Hands are very important for a person. You can do various jobs with your fingers. However, when joint problems begin, certain difficulties arise. Sometimes it is difficult for a person to perform a normal movement, let alone the most delicate work with small details. Naturally, 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 will depend on many factors. The patient's age plays an important role. It is clear that people over 40 are more susceptible to inflammatory processes. However, both young people and children can complain of joint pain. What causes this? Let's find out.
Finger joints hurt: causes
Your joints won't hurt as easily. 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.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Drop.
- Bursitis.
- Osteomyelitis.
Of course, these are not all the reasons that can cause pain in the finger joint. The most common are presented 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 consult a doctor. The fact is that this symptom can be caused by both a simple injury and a rather serious illness that requires specific treatment. The sooner you start, the easier it will be to achieve a positive result.
Most people of retirement age begin to experience joint pain. They often develop arthritis. The inflammatory process can occur acutely or chronically. It is worth paying attention to the fact that arthritis affects not only the finger joints, but also others. A person suffering from this disease feels quite sharp pain. They don't even stop at rest.
Both women and men are at risk. However, in the latter, the disease appears 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 its consequences are quite serious. Some children not only have difficulty moving their fingers, but they can also be disabled for life. Scientists believe that this disease is caused by a malfunctioning immune system. Children under 16 are at risk.
Rheumatoid arthritis is different in nature. Caused by infectious and allergic diseases. The danger of this type is that without treatment, the acute form becomes chronic. This person will have restricted movements and will constantly suffer from pain.
Under no circumstances should treatment be carried out independently, as it is necessary to know the type of arthritis and the reasons that caused the disease. The first thing you need to do is visit a doctor. After the examination, he will prescribe treatment.
Here are the measures doctors use if your finger joints hurt:
- How to treat a patient if he is diagnosed with an infectious disease? In most cases, antibiotics are used.
- To relieve inflammation, the patient is prescribed medications such as NSAIDs.
- Chondroprotectors are urgently needed to stop destructive processes.
- Gymnastic exercises are prescribed, including in the pool.
- Diet.
Osteoarthritis
If you are wondering why your finger joints hurt, there may be several reasons for this pathology. One of them is a disease such as arthrosis. It is formed due to the destruction of cartilaginous tissue. This happens sequentially. Initially the person does not feel any discomfort. Painful sensations can only appear after physical activity, and quite prolonged. However, after a certain period of time, its character becomes more intense. The pain occurs even at night. This indicates that the disease is starting to progress.
For people who have chronic osteoarthritis and severe pain in the thumb joint, doctors diagnose it as "rhizarthrosis. "The disease has three stages of development. It can be triggered for several reasons. They can be congenital and acquired. In the first case, articular joint dysplasia is diagnosed. Rhizarthrosis also appears due to obesity, metabolic disorders or severe trauma. If treatment is not started on time, this threatens not only the destruction of cartilage, but also articular ligaments, and all nearby bone structures will be affected.
The main symptom of rhizarthrosis, of course, is pain. However, this is not the only thing that accompanies the disease. The patient may also feel a characteristic clicking sound when moving a finger, decreased mobility and numbness. All this complements the swelling and redness of the skin. If your finger joint is swollen and painful, it's time to see a doctor. The fact is that it is much easier to cure rhizarthrosis in the first stage than in the last. Very rare, but surgery may still be necessary.
A disease such as arthrosis is quite common. People of all ages are at risk. Even a minor injury can trigger this. In osteoarthritis, the joints are greatly modified, which affects the shape of the fingers.
Bursitis
If an inflammatory process appears in the periarticular bursa, this means that a disease such as bursitis is developing. It is accompanied by an accumulation of fluid. Inflammation occurs after a severe bruise or abrasion. This disease is also caused by a certain type of microbe – pyogenic. People with this pathology experience pain in the joints of their fingers and toes. Additionally, inflammation can spread throughout the body. Fluid accumulates in the shoulder, knee, elbow and hip joints.
In medicine, two forms of the disease are distinguished: acute and chronic. It all starts with the first. In the initial stage, the person feels severe pain, which increases significantly with movement of the joint. A rather elastic swelling appears. It comes in different diameters. When the disease begins to progress, the pain does not stop at night, even if the hand remains motionless. Also during bursitis, redness of the skin, swelling of the limbs and hypothermia are observed.
If left untreated, the acute form becomes chronic. The latter presents milder symptoms. A person's finger joints hurt much less. You should not refuse treatment, as chronic bursitis does not exclude an increase in fluid, which can lead to the formation of a cystic 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, it will be necessary to protect the limb well with elastic bandages. This will protect you from accidental movements, which cause severe pain. After that, you should consult an orthopedic traumatologist. He will select anti-inflammatories as well as anesthetics that can be taken for acute pain.
Drop
If the joints of the fingers on the right or left hand hurt, gout may be the cause of these unpleasant sensations. This disease is considered the most common. More often found in elderly people. The cause of its occurrence is a violation of uric acid metabolism (sodium crystals are deposited in the tissues). Most people think that gout can only occur in the feet, around the big toe. However, it is not. In some people, these formations can also occur on the fingers of the upper extremities.
The inflammatory process is accompanied by swelling, intense redness, pain and peeling of the skin. Even microtraumas, physical activity, stress, infectious diseases, etc. may be provoking factors. The disease manifests itself quickly. Within a few hours, you will notice all the symptoms described above. Patients often have an elevated temperature, which causes chills or fever. In the acute form of gout, the finger joints become very painful. Even a light touch can significantly increase the unpleasant sensation.
With this disease, it is important to strictly follow the diet. It is selected individually by the doctor for each patient. Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited. The patient should drink at least two liters of water and juices per day. To remove uric acid from the blood, the patient is prescribed anti-gout medications. However, you should not count on quick results, as its use can last for years. They are prescribed only by doctors. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can also be added to them.
Stenosing ligamentitis
If a child experiences pain in the finger joints, it may be caused by a condition called stenosing ligamentitis. It develops in the ligamentous-tendinous apparatus. When this disease occurs, not only one finger, but also several can become blocked when bent. In children, it appears from the first year of life. However, they are not the only ones at risk. Adults can also have stenosing ligamentitis. Most often these are people of retirement age.
The reasons that cause this disease in children are caused by unbalanced development. In other words, the annular ligaments grow much more slowly than the tendons. Because of this, an imbalance occurs. It causes the ligaments to press on the tendons. For this reason, an easily palpable compression occurs. When bending a finger, the child may feel a characteristic click in a particular joint.
The cause of stenosing ligamentitis in adults is an inflammatory process that focuses on the tendons. This is what causes pain in the finger joints. Here's what else can trigger the development of this disease:
- Excessive load.
- Heredity.
- Incorrect structure of the tendons and annular ligament.
- Some diseases (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and others).
Symptoms of stenosing ligamentitis:
- clicks when folding;
- pain when pressed;
- compaction formation;
- restriction of movement.
The first two symptoms correspond to the first stage of the disease. A seal is already formed in the second. But in the third stage, the patient can no longer straighten his fingers on his own. This can only be done surgically. However, this treatment is used in very complex cases. It is best to start developing ligaments and tendons at the initial stage of the disease, carrying out a special physiotherapy complex.
Injuries
Do your finger joints hurt? The cause may be the diseases described above or a dislocation. The latter is caused by the displacement of the bones. Most often, athletes face this pathology. However, ordinary people are not protected from displacement. This type of injury has certain symptoms. These include severe pain, swelling of the affected area, and joint deformity.
Of course, any finger can twist. However, the large one is more susceptible to this. The fact is that it is he who is left unprotected if he moves incorrectly. Although the ligamentous apparatus of this finger is quite powerful, it is easy to get a sprain 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 there may be redness.
Of course, you won't be able to lead your normal lifestyle if your thumb joint hurts. How to treat a dislocation or sprain? If possible, you should consult a doctor. During the consultation, a photo is taken to rule out fracture or dislocation. In the first few minutes it is advisable to apply something cold. Hot compresses are recommended afterwards. Painkillers are taken to reduce pain. Ointments with an analgesic effect are also very useful.
Osteomyelitis
This disease is accompanied by a purulent process that can affect not only the joints, but the entire body. It even penetrates the bone marrow. The seriousness of this pathology cannot be underestimated. The inflammatory process is infectious in nature. It spreads to all nearby tissues. Over time, the lesion enlarges, growing larger and larger. Necrosis occurs due to poor circulation.
Children most often suffer from hematogenous osteomyelitis. This type of disease occurs due to the fact that microorganisms enter the bone tissue along with the blood. If the infection occurs after a fracture or other injury, doctors diagnose "post-traumatic osteomyelitis. "
Symptoms:
- finger joints are very painful;
- there is pain and twisting;
- the temperature increases;
- the injured area swells and turns red;
- finger movements are impossible due to sharp pain;
- pus begins to come out of the skin.
Surgery is considered the most effective treatment. However, it can also be combined with medications. The latter is necessary to prevent bacteria from spreading throughout the body. In the case of osteomyelitis, folk remedies are considered ineffective.
My knuckles hurt. Treatment
Treatment of this pathology is necessary only in a complex manner. It consists of three tasks:
- Eliminate the root cause.
- Relieving the pain.
- Restoring functions.
As mentioned above, treatment must be selected individually in each case. Naturally, when choosing certain methods, doctors take into account the cause of severe pain, symptoms and the degree of inflammation. There are medicinal and surgical treatments.
However, if the person does not have the opportunity to go to the hospital, you can simply try to reduce the pain syndrome. Painkillers are suitable for these purposes. But it is important to remember that they do not eliminate the main cause, therefore, after the effect of the medication wears off, a relapse will inevitably occur. If the pain is very severe, the ointment will help enhance the effect of the pills.
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 well. The ointment is applied to the skin in the affected area.
- Caucasian hellebore.This type of plant is used to prepare an ointment that perfectly relieves pain. To prepare it, you need to take the same amount of honey as there was from 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 dye. The roots are crushed and then filled with vodka. It is necessary to insist 14 days in a place where the sun's rays do not penetrate. Perfectly relieves inflammation if used daily by rubbing it into the joint.
Conclusion
Based on the information presented above, we can conclude that if the finger joints hurt, this should under no circumstances be ignored. The fact is that such a symptom may be the first sign of a serious illness. If you start treatment on time, in 99% of cases the result will be positive. Today medicine offers quite effective methods, you just need to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.