Why finger joints hurt: causes and treatment

It's hard to imagine a man's life without little helpers and workers - fingers. They carefully hold a cup of coffee, write tirelessly, do all the small and hard work. Due to these high performances, the fingers are prone to numerous diseases. In order for pathological processes not to lead to irreversible consequences, it is necessary to know why the joints of the hands hurt, how they can be cured.

What is pain in the finger joints

The human musculoskeletal system contains over 300 joints. The fingers contain the smallest and most mobile. The joints at the ends of the hands have a thin synovial membrane and a small joint surface, so they are often exposed to various diseases. Each finger on the hand consists of three joints (proximal phalangeal, middle phalangeal, distal interphalangeal) and three bones (proximal, middle, distal phalanx).

Pain can be caused by inflammation of the joints. Pain may occur in the background of hypothermia of the hands, followed by cyanosis of the skin, which later turns into redness. Paroxysmal pain occurs as a result of injury or compression of the ankle joint. Sharp and cutting sensations, accompanied by a sensation of electric current passing through the fingers, may indicate cervical osteochondrosis.

The duration of symptoms depends on the cause of the disease. The longer they ignore the hand pain syndromes, the more their motor activity is disturbed. If the first signs of developing finger disease are not treated, irreversible joint deformity in which the person has a disability may be allowed.

Most dangerous complications:

• bone necrosis;
• osteomyelitis (purulent-necrotic process that develops in the bone);
• osteolysis (complete resorption of bone tissue elements);
• generalized sepsis (purulent infection.

Why do my fingers hurt

As a rule, pain in the joints of the upper extremities is a symptom of the development of hand disease. Such symptoms often indicate manifestations of diseases of other organs. Pain in the phalanges is a sign of cervical osteochondrosis, coronary heart disease and pathology of peripheral nerves. If the finger joints hurt, it is important to quickly determine the cause in order to determine possible risk factors for human health.

Bending

The following conditions can cause joint pain when phalanx bends:

1. Spinal nerve pinching. It occurs when the roots of nerves extending from the spinal cord squeeze out hernias, cartilage, tumors, spasmodic muscles, tendons, or other vertebrae.
2. Osteoarthritis. There is degeneration of articular cartilage and the development of osteophytes on the bones, which leads to impaired mobility.
3. Tunnel Syndrome. There is a contraction of the median nerve that passes through the palm of the carpal tunnel which protects the nerve fibers from compression. It can then lead to tendovaginitis - an inflammatory disease of the tendons and tendon sheaths;
4. Stenotic ligamentitis. It is characterized by blockage of the phalanx in a stretched or bent position. The wrist on the hand hurts more often. Pathology refers to diseases of the tendon-ligament apparatus.
5. Rizarthrosis. Deformation of the cartilaginous plates in the articular joint of the thumb occurs after injury or excessive strain.
6. Vibration disease. Occupational disease that occurs when working with a vibrating instrument.

Finger joints are swollen and painful

Both older patients and young people face the problem of swelling. Sometimes the fingers swell due to fluid retention in the body, but if they do hurt, it can indicate pathological changes in the bone joints.

The reasons for this condition may be as follows:

• open wounds, scratches, cuts;
• fractures, sprains, injuries;
• insect bites;
• radial nerve neuropathy;
• heart and / or kidney pathology;
• fibromyalgia (muscle and joint pain);
• polycythemia (abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood);
bursitis (inflammation of the joint capsule);
• osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone tissue);
• chronic arthritis of various origins (rheumatoid, gout, septic, neglected, purulent and others).

Morning

Every disease of the finger joints is manifested by pain in the morning. In order to prevent the progression of the pathology, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and undergo an appropriate examination. More often the fingers hurt in the morning with arthritis of various origins. The disease may not be contagious in nature, but it is manifested by a disorder of the immune system.

Rheumatoid arthritis is more likely to hurt the articular cartilage of the index finger on which small seals are visible. With this pathology, symmetrical damage to the joints of two arms can also develop. Infectious arthritis affects several fingers at once and develops under the influence of viruses or bacteria. In addition to pain, there is also a rise in body temperature in the morning, intoxication of the whole body. The phalanges hurt in the morning in psoriatic arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis.

The last disease, apart from morning pains, is characterized by stiffness and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is most often observed in middle-aged women, since its development is associated with fluctuations in estrogen levels. Gout can be recognized by unbearable paroxysmal pain in the morning or at night, followed by redness and swelling of the joints.

Sharp pain

Stenotic ligamentitis of the joint is accompanied by burning pain in all fingers except the little finger. Tingling and numbness are felt not only at the ends of the hand, but also along the entire length of the palm. Symptoms worsen at night and improve during the day. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is also accompanied by sharp pain in the joints of the limbs, but numbness occurs only on the little finger.

Panaritium (purulent inflammation of the hand tissue) can also cause such a symptom. The disease occurs as a result of an infectious infection. The pain is sharp, twitching and gradually intensifies, especially at night. The phalanges swell, become red, touching them is very painful, and the body temperature often rises. Panaritium requires urgent medical help, otherwise a person cannot avoid serious complications.

In Raynaud's syndrome, there is initially a cold and cramping in the vessels, and then, due to impaired blood flow, the person feels sharp pain in the fingers that swell and turn blue. In the third phase of the disease, when the blood flow improves, these symptoms disappear. A painful attack lasts from a few minutes to half an hour. Raynaud’s disease is a consequence of atherosclerosis of the extremities, so it needs to be treated first.

During pregnancy

Why do finger joints hurt during pregnancy and after childbirth? Gynecologists know that for sure.

When the extremities swell while carrying a child, it indicates the following pathologies:

• presence of joint diseases;
• increase in levels of relaxin, the hormone responsible for softening ligaments;
• median nerve entrapment;
• lack of calcium in the body;
• Fibromyalgia due to depression.

Painful sensations can pass quickly, and sometimes get worse every day. This often happens in the 35th week of pregnancy, which is associated with rapid weight gain, which causes compression of the nerve trunks that connect the arm to the arm.

The problem is that a woman is haunted not only by joint pain, but also by other symptoms:

• tingling, itchy palms;
• sudden sharp pain in forearm;
• numbness of the upper limbs.

After training

The appearance of painful symptoms in the hands after any physical activity is a clear sign of vascular disease. Painful sensations are accompanied by numbness of the joints, cramps and rapid fatigue of the hands. The skin becomes pale and cold, the hairline thins, the nail plates thicken. The pathology eventually takes a chronic form, as a result of which it becomes impossible to feel the pulse on the radial artery, the lumen of the vessels narrows, and the blood flow to the extremities is disturbed. The pain becomes constant and reappears, even with light effort.

As a person ages, the cartilage becomes thinner, becomes brittle, and crackles are heard when moving. If the pain in the hands appears after physical exertion, then this symptomatology may indicate the development of polyosteoarthritis. The disease is characterized by destructive changes in the joints that hurt when the fingers are used or before weather changes. It is difficult for a man to straighten and bend a brush. The pain syndrome subsides when the work of the hands is switched off.

Diagnostics

Early diagnosis will help eliminate the symptoms of joint disease and heal completely. Only an experienced specialist (neuropathologist, surgeon, traumatologist) can accurately determine the cause of this symptomatology. The diagnosis is made based on the results of the examination and the patient's history. When collecting information, the nature of complaints, the time of onset of the first pains, and the presence of joint pathologies in the closest relatives are determined. Family predisposition plays an important role in the development of arthritis and arthrosis.

Research needed for complaints of limb joint pain:

• radiography;
• ultrasound examination;
• computed tomography;
• electropondylography (computer diagnostics of the spine);
• magnetic resonance imaging;
• contrast discography;
• blood and synovial fluid tests;
• puncture (injection of the drug into the nodule of the cavity);
• skin biopsy.

Treatment

Therapeutic tactics are determined by the type of pathology, the severity of symptoms, the dynamics of the inflammatory process and the characteristics of the clinical course of the disease. When prescribing treatment, the patient's hypersensitivity to the active components of the drug is taken into account. Complex treatment includes the appointment of chondroprotectors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticosteroids.

In addition to medication, local massage is prescribed, specially designed gymnastic exercises. An excellent therapeutic effect can be achieved with the help of acupuncture and other types of physiotherapy procedures.

Dietary table number 10 must be assigned the main rules:

• reduction of salt intake;
• once a week on fasting days for vegetables and dairy products;
• diet without tomatoes, pickles, spicy foods, fatty meats.

In case of joint pain, doctors recommend spa treatment. For each patient, doctors choose an individual rehabilitation program that will be most effective in each case. The sanatorium teaches the skills of a healthy lifestyle, conducts therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, massage. As a rule, after such treatment, the patient forgets about recurrences of the disease for a long time.

Medications

When prescribing medication, two goals are pursued: alleviating the inflammatory process and eliminating pain. Basically, doctors use cyclooxygenase inhibitors (NSAIDs), and if the cause of the disease lies in autoimmune pathology, then steroid medications are prescribed. Antibiotics can be used for acute infections.

Topical medications (creams, ointments, gels) are prescribed to quickly relieve symptoms. For dystrophic lesions of the joint surfaces, the use of chondroprotectors is recommended.

Massage

Medications alone are not enough for arthritis or osteoarthritis of the fingers. Experts in the period of remission of the disease suggest attending therapeutic massage courses, the number of sections of which will be determined individually. The procedure begins by kneading each part of the arm. If the patient does not feel severe pain, then the effect on the affected joints begins in the first session.

The preparatory phase of the massage is warming the hand from the elbow to the fingers in spiral movements. The patient is in a sitting position, the arm is placed on the table, the bent elbow rests on the support, and the roller is placed under the arm. After warming up, the specialist kneads the movements of each finger separately, without affecting the joints. 2-3 approaches are done for the best effect.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy helps speed up recovery, alleviate symptoms and prevent complications.

Patients who have severe pain in the fingers are advised to pay attention to the following techniques:

• Electrophoresis. Treatment is based on deep injections of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs under the skin. The process takes place under the influence of a constant electric current. The course of treatment is 10 procedures, 25 minutes each.
• Ultrasound Therapy. During the session, tissue micromassage is performed with ultrasonic vibrations with a frequency of 800-900 kHz. Ultrasound activates metabolic processes, removes excess uric acid, and increases local immunity. Exposure time is 1-5 minutes per zone. The session lasts 12-15 minutes. The course of treatment is 10-12 procedures.
• Microwave (microwave therapy). The treatment is based on the use of electromagnetic oscillations with a wave of up to 1 m. The impact is aimed at restoring biological processes and functional systems of cellular structures. The duration of the presentation is 8-12 minutes. Number of sessions - from 2 to 12.
• Thermal processes. Includes exposure of affected joints to heat. Steam baths are used with the addition of essential oils, salt or herbs. The duration of the course is 12-20 procedures, 15-20 minutes each.
• Barotherapy. Treatment in the chamber with low or high pressure helps to saturate the body with oxygen, which provokes muscles, tissues and joints to recover faster. The duration of the procedure is 60 minutes. The complete course includes 22-25 sessions.

Folk remedies

An alternative treatment will help prevent the destruction of the articular cartilage in the fingers.

Most popular recipes:

• Take a thick fermented dairy product, mix with oatmeal which must be pre-chopped. Leave the mixture on sore fingers overnight, wrapped in a cloth;
• Pass 500 g of kalanchoe through a meat grinder, pour 1 liter of vodka, leave for 5 days. After the tincture, rub it daily into the sore joints;
• Mix 1 tbsp. l. olive oil with a few drops of freshly squeezed garlic. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach

Prevention

In order not to suffer from inflammatory processes in the finger joints for a long time and not to treat arthrosis and arthritis for a long time, it is necessary to adhere to simple preventive measures:

• keep your hands warm;
• exclude alcohol and cigarettes;
• include more fruits and vegetables in your daily menu;
• does not tolerate colds on the feet;
• remove the habit of "clicking" with your fingers;
• replace tea and coffee with herbal decoctions;
• control body weight.