When hands and fingers ache, it means that the body is signaling joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, unaware of the danger of becoming disabled in a short time. Information on why pain in the finger joints manifests and what to do is useful for those who have experienced the first symptoms of the disease, whose close relatives suffer from joint pathology.
Causes
Numerous diseases are associated with pain and inflammation of the hands. This includes:
Gouty arthritis
The disease manifests itself at the age of 20. The thumbs are the first to be exposed to the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of inflammation of the joints. The attack often starts at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin above the affected joint becomes crimson. The finger becomes hot and bends hard. Inflammation lasts for a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away suddenly, without treatment, but it will reappear soon.
Polyosteoarthritis
People over the age of 40 are sick: men - less often than women. Characteristic of the disease are Heberden's nodules, when nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, tingling, sharp pain are noticed, in some patients nodules appear asymptomatic. In polyosteroarthritis, the formation of nodules on the joints in the middle of the finger is also observed. Bouchard’s nodules are spindle-shaped, almost painless, and characterized by slow growth.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The onset of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index finger and middle finger. Together with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen, and sore. Particularly painful in the morning is a sore wrist. Rheumatoid arthritis is accompanied by weakness, joint pain and fever.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis is noted after stress, hypothermia, infection.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. In addition to pathology, joint pain and swelling are observed. Pathology has another name - finger "sausage". All joints and knuckles become inflamed at the same time. In rare cases, there is inflammation of the joints on both hands, but on different fingers.
Tenosinovit de Quervain
Inflammation affects only the thumb. The pain is due to the load when trying to stretch towards the elbow. Sometimes a finger hurts for no reason.
Rizarthrosis
Rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of osteoarthritis. Localization was 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:
- The pain is felt on the inside of the thumb.
- The index finger hurts.
- There is numbness of the skin of the palm.
- Decreased hand motor skills.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, leading to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The causes of the disease are a decrease in capillary tone. It is manifested by symptoms: numbness, pallor of the skin of the hand, vasodilation, as a result of which the fingers become red. Occasionally there is a bluish tinge, acute pain, edema. 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.
Trauma
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruises and sprains. Bruising of the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blue discoloration or redness of the bruise, severe pain when trying to move the finger, the formation of hematomas, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Finger ligament sprains are more common with sharp joint movements, which is observed in athletes, too many mobile people and children.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, knocking, playing the piano). "Writing" spasm occurs with daily stress when typing. Pain syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Joint pain is especially felt at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a crunch-like sound.
Tingling, numbness in the fingers are manifested when a person makes small movements with his hands. Recurrent hand strain facilitates the onset of finger snap syndrome. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if you apply force to extend it, a click is heard.
Painful feelings with internal pathologies
Often pain in the hands and fingers for reasons unrelated to joint disease. People suffering from pathologies are at risk. Cardiac ischemia. In myocardial infarction, the onset of the attack often coincides with pain and tingling in the left arm. Diabetes. Pathology brings the hands into a more sensitive state due to circulatory disorders.
Painful sensations and numbness are often noticed in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the finger joints in pregnancy: increased amount of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, nerve stasis of the middle layer, depression.
Bitan!Heredity, freezing of 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 occur 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 vascular. Pain in the index finger and thumb signals the pathology of the spine. If the index finger, thumb and thumb hurt at the same time, it indicates radial nerve disease. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
The fingers on his left hand hurt
If the pain occurs only in all the fingers of the left hand, the problem is sought in the blood vessels. The thumb, forefinger and hind finger hurt - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the forefinger and thumb are pathologies of the spine. Pain in the little finger and ring finger is manifested by a foraminal hernia C5-C6. The middle finger joint hurts in foraminal hernia C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose
For any reason, your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. For post-traumatic pain, it is necessary to schedule an examination with a traumatologist. If the joints become inflamed, swelling appears, a rheumatologist will help. When the cause of the pain is not clear, it is necessary to consult a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Diagnosis
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware studies:
- Radiography. The painless procedure enables the examination of bone tissue. The results of the research were recorded on film in 3 projections.
- CT. The study is performed with X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
- Electrospondylography. Detects the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for the functioning of the hands. Pathology is detected in the initial stage of development.
- MRI. Diagnosis is made using electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and cross sections are obtained.
The X-ray method is considered to be the most informative for bone tissue pathologies.
Laboratory methods
To diagnose joint pathology, studies are conducted:
- General urine analysis. It allows the recognition of advanced forms of bone inflammation.
- General blood test. The study determines the presence of leukocytosis and anemia.
- Biochemical blood test. Determines the increased presence of fibrinogen, sialic acid.
- Puncture. After the puncture of the affected joint, the fluid in it is taken for examination. The study was assigned to pinpoint the cause of the pathology; conducted in rare cases.
- Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is taken for microscopic examination. The method detects erythematous lupus, scleroderma.
Treatment
Pain in the hands is treated according to the cause. NSAIDs are used for arthritis exacerbations. The use of vasodilators is necessary for the normal supply of food from the blood to the joints. Ointments and gels are used for local therapy. Good results are achieved in the treatment of arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, central analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient of acute pain. In addition to relieving pain, medications have an anti-inflammatory effect. In some cases, chondroprotectors are taken continuously. Laser treatment has been used successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Significant relief is achieved by physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
In gout, drugs are indicated to normalize purine metabolism in the body. Analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet that limits the use of meat products, fish and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint by applying anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage also worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome it is necessary to create a comfortable working environment, taking into account the correct position of the hand. For painful sensations, compresses are made from chamomile decoction.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced by a surgical method. Indications for surgery 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 folk recipes
Effective folk recipes for relieving pain in the hands:
- Recipe number 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of chopped fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Stir, simmer for 8-10 minutes, until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a container without access to light. The brush joints are lubricated in the morning and in the evening until visible improvement.
- Recipe number 2. Bird cherry tincture. Pour 50 g of cherry peel with 200 ml of vodka. Insist 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
- Recipe number 3. Bath with marigold. One tablespoon of dried marigold flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The soup is prepared for 15 minutes. over low heat. Treatment procedures continue - 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 4. It is drunk from dandelion root. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion root is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe number 5. Three tablespoons of sea salt are heated in a microwave oven. Wrapped in a gauze bandage, applied to the wrist, held for 30 minutes.
Procedures are performed daily for 20 days.
Useful tips
By following the doctor's recommendations, you can significantly help the body alleviate joint diseases. If you feel swelling of the brushes, remove the jewelry. In case of injury, it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the hand and put a cold compress. In case of pain from exertion, they must be excluded or significantly reduced. It is necessary to change jobs that require repetitive movements.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain lasts, stiffness of movement is noticed, it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The brush is red, there is heat in the skin area.
- Tingling sensation in hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- Brush or finger numb.
It is recommended to exclude smoking, caffeine, which leads to narrowing of blood vessels, does not give the right amount of blood in the hands.
Prophylaxis
To prevent hand pain, you need to:
- Include arm muscle strengthening exercises in the morning exercise complex.
- If you need to perform repetitive movements, you should take breaks.
- An extended position in a position that requires a fixed arm position should be excluded.
- Avoid hand hypothermia.
Pain in the hands occurs for various reasons. Medicines, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used to relieve pain. To improve the quality of life, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations.