Arthritis of the fingers and toes: symptoms, treatment, photos. Treatment of gouty arthritis of the big toe

Causes of finger arthritis

The disease is an inflammatory process affecting the metacarpophalangeal, metatarsophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of the upper and lower extremities. Most often, it is not an independent disease, but develops against the background of other pathologies (rheumatic, infectious, metabolic). Our center's kinestherapists provide effective treatment for finger arthritis.

The following causes of the disease are identified:

age (the disease develops more often in older people);
disruption of the endocrine glands;
minor bone damage;
infections (flu, ARVI);
heredity;
injuries, bruises, previous operations;
bad habits (nicotine, alcohol);
disorders in the vascular system (deterioration of joint nutrition);
stress (stress hormones worsen the composition of joint lubrication).

Pain in the joints of the hands

Rheumatism

Arthritis

Climax

48939 10 February

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Pain in the joints of the hands
Pain in the joints of the hands: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

Definition

Pain in the joints of the hands limits their mobility and makes it impossible to perform work related to fine motor skills for a long time. A person may experience pain both during movement and at rest; there is redness of the skin over the pathological joint, swelling and a local increase in temperature.

Types of pain in the joints of the hands
Based on the nature of the pathological process,
the following groups of joint damage are distinguished:

Arthritis is inflammation of the synovium of a joint.
Arthrosis is damage to the cartilaginous structures of the joint.
Periarthritis is an inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the joint (tendons, serous bursae, muscles).

By origin,
pain in the joint can be of inflammatory etiology or mechanical:

The pain resulting from the inflammatory process varies in intensity, often intensifies in the second half of the night and decreases after the start of physical activity.
This pain is characterized by morning stiffness, which goes away during the day.
Mechanical pain often increases after physical activity and gradually disappears with rest, has an aching character, intensifies towards the end of the day and subsides in the morning.

What diseases cause pain in the joints of the hands?
The mechanism of pain in the joints of the hands is not the same for various pathological processes.

Traumatic injury to hand joints

characterized by the presence of swelling, redness, and limited movement in the damaged joints.

After receiving an injury, you must seek medical help, because...
It is important to exclude dislocations, sprains and fractures, and determine treatment tactics to reduce the risk of subsequent complications. Rheumatoid arthritis
ranks first among all causes of chronic pain in the joints of the hands. The disease is characterized by asymmetrical damage to the finger joints with changes in the structure of the synovial membrane and surrounding tissues. An early sign of these changes is morning stiffness of the hands, lasting more than 1 hour after waking up. Difficulty appears when clenching your hand into a fist. Rheumatoid arthritis affects both the interphalangeal joints of the fingers and the wrist joints of the hands.

In advanced cases, various deformations of the hand are formed and a gross disruption of its function occurs, up to the inability to hold a spoon independently.

Reactive arthritis
is an immune pathology in which the body's own immune system attacks various joints, resulting in the development of autoimmune inflammation. Unlike other autoimmune diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, in the occurrence of which an infectious component can only be assumed), reactive arthritis is directly related to a recent infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract or genitourinary system.

Psoriatic arthritis

is a common chronic inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis (a non-infectious skin disease manifested by dry red plaques on the skin). Most often, the terminal phalanges of the fingers and nail plates are affected. The fingers swell, turn red and take on a sausage-like appearance (psoriatic dactylitis). Destruction of the nail (onycholysis) and in rare cases (about 5%) – shortening of the finger are possible.

The lesion is asymmetrical; concomitant damage to any other joints is possible.
Arthritis in systemic lupus erythematosus
occurs in one form or another in 50% of patients. Damage to one or several joints is possible, and there are almost always other manifestations of the disease: a characteristic rash on the cheekbones, kidney damage, pleurisy. In the chronic course of arthritis, finger deformities in the form of a “swan neck”, “button loop”, and ulnar deviation are often observed. Sometimes rheumatoid-like phenomena occur - morning stiffness with frequent and persistent arthritis of different groups of joints.

Swan neck deformity of the fingers
Gout
, or as it was previously called “rich man's disease,” is a disease in which urate (salt) crystals are deposited in various tissues. The 1st metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot is predominantly affected, but the joints of the hands can also be affected.

The joints swell, turn red, there is severe pain, and nodular formations (tophi) may appear.
Osteoarthrosis
is a group of diseases that arise for various reasons, but with similar clinical manifestations and damage to all components of the joint:

after an injury;
for some diseases associated with metabolic disorders (ochronosis, hemochromatosis, Wilson-Konovalov disease);
for endocrinological diseases (hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, acromegaly);
in the postmenopausal period (due to changes in hormonal levels and calcium metabolism).

Among the early symptoms of osteoarthritis are a crunching sound in the joint when moving, periodic pain of low intensity after minor physical activity. Gradually, as the disease progresses, the intensity of the pain increases and it takes on a dull character, becoming more pronounced in the evening. Over time, the joints become deformed. The following criteria compiled by the American College of Rheumatology are typical for lesions of the joints of the hands:

morning stiffness or pain for less than 30 minutes;
bone growths of two or more joints, as well as deformation of one of the ten joints assessed;
less than two swollen joints.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, or thickening of the terminal phalanges in the form of “drumsticks,”
occurs secondary, mainly in patients with chronic lung diseases. The mechanism of the disease has not been precisely established, but it is believed that the effect of “drumsticks” is caused by chronic hypoxia of the tissues of the extremities, when, to compensate for oxygen deficiency, small blood vessels dilate, resulting in an increase in the volume of tissues that connect the nail plate and the distal phalanx of the finger.

Infectious or purulent arthritis

is an inflammatory cause of joint damage when infection enters their cavity. Often occurs with an open injury in the joint area with damage to the skin or as a result of the transfer of infection from a purulent focus through the blood.

With infectious arthritis, the joint quickly swells, becomes red and hot, movement is severely limited, and purulent discharge from the wound may be observed. Possible fever and chills.

Among infectious arthritis, arthritis due to gonorrhea should be highlighted separately. It occurs more often in women 3–4 weeks after infection and related gynecological problems, and may be accompanied by a rash.

Patients with tuberculosis of internal organs may suffer from tuberculous allergic synovitis

. It is characterized by damage to the hands, pain and swelling of the joints, symmetry of the lesion (on both sides) and the absence of morning stiffness.

It is important to inform doctors about previous tuberculosis in order to make a differential diagnosis with this pathology and exclude reactivation of the infection.
Which doctors should you contact if you experience pain in the joints of your hands?
If you experience pain in the joints of your hands, morning stiffness of the joints, swelling, redness or rashes over the area of the affected joint, you should consult a therapist or pediatrician. Depending on the accompanying symptoms, consultation with an infectious disease specialist, rheumatologist, arthrologist, or phthisiatrician may be required.

In the case of a previous injury, an examination by a traumatologist or surgeon is necessary to exclude dislocation, sprain or fracture.

Diagnosis and examinations for pain in the joints of the hands

During the examination, the doctor takes into account the severity of the joint lesion, the persistence of the lesion, the presence or absence of stiffness in movement, as well as the degree of change in the surrounding tissues.

Examination for pain in the joints of the hands may include:

X-ray examination of the joints of the hands;

Symptoms of finger arthritis

The need for examination and possible treatment is indicated by such signs as swelling of the joints, pain (especially at night), and crunching. In the infectious and gouty form, general malaise and fever are likely.

Rheumatoid arthritis manifests itself as a spindle-shaped swelling and a “boutonniere” deformity. When the lower extremities are affected, the external manifestations are reduced to claw-shaped fingers or hammertoes.

Patients note the presence of morning stiffness in the form of a feeling of “tight gloves.” Due to poor circulation, the skin on the hands becomes dry and muscle atrophy is observed.

To develop adequate treatment for arthritis of the fingers, the kinesiotherapist takes into account its stage:

in the first stage there is no pain, but in the morning the person experiences difficulty with tasks such as turning a tap or gas valve. However, the stiffness goes away quickly, so no one seeks treatment for arthritis at this stage;
on the second, bone erosions appear, the fingers begin to ache, crackle, and swell. Unpleasant sensations accompany not only the morning, but also the afternoon;
third stage - joint deformations occur. Fingers hurt, turn red, and become hot. Pain often appears in the morning;
fourth - articular cartilage grows together, mobility is sharply limited. The person becomes helpless.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the hands is one of the varieties of this group of diseases. With it, the cartilaginous tissue of the finger phalanges gradually deforms and collapses. The insidiousness of the disease is that it begins unnoticed, with mild and short-term pain in the area of the hands and fingers (during physical activity, climate change), to which few people pay attention. However, over time, the pain increases and becomes constant, deformation occurs in the small joints of the hands, which are regularly under load. In the early stages, incipient osteoarthritis is indicated by crunching of the fingers, swelling in the joints and an increase in their volume, discomfort when moving the fingers and limited mobility of the hands, and curvature of the joints. If you notice such symptoms, consult a general practitioner or rheumatologist as soon as possible. Diagnosing deforming osteoarthritis of the hands and fingers is quite easy - sometimes just a visual examination by a specialist is enough. In some cases, an x-ray may be needed to accurately determine the stage of the disease.

Risk factors for carpal osteoarthritis can be either hereditary (including due to a “breakdown” in the type 2 collagen gene) or acquired. The latter include monotonous long-term stress on the hands (including computer work), excess weight, previous joint surgeries and injuries, some infectious diseases, stress, hypothermia, and endocrine diseases. For example, scientists have calculated that the fingers of a person typing 8 hours a day on a computer keyboard are subjected to a daily load of 16 tons! In addition, the risk of the disease increases with age - over the years, the cartilage tissue of the joints of the fingers becomes thinner, and its natural elasticity is impaired. In women, an additional risk factor is the postmenopausal period, during which a deficiency of estrogen hormones develops.

Diagnosis and treatment

Timely contact with a kinesiotherapist allows you to stop the pathology and prevent serious complications. During the examination, the number and symmetry of the affected joints, the presence of deformities, the nature of pain, extra-articular manifestations, etc. are determined. Data from MRI, CT, blood and synovial fluid tests are taken into account.

Rheumatoid, psoriatic, gouty arthritis of the fingers require complex pathogenetic and symptomatic treatment. The patient is advised to reduce the load on the affected areas, it is necessary to avoid sudden movements and lifting heavy objects.

Drug treatment can relieve pain and swelling, but does not eliminate the pathology itself. Physiotherapy can provide temporary relief. You can achieve some results in the treatment of finger arthritis using kinesitherapy.

It allows you to have the most effective effect not only on the external manifestations of the disease, but also on its true cause and carry out therapy in the most accessible, safe and physiological way. To develop the course, a preliminary examination is carried out at our center.

Treatment of finger arthritis with kinesitherapy has undeniable advantages:

special exercises bring relief to the patient and relieve pain;
kinesitherapy improves blood circulation and trophism of joint tissues, helps them recover naturally;
exercises protect joints and spine from excess load, all movements are strictly dosed;
An experienced instructor, methodologist and kinesiotherapist monitors the correct implementation of the program; they correct the technique of performing the exercises in a timely manner, giving the patient advice and recommendations.

The joints of the foot are inflamed - is it arthritis?

Arthritis is not one specific disease. Arthritis includes several diseases that differ from each other in different etiologies. That is, we can conclude that this disease has several forms and each of them has its own causes.

Different forms of arthritis progress differently. It all depends on what caused the disease and how advanced it is.

Forms of arthritis

A disease such as arthritis is classified depending on the sources of its occurrence. According to this scheme, several types are distinguished. These include:

post-traumatic arthritis;
metabolic arthritis;
autoimmune;
degenerative-dystrophic arthritis;
reactive arthritis.

Whatever the cause of a disease such as arthritis, it can always be recognized by the same signs: inflammation of the joints, fever, redness of the skin over the affected joint, and swelling. If you experience these signs, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible.

How to treat arthritis?

In order to get rid of this disease, it is necessary to undergo a number of therapeutic measures. As a rule, they are aimed at nullifying the ongoing inflammatory process and eliminating the cause of its occurrence in the first place.

The next step is usually to undergo special physiotherapeutic procedures designed to further restore the motor activity of the foot joints.

Depending on how advanced the disease is, the doctor may prescribe both outpatient and inpatient treatment.

If arthritis is in its initial stage, then the leg whose joints have been damaged should be provided with complete rest and motor activity should be limited as much as possible. If you have arthritis, you can also visit a chiropractic office.

Arthritis and antibiotics

In order to cure a disease such as arthritis, you will have to undergo a course of antibiotic treatment. These drugs are prescribed to ensure that the inflammation is completely eliminated. Antibiotics are also prescribed when arthritis was caused by pathogenic microorganisms.

Inflammation can also be relieved by resorting to non-steroidal medications specifically designed for this purpose and glucocorticosteroid hormones.

The doctor selects the necessary antibiotics for the patient after the patient undergoes special tests.

Medicines without steroids

The above type of drugs is based on salicylic or phenylacetic acids. Also, the basis of these drugs may also include such a component as propionic acid or idoacetic acid.

Non-steroidal drugs are available in a variety of forms - both in tablets and capsules, as well as in injections, ointments, and gels. All of them are designed to eliminate the inflammatory process, relieve swelling and relieve pain.

But before you start using such drugs, you should definitely consult a specialist. Self-medication for arthritis, in principle, as with any other disease, can lead to further complications that will be much more difficult to eliminate.

Hormone-based drugs

Another method of treating various types of arthritis is taking hormonal medications.

If arthritis was caused by any infection, then the patient is prescribed hormonal medications simultaneously with antibiotics. The most commonly prescribed drugs are hydrocortisone and prednisolone. They are mainly used for diseases of infectious or gouty arthritis.

But the above drugs should not be used for too long, as the appearance of side effects in this case is inevitable. You should definitely consult a doctor if you notice the following symptoms:

slow wound healing;
in women, menstrual irregularities;
increased sugar levels;
hair began to grow on the face and body.

But another disadvantage of such medications is that they not only cannot be used for too long a period of time, but also stop taking them too abruptly. Taking drugs in the corticosteroid category should be stopped gradually, reducing their amount over several days.

If such medications are abruptly discontinued, this may cause the inflammatory process, which has almost ceased, to resume with renewed vigor.
It can also lead to complications in the functioning of the kidneys. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr