Finger joints most often start to hurt after 40-45 years (in 1 in 10 people this is due to age-related changes in the body).After 60 years, pain often occurs against the background of polyosteoarthrosis (damage, destruction of articular cartilage of various joints).
Deformation and destruction of hand joints is diagnosed in 10% of the elderly.
Also, pain in the finger joints is a characteristic sign of diseases such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis (in 80% of cases it begins with inflammation of the finger joints);
- psoriatic arthritis (in 70% the fingers are the first to suffer);
- gout (arthritis that affects the fingers, occurs in 10-15% of gout patients);
- osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of the bones (affecting 6.5% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system).
Most arthritis, where the finger joints are the first to be involved in the process, is a systemic disease (that is, it affects different body systems, and not just the joints).They are equally often diagnosed in people of any age, including young people;in men it occurs 3-5 times more often.
Another cause of pain is a mechanical injury, as a result of a blow or a bruise on the hand (often among athletes, the prevalence is up to 40% of all traumatic injuries).
Some diseases that cause pain in the finger joints cannot be completely cured;over time, they become the cause of disability (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis, polyosteoarthritis).And, for example, with timely treatment, osteomyelitis can be eliminated forever, but the process quickly becomes chronic and can lead to limb loss (in 30% of cases).
If you suspect a systemic disease (arthritis, polyosteoarthrosis), you should consult a rheumatologist or an arthrologist.Osteomyelitis is treated by orthopedic-traumatologists, surgeons, injuries - by orthopedic-traumatologists.
Why does pain occur in the finger joints: causes and symptoms
Why do my finger joints hurt?There are many reasons, as well as factors that can speed up or delay the process.Common predisposing factors for all diseases and injuries can be considered:
- Profession (this category includes people who have to work with hands and fingers, musicians, tailors, programmers).
- Stress (injuries and microtraumas due to training and long sports training).
- Hormonal changes, disorders (pregnancy, estrogen deficiency in older women).
- Heredity (close relatives are more prone to systemic diseases).
- Immune system deficiency or disease.
- Metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes).
- Chronic infection (tuberculosis).
- Hypothermia (hypothermia).
- Some long-term negative factors (among them - taking drugs, poisoning with toxic substances in dangerous enterprises, smoking, alcohol, etc.).
The article below describes the pathologies and conditions that cause pain in the finger joints.
injury
Pain that appears after an injury is difficult to confuse with other things:
- all symptoms occur immediately after a blow, bruise, compression, or other damage;
- severe pain accompanied by swelling, bruising at the impact site, impaired joint movement;
- with moderate and severe damage, the symptoms do not subside for a long time, but become more pronounced - pain, stiffness, swelling;
- discomfort increases when trying to bend or straighten fingers.
Severe injuries to the fingers of the upper limb combined with:
- rupture of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, bleeding into the capsule (hemarthrosis) and soft tissue (hematomas);
- fractures and bone fractures;
- nerve damage (loss of sensitivity in fingers and skin).
Prognosis: minor injuries heal without sequelae in 90–95% of cases.Severe and moderate injuries can leave various complications - from affected finger sensitivity to traumatic arthritis in 70%.
Polyosteoarthrosis
Polyosteoarthrosis is a chronic pathology, as a result of which the finger joint is gradually deformed and destroyed (there is a form of the disease that affects the thumb joint - rhizarthrosis).
At first, pain appeared after hard work (sewing, embroidering, hours of practicing musical instruments).When the disease progresses:
- pain in the joints of the fingers becomes constant and does not go away with rest;
- pain accompanied by clicking and rattling (during movement);
- visible stiffness (small at first).
During the exacerbation period, the main symptoms include swelling, swelling, increased local temperature, and sometimes redness in the joint area.
Over time, fingers become deformed:
- Heberden's nodes (bony growths, pea-sized lumps) form in joints located closer to the nail.
- Bouchard's node (overgrowth of the articular surface, bony spine) is formed in the middle joint.
Finger joints lose their original shape (knotted), and over time they lose mobility due to hardening of the soft tissue (ankylosis).
Prognosis: the pathology cannot be cured, but in the early stages (until the deformation appears) it can be stopped for a long time.Then it becomes the cause of disability (tissues grow together, harden, finger mobility can only be restored through surgery).
Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, which occurs with the involvement of other organs and systems in the pathological process (outer layer of the heart, lungs, vascular walls, skin).
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by:
- gradual increase and intensification of symptoms (initially, exacerbations are replaced by relatively long periods of symptom-free development, but they become shorter and shorter over time);
- morning stiffness, reminiscent of tight gloves (disappears in 30-60 minutes);
- sharp, acute, dull pain in the joints of the fingers (in both hands), which becomes unbearable when bending over;
- redness, swelling, swelling, joint stiffness.
The pain syndrome usually occurs at night or in the morning and decreases slightly in the afternoon.
When the acute symptoms subside (during remission), the pain becomes less pronounced, aching, and intensifies with movement and when working in cold water.The joints in the fingers hurt when bending and extending, remain painful to the touch and slightly swollen.
Gradually, the disease leads to the formation of stable deformation and dysfunction of the fingers - they shift outwards or upwards, bent (middle, index and ring fingers are most often affected, very rarely - little and thumb), other joints are involved in the process (wrist, ankle, knee, shoulder).
Prognosis: pathology is incurable, develops rapidly and leads to loss of ability to work, disability - 40% of cases within the first 5 years of development.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is one form of severe systemic disease (psoriasis).
The most characteristic signs of damage to the finger joints:
- sudden and sharp attacks of arthritis;
- damage to the interphalangeal and distal joints (closer to the nail);
- constant, even, severe pain combined with widespread swelling, redness of the skin, limited mobility (the shape of the finger at this time resembles a carrot or sausage, it is impossible to bend or straighten the finger joint due to pain and swelling);
- general increase in temperature.
In the long term, it leads to the destruction of the nail plate (they collapse and lose their shape), the deformation of the fingers (they "turn" outward or upwards), and the loss of the ability to work.
Prognosis: psoriatic arthritis is incurable, severe, rapidly progressive, and leads to disability in 90-95% of patients.
Gouty arthritis
Gouty arthritis occurs against the background of metabolic disorders, which causes excess uric acid to accumulate in the body.It falls into the joint tissue, causing inflammation.
Typical symptoms of gouty arthritis:
- Sharp, sudden, throbbing or burning pain in one or more joints of the fingers.
- Any attempt to move the finger or touch it increases the unpleasant symptoms.
- It is accompanied by severe swelling, which often spreads to the entire hand, a change in skin color (the fingers on the hand become bluish-purple), and a general increase in temperature (the patient has a fever, chills).
- Pain in the finger joints usually occurs at night.
- Attacks can last from 2 days to 2 weeks.
Progressive gouty arthritis causes new joint involvement in the process and its deformation (destruction of the articular surface).Tophi appear on the fingers - tissue deposits of uric acid.
Prognosis: There is no cure for gout, but normal uric acid levels can be maintained with medication and diet.This disease rarely causes complete disability for patients (5-8%), but over time it can destroy the finger joints (secondary arthrosis).
Why else can your finger joints hurt?
Other causes of pain may include the following diseases and conditions:
Osteomyelitis
Infectious lesions of these bones (periosteum, spongy and dense material) usually begin acutely - pain in the joint with osteomyelitis is strong, sharp, jerking, bursting or tearing.When bent or stretched, it becomes unbearable, accompanied by severe swelling, redness and hardening of the tissue in the joints, fever and signs of general intoxication (weakness, sweating).In 30% of cases, osteomyelitis becomes chronic (may be recurrent), and the pain in the finger becomes painful.This process can cause purulent arthritis, malignancy of bone tissue, deformation of bones and joints.
Vasospasm
Vasospasm is a sharp narrowing of the peripheral vessels that supply blood to the upper limbs, hands and finger joints.It is characterized by tingling sensations, numbness, and pale skin.At the end of the attack (which can be short-term - from 2 minutes, or long-term - up to 60 minutes), the fingers start to hurt, "sore", and the skin on the hands turns red.Over time, this phenomenon (vasospasm) causes the appearance of trophic ulcers (tissue death due to nutritional disorders), bone melting and necrosis of the fingertips.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a pathological condition, but it is accompanied by sharp and rapid hormonal changes in the body and an accelerated metabolism.Pain in the finger joints, or rather pain, can be caused by a lack of calcium and vitamin D3, as well as an excess of hormones that prepare the body for labor by relaxing the ligaments.
Diagnostics: methods, research
When the joint on your finger hurts, what should you do?First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the pathology that causes such symptoms.Often, the attending physician prescribes several tests:
| Method name | What allows you to diagnose |
|---|---|
Radiography |
With its help, pathological changes in bones, joint deformation, crystal deposition, tissue ossification are detected. |
MRI, CT or ultrasound |
This diagnostic method makes it possible to identify any pathological changes in periarticular tissues and joints that are not visible on radiographs. |
ECG, ultrasound of internal organs |
Helps identify extra-articular manifestations of certain disease characteristics (pericarditis, pneumonitis) |
Angiography |
The study of blood vessels is informative for pathologies that occur with damage to their walls and can cause vasospasm (rheumatoid arthritis) |
Clinical laboratory tests |
Using tests, the cause of the disease is determined, the infection and the pathogen of the pathological process are identified. |
Therapeutic and diagnostic joint puncture (procedure to extract fluid from the joint capsule) |
A puncture is performed if blood has accumulated in it (hemarthrosis), pus (infectious process) or a large amount of fluid, which prevents movement and threatens its destruction |
Treatment: principles, drugs, features
Some diseases or conditions that cause pain in the finger joints cannot be cured (vasospasm, osteoarthritis, psoriatic, gouty arthritis).Some recover completely and without consequences (with timely treatment - osteomyelitis, mild and moderate injuries).
General principles of treatment, methods of pain relief
What is common in the treatment of all diseases that cause pain in the finger joints is the prescription of drugs that help relieve severe symptoms.
Usually these are:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which successfully relieve inflammation and pain;
- glucocorticoids, which are prescribed if NSAIDs are ineffective;
- painkillers if joint pain cannot be relieved by other means.
Once the symptoms subside, the patient is prescribed: chondroprotectors to slow down or prevent cartilage destruction, and physical therapy.
Physiotherapy stimulates metabolic processes and accelerates tissue recovery.The most popular physiotherapeutic procedures for joint diseases are:
- electrophoresis with drugs;
- magnetic therapy;
- UHF (ultra high frequency therapy);
- reflexology (acupuncture);
- massage;
- mud therapy;
- balneotherapy (hydrotherapy);
- heating procedures (paraffin, ozokerite application);
- therapeutic exercises (exercises to strengthen finger joints).
If it is necessary to eliminate pain in the finger joints and its causes, treatment in a sanatorium-resort setting can give good results.With the instructions of the attending physician, the patient has the opportunity to change the climate 1 or 2 times a year, take a course of rehabilitation physiotherapeutic procedures, and drink mineral water from natural sources.
Features of the treatment of certain pathologies
In addition to general methods and means, there are nuances in the treatment of each pathology:
| Pathology | Treatment features |
|---|---|
injury |
Injury treatment is gradual.First, the victim is given first aid (fixing the bandage, ice compress for 24 hours). If necessary, a puncture is made, tissue integrity is restored (in case of serious damage), and immobilization with a plaster. On days 3-5 they begin to warm up, stimulating healing. |
Polyosteoarthrosis |
At the beginning of the disease, taking chondroprotectors and physical therapy is effective. Then, only surgery helps (the problem is solved with prosthetics). |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
Prescribe basic anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterials, anti-allergic drugs, drugs that affect the activity of the immune system. |
Psoriatic arthritis |
|
Gouty arthritis |
The underlying disease (gout) is treated by prescribing drugs that control the formation and accelerate the excretion of uric acid, drugs that dissolve tissue salt deposits. The mandatory part of the treatment is a strict diet during the attack (table No. 6), a less strict diet throughout life. |
Osteomyelitis |
Surgical washing of the purulent cavity in the bone tissue and opening of the ulcer is performed. Antibiotics and antibacterial drugs are used for treatment. |
Vasospasm |
How to treat vasospasm?In case of pathology, vasodilators and antispasmodics (relax the muscles of the vascular wall), blood thinners are prescribed. Eliminate provoking factors (for example, smoking) or treat the underlying disease that causes vascular spasm (for example, rheumatoid arthritis). |
Folk remedies (treatment of pathologies, pain relief)
Pain in the finger joints can also be treated with folk remedies:
- Eucalyptus leaf infusion.Take 40 g of eucalyptus leaves, pour a liter of boiling water, leave for 60 minutes under the hood.Once ready, strain, pour into a dark glass container, and store in the refrigerator.Take every day for 2 weeks - 3 times 50 ml, 30 minutes before meals.
- Treatment of pain in finger joints with absorption of black currant leaves.Pour 10 g of raw material into 0.5 liters of boiling water, let it brew under the hood for 20 minutes.Drink a glass 2 to 3 times during the day.The duration of the course is 2-3 months.
- Warming ointment for arthritis.Take 50 g of camphor powder and mustard, dissolve one by one in 100 ml of alcohol, add whipped egg white.Rub it into the brush overnight.Finger joint treatment continues for 21 days, after some time the course can be repeated.
- Oil rub.Dilute fir essential oil with vegetable oil (1:1), apply to your finger joints until completely absorbed before going to bed.You need to "heat" first: boil the washed potato skins in water, when the broth has cooled (until warm), soak your brush in it and hold for 15-25 minutes, then rinse with clean water.Treatment continues for 3 weeks or until symptoms disappear.
Prevention
How to avoid pathology that causes pain in the finger joints?To do this you need:
- get rid of bad habits (quit smoking and alcohol);
- introduce into the diet foods that are beneficial for joints and cartilage tissue (with calcium, phosphorus, minerals and other vitamins, sufficient protein);
- undergoing regular examinations to eliminate the focus of chronic infection (for example, tonsillitis);
- don't overload (alternate load with rest) and don't overcool your hands.
It is very important to strengthen the immune system (swimming, yoga, walking) and finger joints with therapeutic exercises.