Finger pain is more common in both men and women in the older age group. It is often accompanied by swelling, stiffness and tingling when the joints bend or stretch. Such symptoms are not only a sign of natural aging of the body, but also a clinical manifestation of various pathologies. Therefore, the cause of pain in the joints of the fingers should be determined and treatment should be carried out immediately.
Causes of pain in the joints of the fingers
If the pain occurs every week, it cannot be associated with increased muscle tension after long manual work. In the early stages of development, inflammatory or degenerative-dystrophic pathologies manifest themselves in this way. Finger pain is associated with the gradual destruction of bone and cartilage tissue, which can lead to joint deformity, complete or partial immobilization (ankylosis).
Arthritis
The joints of the fingers can be affected by rheumatoid, reactive, psoriatic arthritis - an inflammatory, rapidly progressing pathology. In addition to severe pain, inflammation is observed - redness and swelling of the skin, limited mobility. And the course of infectious arthritis is often accompanied by signs of general intoxication of the body - an increase in body temperature, chills, fever.
Still a disease
It is a severe autoimmune pathology that develops due to an inadequate response of the immune system to the application of pathogenic microorganisms. Still, the disease does not only affect small and large joints. Damage to the skin, organs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and lymph nodes.
Osteoarthritis
This pathology is characterized by the destruction of bone tissue with further deformation of the joints. With osteoarthritis in the morning, the fingers swell and there is a little resistance when you try to bend or straighten them. Acute pain is felt only in the period of relapse and in remission - only mild discomfort.
Ligament stenosis
Pathology often develops due to repetitive monotonous movements. Stenosis affects the ligamentous ligament of the hand, where the finger is obstructed in a stretched or bent position. However, such an obvious symptom occurs in the last stage of the pathology and manifests itself in the initial stage with pain, tingling or clicking when bending the joints.
Gut
With gout, crystals of uric acid salts begin to accumulate in the joints of the fingers, causing irritation of the soft, cartilaginous, bone tissues. An inflammatory process develops in which the ligaments, muscles and tendons are gradually involved. Acute, burning, throbbing pain occurs during a gout attack. The skin on the joints swells, turns red, and becomes hot to the touch.
Polyosteoarthritis
Polyosteoarthritis is a form of osteoarthritis that affects several joints at the same time. Cartilage tissue thins, thickens and loses its cushioning properties. To stabilize the joints, the bone structures begin to deform, growing with the formation of osteophytes. These growths often damage the soft tissues, leading to the development of an inflammatory process.
Damage
Pain in the joints of the fingers can be the result of fractures, dislocations, subluxation, rupture of muscles, ligaments, tendons. Such injuries occur when a person falls on a straight arm, a strong directional blow, or a bruise. If the victim does not consult a doctor, the joint structures are combined in the wrong anatomical position, so the pain in the hands is constant, increasing after hypothermia or a sudden change in weather conditions.
Vibration disease
This pathology develops in hand mechanized workers associated with the use of percussion or rotary tools. Clinically, tremor is manifested not only by discomfort in the joints of the fingers, but also by vascular disease, angiospasm, circulatory disorders and increased blood pressure.
Tunnel syndrome
The cause of the appearance of tunnel syndrome is any pathology (arthrosis, arthritis, lipoma) that causes a decrease in the volume of the carpal tunnel. The result is a compression-ischemic lesion of the median nerve. Pain occurs, sensitivity decreases, patients complain to the doctor about numbness, nausea, crawling sensations. Any movement of the hand is accompanied by weakness, especially when you need to hold an object with your thumb.
Symptoms
Twitching, throbbing, sharp pain in the finger joint, gout, including juveniles, is the leading symptom of infectious, rheumatoid arthritis. Simultaneous symptoms include fever, redness and swelling of the skin.
In the early stages of development, osteoarthritis and other degenerative-dystrophic pathologies are asymptomatic. Occasionally, there is a mild pain that disappears after a short rest. But their severity is constantly increasing. The pain is accompanied by stiffness, clicks in the bending and / or extension of the fingers.
Impacts
In the absence of medical intervention, the intensity of pain increases against the background of deformation of the interphalangeal joints. In the final stage of any pathology, partial or complete fusion of the joint space occurs. A person cannot bend or bend his fingers, which leads to disability and disability.
Inflammatory and destructive processes gradually spread to healthy soft, cartilage and bone tissues. Therefore, pain can be felt in several joints or fingers in a short time.
Diagnostics
The main diagnosis is made on the basis of external examination, patient complaints, medical history and the results of a number of functional tests. X-ray, MRI, CT, arthroscopy are performed to confirm this. If the infectious origin of the pathology is suspected, a biological sample is inoculated into the culture medium to determine the type of bacteria and its resistance to antibiotics.
Treatment
The doctor who prescribes therapeutic tactics (orthopedist, rheumatologist, traumatologist) takes into account the type of disease, the course of the disease, the degree of tissue damage and the number of complications. It is often recommended to wear a soft bandage, atel, or semi-rigid, rigid orthosis to reduce the severity of the patient's pain.
Medications
Drugs of different clinical and pharmacological groups are used in the treatment of pathologies caused by pain in the joints of the fingers. These are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, glucocorticosteroids, chondroprotectors. Medications, B vitamins, and warming ointments are also used to improve blood circulation. Intramuscular and sometimes intra-articular medications are used to relieve acute pain. The use of tablets or ointments will allow you to get rid of less pronounced discomfort.
Massage
After relieving acute pain and inflammation, patients are prescribed a classic massage, acupressure, vacuum, as well as apparatus massage. Revitalizing procedures help improve blood circulation, relieve muscle spasms and accelerate the recovery of damaged tissues.
Physiotherapy
Electrophoresis, ultraphonophoresis procedures help to eliminate or get rid of pain completely. Hormonal agents, chondroprotectors, anesthetics, analgesics, B vitamins are used during their application. For the treatment of atrophic pathologies, patients can be prescribed magnetotherapy, laser therapy, UHF therapy for up to 10 sessions.
Physical exercises
Regular exercise therapy can rapidly strengthen the muscles of the hand, preventing the development of osteoarthritis or arthritis. The set of exercises is carried out by a training therapy physician, taking into account the type of disease. Generally, this includes turning the hand, bending the fingers, and grasping and holding small objects.
Diet
A patient with arthritis or osteoarthritis should have a lot of fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits in their diet. Semi-finished products, smoked meats, fast food, fatty meats, any alcohol should be completely excluded from the daily menu. Instead, it is useful to eat rabbit, beef, oily seafood, soups, cereals, dairy products.
Folk remedies
After basic treatment, pain and inflammation relief, doctors can allow the use of traditional medicine. During the rehabilitation period, the use of some decoctions, hand baths, home-made ointments is allowed.
The use of herbal infusions and decoctions
The course of pathologies that cause pain in the fingers is often aggravated by the deterioration of a person's psycho-emotional state. The use of herbal teas will help to improve it. St. John's wort, valerian, motherwort, thyme, lemon balm, oregano tonic, has a calming, sleep-normalizing effect. To prepare a drink, a teaspoon of dry plant material (without slipping) is brewed with a glass of boiling water. Leave to infuse for a few hours, then filter and take 100 ml before bedtime.
Baked onion and wax ointment
Cook two peeled medium-sized onions until soft, grind with a mortar until smooth and add 20 g of melted wax in a water bath. The resulting mass is applied to the joints fixed with a gauze bandage. The duration of the treatment procedure is 1-2 hours.
Honey and mustard ointment with herbs
Pour a tablespoon of dried flowers of calendula and chamomile in a bowl, pour 0, 5 cups boiling water, leave for 5 hours. Mix a teaspoon of dry mustard and sour cream in a mortar, add 2 tablespoons of honey. The resulting infusion is injected dropwise until a homogeneous mass is formed. Before using the ointment, the skin is lubricated with vegetable oil.
Herbal baths
Put 5 pieces of rose hips, juniper, barberry, in a thermos, pour a tablespoon elecampane, St. John's wort, birch buds. Pour a liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. Cool slightly, strain, pour into a glass, add more hot water if necessary. Immerse the brushes in the resulting infusion for 30 minutes.
Oil baths
Fill a small bowl with warm water (1, 5-2 liters), add rosemary, eucalyptus, 1-2 drops of candle essential oil. Pour a tablespoon of cosmetic almond oil, shake. They put their hands in the water for 30-40 minutes. After the procedure, any nourishing or moisturizing cream is applied to the skin.
Straw containers
In a small saucepan pour 0. 5 liters of chopped oat straw, pour 2 liters of hot water. Bring to a boil, simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, strain. Pour the hot broth into a glass, keep the brushes in it for about half an hour.
Preventive measures
You should have a complete physical examination every 6-12 months to prevent pain in the joints of the fingers. Pathology detected in the early stages of development generally responds well to conservative treatment. You should also avoid traumatic situations, do not smoke, limit alcohol consumption, and exclude foods that contain fat and simple carbohydrates.