When your hands and fingers hurt, this means that the body is signaling about joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem on his own, unaware of the danger of becoming disabled in a short time. Information about why pain occurs in the joints of the fingers and what to do is useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease and who have close relatives suffering from articular pathology.
Causes
There are a number of diseases accompanied by pain and inflammation of the hand. These include:
Gouty arthritis
The disease manifests itself over the age of 20 years. The thumbs are the first to undergo the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of inflammation of the joints. The attack most often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin area over the affected joint becomes purple in color. The finger becomes hot and difficult to bend. Inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away suddenly, without treatment, but will soon appear again.
Polyosteoarthrosis
People over 40 years of age are affected: men - less often than women. A distinctive sign of the disease is Heberden's nodules, when the nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning, and sharp pain are noted; in some patients, the nodules form asymptomatically. With polyosteoarthrosis, the formation of nodules on 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. Together with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen, and aching. The pain in the joint on the finger is especially painful in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is accompanied by weakness, aching joints, and fever.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. In pathology, joint pain and swelling are noted. The pathology has another name - "sausage-shaped" finger. At the same time, all joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, joints on both hands become inflamed, but on different fingers.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis
The inflammation affects only the thumb. 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 arthrosis. Localization is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of cartilage tissue. The bone of the thumb becomes deformed, limiting the movement of the inflamed joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- 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.
- Motility of the hand decreases.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, which leads to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The cause of the disease is a decrease in capillary tone. Manifested by symptoms: numbness, pale skin of the hand, vasodilation, resulting in redness of the fingers. Sometimes there is a bluish color, acute 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
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruises and sprains. A hand bruise is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blueness 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.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramp occurs during daily typing stress. The painful syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is especially 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 his hands. Repeated overexertion of the hand contributes to trigger finger syndrome. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if force is applied to straighten it, a click is heard.
Pain due to internal pathologies
Often there is pain in the hand and fingers for reasons not related to joint diseases. People suffering from pathologies are at risk:
- Cardiac ischemia. With myocardial infarction, the onset of the attack often coincides with a feeling of pain and tingling in the left hand.
- Diabetes. The pathology leads to a more sensitive state of the hands due to poor circulation.
Pain and numbness are often observed in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the joints of the fingers 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 the same time. 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 fingers of the right hand, the problem is related to the blood vessels. Pain in the index finger and thumb indicates pathologies of the spine. If the index, ring and thumb hurt at the same time, this indicates a disease of the radial nerve. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
The fingers on my left hand hurt
If pain occurs in all fingers of only the left hand, the problem is looked for 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 a foraminal hernia of C5-C6. The joint of the middle finger hurts due to a foraminal hernia of C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose
For whatever reason your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. If you have post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints are inflamed or swelling appears, a rheumatologist will help. When the cause of the pain is unclear, you should consult a cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Diagnostics
It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware tests:
- Radiography. The painless procedure makes it possible to study bone tissue. The results of the study are recorded on film in 3 projections.
- CT. The study is performed 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 the functioning of the arms. 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. 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 and sialic acids.
- Puncture. After puncturing the affected joint, the fluid 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. Using the method, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are detected.
Treatment
Pain in the hands is treated according to the reasons that caused it. For exacerbations of arthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. For normal supply of nutrition from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilating drugs is necessary. Anti-inflammatory ointments are used for local therapy. Good results are obtained when treating arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis, and acupuncture.
For osteoarthritis, centrally acting analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient of acute pain. In addition to pain relief, such drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect. Chondroprotectors: chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid in some cases are taken constantly. Laser treatment has been successfully used in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Significant relief is obtained using physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
For gout, taking medications is indicated to normalize the metabolism of purines in the body. Analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet with limited consumption of meat products, fish, and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint by using anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage have also proven themselves well.
To treat carpal tunnel syndrome, comfortable working conditions should be created, taking into account the correct position of the hand. For painful sensations, make compresses from chamomile decoction.
Surgical methods
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced surgically. 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 neoplasms of the hand.
How to treat according to traditional recipes
Effective folk recipes for combating pain in the hands:
- Recipe No. 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of crushed fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix and simmer for 8–10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a container away from light. The joints of the hands are lubricated in the morning and evening until there is visible improvement.
- Recipe No. 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 brushes 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
- Recipe No. 3. Bath with calendula. One tablespoon of dried calendula flowers is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Prepare the decoction for 15 minutes. on low heat. Treatment procedures continue for 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe No. 4. Drinking from dandelion roots. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe No. 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 performed daily for 20 days.
Useful tips
By following the recommendations of doctors, you can significantly help the body alleviate joint disease. If swelling of the hands occurs, jewelry should be removed. In case of injury, it is necessary to keep the 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 immediately consult a doctor if the following symptoms occur:
- Post-traumatic pain does not subside, stiffness of movements is noted, and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The hand is red and there is heat in the skin area.
- There is a tingling sensation in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- The hand or finger goes numb.
Prevention
To prevent pain in the hand, you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen your hand muscles in your morning exercise routine.
- If repetitive movements are necessary, you should take breaks.
- Prolonged stay in a position that requires a fixed position of the hands should be avoided.
- Avoid overcooling your hands.
Pain in the hands is caused by various reasons. To relieve pain, drug treatment, physiotherapy, surgical methods, and folk recipes are used. To improve your quality of life, it is important to follow your doctor’s recommendations.