When the hands and fingers hurt, it means that the body is signaling diseases of the joints or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, not realizing the danger of being disabled in a short time. Information about why pain in the joints of the fingers occurs and what to do is useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease, whose close relatives suffer from joint pathology.
Causes
There are a number of diseases associated with pain and inflammation of the hands. These include:
Gout Arthritis
The disease manifests itself from the age of 20. The thumbs are the first to be exposed to the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of joint inflammation. The attack usually begins at night. Joint pain is sharp. The skin over the affected joint turns crimson. The finger becomes hot and it is difficult to bend it. The swelling lasts for a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away suddenly, without treatment, but it will reappear soon.
Polyosteoarthritis
People over 40 are sick: men, less often than women. A hallmark of the disease is Heberden's nodules, when the nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning, sharp pain are noted, in some patients the nodules form asymptomatically. With polyosteroarthrosis, the formation of nodules in 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 and middle fingers. Along with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen, and painful. The finger joint hurts especially in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis accompanies weakness, joint pain, and fever.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis is noted after stress, hypothermia, infections.
Psoriasic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. With pathology, joint pain, swelling are noted. The pathology has another name: "sausage" finger. At the same time, all the joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, the joints of both hands become inflamed, but in different fingers.
Tenosynovit de Quervain
The inflammation only affects the thumb. The pain is caused by the load when trying to extend it towards the elbow. Sometimes a finger hurts for no apparent reason.
Rhizarthrosis
A rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of osteoarthritis. The location 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 swollen joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- Pain is felt inside the thumb.
- My index finger hurts.
- There is numbness in the skin of the palm.
- Decreased motor skills of the hand.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, leading to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The causes of the disease are a decrease in hair tone. It is manifested by symptoms: numbness, pale skin on the hand, vasodilation, as a result of which the fingers turn red. Sometimes there is a bluish color, sharp pain, edema. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which at the last stage of development turn bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are often seen.
Trauma
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruises and sprains. A hematoma on the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blue discoloration or redness of the bruised site, severe pain when trying to move a finger, formation of a bruise, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Finger ligament sprains most often occur with jerky movement of the joint, seen in athletes, people with excessive mobility, and children.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). The cramp to "write" appears with the daily stress of writing. Pain syndrome is seen in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is especially felt at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a cracking sound.
Tingling, numbness in the fingers manifests itself in a person who makes small movements with his hands. The onset of snapping finger syndrome is facilitated by repeated overexertion of the hand. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if you apply force to extend, a click is heard.
Pain sensations with internal pathologies.
Often pain in the hand and fingers for reasons unrelated to joint disease. People with pathologies are at risk. Cardiac ischemia With myocardial infarction, the onset of an attack often coincides with a pain and tingling sensation in the left hand. Diabetes. The pathology leads the hands to a more sensitive state due to circulatory disorders.
Often, painful sensations, numbness are observed in pregnant women. The following changes cause swelling and pain in the joints of the fingers during pregnancy: increased amount of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, infringement of the median nerve, depression.
Important!Heredity, freezing of the hands, frequent immersion in cold water, decreased 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 in the ring finger and little finger, and a third in the index and thumb. If pain is felt in all the fingers of the right hand, the problem is vascular. Pain in the index finger and thumb indicates a 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 and ring fingers indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
The fingers of the left hand hurt
If the pain occurs only in all the fingers of the left hand, the problem is sought in the vessels. The thumb, the index finger and the ring finger hurt: the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index finger and the thumb are pathologies of the spine. Pain in the little and ring fingers manifests as a C5-C6 foraminal hernia. The middle finger joint hurts with a C4-C5 foraminal hernia.
Which specialist to choose
For whatever reason, hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. For post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. If the joints become inflamed, swelling appears, a rheumatologist will help you. When the cause of pain is unclear, you should consult a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Diagnosis
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware studies:
- Bone scan. The painless procedure allows the bone tissue to be examined. The research results are recorded on film in 3 projections.
- CONNECTICUT. The study is done with X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
- Electrospondylography. It reveals the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for the operation of the hands. Pathology is detected at the initial stage of development.
- Magnetic resonance. Diagnosis is made by electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and transverse sections are obtained.
The X-ray method is considered the most informative for bone tissue pathologies.
Laboratory methods
To diagnose joint pathology, studies are carried out:
- General urine analysis. It allows to identify 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 acids.
- Puncture. After a puncture of the affected joint, the fluid it contains is removed for examination. The study is assigned to accurately determine the cause of the development of pathology; carried out in rare cases.
- Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is taken for microscopic examination. Using the method, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma is detected.
Treatment
Hand pain is treated based on the cause. For exacerbations of arthritis, NSAIDs are used. For the normal supply of food from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilators is necessary. For local therapy, ointments and gels are used. Good results are obtained 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 pain relief, the drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect. In some cases, chondroprotectants are taken continuously. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, laser treatment is used with success. Significant relief is obtained by physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
With gout, medication is indicated to normalize the exchange of purines in the body. Pain relievers are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet that restricts the use of meat products, fish, and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but the destructive process of the joint can be slowed down through the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage have also worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome, a comfortable working environment should be created, taking into account the correct position of the hand. For painful sensations, compresses are made from a decoction of chamomile.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced with a surgical method. The indications for surgical intervention are:
- Injuries with detachment of the tendon from the insertion point to the nail phalanx.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant neoplasms of the hand.
How to cure according to popular recipes.
Effective folk recipes for treating pain in the hands:
- Recipe number 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of fresh chopped aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix, simmer for 8-10 minutes, until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a plate without access to light. The brush joints are lubricated in the morning and at night until a visible improvement.
- Recipe number 2. Bird cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry bark pour 200 ml of vodka. He insists 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 calendula. A tablespoon of dried calendula flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The broth is prepared for 15 minutes. to simmer. Treatment procedures continue - 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 4. Drink from dandelion roots. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe number 5. Heat three tablespoons of sea salt in a microwave oven. Wrapped in a gauze bandage, applied to the joint, held for 30 minutes.
Procedures are performed daily for 20 days.
Helpful tips
Following the recommendations of doctors, you can significantly help the body to alleviate joint disease. If you experience swelling from the brushes, remove the jewelry. In case of injury, it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the hand and apply a cold compress. In case of pain on exertion, they should be excluded or significantly reduced. You need to change jobs that require repetitive movements.
You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain persists, movement stiffness is noted, and the finger is difficult to bend.
- The brush is red, there is heat in the skin area.
- Tingling sensation in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- The brush or finger goes numb.
It is advisable to exclude smoking, caffeine, which leads to narrowing of blood vessels and does not give an adequate amount of blood to the hands.
Prophylaxis
To prevent hand pain, you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hands in the complex of morning exercises.
- If you need to perform repetitive movements, you should take breaks.
- A prolonged position in a position requiring a fixed position of the hands should be excluded.
- Avoid hypothermia of the hands.
Hand pain is due to various reasons. To relieve pain, drugs, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used. To improve the quality of life, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations.