Pain in the arms and shoulders: what does the symptom indicate?

Pain in hands

Pain syndrome occurs from prolonged work at the computer, perhaps you are a musician, or is your work associated with monotonous hand movements, after which swelling appears? This constant stress on the joints of the hands can lead to pinched nerve endings in the wrist. The cause of pain can be diseases of the spine - intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis.

You can start taking painkillers, which, of course, will bring you relief, but this is temporary. Without eliminating the cause of the pain, you will not be able to enjoy life as before, continue to work, or play with children. The pain will return sooner or later!

Important information:

Dear patients! If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you need to see a rheumatologist. With a rheumatological profile, in addition to the joints, internal organs (heart, kidneys, etc.) may also suffer, so rheumatoid arthritis should be treated by a rheumatologist. The treatment of allergic, gouty and infectious arthritis is carried out by specialists of the relevant profile (allergists, rheumatologists and cardio-rheumatologists).

Orthopedic doctors successfully treat all other types of arthritis in children and adults (caused by sports and household injuries, excess body weight, age-related changes in joints).

Prevention of tendon inflammation

We will list some of the simplest ways to prevent inflammation of the tendons of the hand, and you will understand that since childhood you knew all these simple rules. But did you take them seriously?

1. “We wrote, we wrote, our fingers were tired.” Remember that nursery rhyme they say during physics class in elementary school? The activities of many modern people are associated with long stays in the office, typing on the keyboard, while the wrist and fingers are in the same position for a long time, stagnation processes and salt deposition begin. To prevent this from happening, you should make active rotational and flexion movements with your fingers and wrist several times a day.
2. Warm-up before the fight . Think about any sport. No trainer will allow you to start active exercises without a previous warm-up. You need to “warm up” your muscles, “stretch” your bones, and only then take on heavy loads. The same applies to everyday life. You cannot make sudden movements or overexert yourself when the body is not ready for it. Do exercises at least 2-3 times a week, and your body will always be ready for active movements!
3. The healing power of massage. If “your bones ache,” “your body aches,” “your legs cramp,” etc., but you don’t have the opportunity to immediately start squatting and bending, then rub the sore area of ​​your body. Stroking, pressing, pinching - all this will “disperse the blood” and stagnant salts, tone the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

For both therapeutic and preventive purposes, experts recommend using the shock wave therapy method.

At the medical center, experienced specialists will conduct an SWT course at a time convenient for you. The center treats inflammation of tendons and joints, arthritis, arthrosis, and relieves pain in the spine. Shock wave therapy specialists - doctors of the highest qualification category - have an impressive work experience (36 years!), among them: a full member of the association of shock wave therapy experts and a regular participant in symposia and congresses on shock wave therapy, a member of the Society of Radial Shock Wave Therapy and others. You can always go to the medical center that is closest to you - clinics are located in the Krasnopresnenskaya, Varshavskaya, Slavyansky Boulevard and Annino metro areas.

Joint diseases

In almost every case, when patients have complaints about pain in the joints of the arms (hands), this greatly alarms orthopedic specialists, since such seemingly insignificant cases turn out to be signs of serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The most common joint diseases:

• disc herniation in the thoracic and/or cervical spine;
• disc protrusion in the thoracic and/or cervical region;
• joint arthritis;
• arthrosis of the joints;
• glenohumeral periarthrosis;
• polyarthritis;
• thoracic and/or cervical osteochondrosis;
• scoliosis, kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis, lordosis and other posture disorders.

These high-risk diseases can lead to disability if you postpone a visit to the doctor and suppress the pain with painkillers.

Only a doctor can identify the cause of joint pain and prescribe the correct, complete treatment!

"Radicular" pain

Pain in one or both arms that occurs at night or after waking up is caused by radicular syndrome.

When the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae are affected, their relative position is disrupted (there may be displacement, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs). Because of this, the spinal roots emerging from the spinal canal are compressed, which causes pain along the damaged nerve. If the affected root is “responsible” for the innervation of the tissues of the upper limb, then unpleasant sensations arise in the hands.

Such pains often occur at night. With radicular syndrome, being at rest is no less a significant provocateur of pain than physical stress. At night, due to a slowdown in blood circulation, venous stagnation and edema form in the tissues. As a result, the roots are compressed more strongly, and pain appears.

An uncomfortable sleeping place, a mattress that is too soft or hard that prevents complete muscle relaxation, or a pillow that is not the right height can also cause discomfort in the arms.

Why do my hands hurt?

To answer this question, you need to undergo a competent and comprehensive diagnosis at the Alan Clinic Center for Neurology and Orthopedics, which, with its comprehensive approach to identifying joint problems, will help establish your diagnosis. It includes the following research methods:

• consultation with a specialist;
• special orthopedic tests;
• dynamic active and passive tests;
• local palpation examination of damaged joints;
• assessment of the condition of the musculoskeletal system, posture, gait, uniform distribution of load on joints, range of motion, stability and strength of the joint;
• making and explaining the diagnosis;
• selection of individual complex motivated treatment.

If necessary, the doctor may also prescribe:

• MRI;
• Ultrasound;
• X-ray;
• lab tests;
• diagnostic puncture of the joint.

Osteoarthritis of the hands: symptoms of the disease

It is assumed that the first symptoms of osteoarthritis (deforming arthrosis) of the hands appear at the age of 40-60 years, but can now also be observed in younger people.

It is noteworthy that 80% of patients whose X-ray images reveal degenerative changes in the joints may not experience clinical manifestations of the pathology.

At first, symptoms appear only when moving the hand, but later they can be observed at rest and even at night. The following symptoms are characteristic of osteoarthritis of the hands (they require mandatory consultation with a specialized doctor and appropriate treatment):

• Pain. Typical painful sensations that occur when moving the hand and disappear with rest; worsens at the end of the day and at night. The problem occurs at the beginning of a movement (so-called starting pain), for example, when a person tries to lift a heavy object. As a rule, pain is felt only in the affected joint and does not radiate to nearby areas. So, in the case of arthrosis of the hip joint, the pain may radiate to the lower back or groin.
• Stiffness. Often occurs in the morning, after waking up, usually goes away within 5-10 minutes. It is difficult for the patient to move the hand, and there is stiffness in the joint.
• Limitation of motor ability. The affected joints gradually lose their full range of motion, and it becomes difficult for the patient to make circular turns with the hand. The small joints of the fingers are gradually involved. Deterioration in the functioning of the affected joint can lead to atrophy of surrounding muscles and disability.
• Crunch. It is felt when the joint moves. The symptom occurs as a consequence of a deficiency of synovial fluid and is accompanied by friction of the articular surfaces, hence the development of crunching and creaking in the joint.
• Damage to bone tissue. This radiological symptom is the result of a change in the axis of the joint position, and is also accompanied by the formation of bone growths - osteophytes.

Deforming arthrosis is often accompanied by several symptomatic periods:

• Stabilization period. Clinical manifestations of arthrosis of the hands are constant, but occur only when moving the hands.
• Periods of exacerbation. Symptoms progress with increased pain and joint stiffness. Signs of the disease occur at rest and may worsen at night. Often there is swelling of the joints due to the accumulation of exudative fluid, which occurs as a result of inflammation in response to further damage to the cartilage.

How to treat hand joints?

All existing treatment methods, both ultra-new and traditional, which the Alan Clinic Center for Neurology and Orthopedics uses in its work, are the safest and exclude surgical intervention.

The treatment process is always a comprehensive program with an individual approach to each of our patients. These treatment methods, consisting mainly of non-drug methods, are available not only to ordinary patients, but are acceptable for the treatment of infants, pregnant and lactating mothers.

We have at our disposal the following methods:

• Manual therapy
• Osteopathy is treatment done by a doctor, with a gentle effect on the musculoskeletal system, nervous and vascular systems, and internal organs.
• Medical massage
• Acupuncture - exposure to biologically active points with microneedles.
• Laser reflexology is a painless effect on reflexogenic zones and points.
• Tsubotherapy is a gentle effect on the reflex points of the body.
• Pharmacopuncture is the introduction of medicinal drugs of natural origin to the source of the problem.
• Plasma therapy is the introduction of the patient’s own purified blood into the site of the disease.
• Isometric kinesiotherapy - individual gymnastic techniques/exercises, according to indications, with elements of joint massage.
• Kinesiotherapy using the Exart installation
• Kinesio taping
• Ozone therapy is treatment with active oxygen.
• Physiotherapy
• Physiotherapy with enzyme preparations
• Medical droppers
• Hirudotherapy - treatment with leeches.
• Botulinum therapy is treatment with botulinum toxin.
• Intra-articular injection of synovial fluid endoprostheses
• Intra-articular blockades

All methods are recognized by official medicine, and doctors using them have appropriate certificates. The decision on the need to use certain medications during the course of treatment is made by the doctor, based on the complexity and severity of the disease, concomitant diseases, as well as the diagnosis.

How to treat inflammation of the tendons of the hand

Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment: medication, physiotherapy or surgery. You may be prescribed to wear a splint, a plaster splint, or any other device that has the effect of a bandage—that is, reducing the mobility of the device.

Drug therapy for inflammation of the tendons of the hand involves taking antibacterial, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or restorative drugs, as well as the use of gels, ointments, and patches.

Physiotherapy has proven particularly successful in combating hand tendon inflammation. The following methods are used: microwave therapy, ultrasound, shock wave therapy (SWT), ultraviolet rays, physical therapy. SWT is particularly effective in combating this disease. Focused waves reach the tendon lesion, normalize its tone and reduce pain. After a course of shockwave therapy, patients return to their previous lifestyle and can bear the same loads as before.

Surgery is performed if a tendon rupture occurs. The surgeon makes a small incision (about 10 cm) that opens access to the tendon, processes the ends of the tendon and sews them together with a special strong thread. This type of treatment is carried out no later than 24 hours after the tendon is damaged. Otherwise, an irreversible process begins, leading to improper tissue fusion.

This is interesting In the 20s of the 20th century, Russian athlete and circus performer Alexander Zass invented a special course of exercises aimed at training tendons. He said this: “Muscles by themselves will not hold horses pulling in different directions, but tendons will, but they need to be trained, developed, and there is a way to strengthen them.” He himself was a man of remarkable strength, for which he received the nickname Iron Samson.

To avoid such unpleasant procedures, you should worry about your health in advance and take preventive measures to prevent tendon inflammation.

Symptoms.

If the following symptoms appear, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor immediately:

• The pain in the limb does not go away for more than two days.
• During physical activity, discomfort increases.
• Swelling appears.
• Hand mobility decreases.
• The nerve endings of the limb work worse.

In addition, sometimes it is not diseases of the hand that cause pain - there are cases when the pain radiates to the upper parts of the limb. This is a very dangerous signal - if such sensations appear in the left limb, this may be a symptom of an approaching heart attack.

The following are symptoms for which it is recommended to call emergency services immediately:

• Cold sweat.
• The appearance of anxiety.
• Nausea.
• Breathing becomes difficult.
• Pallor.
• Painful sensations appear in the left limb and chest.

Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis of the hands

For joint pathologies, several methods of physiotherapy are popular, which include:

• Cryotherapy. The procedure involves applying an ice pack to the sore joint for 10-15 minutes. After which you need to massage the hand. Cryotherapy applied to the affected joint effectively reduces pain and symptoms of inflammation.
• Thermotherapy. Therapy is carried out using heated components such as paraffin or bischofite. Also, thermal effects can be carried out due to current of different frequencies. The procedure improves metabolism, accelerates tissue regeneration, and increases local immunity.