Our hands are constantly working - they help us take care of ourselves, do tasks at home and at work, and do other useful things. The most accurate work can be done with your fingers. All this is possible thanks to the joints. But when the joints of the fingers hurt, we immediately look for the causes and treatment options. Such pains are not negligible and will not work because they directly affect life.
Why finger pain occurs - the main causes
Several factors lead to the development of the disease, including:
- damage to the immune system;
- chronic infections;
- changes in hormonal levels. This only affects pain during pregnancy and after childbirth;
- metabolic disorder;
- inheritance. If there were people in the family who suffered from joint diseases, this tendency may be inherited;
- Negative factors. Among them - the hand is often found in cold water.
Listen!Pain syndrome can occur in athletes who get a lot of microtrauma. It can also be related to professional characteristics.
Diseases that provoke lesions
List the major diseases that can trigger pain in the joints of the fingers.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This pathology can occur in both adults and children. Women are most susceptible to it, they have such a diagnosis 2-3 times more often. The place that suffers from this disease is the small joints. The symmetrical involvement of both arms is characteristic. Other symptoms that a doctor should see:
- Swelling of the joints of the fingers.
- The rigidity of finger movements can be felt in the morning.
- Distal joints are numb and cool.
- Accumulation of fluid in the joint capsules.
- Neoplasm appears under the skin. These are rheumatoid nodules.
- The fingers are curved and fan-shaped.
This disease not only appears in the condition of the fingers, but can cause complications in the internal organs, so the question, “what to do? ” is relevant only in this case. First of all - you need to see a doctor urgently!
Gouty arthritis
This disease is caused by a violation of purine metabolism that leads to the deposition of salts. In this case, it is important to understand why such a process develops. Men over the age of 40 suffer from it. Moreover, the preconditions for defeat: fatty foods, increased consumption of alcohol. Less commonly, gouty arthritis is a symptom of leukemia.
Inflammation does not spread to all joints, most commonly affecting the thumbs. The symptoms are pronounced:
- nocturnal pains;
- the skin above the affected area will be purple and swollen;
- the sore finger is very sensitive, impossible to touch, does not bend;
- pain occurs in seizures that occur after prolonged physical exertion.
Psoriatic arthritis
This is a complication of psoriasis. According to statistics, it occurs in 15%. Arthritis affects the distal phalanges, there is a feeling of painful pain. Severe edema develops, fingers become like sausages, skin becomes red.
Osteoarthritis
With this disease, dystrophic changes occur in the cartilage. The causes are different: injuries, metabolic disorders, hereditary factors, hormonal changes, occupational stress.
Listen!This change is especially common in older people.
Osteoarthritis is asymptomatic in most cases in the early stages. The disease develops slowly and gradually, so the issue of pain relief often does not arise because the syndrome is mild.
Arthralgia
It is the pain in the joints of the fingers that prevents a person’s entire life. You can't write normally, you can't even make easy objects, you can perform simple operations. All fingers are affected, including the little finger. Pain syndrome can cause mechanical damage or inflammation. The first option is trauma, bruising, sprain. The second is a consequence of the development of the disease. In this case, the joint swells, turning red. The question to be treated can only be answered after the final diagnosis has been made.
Important!Hand joint problems can be complications of past diseases, including: rubella, salmonellosis, worsening of sinusitis, tonsillitis, ARVI.
Vibration Disorder
This is an occupational disease that develops in people who work with hand tools that are constantly vibrating. In this case, the disease can develop in several stages:
- First, there is pain, numbness, "goosebumps" in the fingers.
- In addition, the pain increases, and over time, the sensitivity of the skin decreases, including vibration. They violate the vascular sound.
- Trophic complications develop in the last stage. This results in the loss of amputation of both individual fingers and the hand.
Panaritium
This sonorous name indicates inflammation of the soft parts of the finger. Occurs when the infection is caused by a cut, a puncture, and so on. The first obvious sign is severe throbbing pain. It gets worse at night, the skin swells, pus is released from the wound.
Methods for treating finger joint pain
Learn how to relieve pain and how to cure it with a professional. But to do that, you need to know which doctor is treating you - be it a rheumatologist or an orthopedist. But you should see a surgeon if the disease is neglected.
In the initial phase of treatment, the main task is to alleviate the manifestations of the disease. The measures to be taken depend on the nature of the pain. These include:
- If they occur as a result of inflammation, antibiotics, hormones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
- If the lesions are dystrophic, the first step is to restore the cartilage. Chondroprotectors and additional measures are used for this in the form of massage and physiotherapy.
Listen!NSAIDs can have a number of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea.
Medical treatment of joint pain
Glucocorticosteroids are the first aid in the worsening of rheumatoid arthritis. Their reception is combined with special ointments that act as anesthetics. After removing the aggravation, the body should be resurrected. Cytostatics are used for this.
What you need to know about chondroprotectors
These drugs are additives that stimulate cartilage tissue regeneration.
Chondroprotectors stimulate the formation of the main component of cartilage, prevent the destruction of joint structures, and activate the production of intraarticular fluid. They also have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.
Listen!Chondroprotectors alone do not help with severe joint damage - an integrated approach is needed.
Gymnastics, manual therapy
A series of special exercises are selected according to the severity of the condition and only after the acute pain has been removed. The purpose of all manipulations is to optimize the mobility of the joints, to ensure normal blood flow and metabolic processes. In this case, no heavy loads are applied - this can lead to complete destruction of the tissues. If you feel pain, you don’t have to force your fingers.
Standard localized methods are used for physiotherapy:
- electrophoresis;
- microwave resonance therapy;
- amplipulse therapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- laser treatment.
The key to successful treatment will be not only strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations and participation in all recommended procedures, but also a healthy lifestyle.
Fatty, salty, spicy foods should be excluded from the diet. It is worth giving up alcohol by reducing the frequency of smoking.
Traditional medicine for treating finger joints
Folk remedies for the problem are also used. But these treatments do not cure, they only temporarily relieve the pain.
Ointments
Ointment can be prepared from propolis and oil. Corn or sunflowers should be taken. Ratio: one part propolis and three parts oil. The ingredients must be melted and mixed thoroughly. After cooling, pour into an opaque glass container and use two to three times a day.
Hellebore herbal ointment. To create it, you need:
- Twenty grams of hellebore (herb), ground.
- Twenty grams of honey.
- ten grams of vegetable oil.
- Five grams of dry mustard.
Place all ingredients in an enamel container and read in a water bath. Stir until smooth. Cool, place in a glass jar, keep cold. Use at bedtime in affected areas.
Compress
Treat with fruit vinegar. The material soaked in it should be applied to the affected areas for ten to fifteen minutes.
Another effective compression is:
- mix 1 part vodka;
- 1 part valerian tincture;
- put 2 hot pepper pods in the mixture;
- Keep the tincture in a dark place for at least 3 hours.
Use by moistening a cotton ball and applying it to the affected areas several times a day.
Garlic juice is used for compresses and swallowing with warm milk. In spring, you can make a tincture from purple flowers. They need to be crushed and stick to alcohol or vodka for 2 weeks. Then use the sore joints. Keep your hands warm until the effect of the tincture is felt.
Conclusion
The causes of pain in the finger joints can vary, so treatment methods vary. Self-healing is not worth it. It is better to consult a doctor for qualified help - this will help you avoid complications in the future.