When 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 on his own, unaware of the danger of becoming disabled in a short time. Information on why pain in the joints of the fingers is manifested and what to do is useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease if close relatives suffer from joint pathology.
Causes
There are a number of diseases associated with soreness and inflammation of the hands. These include:
Arthritis arthritis
The disease manifests itself over the age of 20 years. The thumbs are the first to be exposed to the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of arthritis. The attack often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin over the affected joint turns red. The finger becomes hot and difficult to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The seizure may disappear suddenly without treatment, but will soon reappear.
Polyosteoarthritis
People over 40 are sick: men - less often than women. A hallmark of the disease is Heberden's nodules when nodules begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints noted burning, sharp pain, in some patients nodules form asymptomatically. In polyosteroarthrosis, 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 are characterized by slow growth.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The onset of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index finger and the middle. Together with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen, in pain. The joint on the finger hurts especially in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is accompanied by weakness, sore joints and fever.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis is noted after stress, hypothermia, infections.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. With pathology, joint pain, 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.
Tenosynovit de Quervain
The inflammation only affects the thumb. The pain is caused by the strain 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. Location is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of the cartilage tissue. The thumb bone is deformed, which restricts the movement of the inflamed joint.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Pathology is manifested by symptoms:
- The pain is felt on the inside of the thumb.
- The index finger hurts.
- There is numbness in the skin of the palm.
- Impaired motor skills in 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 capillary tone. It is manifested by symptoms: numbness, pallor of the skin of the hand, vasodilation, as a result of which the fingers turn 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 wounds are often observed.
Trauma
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruising and sprains. A bruise on the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blue discoloration or redness of the bruised spot, severe pain when trying to move a finger, the formation of a hematoma, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Sprains of the ligaments in the finger occur more often with a sharp movement of the joint, which is observed in athletes, overly mobile people and children.
Tendinitis
The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, writing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramp appears with daily stress when typing. Painful syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is felt especially at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a sound resembling a crunch.
The tingling, numbness in the fingers is manifested in a person making small movements with his hands. The appearance of snapping finger syndrome is facilitated by repeated overload of the hand. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if you use force to extend, a click is heard.
Pain sensations with internal pathologies
Often pain in hand and fingers 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 tenderness and tingling sensation in the left hand. Diabetes. Pathology leads the hands to a more sensitive condition due to circulatory disorders.
Often painful sensations, numbness are observed in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the joints of the fingers during pregnancy: an increased amount of the hormone relaxin, calcium deficiency, violation of the median nerve, depression.
Important!Heredity, freezing of hands, frequent immersion in cold water, impaired 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 finger and little finger, and a third on 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 signals a pathology in the spine. If the index finger, ring finger and thumb hurt at the same time, it indicates a disease of the radial nerve. Simultaneous pain in the little finger and ring finger indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
Fingers on the left hand hurt
If only pain occurs in all fingers of the left hand, the problem is sought in the vessels. The thumb, index and ring fingers hurt - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index and the thumb are pathology of the spine. Pain in the little finger and ring finger manifests itself with foraminal hernia C5-C6. The joint of the middle finger hurts with foraminal hernia C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose
Regardless of the reason why the hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. In case of post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints become inflamed, swelling occurs, a rheumatologist will help. When the cause of the pain is not clear, 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 examine the bone tissue. The research results are recorded on the film in 3 projections.
- CT. The examination is performed with X-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
- Electrospondylography. Reveals the presence of abnormalities in the part of the spine that is responsible for the function of the hands. Pathology is detected in the initial stage of development.
- MR. Diagnosis is performed using 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 articular pathology, examinations are performed:
- General urine analysis. It makes it possible to identify advanced forms of osteomyelitis.
- 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 in it is taken for examination. The study is assigned to accurately determine the cause of the development of pathology; performed 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 according to the cause. NSAIDs are used for exacerbations of arthritis. For normal supply of food from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilators is necessary. Ointments and gels are used for local therapy. Good results are obtained by treating arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, key 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, chondroprotectors are taken continuously. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, laser treatment is used successfully. Significant relief is achieved through physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
With arthritis, medication is indicated to normalize the exchange of purines in the body. Analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet that limits the use of meat products, fish and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis can not 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 worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome, a comfortable working environment must 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 surgery are:
- Injuries with detachment of the tendon from the point of attachment to the nail phalanx.
- 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 dealing with pain in the hands:
- Recipe number 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g chopped fresh aloe leaf, add 5 g dry mustard. Mix, simmer for 8-10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a dish without access to light. Brush joints are lubricated morning and evening until visible improvement.
- Recipe number 2. Bird cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry bark pour 200 ml of vodka. Insist 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 cooked for 15 minutes. at low heat. Treatment procedures continue - 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 4. Drinks of dandelion roots. Then 1 tablespoon of dandelion roots is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
- Recipe number 5. Three tablespoons of sea salt is heated in a microwave. Wrapped in a gauze bandage, applied to the joint, held for 30 minutes.
The procedures are performed daily for 20 days.
Helpful Hints
By following the doctors' recommendations, you can significantly help the body relieve joint diseases. If you experience swelling of the brushes, remove the jewelry. In case of injury, it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the hand and apply a cold compress. For pain on exertion, they should be ruled out or significantly reduced. It is necessary to change jobs that require repeated movements.
You should consult a doctor immediately if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain persists, stiffness in movement is noted, and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The brush is red, there is heat in the skin area.
- Tingling sensation in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- Brush or finger becomes numb.
It is advisable to exclude smoking, caffeine, which leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, does not provide the right amount of blood to the hands.
Prophylaxis
To prevent pain in the hand you should:
- Include exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hands in the complex of morning exercises.
- If you need to perform repeated movements, you should take breaks.
- An extended position in a position that requires a fixed position of the hands should be excluded.
- Avoid hypothermia in the hands.
Hand pain is caused by a variety of causes. To relieve pain, medicine, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used. To improve the quality of life, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations.