If the hands and fingers hurt, it means that the body is signaling about joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem himself, without being aware of the danger of becoming disabled in a short period of time. Information about why there is pain in the finger joints and what to do will be useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease and their close relatives have joint pathology.
causes
There are a number of diseases associated with hand pain and inflammation. These include:
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 joint inflammation. The attack often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin over the affected joint turns crimson. The finger gets hot and is difficult to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The seizure may go away suddenly without treatment, but will return soon.
Polyosteoarthritis
People over 40 are sick: men - less often than women. Heberden's nodules are a hallmark of the disease, when nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning, stabbing pain are noted, in some patients nodules form asymptomatically. With polyosteroarthrosis, the formation of nodules on the joints in the middle of the finger is also observed. Bouchard nodules are spindle-shaped, almost painless, and are characterized by slow growth.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The onset of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index and middle fingers. Together with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrists become inflamed, swollen, painful. The joint on the finger is particularly painful in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with weakness, joint pain, and fever.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis is noted after stress, hypothermia, and infection.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. At the pathology, joint pain and swelling are noted. 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 on both hands become inflamed, but on different fingers.
Tenosynovite de Quervain
The inflammation only affects the thumb. The pain is caused by the strain when trying to straighten it towards the elbow. Sometimes a finger hurts for no apparent reason.
Rhizarthrosis
A rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of osteoarthritis. The localization is determined at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to a deformation of the cartilage tissue. The thumbbone is deformed, which limits movement of the inflamed joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- The pain can be felt on the inside of the thumb.
- The index finger hurts.
- There is a feeling of numbness in the skin of the palm of the hand.
- Decreased motor skills in the hand.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its functionality, which leads to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The causes of the disease are a decrease in capillary tone. It is manifested by symptoms: numbness, paleness of the skin of the hand, vasodilation, as a result of which the fingers become red. Sometimes there is a bluish color, acute pain, edema. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which in the last stage of development turn bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are often observed.
trauma
Hand pain is most common with bruises and sprains. A bruise of the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blue discoloration or reddening of the pinched area, severe pain when trying to move a finger, formation of a hematoma, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Finger ligament sprains are more common with sharp movement of the joint, which is observed in athletes, overly agile people, and children.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). The "typing cramp" occurs during daily stress while typing. The pain syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is felt especially at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a sound that resembles a crunch.
Tingling, numbness in the fingers is manifested in a person making small movements with their hands. The occurrence of the snapping finger syndrome is favored by repeated overexertion of the hand. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; a click is heard when you use force to reach out.
Pain sensations with internal pathologies
Often hand and finger pain for reasons unrelated to joint disease. People suffering from pathologies are at risk. Cardiac ischemia. In myocardial infarction, the onset of a seizure often coincides with a feeling of pain and tingling in the left hand. Diabetes mellitus. The pathology leads to a more sensitive state of the hands due to circulatory disorders.
Painful sensations and numbness are often observed 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, injury to 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
Multiple fingers hurt at the same time. Half of the painful manifestations occur on the ring and little fingers, and a third on the index and thumb. If there is pain in all the fingers of the right hand, it is a vascular problem. Pain in the index finger and thumb signal 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 finger and ring finger indicate the presence of a foraminal hernia.
Left hand fingers hurt
If pain only occurs in all fingers of the left hand, the problem is sought in the vessels. Thumb, index and ring fingers hurt - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index and thumb are pathologies of the spine. Pain in the little finger and ring finger is manifested with foraminal hernia C5-C6. The joint of the middle finger is painful with foraminal hernia C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose?
For whatever reason your hands hurt, a doctor's visit is mandatory. For post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints become inflamed, there is swelling, a rheumatologist will help. If the cause of the pain is not clear, it is worth visiting a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
diagnosis
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware studies:
- Radiography. The painless procedure enables bone tissue to be examined. The research results are recorded in 3 projections on the film.
- CT. The examination is carried out with X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
- Electrospondylography. Indicates the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for the functioning of the hands. Pathology is recognized at the initial stage of development.
- MRI. The diagnosis is made with electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and transverse 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 carried out:
- General urinalysis. It makes it possible to identify advanced forms of bone inflammation.
- General blood analysis. The study determines the presence of leukocytosis and anemia.
- Biochemical blood test. Determines the increased presence of fibrinogen, sialic acids.
- Puncture. After puncturing the affected joint, the fluid is removed for examination. The study is tasked with pinpointing the cause of the development of the pathology; performed in rare cases.
- Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is removed for microscopic examination. The method is used to detect lupus erythematosus and scleroderma.
treatment
Hand pain is treated depending on the cause. NSAIDs are used in exacerbations of arthritis. The use of vasodilators is necessary for the normal supply of the joints with food from the blood. Ointments and gels are used for local therapy. Good results are obtained in the treatment of arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis, and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, central analgesics are prescribed to relieve acute pain. In addition to relieving pain, the drugs have anti-inflammatory effects. In some cases, chondroprotectors are taken continuously. Laser treatment is used successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis. A significant relief is achieved through physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
In gout, drugs are indicated to normalize purine exchange in the body. For pain relief, analgesics are prescribed. A diet that limits the consumption of meat products, fish and alcohol is particularly important. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint through anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage also worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome, a comfortable working environment should be created, taking into account the correct hand position. With painful sensations, compresses are made from a decoction of chamomile.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced by an operative method. The indications for surgical intervention are:
- Injuries with a detachment of the tendon from the attachment point to the nail member.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant neoplasms of the hand.
How to cure according to folk recipes
Effective folk recipes for the treatment of pain in the hands:
- Recipe number 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of chopped fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix, simmer for 8-10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is formed. Put in a bowl with no light. Brush joints are lubricated morning and evening until there is a visible improvement.
- Recipe number 2. Black cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry bark pour 200 ml of vodka. Insist 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes three times a day. The duration of treatment is 3 weeks.
- Recipe number 3. Bath with marigold. A tablespoon of dried marigold flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The broth is prepared for 15 minutes. over low heat. The treatment procedures are continued - 20 minutes. The course of treatment includes 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 4. Drink from dandelion roots. So 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Let 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. Wrapped in a gauze bandage, applied to the joint, kept for 30 minutes.
The procedures are carried out daily for 20 days.
Helpful advice
By following doctors' recommendations, you can greatly help the body relieve joint diseases. When the brushes swell, remove the jewelry. In the event of injuries, ensure that the hand is immobile and apply a cold compress. In the case of stress pain, these must be excluded or significantly reduced. It is necessary to switch jobs that require repetitive movements.
You should see a doctor right away if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain persists, stiffness of movement is noted, and it is difficult to flex the finger.
- The brush is reddened, heat is generated in the skin area.
- Tingling in hand.
- The phalanges ache.
- Brushes or fingers go numb.
It is advisable to avoid smoking and caffeine, which cause blood vessels to narrow and not give the hands the right amount of blood.
prophylaxis
To prevent hand pain, you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen the hand muscles in the complex of morning exercises.
- If you need to perform repetitive movements, take breaks.
- A prolonged position in a position that requires a firm position of the hands should be excluded.
- Avoid hypothermia in the hands.
Hand pain is caused by a variety of reasons. To relieve pain, drugs, physical therapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used. To improve the quality of life, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations.