Hands are very important to humans. You can use your fingers to perform a variety of tasks. However, when joint problems begin, certain difficulties arise. Sometimes it is difficult for a person to perform normal movement, let alone the most delicate work with small details. Of course, this affects the quality of life, so it is important to monitor your health. But what to do if your finger joints already hurt? The causes and treatment of this pathology depend on many factors. The patient's age plays an important role. Of course, people over 40 are more susceptible to inflammatory processes. However, both young people and children can complain of joint pain. What causes it? Let's find out.
Finger joints hurt: causes
Your joints won't hurt as quickly. There must be a reason for this. In medicine, it is believed that such a symptom is directly related to injuries and certain diseases. The latter include:
- Arthritis.
- Stenosing ligamentitis.
- Arthrosis.
- Gout.
- Bursitis.
- Osteomyelitis.
Of course, these are not all the reasons that can lead to pain in the finger joint. The most common are listed above. So let's get to know them in more detail.
arthritis
Does your finger joint hurt? What to do in this situation? Of course, the first thing you need to do is see a doctor. The fact is that this symptom can be caused either by a simple injury or by a fairly serious illness that requires specific treatment. The sooner you start doing this, the easier it is to achieve a positive result.
Most people of retirement age experience joint pain. They usually develop arthritis. The inflammatory process can occur in acute or chronic form. It should be noted that arthritis affects not only the finger joints, but also others. A person suffering from this disease feels quite severe pain. They don't stop even when idle.
Both women and men are at risk. In the latter, however, the disease occurs much less frequently. Unfortunately, children are not protected from this pathology. They are most often diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. To date, this species has not been fully studied. But the consequences are quite serious. Not only do some children have difficulty moving their fingers, but they can also be disabled for life. Scientists believe that this disease is caused by a malfunction of the immune system. Children under 16 are at risk.
Rheumatoid arthritis is of a different nature. Caused by infectious and allergic diseases. The danger of this type is that the acute form becomes chronic without treatment. Such a person will have limited movement and experience constant pain.
Under no circumstances should treatment be carried out independently, since the type of arthritis and the reasons that provoked the disease must be known. The first thing you need to do is see a doctor. After the examination, he will prescribe treatment.
Doctors take the following measures if the joints on the fingers hurt:
- How to treat a patient if he is diagnosed with an infectious disease? In most cases, antibiotics are used.
- To relieve the inflammation, the patient is prescribed medications such as NSAIDs.
- Chondroprotectors are urgently needed to stop destructive processes.
- Gymnastics exercises are mandatory, including in the swimming pool.
- Diet.
arthrosis
If you are wondering why the joints on your fingers hurt, this pathology can have several reasons. One of them is a disease such as osteoarthritis. It occurs due to the destruction of cartilage tissue. This happens sequentially. At first the person does not feel any discomfort. Painful sensations can only occur after physical activity, and over a long period of time. However, after a certain time her character becomes more intense. The pain occurs even at night. This suggests that the disease is progressing.
In people with chronic arthrosis and severe pain in the thumb joint, doctors diagnose "rhizarthrosis". The disease proceeds in three stages. There can be several reasons. They can be both congenital and acquired. In the first case, joint dysplasia is diagnosed. Rhizarthrosis occursalso due to obesity, metabolic disorders or severe trauma. If treatment is not started in time, there is a risk of destruction not only of the cartilage, but also of the joint ligaments, and all surrounding bone structures are affected.
The main symptom of rhizarthrosis is, of course, pain. However, this is not the only side effect of the disease. The patient may also feel a characteristic crunch when moving a finger, reduced mobility and numbness. All of this complements the swelling and redness of the skin. If the finger joint is swollen and painful, it's time to see a doctor. The fact is that it is much easier to cure rhizarthrosis at the first stage than at the last. Quite rare, but surgery may be necessary.
A disease such as osteoarthritis is quite common. People of all ages are at risk. Even a small injury can be a trigger. With osteoarthritis, the joints are significantly changed, which affects the shape of the fingers.
Bursitis
If an inflammatory process occurs in the periarticular bursa, it means that a disease such as bursitis is developing. This is accompanied by fluid accumulation. Inflammation occurs after a severe bruise or abrasion. This disease is also caused by a certain type of microbes – pyogenic. People with this pathology experience pain in the finger and toe joints. In addition, inflammation can spread throughout the body. Fluid collects in the shoulder, knee, elbow and hip joints.
In medicine, two forms of the disease are distinguished: acute and chronic. It starts with the first one. In the initial stages, people feel severe pain, which increases significantly as the joint moves. A rather elastic swelling occurs. It is available in different diameters. As the disease progresses, the pain does not stop even at night, even if the hand remains motionless. Also with bursitis, reddening of the skin, swelling of the limbs and hypothermia are observed.
If left untreated, the acute form becomes chronic. The latter has milder symptoms. A person's finger joints hurt much less. You should not refuse treatment, since chronic bursitis does not exclude fluid accumulation, which can lead to the formation of a cyst cavity. In addition, the inflammatory process leads to the formation of calcium deposits in the area of the diseased joint. To alleviate the patient's condition as much as possible, you need to fix the limb well with elastic bandages. This protects you from accidental movements that cause severe pain. After that, you should consult an orthopedic traumatologist. He will select anti-inflammatory medications as well as anesthetics that can be taken for acute pain.
gout
If the joints of the fingers of your right or left hand hurt, gout may be the cause of these unpleasant sensations. This disease is considered the most common. Most commonly found in older people. The cause of its occurrence is a violation of uric acid metabolism (sodium crystals are deposited in the tissues). Most people believe that gout can only occur on the feet in the big toe area. However, this is not the case. In some people, such formations can also appear on the fingers of the upper extremities.
The inflammatory process is accompanied by swelling, severe redness, pain and peeling of the skin. Microtrauma, physical activity, stress, infectious diseases, etc. can also be a provoking factor. The disease manifests itself quite quickly. Within a few hours you will notice all of the symptoms described above. Patients often have a high fever, leading to chills or fever. The acute form of gout causes severe pain in the finger joints. Even a light touch can significantly increase the unpleasant feeling.
With this disease, it is important to strictly follow the diet. It is selected by the doctor individually for each patient. Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited. The patient should drink at least two liters of water and juices daily. To remove uric acid from the blood, the patient is prescribed anti-gout medications. However, you should not expect quick results as their use can last for years. They are only prescribed by doctors. Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs may also be added to them.
Stenosing ligamentitis
If a child has pain in the finger joints, this may be caused by a pathology called stenosing ligamentitis. It arises in the ligament-tendon apparatus. With this disease, not only one but also several fingers can become blocked when bent. In children it manifests itself from the first year of life. However, they are not the only ones at risk. Adults can also suffer from stenosing ligamentitis. Most often these are people of retirement age.
The reasons that provoke this disease in children are due to unbalanced development. This means that annular ligaments grow much more slowly than tendons. This creates an imbalance. This causes the ligaments to press on the tendons. For this reason there is a clearly noticeable compaction. When bending a finger, the child may feel a characteristic click in a specific joint.
The cause of stenosing ligamentitis in adults is an inflammatory process, the focus of which is in the tendons. This causes pain in the finger joints. The following can also trigger the development of this disease:
- Excessive strain.
- Inheritance.
- Incorrect structure of tendons and annular ligament.
- Some diseases (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and others).
Symptoms of Stenosing Ligamentitis:
- Clicking noises when bending;
- pain when pressing;
- compaction formation;
- Restriction of movement.
The first two symptoms correspond to the first stage of the disease. Already with the second one a seal forms. But in the third stage, the patient can no longer stretch his fingers independently. This can only be done surgically. However, such treatment is used in rather complex cases. It is best to start the development of ligaments and tendons at the initial stage of the disease and carry out a special physiotherapy complex.
