When your hands and fingers hurt, it means that the body is signaling joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often, the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, not realizing the danger of becoming disabled for a short time. Information about why pain occurs in the joints of the fingers and what to do is useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease and who have close relatives suffering from joint pathology.
reasons
There are a number of diseases accompanied by pain and inflammation of the hand. They include:
gouty arthritis
The disease manifests itself at the age of 20 years. First of the inflammatory process are the thumbs. There is a paroxysmal course of joint inflammation. The attack most often begins at night. The joint pain is acute. The skin area over the affected joint turns purple in color. The finger becomes hot and hard to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may disappear suddenly without treatment, but will soon reappear.
Polyosteoarthrosis
People over 40 are affected: men - less often than women. A distinctive sign of the disease is Heberden's nodes, when the nodes begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning and sharp pain are noted; in some patients, nodules form asymptomatically. With polyosteoarthrosis, the formation of nodules on the joints in the middle of the finger is also observed. Bouchard's nodes are spindle-shaped, almost painless and characterized by slow growth.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The beginning of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index and middle finger. Along with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen and painful. Pain in the finger joint is especially painful in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is accompanied by weakness, joint pain and high fever.
Psoriatic arthritis
The pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. In pathology, pain in the joints and swelling are noted. The pathology has another name - sausage-shaped finger. At the same time, all joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, the joints of both hands become inflamed, but on different fingers.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis
The inflammation affects only the thumb. The pain is caused by strains when you try to straighten the elbow to the elbow. Sometimes your finger hurts for no apparent reason.
Rhizarthrosis
A rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of arthrosis. Localization is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of cartilage tissue. The thumb bone is deformed, limiting the movement of the inflamed joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- Pain is felt on the inside of the thumb.
- My index finger hurts.
- There is a tingling sensation on the skin of the palm.
- Hand mobility decreases.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, leading to damage.
Raynaud's disease
The cause of the disease is a decrease in capillary tone. It manifests itself with symptoms: numbness, pale skin of the hand, vasodilatation, which leads to redness of the fingers. Sometimes there is a bluish color, sharp pain and swelling. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which in the last stage of development become bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are often observed.
Injuries
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruises and sprains. A bruise on the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, bruising or redness at the site of the bruise, severe pain when trying to move the finger, hematoma formation and pathological mobility of the damaged finger.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, writing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramps appear during the daily stress of writing. The pain syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Pain in the wrist is especially noticeable at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a sound similar to crunching.
Numbness and numbness of the fingers appear in a person who makes small movements with his hands. Repetitive overuse of the hand contributes to trigger finger syndrome. The bent finger is difficult to straighten, if force is applied to straighten it, a click is heard.
Pain due to internal pathologies
Often there is pain in the hand and fingers for reasons that are not related to joint diseases. People suffering from pathologies are at risk:
Cardiac ischemia . With a myocardial infarction, the onset of the attack often coincides with a feeling of pain and numbness in the left arm.Diabetes . The pathology leads to a more sensitive condition of the hands due to poor blood circulation.
Pain and numbness are often seen in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the finger joints during pregnancy: increased amount of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, pinched median nerve, depression.
important!Heredity, frostbite of the hands, frequent immersion in cold water, reduced immunity contribute to pathological changes in the hands.
Pain in the fingers of the right hand
Several fingers hurt at the same time. Half of the painful manifestations appear on the ring finger and little finger, and a third - on the index finger and thumb. If the pain is felt in all the fingers of the right hand, the problem is related to the blood vessels. Pain in the index finger and thumb indicates pathology of the spine. If the index finger, ring finger and thumb hurt at the same time, this indicates a disease of the radial nerve. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
The fingers of my left hand hurt
If pain occurs in all fingers only on the left hand, the problem is sought in the blood vessels. The thumb, index and ring finger hurt - the radial or median nerve is affected, the index and thumb - spinal pathology. Pain in the little finger and ring finger occurs with a C5-C6 foraminal hernia. The joint of the middle finger hurts due to a foraminal hernia of C4-C5.
Which specialist should I choose?
For whatever reason your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is a must. If you have post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a trauma specialist. If the joints are inflamed or edema occurs, the rheumatologist will help. When the cause of the pain is unclear, you should consult a cardiologist and an endocrinologist.
Diagnosis
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware tests:
Radiography . The painless procedure makes it possible to examine the bone tissue. The results of the research are recorded on film in 3 projections.CT . The study is carried out using X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.Electrospondylography . It detects the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for the functioning of the hands. The pathology is detected in the initial stage of development.MRI . The diagnosis is made using electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and cross sections are obtained.
Laboratory methods
To diagnose joint pathology, tests are carried out:
General analysis of urine . Makes it possible to identify advanced forms of bone inflammation.General blood analysis . The study determined the presence of leukocytosis and anemia.Biochemical blood test . Determines the increased presence of fibrinogen and sialic acids.Puncture . After the puncture of the affected joint, the fluid in it is taken for examination. The study is prescribed to accurately determine the cause of the development of the pathology; performed in rare cases.Biopsy . A piece of skin tissue is taken for microscopic examination. Using the method, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are detected.
Treatment
Arm pain is treated according to the causes that caused it. In case of exacerbation of arthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. For the normal supply of the joints with food from the blood, the use of vasodilating drugs is necessary. Anti-inflammatory ointments are used for local therapy. Good results are obtained in the treatment of arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, centrally acting analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient from acute pain. In addition to pain relief, such drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect. Chondroprotectors: chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid in some cases are taken permanently. Laser treatment has been used successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Significant relief is achieved with the help of physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud treatment.
In case of gout, it is indicated to take drugs to normalize the metabolism of purines in the body. Analgesics are prescribed for pain relief. Of particular importance is the diet with limited consumption of meat products, fish and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage have also been shown to work well.
For the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, comfortable working conditions must be created, taking into account the correct position of the hand. For painful sensations, make compresses from chamomile decoction.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced surgically. Indications for surgical intervention are:
- Injuries with separation of the tendon from the point of attachment to the nail phalanx.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant neoplasms of the hand.
How to treat yourself according to traditional recipes
Effective folk recipes to combat hand pain:
Recipe No. 1 . Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of crushed fresh aloe leaves, add 5 g of dry mustard. Stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a container away from light. The joints of the hands are smeared in the morning and evening until visible improvement.Recipe No. 2 . Tincture of cherry. Pour 50 g of cherry peel with 200 ml of vodka. Insist for 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.Recipe No. 3 . Calendula bath. One tablespoon of dry calendula flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The decoction is prepared in 15 minutes. on low heat. Treatment procedures last 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.Recipe No. 4 . Dandelion root drink. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.Recipe No. 5 . Three tablespoons of sea salt are heated in the microwave. Wrap with gauze, apply to the joint and leave for 30 minutes.
The procedures are performed daily for 20 days.
Useful tips
By following the recommendations of doctors, you can significantly help the body to relieve joint disease. If swelling of the hands occurs, jewelry should be removed. In case of injury, it is necessary to keep the hand still and apply a cold compress. If there is pain from exertion, it should be eliminated or greatly reduced. Need to change work that requires repetitive movements.
You should immediately consult a doctor if the following symptoms appear:
- Post-traumatic pain does not subside, stiffness of movements is noted and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The hand is red and there is heat in the skin area.
- Numbness is felt in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- Hand or finger goes numb.
Prevention
To prevent arm pain, you should:
- Incorporate arm strengthening exercises into your morning exercise routine.
- If repetitive movements are required, you should take breaks.
- Prolonged stay in a position that requires a fixed position of the hands should be avoided.
- Avoid overheating your hands.
Arm pain is caused by a variety of reasons. Drug treatment, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used to relieve pain. To improve your quality of life, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations.