When your hands and fingers hurt, it means that the body is signaling joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, ignoring the danger of becoming disabled in a short time. Information about why pain appears in the finger joints and what to do is useful for those who have experienced the first symptoms of the disease and have close relatives suffering from joint pathology.
Causes
There are a number of diseases accompanied by pain and inflammation of the hand. These include:
Gouty arthritis
The disease manifests itself from the age of 20. The thumbs are the first to undergo the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal progression of joint inflammation. The attack most often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The area of skin above the affected joint turns purple. The finger becomes hot and difficult to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may disappear suddenly, without treatment, but return soon.
Polyarthrosis
People over 40 are affected: men - less often than women. Heberden's nodules are a hallmark of the disease: when the nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning and sharp pain are noted; in some patients, nodules form asymptomatically. With polyarthritis, the formation of nodules on the joints of the middle of the finger is also observed. Bouchard's nodules are fusiform, 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. With metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen and painful. The pain in the finger joint is especially painful in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is accompanied by weakness, joint pain and fever.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. In pathology, joint pain and swelling are noted. The pathology has another name - "sausage" finger. At the same time, all joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, the joints of both hands become inflamed, but on different fingers.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis
The inflammation only affects the thumb. The pain is caused by loads when trying to straighten the elbow towards the elbow. Sometimes your finger hurts for no apparent reason.
Rhizarthrosis
Rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of osteoarthritis. The location is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease causes deformation of the cartilage tissue. The thumb bone becomes deformed, limiting movement of the inflamed joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- The pain is felt on the inside of the thumb.
- My index finger hurts.
- There is a feeling of numbness in the skin of the palm.
- Hand motility decreases.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, leading to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The cause of the disease is a decrease in hair tone. Manifested by symptoms: numbness, pale skin of the hand, vasodilation, leading to redness of the fingers. Sometimes there is a bluish color, sharp pain and swelling. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which at the last stage of development become bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are often observed.
Injuries
Hand pain most often occurs in the form of bruises and sprains. A bruise on the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, bluing or redness of the bruise site, severe pain when trying to move a finger, the formation of a hematoma and pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Tendonitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramp occurs during the daily stress of typing. Pain syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is particularly noticeable at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a sound similar to crunching.
Tingling and numbness in the fingers appear in a person making small movements with their hands. Repeated overuse of the hand contributes to trigger finger syndrome. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if force is applied to straighten it, a click will be heard.
Pain due to internal pathologies
There is often pain in the hand and fingers for reasons not related to joint diseases. People suffering from pathologies are at risk:
- Cardiac ischemia. In cases of myocardial infarction, the onset of the attack often coincides with a feeling of pain and tingling in the left hand.
- Diabetes. The pathology causes a more sensitive condition of the hands due to poor circulation.
Pain and numbness are often seen in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the finger joints during pregnancy: increased amounts of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, pinched 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 once. Half of the painful manifestations occur on the ring and little fingers, and a third on the index and thumb. If pain is felt in all the fingers of the right hand, the problem is related to the blood vessels. Pain in the index finger and thumb indicates spinal pathologies. If the index finger, ring finger and thumb hurt at the same time, this indicates radial nerve disease. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
The fingers on my left hand hurt
If the pain appears only in all the fingers of the left hand, the problem is found in the blood vessels. The thumb, index and ring fingers hurt - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index and thumb - spinal pathology. Pain in the little finger and ring finger occurs with foraminal herniation of C5-C6. The middle finger joint hurts due to a foraminal herniation of C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose
Regardless of the reason why your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. If you suffer from post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints are inflamed or swelling appears, a rheumatologist will help you. When the cause of pain is unclear, you should consult a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Diagnostic
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware tests:
- X-ray. The painless procedure allows you to study bone tissue. The results of the study are recorded on film in 3 screenings.
- CT. The study is carried out using X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of images with cross sections.
- Electrospondylography. Detects the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine responsible for arm function. Pathology is detected at the initial stage of development.
- MRI. Diagnosis is carried out using electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and transverse sections are obtained.
Laboratory methods
To diagnose joint pathology, studies are carried out:
- General urine analysis. Helps 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 and sialic acids.
- Puncture. After piercing the affected joint, the fluid contained in it is taken for examination. The study is prescribed 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. Thanks to this method, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are detected.
Treatment
Hand pain is treated depending on the reasons that caused it. For exacerbations of arthritis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. For normal supply of nutrition from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilator drugs is necessary. Anti-inflammatory ointments are used in local therapy. Good results are obtained when treating arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.
In case of osteoarthritis, centrally acting analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient of acute pain. In addition to relieving pain, these drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect. Chondroprotectors: chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid in some cases are taken constantly. Laser treatment has been used successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Significant relief is achieved through physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
For gout, taking medications is indicated to normalize purine metabolism in the body. Painkillers are prescribed to relieve pain. A diet with limited consumption of meat products, fish and alcohol is especially important. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process in the joint using anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage have also proven effective.
To treat carpal tunnel syndrome, comfortable working conditions should be created, taking into account the correct hand position. For painful sensations, make chamomile decoction compresses.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment proves ineffective, the joint is surgically replaced. Indications for surgical intervention are:
- Injuries with separation of the tendon from the place of attachment to the nail phalanx.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant tumors of the hand.
How to process according to traditional recipes
Effective folk recipes to combat hand pain:
- Recipe #1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of crushed fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a container away from light. The hand joints are lubricated morning and evening until visible improvement.
- Recipe #2. Bird cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry bark is poured with 200 ml of vodka. Insist for 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes 3 times a day. The duration of treatment is 3 weeks.
- Recipe #3. Calendula bath. A tablespoon of dried calendula flowers is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Prepare the decoction for 15 minutes. low heat. Treatment procedures continue for 20 minutes. The duration of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe #4. Drink dandelion roots. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe #5. Three tablespoons of sea salt are heated in the microwave. Wrap in a gauze bandage, apply to the joint and leave for 30 minutes.
The procedures are carried out daily for 20 days.
Useful tips
By following the recommendations of doctors, you can significantly help the body relieve joint diseases. If there is swelling in the hands, jewelry should be removed. In case of injury, keep your hand still and apply a cold compress. If there is pain from exertion, it should be eliminated or significantly reduced. Need to change jobs that require repetitive movements.
You should seek medical attention immediately if the following symptoms appear:
- The post-traumatic pain does not subside, there is stiffness of movements and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The hand is red and the skin is hot.
- There is a tingling sensation in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- The hand or finger becomes numb.
Prevention
To prevent hand pain, you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen your hand muscles in your morning exercise routine.
- If repetitive movements are necessary, take breaks.
- Prolonged stay in a position requiring a fixed hand position should be avoided.
- Avoid overcooling your hands.
Pain in the hands is caused by various reasons. To relieve pain, drug treatments, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used. To improve your quality of life, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations.