When 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 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, whose close relatives suffer from joint pathology.
Causes
There are a number of diseases associated with soreness and inflammation of the hands. These include:
Gouty 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 joint inflammation. The attack often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The skin over the affected joint becomes crimson. The finger becomes hot and difficult to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away 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, burning sensation, sharp 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'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 middle. Together with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swell, ache. The joint on the finger hurts especially painfully in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis accompanies weakness, aching 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 load 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 arthrosis. Localization is noted at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of the cartilage tissue. The thumb bone is deformed, limiting 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.
- Decreased motor skills of the hand.
Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, which leads to disability.
Raynaud's disease
The causes of the disease are a decrease in capillary tone. It manifests itself 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 at the last stage of development become bluish or black. Trophic ulcers are often observed.
Trauma
Pain in the hand most often occurs with bruises and sprains. A bruise of the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blue discoloration or redness of the bruised site, severe pain when trying to move a finger, the formation of a hematoma, pathological mobility of the injured finger.
Sprains of the ligaments of the finger more often occur 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, typing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramp appears with daily stress when typing. Painful syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is especially felt at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a sound similar to a crunch.
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 overstrain of the hand. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if you apply force to extend, a click is heard.
Pain sensations with internal pathologies
Often, 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 an attack often coincides with a soreness and tingling sensation in the left hand. Diabetes. Pathology leads the hands to a more sensitive state 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, infringement of 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
Several 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 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 indicates the presence of a foraminal hernia.
Fingers on the left hand hurt
If pain occurs in all fingers of the left hand only, the problem is looked for in the vessels. The thumb, index and ring finger hurts - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index and thumb are pathology of the spine. Pain in the little finger and ring finger is manifested with foraminal hernia C5-C6. The joint of the middle finger hurts with foraminal hernia C4-C5.
Which specialist to choose
For whatever reasons the hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. For post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints become inflamed, swelling appears, 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 studies:
- 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 study is carried out 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 responsible for the functioning of the hands. 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.
The X-ray method is considered the most informative for bone tissue pathologies.
Laboratory methods
To diagnose articular pathology, studies are carried out:
- General urine analysis. 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 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; carried out in rare cases.
- Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is taken for microscopic examination. Using the method, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma are detected.
Treatment
Hand pain is treated according to the cause. For exacerbations of arthritis, NSAIDs are used. For the normal supply of food from the blood to the joints, the use of vasodilators is necessary. For local therapy, ointments and gels are used. Good results are obtained in the treatment of arthritis with ultrasound, electrophoresis, and acupuncture.
In osteoarthritis, central 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 successfully used. Significant relief is obtained using physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.
With gout, 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 restricts the use 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 worked well.
For the treatment of tunnel syndrome, a comfortable working environment should 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 surgical intervention are:
- Injuries with a detachment of the tendon from the attachment point to the nail phalanx.
- Arthritis of the hand.
- Fractures and cracks.
- Deep cuts.
- Malignant neoplasms of the hand.
How to heal according to folk recipes
Effective folk recipes for dealing with 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 obtained. Transfer to a dish without access to light. Brush joints are lubricated in the 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. One tablespoon of dried calendula flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The broth is prepared for 15 minutes. over low heat. Treatment procedures continue - 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
- Recipe number 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 number 5. Three tablespoons of sea salt is heated in a microwave oven. Wrapped in a gauze bandage, applied to the joint, kept 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 to alleviate joint disease. 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. In case of pain from exertion, they must be excluded or significantly reduced. It is necessary to change jobs that require repetitive movements.
You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms:
- Post-traumatic pain persists, stiffness of movement is noted, and it is difficult to bend the finger.
- The brush is reddened, there is a heat in the skin area.
- Tingling sensation in the hand.
- The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
- Brush or finger grows numb.
It is advisable to exclude smoking, caffeine, which leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, not giving 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 repetitive movements, you should take breaks.
- A prolonged position in a position requiring a fixed position of the hands should be excluded.
- Avoid hypothermia of the hands.
Hand pain is caused by a variety of reasons. To relieve pain, medication, physiotherapy, surgical methods, and folk recipes are used. To improve the quality of life, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations.