Finger arthritis

Inflammation of the facet joints usually does not develop on its own, but develops in the context of some general diseases. Finger arthritis is a characteristic symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, but it may also be one of the manifestations of other diseases. It is very important to see a doctor in time to find out the cause and start treatment to avoid serious complications and disability. In this article, you will find all the information you need to know about this disease.

General information about the disease

Finger arthritis is inflammation of the palm and interphalangeal joints of the fingers. This disease often occurs at any age. According to statistics, women become more ill after 40 years. This is because women’s hands and fingers bear more load than men. According to ICD-10 M13, no source of finger arthritis code is specified.

Depending on the cause of it, the disease may only occur in the small joints of the fingers, and may be combined with damage to the large joints. The onset of the disease can be acute, subacute and chronic, but then in most cases the course will become long-term or chronic. Except for post-traumatic arthritis of the finger: with proper treatment, it will fully recover. But if the treatment is not prescribed on time, it also requires a chronic course.

Causes of finger joint inflammation process

The cause of this disease may be different. In most cases, the facet joints of the fingers are affected by rheumatoid arthritis-an autoimmune (allergy to the patient's own tissues) disease based on genetic predisposition. The starting point of disease onset is usually some kind of infection. Later, after a period of time, people with a genetic predisposition will develop finger arthritis. In the future, other larger joints may be affected.

Another common cause of inflammation of the small joints of the hands is psoriatic arthritis. It is also an autoimmune genetic disease, in which the fingertip joints (distal) are mainly affected, accompanied by the characteristic lesions of the nails. This usually occurs in the context of existing skin manifestations of psoriasis, but sometimes symptoms of arthritis in the finger joints appear first.

Many times, arthritis of the finger joints will develop with gout. The disease has a metabolic (metabolic) origin-the exchange of urate is disturbed, they are deposited in the joints and tissues around the joints, leading to inflammatory processes.

Post-traumatic arthritis of the finger joints is sometimes professional. It develops with continuous minor injuries to the hands of jewelers, tailors, hairdressers, etc. The inflammatory process is continuously supported by additional trauma and becomes chronic. After an acute (sports, family) injury, acute arthritis may appear and then disappear completely.

Other types of arthritis rarely cause damage to the small joints. The triggers for the development of arthritis in the hand facet joints are hormonal changes (adolescence, pregnancy, menopause), stress, frequent colds and allergic diseases, bad habits, and occupational activities.

Symptoms of finger arthritis

Symptoms may vary, depending on the nature of the inflammatory process (acute, subacute, chronic), and the clinical form of the underlying disease.

First sign

In most cases, the onset of the disease is slow. I get up in the morning with sore palms and stiff movements. At first, such symptoms lasted no more than half an hour on average, and then passed. The pain is continuous, and their intensity slowly increases.

Rarely, the onset is acute. Pain in one or more of the little finger joints, accompanied by redness and swelling of surrounding tissues. Impaired joint function: Difficulty in bending and straightening, sometimes unable to do this because of pain.

With the acute onset of the disease, the general condition of the patient usually appears: fever, malaise and headache. If the process is subacute or chronic, there may be no general performance, and the changes in the affected joints may not be obvious.

When symptoms of arthritis appear, the most important thing is to seek medical attention. The sooner this happens, the more likely it is to stop the inflammatory process in the first place.

Obvious symptoms

Obvious signs of hand arthritis in the chronic course include edema and redness of the tissues around the affected area of the hand, and other joints involved in the same or another pathological process. The appearance of new inflammatory lesions may be accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature, increased pain, and dysfunction of the affected joints. But it is more common that the worsening of rheumatoid disease has no general manifestations.

After a period of time, the inflammation process can reduce its intensity to a certain extent, and local inflammation and general symptoms are alleviated. After that, the process became chronic. There was morning stiffness of exercise, and the patient noticed that the gloves on his hands felt tight and exercise was not allowed. After getting up in the morning and starting physical activity for a while, this feeling will weaken or even disappear. The appearance of crepitus (friction and clicking) in the affected joints is also characteristic.

When the patient is not receiving treatment for arthritis, there will alternate between deterioration and relief, persistent pain and rapid formation of joint deformities (rheumatoid arthritis) or melting and shortening of fingertips (psoriatic arthritis). Arthritis of the thumb most often develops with gout. There is severe pain, swelling, and redness, and then disappears without a trace, but it often recurs, and also deforms and loses joint function.

Dangerous symptoms

The following symptoms of finger arthritis require urgent medical attention:

• High body temperature (38-39 °) for 5 days or more;
• A sharp rise in temperature, increased inflammation and joint pain and an already existing inflammatory process-may indicate the onset of suppuration;
• Participate in the pathological process of new small or large joints;
• Black tissue (necrosis) appears on the fingertips of patients with psoriatic arthritis.

If such symptoms occur, consult a doctor immediately.

What is the harm of the disease

The main danger of any type of chronic arthritis is the progression of the inflammatory process, which will eventually become degenerative malnutrition with limb deformities and disabilities. The longer the arthritis lasts, the higher the risk of complications.

Stage of disease

Arthritis of the finger joints has 4 stages of development, depending on the degree of joint damage detected during the instrument examination:

1. Initial stage.If there are signs of severe or mild clinical inflammation on the X-ray, you can see signs of inflammation in the form of joint space expansion. On ultrasound, you can see an increase in the amount of joint fluid. In the chronic course of the disease, symptoms may be obvious or almost absent.
2. Progressive inflammation.On X-rays and ultrasound, signs of inflammation are clearly visible. Articular cartilage is destroyed, forming loose connective tissue-pannus in their place. The process is wavy (deterioration-relief) or continuous process. Pain and stiffness increase.
3. Connective tissue rigidity.The connective tissue of the pannus becomes rough, it grows and connects to the bone surface that forms the joint, so movement in the joint is restricted. The fingers are deformed.
4. Bone rigidity.Bone tissue grows in the joint instead of connective tissue, which results in the joint being completely immobile and losing its function.

Possible complications

If left untreated, arthritis in the hands and fingers will worsen. The following complications are also possible:

• The development of a purulent inflammatory process, the transition to the tissues around the joints, the development of abscesses, sputum and sepsis;
• Necrosis, shortening of fingertips and inflammation of soft tissues;
• Facet joint subluxation and dislocation;
• Various types of joint deformities;
• The function of the fingers and hands is completely lost.

What to do if the condition gets worse

As arthritis worsens, the joints become severely painful, the skin above the joints becomes red and swollen, and the fingers cannot move due to pain. To reduce pain, you need to:

• Place your hands in a slightly elevated position-this will reduce swelling;
• Take any of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-diclofenac, nimesulide, indomethacin, ibuprofen; it will reduce pain and inflammation;
• Apply any topical agent from the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug group to the skin above the diseased joint-gel or ointment; diclofenac emulsion helps a lot;
• Go to the doctor or go home and call him.

When the condition worsens, it is impossible to delay medical treatment, and there is an urgent need to suppress the progression of the disease. It is impossible to do it on your own.

How arthritis of the fingers of the hand develops in different clinical forms of the disease

The symptoms of hand arthritis and the nature of its course depend on the disease that caused its development. The failure of the small joints of the hand is most common in rheumatoid, psoriasis, and gouty arthritis. But it can also occur in other clinical forms of arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

In most cases, arthritis starts slowly and unconsciously. Fingers are sore. The nature of pain is continuous, painful, and exhausted. In the morning after falling asleep, stiffness appears and can last up to 30 minutes or more.

After a while, the patient noticed that the fingers began to swell in the joints. Most commonly, the metacarpal and overlying interphalangeal joints of the 2nd and 3rd fingers are affected. The failure of the arms is symmetrical. Pain of varying intensity is permanent. Over time, the characteristic deformity of the fusiform finger appears.

Small, painless subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules appear on the skin of the fingers and elbows. The course of the disease is slow and progresses steadily, accompanied by persistent debilitating pain, deformity, and loss of joint function.

Psoriatic arthritis

In this disease, arthritis develops in the distal (terminal) interphalangeal joints against the background of pre-existing skin manifestations of psoriasis. But sometimes joint symptoms appear before or at the same time as skin symptoms. In most cases, the disease starts acutely or subacutely, with redness, swelling, and pain in the little finger joints. The lesions are usually asymmetrical, and the fingers resemble sausages.

This disease will worsen and alleviate severely. Almost always, the nail plate is involved in the pathological process. Over time, the fingertips become deformed, they become thicker, the nails become thinner and deformed, and the symptoms of thimble appear-dotted dents on the nail plate.

As the course of the disease increases, dislocation and subluxation of the small distal joints, as well as dissolution (melting) of the bones of the fingertips (X-ray signs) and shortening of the fingers occur.

Gouty arthritis

An acute attack of gout, with severe pain, swelling, and redness in the affected joint area. Small joints are often affected. Usually, inflammation starts in the metacarpophalangeal joints of the first finger and can then spread to the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of other fingers.

The pain is very severe, the attack can last for hours to weeks, and then everything will disappear. However, with frequent attacks on the same joints, their function will be impaired.

Post-traumatic arthritis

This type of finger arthritis can develop in the context of acute family, industrial, or sports injuries, develop rapidly and then completely heal, or (without the need for help) become complicated by a purulent infection. Sometimes this inflammatory process becomes a chronic process, and then the affected joints become deformed.

Initially, the chronic course of arthritis after trauma to the fingers of the hand can cause continuous, unnoticeable minor damage to the fingers. In most cases, this happens to certain professionals who are engaged in small jobs. Arthritis develops slowly, and the most severely injured joints at work will be affected. If you don't change jobs, your fingers will continue to deform and dysfunction.

Other types of arthritis

For arthritis such as the reactive, infectious, and idiopathic lesions of the small joints of the fingers, it is actually not found.

diagnosis

The diagnosis is based on the characteristic symptoms of the disease and confirmed by inspection data:

• Laboratory tests-reveal the presence of inflammatory processes, the presence or absence of infection, antibodies to infectious agents, rheumatoid factors;
• Radiography-reveals skeletal changes in joints;
• Ultrasound examination-an increase in the amount of exudate in the joint cavity is a sign of an active inflammatory process;
• MRI-changes in soft joints and tissues around the joints.

Without additional testing methods, it is impossible to determine the correct diagnosis (and therefore prescribe an appropriate treatment plan). Therefore, if there is pain in the small joints of the fingers, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Finger Arthritis Treatment

After the final diagnosis is confirmed, the treatment of finger arthritis is prescribed, which is performed by a rheumatologist (sometimes with other specialists-surgeons, dermatologists). It should be comprehensive, aimed at inhibiting the progression of the pathological process and preventing violations of joint function. Complex treatments include:

• medical treatement;
• Physiotherapy procedures;
• Therapeutic gymnastics and massage;
• Reflexology course;
• Folk remedies.

medical treatement

The primary task of drug treatment is to relieve the patient's condition. For this reason, drugs in the NSAID group were prescribed to relieve pain, inflammation and tissue swelling. Depending on the degree of activity of the inflammatory process, these drugs are prescribed in the form of injections (injections) or oral tablets. In addition, the drugs in this group are used externally in the form of gels, ointments and creams.

The most effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is diclofenac, but it irritates the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, so it should not be taken for a long time. Instead of diclofenac, more modern drugs in the NSAID group-Nimesulide, Celecoxib, etc. have been prescribed. Such drugs are used for external use, diclofenac ointment. The use of drugs in the NSAID group can bring significant relief to patients.

Sometimes the inflammatory process is so obvious that it is impossible to eliminate it with drugs in the NSAID group. In this case, use glucocorticoids-prednisolone, dexamethasone, etc. , in the form of injections, in tablets or in the form of ointment for external use. Intra-articular injection of hormones into facet joints is rarely practiced.

In order to suppress the autoimmune process, a basic group of drugs-methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunomide and biological agents (rituximab) were prescribed. These drugs are selected by rheumatologists and prescribed according to a special program of long-term treatment.

In order to restore the function of the joints, a cartilage protective agent-a drug to restore the joint cartilage tissue is prescribed. They are also suitable for long-term courses.

Means to improve blood circulation and metabolism in tissues-Pentoxifylline and others help restore tissue nutrition.

As a fortifier, vitamins and minerals can improve metabolism and help restore the body's overall balance.

Physiotherapy procedures

The complex treatment of finger arthritis must include physical therapy procedures. Like drugs, they are individually selected according to the clinical form and activity of the pathological process. This can be hydrocortisone electrophoresis, UHF, laser or magnetic therapy, etc.