Injuries
Do your finger joints hurt? The cause can be the diseases described above or a dislocation. The latter is caused by a displacement of the bones. Most often, athletes face this pathology. However, normal people are not immune to distortions. This type of injury has certain symptoms. These include severe pain, swelling in the affected area and joint deformity.
Of course, any finger can be sprained. However, the big one is the most susceptible to this. The fact is that if he makes the wrong move, it is he who will remain unprotected. Although the ligaments of this finger are quite strong, a sprain can easily occur without calculating the load. This pathology can also develop if you accidentally fall on your hand. A person immediately feels severe pain, after which (for about an hour) the limb swells and redness may appear.
Of course, you will no longer be able to lead your usual lifestyle if your thumb joint hurts. How do you treat a dislocation or sprain? If possible, you should consult a doctor. A photo will be taken at the appointment to rule out any breakage or displacement. It is advisable to apply something cold for the first few minutes. Warm compresses are then recommended. Analgesics are taken to relieve pain. Ointments that have a pain-relieving effect are also very helpful.
Osteomyelitis
This disease is accompanied by a purulent process that can affect not only the joints, but the entire body. It even penetrates into the bone marrow. The severity of this pathology cannot be underestimated. The inflammatory process is of an infectious nature. It spreads to all surrounding tissues. Over time, the lesion increases in size and continues to grow. Necrosis occurs due to poor blood circulation.
Children most often suffer from hematogenous osteomyelitis. This type of disease occurs due to microorganisms entering the bone tissue through the blood. When the infection occurs after a fracture or other injury, doctors diagnose "post-traumatic osteomyelitis. "
Symptoms:
- the finger joints hurt very much;
- there is pain and twisting;
- Temperature increases;
- the injured area swells and turns red;
- Finger movements are not possible due to acute pain;
- Pus begins to ooze through the skin.
Surgery is considered the most effective treatment. However, it can also be combined with medication. The latter is necessary to prevent the spread of bacteria in the body. For osteomyelitis, folk remedies are considered ineffective.
The joints of my fingers hurt. Treatment
Treatment of this pathology is required only in a complex manner. It consists of three tasks:
- Eliminate the root cause.
- Relief from pain.
- Restore functions.
As mentioned above, treatment should be selected individually. Of course, when choosing specific methods, doctors take into account the cause of the severe pain, the symptoms and the degree of inflammation. There are both medical and surgical treatments.
However, if a person does not have the opportunity to go to the hospital, one can simply try to relieve the pain syndrome. Painkillers are suitable for these purposes. However, it is important to remember that they do not eliminate the root cause, so after the effect of the drug wears off, a relapse will inevitably occur. If the pain is very severe, an ointment may help to increase the effect of the tablets.
Traditional methods
What to do if your finger joints hurt? In this case, folk remedies can also be used:
- Propolis with vegetable oil.Used as an ointment. Both vegetable and corn oil will do. The ingredients are mixed thoroughly. The ointment is applied to the skin of the affected area.
- Caucasian hellebore.An ointment is made from this type of plant, which perfectly relieves pain. To prepare it you need to take the same amount of honey as hellebore. To these ingredients add unrefined vegetable oil, literally a few drops, and a pinch of dry mustard. All this is mixed until smooth and then heated in a water bath. Apply to the affected area before bed.
- Raw potatoes.The vegetable is grated, slightly heated, placed on a bandage or gauze and applied to the finger.
- Elecampane roots.Used as a tincture. The roots are chopped and then filled with vodka. It is necessary to stay in a place where the sun's rays do not penetrate for 14 days. It perfectly relieves inflammation if you use it daily and rub it into the joint.
Diploma
Based on the information presented above, we can conclude that pain in the finger joints should definitely not be ignored. The fact is that such a symptom can be the first sign of a serious illness. If you start treatment on time, the result will be positive in 99% of cases. Nowadays medicine offers quite effective methods; You just need to see a doctor and get checked.