Contents
Diseases of the joints of the hands
Rheumatoid arthritis
This disease is systemic, affects the connective tissue and develops in older people. They are more commonly affected by men. There is an opinion about a possible genetic predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis. Hypothermia, bruises, emotional stress, infectious diseases contribute to its appearance. In the absence of treatment of acute respiratory infections, influenza and tonsillitis, rheumatoid arthritis may develop as a complication. The disease affects the small joints of the hands, as well as the shins, knees and ankles.
It is dangerous because it is usually diagnosed in the later stages, when the connective tissue is severely damaged. Antibodies gradually accumulate in the body and suddenly begin their activity. The patient at the same time leads a habitual way of life and at first does not notice any changes in well-being. Under the influence of antibodies, the joints deform, they can no longer perform their functions and increase in size. This process is accompanied by pain. As a rule, if a joint is damaged on one side, then on the other too. Thus, the inflammation proceeds symmetrically. The joints in rheumatoid arthritis are fixed in one position, on the hands the fingers are shifted to the little finger. It becomes impossible to completely bend or unbend them. Patients may find hard nodules located under the skin of the hands.
After a long sleep or rest, patients need time to overcome the stiffness in order for the joints to start working again. The movements are very painful. Rheumatoid arthritis in some cases is accompanied by vasculitis, that is, inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. High body temperature is another symptom of the disease. Arthritis causes inflammation of the lining of the heart or lungs. This leads to chest pain and breathing difficulties. Women with rheumatoid arthritis often suffer from Sjögren’s syndrome. It is less common in men. Sjögren’s syndrome in medicine refers to inflammation of the mucous membranes. This causes dry eyes and mouth. The vagina, vulva, and trachea may also be affected.
In the course of changes in the joints, scar tissue is formed. The speed of this process depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Rheumatoid arthritis in symptoms resembles a number of other diseases, so the diagnosis cannot always be made correctly. To clarify it, a biopsy is performed, when particles of nodules located under the skin are taken for analysis with a thin needle. In most cases, diagnosis is based on radiography and examination of the joint fluid. The results of biochemical analysis in most patients show an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, low leukocyte count, anemia. In many cases, rheumatoid factor occurs, which means the presence of antibodies in the blood. However, this symptom is characteristic not only for rheumatoid arthritis, but also for some liver diseases, for example, and can be found even in healthy people. The level of rheumatoid arthritis shows the degree of inflammation and increases during periods of exacerbation. The higher it is, the more damage to the joints.
Still’s disease
This is one of the forms of rheumatoid arthritis, characteristic of children. It is named after the scientist who discovered and first described it. With Still’s disease, there is an increase in body temperature. It reaches its highest value several times a day, most often in the evening. The rash appears and disappears unnoticed by the patient. To determine its presence, doctors use warm wipes or intense pressure on the skin. The rash is less common on the face than on the body. It is represented by red or pink spots. The rash on the body can be itchy.
Still’s disease primarily affects the interphalangeal joints in the hands. This phenomenon is not typical for other similar diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In some patients, Still’s disease causes inflammation of the lymph nodes and is accompanied by a burning sensation and sore throat. As with rheumatoid arthritis, pleurisy and pericarditis may develop.
Long-term follow-up is required to diagnose Still’s disease. A biochemical blood test does not show the presence of a rheumatoid factor, but there is an increased content of protein, leukocytes, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases. X-ray allows you to determine changes in the tissues of the joints, a puncture is also performed, during which the joint fluid is examined. To exclude the possibility of malignant tumors, a biopsy of the lymph nodes is performed.
In the acute period, Still’s disease is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Recovery with proper therapy occurs within a few months. Drugs such as prednisolone, dexamethasone, and less often methotrexate are used.
Osteoarthritis
This chronic disease involves a change in cartilage tissue, as a result of which the joints are deformed and become immobile. They mainly affect the elderly. Osteoarthritis they have pronounced symptoms. Young people who experience such a disease usually do not experience such severe discomfort.
The joints of the fingers are the first to be affected by osteoarthritis. After it spreads to the cross and cervical spine, knees. You can determine the presence of the disease by the characteristic crunch in the joints, which is heard when making movements. At first, immobility of the joint is observed in a person after sleep or a long rest. And it goes away within an hour. In the later stages of the development of osteoarthritis, the joints are finally fixed in a bent position. Heberden’s nodes form at the fingertips. During physical activity, pain in the joints is felt. At a young age, the main symptoms are crackling and snapping of the fingers.
Osteoarthritis is primary, arising from unknown causes, and secondary, appearing as a result of other diseases. Its development is facilitated by joint injuries, their deformation and overload. To identify osteoarthritis allow pain in the joints. An accurate diagnosis is made on the basis of X-ray examination and magnetic resonance imaging. X-ray is informative in the later stages of the development of the disease. During it, it is determined how much the bone is destroyed and the cartilage tissue is damaged. Aspiration of the joint, that is, the study of joint fluid, is rarely used.
Exercise can help relieve pain and inflammation. The specific type of load should be prescribed by a doctor. The state of rest should be alternated with physical activity. Too soft mattresses, chairs should be replaced with more rigid ones. If you have excess weight, you need to get rid of it. It puts extra stress on the joints. Reducing weight will increase mobility and prevent deformation.
Treatment for osteoarthritis of the fingers includes physical therapy and thermal treatments. It is recommended to make paraffin baths with the addition of mineral oil. Aspirin and ibuprofen help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Other anti-inflammatory agents may also be used. Paracetamol is used as an analgesic.
Anesthesia is carried out not only with medication, but also with the help of warm and cold compresses, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation using a special device. Massage sessions warm up the muscles, improve blood circulation, which has a positive effect on the joints.
Stenosing ligamentitis
It is often called trigger finger disease, when it is fixed in a bent position and is difficult to return. This happens due to inflammation of the tendon, when it increases in size and knots form on it. Because of this, when the finger is bent, the tendon does not enter the vagina, so some force is required. Under normal circumstances, this is not required.
High sensitivity of the finger, numbness, pain during its flexion and extension, swelling of the joint, the appearance of a bump – all these are symptoms of stenosing ligamentitis. They appear more strongly after a long immobility of the fingers. The cause of the development of the disease is rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus and excessive stress on the joints. To get rid of pain and to cope with stenosing ligamentitis allow injections into the tendon sheath, taking anti-inflammatory drugs.
Gout
It manifests itself in the form of acute attacks of arthritis, accompanied by severe pain. Gout often causes kidney stones. The blood contains uric acid. If the kidneys stop functioning normally, it accumulates in the body. The amount of uric acid can also increase due to a number of diseases, for example, cancer. Its excess leads to deposits in the joints of its crystals – urates. This is how gout develops.
Attacks provoke operations and injuries, alcohol abuse, excessive amounts of protein in the diet, stress. With gout, pain occurs in the wrist and is most strongly felt at night. The skin in this place turns red, a swelling appears. The patient experiences general weakness, heart rate increases, temperature rises, chills are possible. An attack of gout lasts for several days. Over time, its duration increases, the pain intensifies. If treatment is not started on time, attacks will occur more often, become more severe and involve more joints. In the chronic form of gout, their deformation occurs, urate crystals accumulate under the skin in large quantities, and can be released to the outside.
The disease is diagnosed based on the results of a biochemical blood test. But in some cases, uric acid levels may be normal even during an acute attack. The main task in the treatment of gout is to reduce pain, for which indomethacin, colchicine is used. After a few hours, the discomfort in the joints weakens, and a few days after the start of taking the drugs they disappear completely. Corticosteroids and analgesics help reduce inflammation. Tophi, which are deposits of urate, gradually decrease in size. Sometimes you have to resort to surgery to remove them. The reason for going to the doctor in the case of gout is severe pain in the joints, redness of the skin in this place, swelling. All this can be accompanied by chills, tachycardia and general malaise. The pain in the joints is most severe at night.
Polyosteoarthrosis
This disease is diagnosed in case of severe pathological changes in the bones. The development of polyosteoarthrosis begins with the destruction of cartilage tissue. This disease is considered one of the most common among rheumatic diseases. It affects all older people, regardless of gender.
Polyosteoarthritis is not an inflammatory disease and does not have a devastating effect on other body systems. Affects mainly the interphalangeal joints in the hands. However, the lack of necessary treatment complicates the life of the patient. With polyosteoarthritis, severe pain occurs, the joints cease to function normally.
There are several reasons for the development of the disease. First of all, this is an increased load on the joints, as well as narrowing of the joint space, thinning of the cartilage tissue and thickening of the joint capsule. The risk of developing polyosteoarthritis increases for patients with diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic disorders. There are two forms of the disease. Primary polyosteoarthritis is considered an independent disease resulting from hypothermia, increased physical activity, and secondary is one of the types of complications, for example, after an injury.
As with most of these diseases, the main symptoms are pain in damaged joints, their immobility after a long sleep. In the morning, it takes no more than an hour to restore their functions. At first, the movement is accompanied by tangible discomfort, which eventually passes.
The doctor determines the presence of polyosteoarthrosis using tomography. When conducting an x-ray examination, a contrast method is used. With its help, specific areas of cartilage tissue change are determined. Joint surface scintigraphy is a research method that allows to determine disorders in the metabolism of articular tissues.
With polyosteoarthritis, you should follow a diet, minimize the load on diseased joints. Physical exercises should be performed daily under the guidance of an instructor. In the absence of contraindications, it is useful to visit the pool. Pain can be reduced by electrical stimulation and laser therapy. Analgesics to relieve the discomfort caused by diseased joints are prescribed by the attending physician. It is not recommended to occupy one position for a long time, it is necessary to knead the fingers, move more.
Arthritis
This is a collective name that refers to various diseases of the joints. It is either acute or chronic. In the first case, the main symptoms of arthritis are swelling, redness at the site of inflammation of the joint, high body temperature. In the chronic form of arthritis, pain occurs intermittently. It is impossible to completely deal with it. But treatment is necessary to ease the pain and slow down the development of the disease, which always leads to the loss of joint function.
With increased load, diseased joints emit a characteristic crunch. Patients with arthritis cannot cope when physical force is needed. This disease often develops as a complication after an infection or accompanies other ailments.
Prevention of arthritis helps to avoid disease or slow down damage to the joints. To do this, you need to monitor your weight, exercise regularly. The use of large amounts of sugar, easily digestible simple carbohydrates, sweet carbonated drinks has a negative effect on the joints. Prevention of arthritis means giving up bad habits. It is impossible to occupy the same position for a long time, for example, to write, straining the brush. During such work, breaks should be taken to perform simple physical exercises as a warm-up.
Pain in the joints of the fingers
In medicine, pain in the joints of the fingers is called arthralgia. It greatly complicates a person’s life, because he cannot write normally, take objects, and perform other simple actions. Pain can be mechanical or inflammatory. Mechanical is caused by damage to the joints. It can be injuries, bruises, sprains.
Inflammatory processes cause pain of the second type. In this case, discomfort is not associated with injuries and damage. Inflammatory pain is accompanied by redness of the skin in the joint area and its immobility. It can be caused by various diseases: gout, rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, osteoarthritis. If the pain occurs in more than one joint, it is called polyarthralgia.
Joint problems can be the result of past infectious diseases: rubella, ORS, salmonellosis, or exacerbation of chronic ones, such as sinusitis or tonsillitis. Pain can also be caused by taking glucocorticoids.
Hand joint treatment
Therapy for pain in the joints of the hands involves alleviating discomfort, treating the disease that caused them. The most effective drugs in this case are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
With rheumatoid arthritis, glucocorticosteroid hormones help well. the intake of these drugs is combined with the use of various ointments, which include anesthetics. When the period of exacerbation of the disease of the joints of the hands passes, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system of the body. For this, monoclonal antibodies, immunosuppressive agents and cytostatics are used. Restoration of the structure of cartilage tissue is provided by chondroprotective drugs.
Along with taking medications, non-drug methods help to cope with diseases of the joints of the hands: mud therapy, physiotherapy, massage, paraffin therapy and ultrasound. An important role is played by good nutrition and the alternation of physical activity with good rest.