Massage and exercise therapy

During the period when the inflammatory process subsides, massage and remedial gymnastics courses are prescribed. They help to improve blood circulation and metabolism in the tissues and restore the function of small joints. At home, you can do the following physical exercises to improve your mobility:

• Roll a small elastic ball on the table with the surface of your finger for one minute, actively involving the affected finger joints in the process;
• Use the fingertips of one hand to touch the pad of the first finger of the other hand; start with the little finger and end with the index finger; repeat the exercise 10 times;
• Put your hands together so that your fingertips are slightly bent and touch the table; bend each finger in turn and use it to hit the table (just like the keys of a piano);
• Repeat three times.

Performing such exercises should be done every day, gradually increasing the number of methods.

Folk remedies

How to use folk remedies to treat finger arthritis should be informed by a doctor. He will also choose the most appropriate technology. You can use herbal decoctions and infusions for oral administration, or you can use topical medications:

• Mix kefir with crushed chalk in a ratio of 50 g of chalk per 75-100 ml of kefir; you should get a thick mixture that must be used every night; for this, it must be applied toOn a napkin made of cotton material, apply it to the sore area, on top-polyethylene and insulating material; so let it stay overnight; perfectly relieve swelling and pain;
• Celery root infusion; Put 20 grams of crushed ingredients (dried or fresh) in a thermos overnight, pour 200 ml of boiling water; the next day, drink 3-4 doses before meals; the course of treatment is 2 weeks; it’s fineTo relieve pain and swelling.

surgery

This method of treating facet joint arthritis is rarely used. Obviously, it is not suitable for conservative treatment. Arthritis sometimes undergoes synovectomy-removal of part of the synovium that produces a large amount of exudate.

In some cases, joints will be replaced by artificial joints, but this is a fairly rare operation.

This article describes the current strategies for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Clinical methods of finger arthritis

In our clinic, patients are carefully examined using the latest laboratory and instrument methods (including MRI), and then treatment options are individually selected for each patient.

A feature of our clinic's treatment is that the complex treatment includes:

• Modern Western treatment methods to eliminate the main manifestations of finger arthritis;
• The traditional oriental disease treatment method restores the balance of the body and establishes the relationship between all organs and systems; this leads to the elimination of inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints and inhibits the progression of the disease.

The combination of Eastern and Western technologies can quickly and painlessly alleviate the suffering of patients, thereby effectively restoring the function of damaged joints. The specialists of this clinic have extensive experience in treating finger arthritis. You can find more information about our clinic's treatment methods on our website.

General clinical guidelines

Advise patients with finger arthritis:

• Develop a healthy lifestyle and temper; heal on time and eliminate all infected lesions, which may become a trigger factor for the worsening and development of arthritis;
• Get rid of bad habits, eat a reasonable diet, regulate sleep and wakefulness;
• In the case of worsening arthritis, do not put pressure on your fingers, do not do housework, including washing dishes;
• During the relieving period at home, do physical exercises of the hands; you should attend classes every day;
• Give up self-administration completely and follow your doctor's advice in everything.

Prevention of finger arthritis

Preventing arthritis is especially important for people with a genetic predisposition for this disease (close relatives with this pathology). In order to stay healthy, they need to follow the following recommendations:

• You cannot afford heavy physical labor or long-term hard work, including at home;
• Hypothermia must be avoided, hands should be avoided;
• Lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and have a temper;
• Do viable exercises and train every day;
• Avoid prolonged stress.

diet

Only finger gouty arthritis requires special nutrition. The diet of such patients should not contain thick soup, offal, young animal meat, alcohol, sorrel, salad, strong tea, coffee, chocolate.

In other cases, it is sufficient to adhere to the principles of healthy eating: eating lean meats and dairy products, fish (fat-rich marine fish is useful), cereals, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Avoid high-calorie foods, candy, muffins, spicy spices, fried and smoked foods. The diet should be regular.

Finger arthritis is often overlooked. It is important to pay attention to sore fingers in time and seek medical attention in time. But even if you miss the time and have obvious signs of arthritis, don't despair: you can help at any stage. A complete cure for chronic diseases is problematic, but it is very possible to prevent its progression, relieve your pain and improve your quality of life.