The structure of human hands distinguishes him from representatives of other biological species. Thanks to them, we can not only serve ourselves, but also perform a wide variety of work. The fingers of the human hand are parts of the upper limbs, which in the process of development received a very important functional load. That's why, when your fingers hurt, it becomes difficult to hold a fork or spoon, type text on a PC, cook food, or even just lace up your shoes.
The reasons why your fingers hurt can be different. In addition to being susceptible to injury, there are a number of medical conditions that can affect their mobility. In addition, pain in the joints of the fingers can be caused by inflammatory processes (arthritis).
At CELT you can get advice from a specialist algologist.
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Causes of pain in fingers
If you want to find out why your fingers hurt, contact the CELT Pain Clinic. We employ experienced specialists of various profiles who will conduct a diagnostic study and prescribe the optimal course of treatment, thanks to which you can again live a full life.
Finger injuries
An injury such as a bruised finger can occur if you fall from a small height or hit your hand with a blunt object. Depending on the force of the impact, the skin and blood vessels may be damaged, which will lead to the formation of a hematoma; A bone fracture is also possible.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The development of carpal tunnel syndrome is provoked by compression of the median nerve located in it. Clinical manifestations of this disease include:
- pain that is localized on the inner surface of the thumb;
- index finger pain;
- feeling of numbness in the skin of the palm;
- decrease in muscle volume in the area of the eminence of the first finger;
- decreased precision of fine motor skills of the hand.
Without timely treatment, the nerve will no longer be able to perform its functions, which will lead to the inability to perform small movements of the fingers and even disability.
Raynaud's syndrome
Raynaud's syndrome is a frequent companion to pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and other connective tissue diseases. It occurs due to a violation of the tone of the capillaries and small arteries of the fingers and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- a sharp narrowing of blood vessels, leading to pallor of the skin of the fingers and numbness, which is often felt as pain;
- a sharp dilation of blood vessels, leading to redness of the skin of the fingers (even cyanosis) and a feeling of burning pain, swelling.
Polyosteoarthrosis
The joints of the fingers hurt with a pathology such as polyosteoarthrosis. Most often it occurs in women after 45 years of age. In addition to pain in small joints, it is characterized by the following:
- the presence of nodular formations that appear symmetrically on both hands;
- deformation of the hands;
- periodic inflammation, redness and swelling of the affected joints, which begins after overexertion.
Rhizarthrosis
Another disease that causes pain in the joints of the thumbs is rhizarthrosis. It affects the joint of the thumb and is accompanied by pain that becomes more intense during movements, crunching of the joint, deformation of the thumb bone, and limited movement in the affected joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis
A pathology such as rheumatoid arthritis is expressed in inflammatory processes of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers. It can occur due to stress, hypothermia or acute respiratory disease and is characterized by the following clinical manifestations:
- intense painful sensations, often symmetrical on both arms and which are especially evident in the morning and in the second half of the night;
- swelling and redness of the joints and a local increase in skin temperature over them;
- inability to clench your hand into a fist;
- limited movements in the hands.
More about rheumatoid arthritis
If the patient has not completed the course of treatment, the hand may become deformed and its functionality will be completely lost.
Gouty arthritis
One answer to the question “Why do my toes hurt?” the answer may be: “Because of gouty arthritis.” In most cases, the joint of the 1st toe suffers from salt deposits, but often this disease also affects the joints of the hands. Symptoms include:
- sharp pain in the toes and hands;
- inflammations that occur in attacks, lasting from 3 to 10 days;
- redness and swelling of the joint;
- bluish discoloration of the skin over the affected joint.
If left to chance, the disease can cause joint destruction and hand deformation.
Read more about gouty arthritis
What to do after forty
After forty, hormonal changes become the main cause of coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis and arthrosis of the hand. With the onset of menopause in women, the situation worsens, especially in the area of the fingers. The level of estrogen in the body decreases - it begins to actively lose moisture, including in the joint. Cartilage experiences a moisture deficiency, becomes brittle and vulnerable.
At this age, it is especially important to lead a healthy lifestyle - just being in the fresh air and giving up bad habits. The condition of joints and cartilage tissue depends on the style of nutrition, the supply of oxygen and vitamins.
Diagnosis of finger pain
CELT specialists recommend seeking medical help if you experience even a slight feeling of numbness in your fingers. Along with pain, this is a reason to visit a rheumatologist or neurologist in our Pain Clinic, conduct diagnostic tests and treatment.
In order to correctly make a diagnosis, in addition to a clinical examination and history taking, other diagnostic tests are carried out:
- radiography;
- manual muscle testing;
- ultrasonography;
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
Not fatal, but dangerous
Often on certain gadgets you can find a sticker warning about the risk of developing diseases of the wrist and fingers in case of prolonged or improper use of the device. The most common is carpal tunnel syndrome, or, as computer game fans call it, Nintendo thumb syndrome. It is caused by inflammation of the tendon as a result of prolonged repetition of the same type of movements and occurs mainly in people whose activities involve working at the keyboard, as well as among video game lovers. To prevent this syndrome it is recommended:
- Don’t be too zealous when pressing the joystick or keyboard;
- After every hour of working at the computer, take a break for 10–15 minutes, and it is advisable to devote this time to warming up your wrist and fingers.
Treatment for finger pain
Treatment for pain in the fingers directly depends on the cause that caused them. Our specialists direct all their efforts to eliminating it, since this is the only way to achieve a long-term positive result and save the patient from suffering forever.
Systemic therapy with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics can relieve inflammation and painful symptoms. In addition, for diseases such as osteoarthritis, drugs are used that improve the protective characteristics of cartilage. Massage, physiotherapy and manual therapy have a good effect.
Treatment at the CELT Pain Clinic allows you not only to eliminate pain, swelling and stop inflammatory processes, but also to strengthen your finger joints, normalize metabolism and blood circulation!
We will give you back the opportunity to live a normal life!
Make an appointment through the application or by calling +7 +7 We work every day:
- Monday—Friday: 8.00—20.00
- Saturday: 8.00–18.00
- Sunday is a day off
The nearest metro and MCC stations to the clinic:
- Highway of Enthusiasts or Perovo
- Partisan
- Enthusiast Highway
Driving directions
How to understand that you have arthrosis of the hand
The disease goes through several stages. To detect it as early as possible, you need to know the signs of each of them:
Stage 1 – there are periodic aching pains at night, you will feel tension in the muscles, and you may notice slight swelling. Fingers move without difficulty.
Stage 2 – the pain bothers you both at night and during the day, especially after putting pressure on your fingers. When moving, a crunching sound appears. The muscles of the affected fingers begin to atrophy and increase in volume. Bone growths are formed - Heberden's nodes.
Stage 3 – the affected fingers are already severely limited in mobility. The surface layer of the interphalangeal joints is completely destroyed, osteophytes merge into a single whole, pain is constantly present.
Arthrosis and arthritis of the hands have many common symptoms, but they are completely different diseases. What are their differences? Comment from the famous doctor, Professor Bubnovsky:
Exercises at home
Any of the stretching or strength-building exercises listed above can be incorporated into a home recovery program. At home, patients can also use ice packs or apply heat. After completing the training, patients can also perform self-massage at home.
To date, there have been no high-quality studies examining the effects of conservative treatment as a stand-alone intervention. The literature primarily describes the effects of corticosteroids and other injections compared with placebo. Studies that showed injections were better than splinting did not examine long-term results.
A Cochrane review states that there is “silver-level” evidence that corticosteroid injections are superior to splinting for pain relief. The authors, however, acknowledge that "the evidence is based on a short-term, very small, controlled clinical trial of low methodological quality that included only pregnant and breastfeeding women."
Walker presented a case study that examined the use of manual techniques in a patient with radial wrist pain. Although de Quervain's disease was immediately ruled out, the report advocated an approach using manual techniques. Particularly for the relief of pain and dysfunction in radial, radiocarpal, intercarpal and first metacarpal joint pain.
Ashurst described a case in which a patient diagnosed with de Quervain's disease was prescribed oral anti-inflammatory drugs, a brace, and relative rest. The patient wore the orthosis at night and was instructed to text as little as possible (a series of messages always preceded the onset of pain). This case supports the prescription of relative rest, in which the patient avoids aggravating movements but remains active.
Viikari-Juntura presented a literature review and found that wearing an orthosis is an essential component of the treatment of tenosynovitis. It was found that the use of an orthosis that allowed some movement was preferable to complete immobilization of the thumb. Rest from work, according to the survey, is neither necessary nor desirable. It was also found that heat, massage, and electrotherapy were not effective in improving the patient's physical capabilities.
Clinical picture
Clinical picture of de Quervain's tenosynovitis
The main complaint of patients is pain in the wrist on the side of the radius, which radiates to the forearm when trying to grab something with the thumb or straighten it. The pain is described as “constantly aching, burning, twitching.” Often the pain is aggravated when performing grasping, squeezing or twisting movements. Examination may reveal swelling in the area of the anatomical snuffbox, tenderness in the area of the styloid process of the radius, decreased range of motion in the first metacarpal joint, palpable thickening of the first dorsal compartment, and tendon crepitus. Other symptoms include weakness and paresthesia of the hand. These symptoms appear with a positive Finkelstein diagnostic test.
Clinically Relevant Anatomy
Clinically Relevant Anatomy
Extensor pollicis brevis
- Beginning: ½ of the posterior surface of the body of the radius, interosseous septum of the forearm.
- Attachment: base of the proximal phalanx of the thumb.
- Functions: wrist joint: radial abduction;
- thumb: extension.
Abductor pollicis longus muscle
- Beginning: posterior surface of the radius and ulna, interosseous septum of the forearm.
- Attachment: base of the first metacarpal bone.
- Functions: wrist joint: radial abduction;
- thumb: abduction.