Hands are very important for a person. You can do a variety of 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 finest 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 age of the patient plays an important role. Of course, people after 40 years of age are more susceptible to inflammatory processes. However, both young people and children may complain of joint pain. What causes it? Let's figure it out.
Finger joints hurt: causes
Your joints won't hurt that 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.
- Arthrosis.
- Gout.
- Bursitis.
- Osteomyelitis.
Of course, these are not all the reasons that can cause pain in the finger joint. The most common ones 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 see a doctor. The fact is that this symptom can be caused either by a simple injury or by a rather serious disease that requires specific treatment. The sooner you start it, the easier it is to achieve a positive result.
Most people of retirement age begin to experience joint pain. They usually develop arthritis. The inflammatory process can occur in acute or chronic form. 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 do not stop even 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 may also be disabled for life. Scientists believe that this disease is caused by improper functioning of the immune system. Children under 16 years of age are at risk.
Rheumatoid arthritis is of a different nature. Caused by infectious and allergic diseases. The danger of this type is that without treatment, the acute form becomes chronic. Such a person will be constrained in movement and constantly suffer from pain.
Under no circumstances should treatment be carried out independently, since it is necessary to know the type of arthritis and the reasons that provoked 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 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.
- In order to relieve inflammation, the patient is prescribed drugs such as NSAIDs.
- Chondroprotectors are urgently needed to stop destructive processes.
- Gymnastic exercises are prescribed, including in the pool.
- Dieting.
Arthrosis
If you are wondering why the joints on your fingers hurt, then 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 cartilage tissue. This happens sequentially. Initially, the person does not feel any discomfort. Painful sensations can appear only after physical activity, and quite a long one. However, after a certain period of time, their character becomes more intense. The pain occurs even at night. This indicates that the disease is beginning to progress.
For people who have chronic arthrosis and severe pain in the thumb joint, doctors diagnose it as "rhizarthrosis. "The disease has three stages of development. It can be triggered by several reasons. They can be both congenital and acquired. In the first case, dysplasia of the articular joint is diagnosed. Rhizarthrosis also appears due to obesity, metabolic disorders or severe trauma. If treatment is not started in time, this threatens not only the destruction of cartilage, but also articular ligaments, and all nearby bone structures are 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 crunch when moving a finger, decreased mobility and numbness. All this complements the swelling and redness of the skin. If the joint of your finger is swollen and painful, then 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 still be necessary.
A disease such as arthrosis is quite common. People of all ages are at risk. Even a minor injury can trigger it. With arthrosis, 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 have pain in the joints of their fingers and toes. 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 stage, a 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 limb 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 an increase in fluid, which can lead to the formation of a cystic cavity. Also, 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 will need to secure the limb well with elastic bandages. This will protect you from accidental movement, which causes severe pain. After this, you should consult an orthopedic traumatologist. He will select anti-inflammatory drugs, 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, then gout may be the cause of these unpleasant sensations. This disease is considered the most common. Most often 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 think that gout can only occur on the feet around the big toe. However, it is not. In some people, such formations may also occur on the fingers of the upper extremities.
The inflammatory process is accompanied by swelling, severe redness, pain, and peeling of the skin. Even microtrauma, physical activity, stress, infectious diseases, etc. can be a provoking factor. The disease manifests itself quite quickly. Within a few hours, you will notice all the symptoms described above. Patients often have a high temperature, which causes chills or fever. In the acute form of gout, the joints of the fingers are very painful. Even a slight touch can significantly increase the unpleasant sensation.
With this disease, it is important to strictly adhere to 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 drugs. However, you should not count on quick results, since their use can last for years. They are prescribed only by doctors. Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs can also be added to them.
Stenosing ligamentitis
If a child has pain in the joints of his fingers, this may be caused by a pathology called stenosing ligamentitis. It develops in the ligamentous-tendon apparatus. When this disease occurs, not only one finger, but also several may become blocked in a bent state. In children it manifests itself starting from the first year of life. However, they are not the only ones at risk. Adults can also get stenosing ligamentitis. Most often these are people of retirement age.
The reasons that provoke this disease in children are caused by unbalanced development. That is, annular ligaments grow much slower than tendons. Because of this, an imbalance occurs. It causes the ligaments to press on the tendons. For this reason, an easily palpable compaction occurs. When bending a finger, the child may feel a characteristic click in a certain joint.
The cause of stenosing ligamentitis in adults is an inflammatory process, the focus of which is in the tendons. This is what causes pain in the joints of the fingers. Here's what else can trigger the development of this disease:
- Excessive load.
- Heredity.
- Incorrect structure of tendons and annular ligament.
- Some diseases (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and others).
Symptoms of stenosing ligamentitis:
- clicks when bending;
- pain when pressed;
- compaction formation;
- restriction in movement.
The first two symptoms correspond to the first stage of the disease. A seal forms already on the second. But at the third stage, the patient can no longer straighten his fingers independently. This can only be done surgically. However, such treatment is used in rather complex cases. It is best to start developing ligaments and tendons at the initial stage of the disease, performing a special physical therapy complex.
Injuries
Do your finger joints hurt? The cause may be the diseases described above or a dislocation. The latter is provoked by displacement of the bones. Most often, athletes face this pathology. However, ordinary people are not protected from dislocations. This type of injury has certain symptoms. These include severe pain, swelling of the affected area and joint deformity.
Of course, any finger can be sprained. However, the big one is most susceptible to this. The fact is that it is he who remains 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 experiences 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 usual lifestyle if your thumb joint hurts. How to treat a dislocation or sprain? If possible, you should consult a doctor. At the appointment, a photo is taken to rule out a fracture or displacement. In the first minutes, it is advisable to apply something cold. Warm compresses are recommended afterwards. Analgesics are taken to reduce pain. Ointments that have an analgesic 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 seriousness of this pathology cannot be underestimated. The inflammatory process is infectious in nature. It spreads to all nearby tissues. Over time, the lesion increases, growing more and more. 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 with the blood. If the infection occurs after a fracture or other injury, then doctors diagnose "post-traumatic osteomyelitis. "
Symptoms:
- the joints of the fingers are very sore;
- there is aching and twisting;
- temperature rises;
- the injured area swells and turns red;
- finger movements are impossible due to acute pain;
- pus begins to come out through the skin.
Surgery is considered the most effective treatment. However, it can also be combined with medication. The latter is necessary in order to prevent bacteria from spreading throughout the body. In the case of osteomyelitis, folk remedies are considered ineffective.
The joints of my fingers hurt. Treatment
Treatment of this pathology is necessary only in a complex manner. It consists of three tasks:
- Eliminate the root cause.
- Relieving pain.
- Restoring functions.
As mentioned above, treatment should 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 treatments both medicinal and surgical.
However, if a person does not have the opportunity to visit the hospital, then one 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, so after the effect of the medicine wears off, a relapse will inevitably occur. If the pain is very severe, then ointment will help enhance 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 thoroughly mixed. The ointment is applied to the skin of 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 hellebore. To these ingredients add unrefined vegetable oil, literally a few drops, and a pinch of dry mustard. All this is mixed until smooth, then heated in a water bath. Apply to the affected area before going to 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 crushed and then filled with vodka. It is necessary to insist for 14 days in a place where the sun's rays do not penetrate. It perfectly relieves inflammation if you use it daily, rubbing it into the joint.
Conclusion
Based on the information presented above, we can conclude that if the joints of the fingers hurt, then this should under no circumstances be ignored. The fact is that such a symptom can be the first sign of a serious illness. If you start treatment on time, then in 99% of cases the result will be positive. Today, medicine offers quite effective methods; you just need to see a doctor and get examined.