Finger joints most often start to hurt after 40-45 years (in 1 out of 10 people it 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 elderly people.
Also, pain in the finger joints is a characteristic sign of diseases such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis (in 80% of cases it starts with inflammation of the finger joints);
- psoriatic arthritis (in 70% the fingers are the first to suffer);
- gout (arthritis affecting the fingers, occurs in 10-15% of patients with gout);
- osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of bones (accounts for 6.5% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system).
Most arthritis, in which the finger joints are the first to be involved in the process, are systemic diseases (that is, they affect different body systems, not just the joints).They are diagnosed equally often in people of any age, including young people;they occur 3-5 times less often in men.
Another cause of pain is mechanical injuries, consequences of blows or hand bruises (often among athletes, the prevalence is up to 40% of all traumatic injuries).
Some of the diseases that cause pain in the joints of the fingers 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 arthrologist.Osteomyelitis is treated by an orthopedist-traumatologist, a surgeon, injuries - an orthopedic-traumatologist.
Why pain occurs in the joints of the fingers: causes and symptoms
Why do my knuckles hurt?There are many reasons, as well as factors that can speed up or encourage the process.Common predisposing factors for all diseases and injuries can be considered:
- Profession (this category includes people who are forced to work with hands and fingers, musicians, tailors, programmers).
- Stress (injuries and microtraumas caused by long hours of sports training and rehearsals).
- Hormonal changes, disorders (pregnancy, lack of estrogen in older women).
- Heredity (close relatives are more susceptible to systemic diseases).
- Deficiencies or diseases of the immune system.
- Metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes).
- Chronic infections (tuberculosis).
- Hypothermia (hypothermia).
- Some long-term negative factors (among them - taking drugs, poisoning with toxic substances in a dangerous enterprise, smoking, alcoholism, etc.).
The article below describes the pathologies and conditions that cause pain in the joints of the fingers.
Injuries
The pain that occurs after an injury is difficult to confuse with anything else:
- all symptoms appear immediately after a blow, bruise, compression or other injury;
- severe pain is accompanied by swelling, bruises at the site of impact, impaired mobility of the joint;
- with moderate and severe damage, the symptoms do not go away for a long time, but become more pronounced - pain, stiffness, swelling;
- the discomfort increases when trying to bend or straighten the fingers.
Severe injuries of the fingers of the upper extremity are combined with:
- ruptures of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, bleeding into the capsule (hemarthrosis) and soft tissues (hematomas);
- bone fractures and cracks;
- nerve damage (loss of sensitivity of fingers and skin).
Prognosis: minor injuries heal without a trace in 90-95% of cases.Severe and moderate injuries can leave behind various complications – from impaired finger sensitivity to traumatic arthritis in 70%.
Polyosteoarthrosis
Polyosteoarthrosis is a chronic pathology, due to which the joints of the fingers are gradually deformed and destroyed (there is a form of the disease that affects the joints of the thumbs - rhizarthrosis).
At first, aching pain occurs after hard work (sewing, embroidery, hours of practicing a musical instrument).As the disease progresses:
- pain in the joints of the fingers becomes constant and does not disappear with rest;
- pain is accompanied by clicking and creaking (during movement);
- stiffness appears (minor at first).
In periods of exacerbation, the main symptoms are swelling, swelling, increased local temperature, and sometimes redness in the joint area.
Fingers become deformed over time:
- Heberden's nodes (bony growths, pea-sized lumps) form on joints that are closer to the nails.
- Bouchard's nodes are formed on the middle joints (outgrowths of joint surfaces, bony spines).
Finger joints lose their original shape (they become knots), and over time they lose mobility due to ossification of soft tissues (ankylosis).
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable, but in the early stages (until deformation appears) it can be stopped for a long time.Later, it becomes a cause of disability (tissues fuse, ossify, finger mobility can only be restored by surgery).
Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, which occurs with the involvement of other organs and systems in the pathological process (outer lining of the heart, lungs, vascular walls, skin).
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by:
- gradual increase and intensification of symptoms (initially exacerbation is replaced by rather long periods of asymptomatic progression, but over time they become shorter);
- morning stiffness, reminiscent of tight gloves (disappears in 30-60 minutes);
- sharp, acute, dull pain in the joints of the fingers (on both hands), which increases intolerably on bending;
- 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 recede (during remission), the pain becomes less pronounced, painful and intensifies when moving and when working in cold water.Finger joints hurt when bending and stretching, remain painful to the touch and slightly swollen.
Gradually, the disease leads to the formation of stable deformation and dysfunction of the fingers - they turn outwards or upwards, bend (the middle, index and ring fingers are most often affected, extremely rarely - the little and thumb), other joints are involved in the process (wrist joints, ankles, knees, shoulders).
Prognosis: the pathology is incurable, progresses rapidly and leads to loss of working ability, disability - 40% of cases during the first 5 years of development.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is one form of severe systemic disease (psoriasis).
The most characteristic signs of finger joint damage:
- sudden, sharp onset of arthritis;
- damage to the interphalangeal and distal (closer to the nail) joints;
- constant, uniform, severe pain combined with large swelling, redness of the skin, limited mobility (the shape of the fingers at this moment resembles a radish or sausage, it is impossible to bend or straighten the joints of the fingers due to pain and swelling);
- increase in general temperature.
In the long term, this leads to the destruction of the nail plates (they collapse and lose their shape), the deformation of the fingers (they turn outwards 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 the accumulation of excess uric acid in the body.It falls into the tissues of the joints, causing inflammation.
Typical signs 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 increases the unpleasant symptom.
- It is accompanied by severe swelling, which often spreads to the entire hand, a change in skin color (the finger on the hand becomes bluish-purple), an increase in general temperature (the patient has a fever, chills).
- Finger joint pain usually occurs at night.
- An attack can last from 2 days to 2 weeks.
Progressive gouty arthritis causes involvement of new joints in the process and their deformation (destruction of joint surfaces).Tophi appear on the fingers - deposits of uric acid in the tissue.
Prognosis: There is no cure for gout, but normal uric acid levels can be maintained with medication and diet.The disease rarely causes complete disability of the patient (5-8%), but over time it can destroy the finger joints (secondary arthrosis).
Why else can your knuckles hurt?
Other causes of pain may include the following diseases and conditions:
Osteomyelitis
This infectious bone lesion (periosteum, cancellous and compact substance) usually begins acutely - joint pain in osteomyelitis is severe, sharp, jerking, shooting or tearing.When bending or extending, it intensifies to the point of being unbearable, accompanied by severe swelling, redness and hardening of the tissue over the joint, elevated temperature and signs of general intoxication (weakness, sweating).In 30% of cases, osteomyelitis becomes chronic (can be repeated), and the pain in the fingers becomes painful.The 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 burning sensations, numbness and pale skin.At the end of the attack (which can be short-lived - from 2 minutes, or long-lasting - up to 60 minutes), the fingers begin to hurt, "hurt", and the skin on the hands becomes red.Over time, this phenomenon (vasospasm) causes the appearance of trophic ulcers (death of tissues due to nutritional disorders), melting of bones 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 accelerated metabolism.Pain in the joints of the fingers, or pain, can be caused by a lack of calcium and vitamin D3, as well as an excess of hormones that prepare the body for childbirth by relaxing the ligaments.
Diagnostics: methods, research
When your knuckle hurts, what should you do?First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the pathologies that cause such a symptom.Most often, the attending physician prescribes a series of tests:
| The name of the method | What allows you to make a diagnosis |
|---|---|
Radiography |
With its help, pathological changes in bones, joint deformation, crystal deposition, tissue ossification are detected. |
MRI, CT or ultrasound |
These diagnostic methods enable recognition of any pathological changes in periarticular tissues and joints that are not visible on X-rays. |
ECG, ultrasound of internal organs |
Helps to recognize extra-articular manifestations characteristic of certain diseases (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, infections and pathogens of the pathological process are identified. |
Therapeutic and diagnostic joint puncture (procedure of extracting fluid from the joint capsule) |
A puncture is performed if blood (hemarthrosis), pus (infectious processes) or a large amount of fluid has accumulated in it, which makes mobility difficult and threatens its destruction. |
Treatment: principles, drugs, characteristics
Some diseases or conditions that cause pain in the finger joints cannot be cured (vasospasm, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, gouty arthritis).Some are cured completely and without consequences (with timely treatment - osteomyelitis, mild and medium-severe injuries).
General principles of treatment, pain relief methods
What is common in the treatment of all diseases that cause pain in the joints of the fingers is the prescription of drugs that help to resolve the severe symptoms.
This is usually:
- 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.
As soon as 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 regeneration.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 (applications of paraffin, ozokerite);
- therapeutic exercises (exercises to strengthen finger joints).
If it is necessary to eliminate pain in the joints of the fingers and their causes, treatment in a sanatorium resort can give a good result.With the doctor's instructions, the patient can change the climate 1 or 2 times a year, undergo a course of restorative physiotherapeutic procedures and drink mineral water from natural sources.
Features of treatment of specific pathologies
In addition to general methods and means, there are nuances in the treatment of each pathology:
| Pathology | Features of treatment |
|---|---|
Injuries |
The healing of the injury is gradual.First, the victim is given first aid (fixing bandage, ice pack for 24 hours). If necessary, a puncture is performed, tissue integrity is restored (in case of serious damage) and it is immobilized with plaster. 3-5 days they start to warm up, stimulating healing. |
Polyosteoarthrosis |
At the beginning of the disease, it is effective to take chondroprotectors and physical therapy. Later, only surgery helps (prosthetics solves the problem). |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
Prescribe basic anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterial, 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 regulate the formation and accelerate the excretion of uric acid, drugs that dissolve salt deposits in the tissue. A mandatory part of the treatment is a strict diet during the attack (Table No. 6), a less strict diet during life. |
Osteomyelitis |
Surgical flushing of purulent cavities 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 (muscle relaxation of vascular walls), blood thinners are prescribed. Eliminate the provoking factors (for example, smoking) or treat the underlying disease that caused the vasospasm (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 over a liter of boiling water, let it stand for 60 minutes under the lid.When it's done, strain it, pour it into a dark glass container and store it in the fridge.Take every day for 2 weeks - 50 ml 3 times, 30 minutes before meals.
- Treatment of pain in finger joints with infusion of blackcurrant leaves.Pour 10 g of raw material into 0.5 liters of boiling water, let it cook under the lid 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 and mustard powder, dilute them one by one in 100 ml of alcohol, add beaten egg whites.Rub into brushes overnight.Treatment of finger joints lasts 21 days, after some time the course can be repeated.
- Rubbing oil.Dilute fir essential oil with vegetable oil (1:1), rub into the knuckles until it is completely absorbed before going to bed.First you need to "heat" them: boil the washed potato skins in water, when the broth cools down (until it is comfortably warm), immerse the brushes in it and hold for 15-25 minutes, then rinse them with clean water.Treatment is continued for 3 weeks or until the signs of the disease disappear.
Prevention
How to prevent pathologies that cause pain in finger joints?For this you need:
- get rid of bad habits (stop smoking and alcohol);
- introduce into the diet foods that are useful for joints and cartilage tissue (with enough calcium, phosphorus, other minerals and vitamins, protein);
- to undergo regular examinations to get rid of foci of chronic infection (for example, tonsillitis);
- do not overexert yourself (alternating exercise with rest) and do not overcool your hands.
It is very important to strengthen the immune system (swimming, yoga, walking) and finger joints with therapeutic exercises.