Pain in hands and fingers

When your hands and fingers hurt, it means that the body is signaling joint diseases or internal pathologies. Often the patient tries to solve the problem by himself, unaware of the risk of disability in a short time. Information about why pain appears in the joints of the fingers and what to do is useful for those who have felt the first symptoms of the disease and who have close relatives suffering from joint pathology.

Causes

There are a number of diseases associated with pain and inflammation of the hand. This includes:

Gouty arthritis

The disease appears at the age of over 20 years. The big toes are the first to undergo the inflammatory process. There is a paroxysmal course of joint inflammation. The attack most often begins at night. Joint pain is acute. The area of skin over the affected joint becomes purple. The finger becomes hot and hard to bend. The inflammation lasts a maximum of 10 days. The attack may go away suddenly, without treatment, but will soon appear again.

Polyosteoarthrosis

People over 40 are affected: men - less often than women. Distinctive signs of the disease are Heberden's nodes, when the nodes begin to form, swelling and redness of the joints, burning and sharp pain are observed, in some patients the nodes are formed asymptomatically. With polyosteoarthrosis, the formation of joints in the joint in the middle of the finger is also observed. Bouchard's nodes are spindle-shaped, almost painless and characterized by slow growth.

Rheumatoid arthritis

The onset of the disease is manifested by inflammation of the joints of the index and middle fingers. Along with the metacarpophalangeal joints, the wrist joints become inflamed, swollen and painful. The pain in the knuckle is especially painful in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with weakness, joint pain and fever.

Psoriatic arthritis

The pathology develops in patients with psoriasis. Pain and swelling of the joints are observed in the pathology. Pathology has another name - "sausage-shaped" finger. At the same time, all joints and joints of the finger become inflamed. In rare cases, the joints in both hands become inflamed, but in different fingers.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis

The inflammation affects only the thumb. The pain is caused by loads when you try to direct the elbow towards the elbow. Sometimes your finger hurts for no apparent reason.

Rhizarthrosis

Rare pathology. Rhizarthrosis is a chronic form of arthrosis. Localization is observed at the base of the thumb. The disease leads to deformation of cartilage tissue. The big toe bone becomes 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 big toe.
• My index finger hurts.
• There is a feeling of numbness in the skin of the palm.
• Hand mobility is reduced.

Without treatment, the nerve loses its ability to function, leading to disability.

Raynaud's disease

The cause of the disease is a decrease in capillary tone. Manifested with symptoms: numbness, pallor of the skin of the hand, vasodilatation, resulting in redness of the fingers. Sometimes there is a bluish color, acute pain and swelling. The pathology is characterized by constant freezing of the hands, which in the last stage of development become blue or black. Trophic ulcers are often observed.

INJURY

Pain in the hand most often appears with bruises and sprains. A bruise of the hand is manifested by the following symptoms: swelling, blueness or redness of the place of the bruise, severe pain when trying to move the finger, the formation of a hematoma and pathological mobility of the damaged finger.

Tendonitis

The disease affects a person who constantly performs monotonous movements (sewing, typing, playing the piano). "Writing" cramp occurs during the daily stress of typing. The painful syndrome is observed in people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis. Wrist pain is especially noticeable at night. Painful sensations are often accompanied by a cracking sound.

In a person who makes small movements with the hands, there are tingling sensations and numbness in the fingers. Repetitive overuse of the hand contributes to trigger finger syndrome. A bent finger is difficult to straighten; if force is applied to steer it, a click is heard.

Pain due to internal pathologies

There is often pain in the hand and fingers for reasons unrelated to joint disease. People suffering from pathologies are at risk:

• Ischemia of the heart. With myocardial infarction, the onset of the attack often coincides with a feeling of pain and tingling in the left hand.
• dIABETES. The pathology leads to a more sensitive condition of the hands due to poor circulation.

Pain and numbness are often seen in pregnant women. The following changes lead to swelling and pain in the finger joints during pregnancy: increase in the amount of relaxin hormone, lack of calcium, compression 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 are injured at the same time. Half of the painful manifestations occur in the ring and little fingers, and a third in the index and thumb. If the pain is felt in all the fingers of the right hand, the problem is related to the blood vessels. Pain in the index finger and thumb indicates pathology of the spine. If the index, ring and thumb are injured 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 foramen hernia.

The fingers on my left hand hurt

If the pain appears only in all the fingers of the left hand, the problem is sought in the blood vessels. The thumb, index and ring finger hurt - the radial or middle nerve is affected, the index and thumb - spinal pathology. Pain in the little finger and ring finger occurs with a foraminal hernia of C5-C6. The joint of the middle finger hurts due to a foramen hernia of C4-C5.

Which specialist to choose?

For whatever reason your hands hurt, a visit to the doctor is mandatory. If you have post-traumatic pain, you should make an appointment with a traumatologist. If the joints are inflamed or swelling occurs, a rheumatologist will help. When the cause of the pain is unclear, you should consult a cardiologist and endocrinologist.

Diagnosing

It is possible to diagnose pathologies using the following hardware tests:

• X-rays. The painless procedure makes it possible to study the bone tissue. The results of the study were recorded on film in 3 projections.
• c T. The study is carried out using x-rays. The results obtained after computer processing are a series of cross-sectional images.
• Electrospondylography. It detects the presence of anomalies in the part of the spine responsible for the functioning of the arms. The pathology is detected at the initial stage of development.
• MRI. The diagnosis is carried out using electromagnetic radiation. As a result of the study, images of longitudinal and transverse sections are obtained.

Laboratory methods

To diagnose joint pathology, studies are carried out:

• General analysis of urine. 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 and sialic acids.
• puncture. After puncturing the affected joint, the fluid in it is taken for examination. The study is prescribed to accurately determine the cause of the development of the pathology; performed in rare cases.
• Biopsy. A piece of skin tissue is taken for microscopic examination. Using the method, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are detected.

Treatment

Pain in the hands is treated according to the reasons that caused it. For arthritis flare-ups, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. For the normal supply of food from the blood to the joints, it is necessary to use vasodilating drugs. Anti-inflammatory ointments are used for local therapy. Good results are obtained when arthritis is treated with ultrasound, electrophoresis and acupuncture.

For osteoarthritis, centrally acting analgesics are prescribed to relieve the patient from acute pain. In addition to pain relief, such drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect. Chondroprotectors: chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid in some cases are taken continuously. Laser treatment has been used successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Considerable relief is achieved using physiotherapeutic procedures: massage, mud therapy.

For gout, taking medications is indicated to normalize the metabolism of purines in the body. Analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. Of particular importance is a diet with limited consumption of meat products, fish and alcohol. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured, but it is possible to slow down the destructive process of the joint using anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and surgical methods. Acupuncture and massage have also proven themselves well.

To treat carpal tunnel syndrome, comfortable working conditions must be created, taking into account the correct position of the hand. For painful sensations, make compresses from chamomile decoction.

Surgical methods

If conservative treatment is ineffective, the joint is replaced by surgery. The indications for surgical intervention are:

• Injuries with the separation of the tendon from the place of attachment to the nail phalanx.
• Arthritis of the hand.
• Breaks and cracks.
• Deep cuts.
• Malignant neoplasms of the hand.

How to treat according to traditional recipes

Effective folk recipes to combat pain in the hands:

• Recipe no. 1. Aloe ointment. Take 20 g of crushed fresh aloe leaves, add 5 g of dry mustard. Mix and boil for 8–10 minutes until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Transfer to a container away from light. The joints of the hands are lubricated in the morning and in the evening until there is a noticeable improvement.
• Recipe no. 2. Bird cherry tincture. 50 g of bird cherry peel is poured with 200 ml of vodka. Insist for 10 days without access to light. Lubricate the brushes 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
• Recipe no. 3. Calendula bath. A tablespoon of dried calendula flowers is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Prepare the stew for 15 minutes. on low heat. Treatment procedures continue for 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 procedures.
• Recipe no. 4. Dandelion root drink. So, 1 tablespoon of dandelion root is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals for 14 days.
• Recipe no. 5. Three tablespoons of sea salt are heated in the microwave. Wrap it in a gauze bandage, apply it to the joint and leave it for 30 minutes.

The procedures are carried out every day for 20 days.

Useful tips

By following the recommendations of doctors, you can significantly help the body in mitigating joint diseases. If swelling of the hands occurs, jewelry should be removed. In case of injury, it is necessary to keep the hand still and apply a cold compress. If there is pain from exertion, it should be eliminated or significantly reduced. The need to change jobs that require repetitive movements.

You should immediately consult a doctor if the following symptoms appear:

• The post-traumatic pain does not subside, stiffness of movements is observed and it is difficult to bend the finger.
• The hand is red and there is heat in the skin area.
• There is a tingling sensation in the hand.
• The phalanges of the fingers hurt.
• Hand or finger goes numb.

Preventing

To prevent hand pain, you should:

• Include exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hands in your morning exercise routine.
• If repeated movements are necessary, you should take breaks.
• Prolonged standing in a position that requires a fixed position of the hands should be avoided.
• Avoid getting your hands too cold.

Pain in the hands is caused by various reasons. To relieve pain, drug treatments, physiotherapy, surgical methods and folk recipes are used. To improve the quality of your life, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations.