpal joint of the left hand provokes pain in the fingers of this hand. At advanced stages, the joints are very difficult to bend and straighten. Nerve conduction disorders also include Raynaud's syndrome, when during uncomfortable sensations the fingertips turn white because no blood flows to them.
White color on the fingertips is a distinctive symptom of this condition, which is quite dangerous due to the high probability of tissue death.
Median nerve clamp to contents ^
Shooting pain, like an electric discharge, penetrates the patient from the joints of the forearm to the phalanges of the fingers. The pain usually becomes after a load on the spine.
An additional symptom is impaired mobility in some part of the spine and pain when tilting the head.
A dislocated joint or severe bruise of the phalanx can cause severe pain. As a rule, the patient himself knows where he hit himself.
Visible symptoms may be protrusion of the joint of the thumb or, for example, the little finger, redness, and a local increase in temperature.
Occurs due to frequent work with vibration mechanisms. First, it manifests itself as periodic discomfort, tingling, more often than not, in the middle or ring finger of the right hand. Then the paresthesia becomes permanent and progresses to loss of sensitivity and whitening of the phalanges from the base to the tips.
Quite common in the modern world, although few know what it is. The cause is prolonged work at the computer, as a result of which the nerve leading from the wrist to the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers is pinched.
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The likelihood of developing problems with the joints of the fingers depends on several predisposing factors:
The following methods will help diagnose why the joints began to hurt:
Radiography. Makes it possible to study the structure of bones, accurately determine the location of injuries and tumors;
Additionally, the doctor may prescribe urine and blood tests.
At the first complaints of twisting and aching in the bones, you should contact a therapist, who will then refer you to a more specialized specialist. Depending on the cause of the pathology, this may be an orthopedist, neurologist, surgeon, traumatologist and rheumatologist.
The basis of therapy is drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac, Movalis, Nimesil). For most diseases, they help eliminate the cause and discomfort (when small or medium-sized joints twist and hurt).
If effectiveness is poor, switch to hormonal drugs (Dexamethasone, Metipred)
For degenerative changes, which are especially visible on the little finger and index finger, chondroprotectors should be prescribed (Dona, Structum, Chondroxide ointment).
Many drugs have side effects, so they should be selected only by a doctor after determining the exact cause of the disease.
If the joints are severely twisted and the pain reduces the quality of life, the patient can use folk remedies in parallel with medications:
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Arthritis of the fingers is a severe progressive disease that leads to disability if not properly treated. This disease is by no means limited to older people - the joint-disfiguring progression of the inflammatory process can begin in people of any age.
As with any other disease, in order to achieve a good effect and completely get rid of arthritis of the fingers, you need to start fighting it as early as possible. That is why treatment of this disease must be carried out quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, on time.
Why does arthritis of the fingers occur, and what is it? Generally speaking, arthritis is an inflammation of the joints of the human body. Absolutely any joints can become inflamed, however, most often it manifests itself in some small joints. For example, this is a common disease of the joints of the toes and hands. For the most part, arthritis is a female disease. According to statistics, men experience this disease two or even three times less often than women.
The main characteristic of any arthritis is inflammation of certain organs. The reasons for its appearance may be several factors, and depending on this, arthritis of the joints of the fingers can be of the following types:
Determining the type of arthritis of the hands is the most important task, since all types have the same first signs, but the treatment for each of them can differ significantly.
The causes of arthritis in the fingers can be different, but the symptoms are similar in many cases (see photo). This is the appearance of swelling, puffiness. The skin takes on a purplish hue, and weakness appears in the hands. Sometimes the temperature rises.
Let us list the first and main signs of arthritis of the fingers:
If the lesion was caused by infectious arthritis, complications in the form of purulent inflammation may occur. In this case, the general condition of the body also sometimes worsens (increased body temperature, malaise, weak appetite).
Depending on what is the cause of arthritis of the fingers, treatment is selected individually.
In the case of gout, our actions are aimed at normalizing purine metabolism and reducing the concentration of uric acid in the blood, and uricosuric and uricodepressive drugs and diet will help with this. In rheumatoid arthritis, all our efforts are aimed at modulating the immune response, and we use immunosuppressants, cytostatics and newer treatments such as monoclonal antibody therapy.
The leading role in the treatment of arthritis, especially of rheumatoid origin, belongs to basic anti-inflammatory drugs, which are prescribed for long-term use (minimum 3 months, maximum lifelong). Medicines in this group are able to suppress the activity of immunosuppressive cells and stop the pathological process, maintaining their effect for a long time after drug withdrawal.
To treat arthritis during the remission period, methods such as:
In an advanced stage, arthritis of the fingers is practically not amenable to drug treatment. An alternative is to install a prosthetic joint through surgery.
It is acceptable, in combination with medications and other procedures, to treat arthritis of the fingers with folk remedies: home-made ointments, compresses, infusions and decoctions of herbs, baths. Naturally, the chosen methods must be agreed upon with the attending physician.
All folk remedies can only be used as a preventive and temporary measure. To avoid unpleasant consequences in the early stages of the development of arthritis in the joint tissues of the fingers, you should seek specialized help.
In order not to waste time, effort and money on treating this difficult disease, follow the following preventive measures:
You also need to enrich your diet with vitamin E. You should remember that you should not lift weights or overexert yourself, but you need to do exercises every day, swim and stretch.