Why?The causes of pain in the joints of the fingers can be completely different, but the resulting problem is the same. This is incredible discomfort, which is quite capable of poisoning life, because it is with our hands that we make many movements during the day.
What to do?There are different ways to minimize pain. It is very difficult to completely eradicate the problem, but it is also possible. The main thing is to make a correct diagnosis with the help of specialists and select a treatment regimen. However, it is even more important not to neglect preventive measures.
The main causes of pain in the joints of the fingers
Hand injuries
The pain from bruising a finger is quite moderate and goes away quite quickly. True, not without consequences: hemorrhages, bruises, hyperemia or swelling may occur in the area of the bruise. But the finger will function as usual, with minor disturbances. A hematoma on the finger from the palm is characterized by pain of moderate intensity and subsequent peeling of the skin (dark blood accumulates in the cavity).
Subungual hematomas are much more difficult to bear: they are accompanied by severe throbbing and twitching pain, which is especially felt when lowering the arm down. After a bruise, the nail plate may completely or partially peel off.
Intense, explosive pain can be caused by a broken finger. Such injuries are accompanied by sharp pain, which then weakens somewhat, but does not disappear. The finger stops functioning normally, swells, turns into one continuous bruise, sometimes becomes pathologically immobile, becomes deformed (in the joints and not only), and makes crunching sounds. If you try to move the sore finger joint, it springs and resists.
Frostbite on the hands is accompanied by mild tingling pain in the first few hours, which then increases and becomes burning. The finger becomes bluish and swells. With severe frostbite, the distal parts lose sensitivity, the fingers turn pale and remain cold, and pain is felt between the injured and healthy areas.
Infectious infections
The cause of rapidly increasing pain in the finger joint may be panaritium. An abscess forms, the finger swells, turns blue, and hyperemia is observed. The nature of the pain is throbbing and twitching. It bothers the patient at night, especially if felon has developed under the nail or deep in the limb (tendon, bone, articular felon). Superficial forms of this disease (subcutaneous and cutaneous, peri- and subungual) do not particularly affect general well-being, but deep panaritium can lead to fever and general intoxication.
A more exotic cause of pain in the finger joint is chinga. It affects people who cut up and process the carcasses of commercial marine animals. A small wound, crack or abrasion on the skin is enough for the infection to penetrate inside and affect the entire finger. The disease begins with minor dull pain at the site of injury, but after a day or two discomfort arises and in the joint, most often the proximal one, the pain intensifies, the joint begins to ache and pulsate, the finger swells, turns pale or becomes bluish in color.
Arthritis of the joints
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common cause of symmetrical pain in the joints of the fingers of the upper extremities. The intensity of symptoms varies: in the first degree - only slight arthralgia and stiffness of movement (which, however, quickly passes), in the second - long periods of stiffness, redness of the affected joints, limitation of their mobility, constant pain (both at rest and in motion), and with the third, it becomes impossible to move the diseased joint at all, stiffness and swelling do not go away, hyperemia and pain are constant and very noticeable.
Usually it is women who wonder about the causes and methods of treating pain in the joints of the fingers: the fair half of humanity most often suffers from gouty arthritis. It can affect either one or several finger joints at once, causing severe sudden pain, swelling, hyperemia, increased body temperature and immobilization of the affected finger.
The usual symptoms of the disease are increased pain at night and at rest, but lessening during the day and during movement, as well as swelling of the fingers, blue or purple skin. The interphalangeal joints of the fingers are most often affected. The finger gradually becomes deformed in several places.
Post-traumatic arthritis affects only one joint. With arthritis caused by allergic and infectious causes (for example, diseases of a viral and bacterial nature), several finger joints may be affected at once. Occupational peripheral arthritis affects only those joints that are loaded the most.
In any case, pain in the joints of the fingers, the cause of which is arthritis in one form or another, is bothersome mainly at night, and disappears during the day, leaving only local swelling, difficulty moving and some stiffness in the morning. Long-term advanced arthritis leads to deformation of the fingers.
Joint degeneration due to disease
At the initial stage of arthrosis of the hands, pain in the fingers is characterized by short duration, periodicity and uncertainty. In the morning, joint movements are constrained. As arthrosis progresses, the pain becomes stronger and longer, accompanying every movement of the fingers, their character is sometimes burning. Household chores and minor operations are increasingly difficult to perform with the affected hand. Lateral deformations occur, and Bouchard and Heberden nodes become noticeable.
Tendon and ligament pathologies
Pain in the palm and at the base of the finger is usually caused by stenosing ligamentitis. Initially, pain is felt only with some movements of small amplitude and with pressure, but gradually begins to appear at rest. Movements are constrained, joints click. The more the disease develops, the more noticeable the recoil after such clicks and the flexion contracture.
If the cause of pain in the joints of the fingers is de Quervain’s disease, then the discomfort is initially noticeable only when bending and abducting this finger, but subsequently any movement causes pressing, aching pain (and sometimes you don’t even need to move anything, the joint also hurts at rest). The pain syndrome often radiates to the distal phalanx, in some cases to the forearm on the side where the first finger grows.
Angiotrophoneuroses
When vasospasm occurs, Raynaud's syndrome occurs. Because of it, the fingers become cold and paroxysmally numb. The second phase of the attack is accompanied by aching pain with a bursting and burning effect. The attack does not last long. After it, the distal parts of the hands turn red and feel hot. The causes of this condition, which causes pain in the joints of the fingers, are very diverse. It can be:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- systemic lupus erythematosus;
- scleroderma;
- Sharp's syndrome;
- antisynthetase syndrome;
- thromboangiitis obliterans of the hands;
- occupational diseases, pathologies of metabolic and endocrine systems.
If the patient is not diagnosed with any of these diseases, then the cause of pain in the joints of the fingers is Raynaud's disease with its characteristic set of symptoms. Women are more susceptible to it.
Hematological, neurological and endocrine diseases can lead to erythromelalgia, but it can also occur on its own. The disease is expressed in the form of hyperemia and swelling of the fingers, burning pain, paroxysmal and paroxysmal, sometimes in both hands at once or first in one and then in the second. The attack of pain is so strong that it is simply impossible to move your fingers. You can relieve pain by raising or cooling the affected arm (when the limb is warmed up and lowered, the pain worsens).
Nerve diseases
If you feel a burning or shooting pain in your finger joint, the cause is likely neurological. Especially if, in addition to pain, the sensitivity of the hand is impaired and vegetative-trophic disorders are observed.
This could be, for example, median nerve neuropathy. With this disease, the palmar side of the first to third fingers hurts, and they cannot be bent. It is not possible to move the first finger forward, and there are also serious problems with clenching the palm into a fist.
Attacks of pain in the joints of the fingers at night and the disappearance of pain when shaking or lowering the hands may indicate carpal tunnel syndrome. With this type of median nerve neuropathy, pain is also localized on the side of the palm.
If neuropathy has developed on the radial nerve, then, on the contrary, the dorsum of the hand and first finger (sometimes also the second and third) hurt, provided that the wrist or forearm is affected. The back of the hand may become numb, and pain may radiate to the forearm, even if it itself is healthy.
If the cause of pain in the joints of the fingers is neuropathy of the ulnar nerve, then these pains (in the hand and fourth and fifth fingers) are radiating in nature, and the main source of discomfort is located in the elbow joint. The elbow and hand hurt especially badly in the morning.
Tumors
In addition to malignant neoplasia of the hands (which people suffer from quite rarely), benign tumors can also cause pain in the finger joints: chondroma or osteoid chondroma. The pain in the first case is mild and not localized, but osteoid osteomas, on the contrary, lead to sharp pain strictly in the affected area.
Other reasons
Writer's cramp, which accompanies a number of neurological and mental disorders (in particular, professional neurosis), also causes pain in the finger joints in men and women and requires treatment. Writing, typing on a computer keyboard or typewriter becomes painful. A nagging, aching pain is accompanied by a sharp weakening, trembling in the hand, and local cramps. Pain in the finger joints can also be caused by other pathologies:
- leukemia (Waldenström macroglobulinemia);
- neoplasms in the adrenal glands (aldosteroma);
- complications of diabetes (diabetic neuropathy);
- vascular lesions (distal digital embolism in case of occlusion of the subclavian artery);
- inherited diseases (Fabry disease);
- typically childhood diseases, for example, neuro-arthritic diathesis.
Diagnosis and treatment of pain in the joints of the fingers
A correct diagnosis will allow you to determine the true causes of pain in the joints of the fingers, be it inflammatory or another pathological process. If the pain is very severe and it is difficult to straighten and bend your fingers, be sure to seek medical help. Your doctor will likely send you for a test, which usually consists of:
- laboratory tests of blood, urine, rheumatic tests;
- radiography;
- MRI,
- computed tomography of the fingers.
Treatment tactics are aimed not only at relieving the patient of pain in the joints of the fingers, but also at eliminating its causes. For example, for inflammation, anti-inflammatory drugs (hormonal or non-steroidal) are prescribed, and for infection, antibiotics are prescribed.
The main goal of therapy in the case of dystrophic joint damage is the restoration of cartilage tissue, for which massage, physiotherapy and chondroprotectors are used. To restore joint mobility, special exercises are prescribed.
Physical therapy has proven to be the most effective way to treat small joints, including fingers. These are electrosleep, MRI and electrophoresis with novocaine, as well as a number of other procedures. During remission, it is advisable to undergo treatment in a sanatorium or resort using radon or hydrogen sulfide sources.
As for the diet, for pain in the joints of the fingers, whatever their causes, it is recommended:
- eat more seafood and fish to get phosphorus, calcium and iron;
- take apple cider vinegar to remove toxins from the body;
- consume fish oil and flaxseed oil (the fatty acids contained in them help normalize fat metabolism).
It is also very useful to add nuts, ginger, fruits (currants and pomegranates), radishes and lettuce to your diet. But it is advisable to limit mayonnaise, sweet and starchy, spicy and smoked foods, as well as fatty dairy products.
Preventing pain in the joints of the fingers
Eliminate the causes of finger joint pain in men and women so that treatment is not necessary:
- do not overcool your hands;
- limit your alcohol consumption, and if you smoke, quit the habit;
- maintain a balance of vegetables and fruits in your diet, and less canned, spicy and fried foods;
- treat all runny noses and ARVI, without hoping that the disease will go away on its own;
- Make sure your body weight is normal;
- stop snapping your fingers.
Do a simple exercise to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, so you don’t have to think about how to treat pain in your finger joints and what their causes are. If you work a lot on the computer, then this is a must. Clench all your fingers into a fist, raise your thumb as if in approval, and rotate it first clockwise, then counterclockwise. There are many other exercises for your finger joints.
Exercises against pain in the joints of the fingers
Make a fist
Spread your palm, fingers extended, so that tension is felt in all joints and muscles. This simple action should not be accompanied by pain.
Do a simple stretch: clench your palm into a fist for half a minute to a minute so that your thumb lies on top of the rest, then unclench and extend all your fingers, spreading them apart. Do this at least four times for each hand.
Stretch your fingers
To make your finger joints more mobile and relieve pain when bending them (whatever the cause of the pain), repeat a simple exercise.
The palm is placed on a flat surface with the back side facing up. The fingers should be straightened without straining the joints and held there for 30-60 seconds. Then relax your hand and return to the starting position. Repeat four times with each hand.
Use this exercise to relieve pain and improve joint mobility.
Draw claws
Another exercise for mobility of finger joints.
Turn your palm with the inside facing you and bend your fingers so that their tips are at the base of the joints and the hand looks like a clawed paw. Hold for half a minute or a minute, repeat four times or more for each hand.
Train your grip
Regardless of the reasons that cause pain in the joints of the fingers, a person needs to somehow hold objects, operate door handles, etc. , so it is advisable to train the fingers.
Squeeze the soft ball as hard as you can for a few minutes. Let go. Repeat 10-15 times with each hand, twice or thrice a week (but with an interval of at least two days between sessions). The exercise is contraindicated for injuries to the joints of the thumb.
pinching
This exercise trains the muscles of the fingers to make it easier to open various packages and doors with keys and refuel the car. Pinch the soft ball with your thumb and any other finger, holding it for half a minute or a minute. For each hand you need to repeat the pinching 10-15 times. Like the previous exercise, pinching is performed two to three times a week with a mandatory 48-hour interval between sessions and only if the thumb joints are not injured.
Raise your finger
This exercise helps make your joints more mobile and your fingers flexible.
The palm is placed on a smooth surface with the back side facing up. You need to lift each finger one by one and put it back, but you can immediately use all fingers at the same time. You need to do this 10-12 times with each hand.
Retract your thumb
This exercise trains the muscles of the thumb to make it easier to grasp and lift objects (for example, cans and bottles).
Wrap your palm and thumb with an elastic band and place them on a table or any flat surface with the back side facing up. Using the resistance of the rubber band, move your thumb to the side, hold it there for half a minute or a minute and then relax, and so on 10-15 times with each hand. The exercise is done twice or thrice a week, but not more often than once every 48 hours.
This exercise trains the muscles of the thumb to make it easier to grasp and lift objects (for example, cans and bottles).
Wrap your palm and thumb with an elastic band and place them on a table or any flat surface with the back side facing up. Using the resistance of the rubber band, move your thumb to the side, hold it there for half a minute or a minute and then relax, and so on 10-15 times with each hand. The exercise is done twice or thrice a week, but not more often than once every 48 hours.
Bend your thumb
Thumb mobility also needs to be developed.
Raise your palm in front of you, turning the back side down. Alternately, move your thumb to the side and bend it towards your palm to touch the base of your little finger. After holding it for half a minute or a minute, relax. Repeat these steps four times for each hand.
Touch with thumb
Stiffness and pain in the joints of the fingers are caused by various reasons, but, in any case, it is useful to train the thumbs so that everyday operations such as hand writing, holding a spoon, brushing teeth, etc. do not cause problems.
Place your palm in front of you, straightening your wrist, and touch your thumb to all the others so as to form the letter O. After holding it for half a minute or a minute, relax your palm. Minimum four repetitions for each arm.
Stretch your thumb
Thumbs need stretching.
Raise your hand in front of you, turning your palm towards you, and bend your thumb towards your index finger for half a minute to a minute, then relax it. Do this four times with each hand. Then, from the same position, stretch your thumb over your palm so that the lower joint tenses, and hold for half a minute to a minute. There are also four repetitions.
The most common causes of pain in the joints of the fingers when bending are not only injuries and infections, but also overwork. If your finger joint is sick, you need to urgently take action: first of all, consult with a specialized doctor - a surgeon, neurologist, or traumatologist. To relieve pain, make your joints more mobile, and your muscles strong, exercise your fingers and palm regularly.