What to do if the joints of the fingers are ache: causes and treatment

click fraud protection

The fingers of a person's hands are the main working tool with which any physical tasks are performed. If the legs are designed for movement, the fingers serve to perform any functions, including the finest operations, the implementation of which is almost impossible without them. During operation, the more the tool is used, the faster it will fail if there is no proper care.

Many of us often complain that sometimes, after a working day, the joints of the fingers are badly hurt, or the fingers completely numb during sleep, but few pay due attention to it, and in vain. If the symptoms are not detected in time, the reasons for not carrying out the correct treatment, a neglected disease can lead to more severe consequences.

In this article, we will consider in detail why the joints of the fingers are sore, we call the common causes, and the current ways of treating pain in the joints.

Causes of pain in the joints of the fingers

So, why there is pain in the joints of the fingers, and how to treat this problem? Doctors-rheumatologists subdivide all joint pains into 2 large categories: mechanical and inflammatory.

1. Inflammatory pain is characterized by prolonged stiffness in the morning, which can persist for an hour or more. Pain decreases when performing movements. In addition, with inflammatory pains, patients notice other symptoms: redness in the joint area, edema, a decrease in the volume of movements performed, and a violation of flexibility.
2. Mechanical pain may be accompanied by signs of local inflammation. But the latter, as a rule, are insignificant and weakly expressed. Often patients do not even notice them.

Let's consider in more detail why the joints of the fingers are sore, and what diseases are the ways to provoke this symptom.

1. Rheumatoid arthritis. Chronic autoimmune inflammatory systemic disease, which mainly affects the small joints of the body, but it is possible to involve large joints and internal organs in the pathological process. For pain, which is associated with rheumatoid arthritis, 5-7% of all cases are allocated. Inflammation of metacarpophalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers. Articulations swell, redden, the skin over them becomes hot to the touch. Joints are very sore, a person can not even squeeze his hand into a fist. The defeat is often symmetrical on both hands. A characteristic feature is that the inflamed joints hurt in the morning or in the second half of the night, this is accompanied by stiffness of movements in the hands. By the evening painful sensations pass.
2. Psoriatic arthritis .It appears on the surface of the outer cover - the skin. Pain in the joints of the fingers occurs in the distal phalanx. It is swollen to the degree of acquiring fingers of the shape of sausages, having a red color with light cyanosis. Symptomatism of psoriasis is characterized by the difficulty of extending the hands and thumbs.
3. Infectious arthritis .Systemic symptoms in the development of this disease may be absent altogether. Development of the disease is characterized by the appearance of acute pain, which can last from several hours to several days. Affected joint to the touch - hot. In some cases, you can observe fever, as well as chills.
4. Gout is a fairly common disease, to which people are generally over 50 years old. The cause of gout is a violation of uric acid metabolism-the latter is poorly excreted from the body and deposited in the joints and cartilage, interfering with their normal function. A characteristic sign of gout is intense burning pain.
5. Osteoarthrosis is a noninflammatory deformity of the joints, characterized by their thickening and mobility limitation. This disease is closely related to the estrogenic background, which is why it is characteristic of older women. Among the causes of osteoarthritis are the following: hereditary predisposition, metabolic disturbances in the body, occupational loads and others. The main symptom of the disease, except pain in the joints of the hand, is the formation of subcutaneous nodules and edema. They contribute to the appearance of a characteristic deformation of the fingers: a thickening in the middle and a general view of the spindle.
6. Stenosing ligamentitis .Pathology is similar to two ailments - arthritis and arthrosis. To establish the true cause is capable only of roentgen. The clinic of the disease is quite typical. It hurts to bend and unbend the brush. Sometimes a compressed palm can wedge. At extension, clicks are audible.
7. If worried about pain in the joint of the thumb, the most likely cause may be rizartroz .Its appearance is associated with a significant overload of the joint, suffered by infection, intoxication and trauma. Already on examination, the diagnosis is unquestionable: a specific point of soreness, increased pain with a characteristic load - turning the key, opening the lids, rotating the door handles. At the initial stage of the disease, the thumb aches on the arm only after the load, as the ailment develops, the pain also appears in rest. Gradually the joint is deformed, active actions become impossible.
8. Very unpleasant sudden sharp pains known rheumatism .This sharpness of manifestations he brought to the joints of the fingers, also accompanying the whole process with redness, swelling and violation of freedom of movement. Add to this a possible rash and a rise in body temperature, and a complete picture of the disease will be drawn, the treatment of which is already possible only with the help of a doctor.
9. To the painful sensations in the joint of the index finger can lead the so-called tunnel syndrome , diagnosed most often in young people. It appears with a long work at the computer. Almost all specialists, whose activities are connected with such an occupation, sooner or later may experience similar symptoms.

Risk factors

Factors affecting the development of various diseases of the joints of the fingers:

• hormonal changes;
• pathology of the immune system;
• various hereditary factors;
• infections( often chronic);
• metabolic disorders;
• the impact of various harmful factors, such as: frequent cold hands( for a long time), etc.;
• microtraumas that occur as a result of a hand injury( most often in athletes or on a slave requiring special physical exertion).

To determine whether a patient has a specific disease causing pain in the joints of the fingers of his hands, and also to appoint the right treatment, only a trauma doctor or a rheumatologist can.

Pain in flexion and extension of fingers

Pain during flexion may indicate the presence of the following diseases:

• pinched spinal nerves;
• stenosing ligament;
• arthrosis of the joints;
• tunnel syndrome;
• osteoarthritis;
• tenosynovitis.

Symptoms of

Signs of serious diseases of the joints of the fingers are the following symptoms:

1. Appearance of nodular formations in the joints;
2. Fiddling with fingers;
3. Painful pressure;
4. Acute piercing pain;
5. Skin discoloration( redness);
6. The difficulty of fine motor skills;
7. Increase t ° C of the body;
8. Transformation of joints;
9. Seals in the fold of the finger;
10. Difficulty squeezing the finger;
11. Development of inflammation and tumor formations around the joints;
12. Wavy pains( discomfort intensifies at night and almost disappears during the day).

Finding a way to cure and take preventive measures will help you to know the causes that cause painful joints.

Diagnosis

Before you figure out how to treat pain in the joints of your fingers, you must correctly diagnose. Therefore, people who experience joint pain and extreme discomfort when flexing the upper limbs, the following diagnostic is recommended:

• blood biochemistry;
• radiography;
• computed tomography
• blood test( general), urine;
• magnetic resonance imaging
• blood test for the presence of rheumatoid factor, purines, anti-streptococcal antibodies in it.

The appearance of discomfort when bending fingers should not be ignored. Ignoring the problem can result in serious consequences. Often there is a loss of active movements. And then, at first glance, such an insignificant problem as the inability to bend a finger, can lead to disability.

What if I have pain in the joints of my fingers?

Consult a specialist surgeon if:

• Severe pain in the joints does not go away even after using pain medications;
• Joint pain is accompanied by an increase in total body temperature or other pathological symptoms( conjunctivitis, skin rash, etc.);
• Joint pains appeared after trauma and are accompanied by severe edema, as well as deformities of the joint contours;
• Pain in the joints of the fingers does not go away for a week.

Treatment of

In the event of pain in the joints of the fingers, treatment must first of all be aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. If the pain in the joints of the fingers occurs due to the inflammatory process, antibiotics, hormones and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.

In case of a dystrophic lesion, it is necessary first to restore the damaged articular cartilages with the help of chondroprotectors and auxiliary measures: massage, manual therapy, physiotherapy.

Medical treatment

In inflammatory processes, the patient is prescribed a course of painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs( indomethacin, ibuprofen, piroxicam, voltaren and many others).

For severe pain, hormonal corticosteroids are used, which can be injected into the joint cavity. With osteoarthritis, long-term courses are prescribed chondroprotectors, which nourish the cartilage and help to stop its destruction.

Physiotherapy

Pain in the joints of the fingers indicates a malfunction or some kind of malfunction. First of all, it is necessary to move away from performing any physical exertion.

Physiotherapy methods are important and effective in the fight against pathogens of joints of the fingers. Such methods include: electrophoresis with novocaine( electrocution), resonant therapies and electrosleep.

During remission, a therapeutic effect on the fingers is carried out by performing a massage session, mud coating, manual therapy and therapeutic gymnastics. It is also recommended to visit hydrogen sulphide, radon, mud sources in sanatorium and resort conditions. Treatment in a sanatorium is carried out outside the exacerbation of arthrosis and is prescribed only after a thorough examination by a specialist.

Diet

Products that help with joint pain:

1. Fish and other seafood .The calcium, iron and phosphorus contained in them contribute to the normalization of mineral metabolism;Flaxseed oil or cod liver oil .Included in these products are omega-3 fatty acids improve the condition of the vessels and help restore fat metabolism;
2. Apple vinegar promotes the process of alkalizing blood and removing salts.

In addition, add to your diet:

• salad;
• radish;
• egg yolks;
• currant;
• nuts;
• fruit and pomegranate juice;
• figs;
• cauliflower;
• olive oil;
• ginger;
• natural low-fat cheeses.

It is necessary to limit or exclude completely: dairy products of high fat content, sweets, baked goods, sharp or salty dishes, mayonnaise, smoked products, strong tea and coffee, as well as products containing oxalic acid( spinach, sorrel, rhubarb).

Folk remedies

At home, you can try and some folk remedies that can supplement the basic treatment, and alleviate pain in the joints of the fingers.

1. The laurel leaves and juniper needles are crushed, and then added to butter. Daily, hands should be massaged with the help of the obtained ointment.
2. Compress from chopped chalk and fermented milk product( kefir, ryazhenka) should be applied overnight. Boiled oatmeal can be used in a similar way.
3. Inside you can take birch sap. It is the source of many vitamins, nutrients that positively affects not only the joints, but also the whole organism.
4. A tablespoon of olive oil mixed with a few drops of fresh garlic juice should be drunk in the morning before the first meal. Thus, it is possible to relieve inflammation in case of exacerbation of pain in the joints of the hands.

Do not forget about other non-pharmacological methods of treatment: physiotherapy, mud therapy, massage, paraffin therapy and ultrasound.

Exercises

They help to maintain the musculoskeletal system in good condition, simple enough and do not require much time. A few minutes a day can give you old age without disease.

Remember: the answer to the question of why the joints of the fingers or toes ache and what to do about it, in the first place should worry you. Trust the doctor, but also keep the situation under control. How to treat joints, in what way - you decide only yourself.