Arthritis of the hands: symptoms and treatment

Sometimes the disease develops over years, and sometimes it debuts abruptly and for no reason - arthritis of the hands is unpredictable. Sometimes the inflammation goes away after 2-3 days, and sometimes it lasts for weeks. Sometimes the pain in the arms is so severe that patients need heavy hormonal therapy. And sometimes they practically don’t notice the disorder until the final stages. But in all cases without exception, advanced disease leads to disability. It all starts with arthropathy - inflammation of the joint membrane. Without treatment, arthritis of the hands quickly spreads to the entire joint: it successively affects synovial cartilage, tendons and ligaments, muscles, and bones. Inflammation destroys cells, joints lose mobility, and every movement is accompanied by pain. What are the causes of hand arthritis and is it treatable?

Arthritis of the hands is a common joint disease that makes life much more difficult.

Causes of hand arthritis

The causes of arthritis in the hands usually lie in chronic diseases or lifestyle. The risk of disease is increased by the presence of bad habits, an unbalanced diet, unsanitary living conditions or a harmful microclimate in the workplace. The causes of the disease can be:

disorders of the immune system (autoimmune diseases);
severe allergic reaction, intoxication, hypothermia or overheating;
chronic metabolic disorders (eg, gout, diabetes);
the presence of infection (intestinal, respiratory, genitourinary or intra-articular, which enters through open wounds);
hormonal imbalances (in particular, estrogen deficiency);
wear of articular cartilage due to increased loads - arthrosis-arthritis (often occurs when working with vibrating tools, among painters, typists, athletes and other professionals with increased load on their hands).

Is it possible to return to sports activities after tendinitis?

In case of relapses after wrist flexor tendonitis or other varieties of this disease, the doctor may advise you to avoid sports that involve excessive stress on the hand. But with positive dynamics after treatment, there are no restrictions for resuming sports activities.

For preventive purposes, when performing sports exercises, it is advisable to use a bandage, which will minimize the load. It is also mandatory to stretch the muscles of the hand before and during sports. After training, you need to take a salt bath.

Signs of hand arthritis

Symptoms of hand arthritis may vary depending on the cause of the disease. However, there are also common signs:

pain when moving the hand
(over time it torments the patient even during rest);
discomfort and stiffness in the joints in the morning
, after prolonged exercise (tight glove syndrome);
feeling of numbness
, tingling in the fingertips;
redness and increased temperature of the skin
over sore joints;
sensitivity to weather changes
and pressure changes;
the appearance of characteristic nodes in the area of joints
- the so-called. Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes;
edema
, which causes the fingers to swell and even change color;
rough crunching
in the fingers and/or wrist (so-called crepitus);
hand deformation
.

Specific symptoms of arthritis of the hands - for example, with rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis or gout - include general weakness, loss of appetite, increased body temperature, skin rashes, damage to the eyes and internal organs. A clear sign of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands is also considered to be deformation when the fingers seem to turn outward towards the little fingers (the so-called “seal flippers”). Rheumatoid arthritis of the hand joints may be accompanied by blurred vision, pain in the eyes, pain or discomfort in the stomach and intestines, and the solar plexus area.

Do not ignore the first signs of arthritis in the hands. Timely consultation with a doctor will help avoid serious consequences.

With psoriasis, a characteristic sign of arthritis of the hands is separation of the nails and swelling of the fingers, as well as mild morning pain.

With gout, the symptoms of arthritis of the hands increase when the diet is violated - after eating fatty or salty foods, alcohol, large amounts of meat, or a large feast. This disease is also accompanied by tophi nodes in the connective tissue. With infectious arthritis, fever and nausea increase, and stomach cramps are possible. And, finally, signs of arthritis of the hands of reactive origin are fever, severe headache, conjunctivitis, and problems with urination.

With psoriasis, a characteristic sign of arthritis of the hands is separation of the nails and swelling of the fingers, as well as mild morning pain.

Why is this necessary?

It has long been proven that at the fingertips there is a huge number of nerve endings and points that are closely related to the activity of the brain and are responsible for the correct functioning of internal organs. For example, the little finger is responsible for heart health, the ring finger is responsible for liver function, and the index finger affects the gastrointestinal tract.

That is why it is difficult to overestimate the benefits of hand massage for fine motor skills. Regular movements of the hands and fingers help the baby learn to talk faster. It has been proven that the development of motor skills is directly proportional to vocabulary and memory indicators. Such children pronounce sounds more clearly, even at the stage of their formation. It is enough to devote up to 15 minutes a day to finger games to soon see clear results and prevent the development of speech problems.

Stages of hand arthritis

Each stage of the disease is characterized by its own signs and symptoms:

At the 1st, initial stage of arthritis, a feeling of discomfort and tension in the fingers appears, especially after a day of work. Symptoms of arthritis of the hands are still minor and do not attract the patient’s attention - except that seals or slight swelling appear in the joint area. There is no severe pain. The patient may notice that the fingers have become less flexible - they seem to be losing dexterity. It is at this stage that the disease is best treated.
At the 2nd stage of arthritis of the hands, there are good reasons for concern: severe pain, dry crunching in the fingers (not episodic, from air bubbles entering the synovial fluid, but systematic), swelling, redness, hyperemia of the skin. The fingers become spindle-shaped and become less easy to listen to. Effective treatment for hand arthritis is still possible.
At the 3rd stage of arthritis of the hand joints, the deformation of the affected joints is already clearly visible. The patient suffers from pain in his arms that does not subside even at night. Dislocations, subluxations, and ankylosis are possible.
At the 4th stage, the hands are completely deformed, the height of the wrists decreases, and the interphalangeal fissures grow together. Any treatment for arthritis of the hands, except surgery, at stages 3 and 4 is ineffective.

What should I do?

If your hands no longer obey you, do not experiment with folk remedies, but go for a diagnosis. The orthopedist will prescribe an instrumental examination and confirm or refute the diagnosis. If arthrosis is confirmed, treatment of osteoarthritis will be complex.

You will be prescribed medications that will stop the progression of the disease, painkillers, and will also be recommended a set of exercises to restore hand function. In the case of small joints, ointments and creams with anti-inflammatory and anesthetic components help well, but they only work in combination.

Treatment of hand arthrosis should be comprehensive

In the video you will see a simple, short set of exercises for the wrists and fingers. Take action!

Treatment of hand arthritis

Treatment of arthritis of the hands in the presence of relapses is carried out at least once every 2 years, in case of a chronic course it is carried out for life. Comprehensive and complete treatment of exacerbations allows you to do without medications in a state of remission.

Treatment of arthritis of the hands should be carried out constantly and systematically in compliance with all doctor’s recommendations.

Physiotherapy for arthritis of the hands

Physiotherapeutic techniques enhance the effect of drugs and improve their penetration into the tissues around the joint. Some of them can be used for exacerbation of arthritis of the joints of the hands (for example, magnetic therapy, medicinal electrophoresis) to relieve pain and inflammation, improve blood supply to the joint and remove waste products. All others are recommended only in a state of remission - in order to slow down the degeneration of cartilage tissue, suppress the activity of autoimmune reactions, seizures and spasms, and so on.

In the treatment of arthritis of the hands, the following is used:

magnetic therapy;
ultraviolet irradiation;
electrophoresis;
phonophoresis;
laser therapy;
UHF (ultra high frequency therapy);
ultrasound;
balneotherapy;
mud therapy;
paraffin therapy and ozokerite;
manual therapy;
physiotherapy.

Massage for arthritis of the hands

Hand massage (primarily self-massage) is one of the most effective auxiliary methods for arthritis of the hands. It helps strengthen muscles and ligaments, improves tissue trophism, quickly relieves spasms and helps relieve stress on the hands during long work. You can perform a massage anywhere and anytime - at your workplace, at home in front of the TV, or entering the room from a cold street.

Before the next session, it is advisable to make warm hand baths with essential oils or decoctions - for arthritis of the hand joints, burdock, string, elecampane, sage, calendula, cinquefoil, St. John's wort, meadowsweet and others are suitable. If this is not possible, it is enough to rub your hands with a warming and, if necessary, anesthetic ointment/gel.

Then proceed to massage movements:

Gently rub your hands from wrists to tips with your finger.
Massage each finger separately.
Clasp your fingers and try to bring your hands together and spread them to rub the sides of your fingers.
Rub your palms with your fingers, squeezing the muscles and ligaments well.
Make the “hand washes hand” movement.
Finish the massage with light stroking with your fingertips from the nails to the wrists.

Exercise therapy for arthritis of the hands

Exercise therapy for arthritis of the hands has been successfully used for both preventive and therapeutic purposes. It improves tissue trophism, finger sensitivity and joint flexibility, helps reduce pain and prevent ankylosis (fusion) of joints. Warming up is allowed only in a state of remission, when pain and swelling are completely absent. Therefore, if pain occurs, exercise therapy exercises for arthritis of the hands should be stopped.

Rotate your wrists first in one direction, then in the other.
Bend your wrist forward, backward, left and right.
Take a ball (or roll it out of crumpled paper if you don't have a ball handy) and roll it in your palms.
Spread your fingers as far as possible, then form a fist.
Interlock your fingers and raise your arms up, palms up. Stretch.
Place your elbows on the table and gently tap the fractions on the tabletop with your fingers.

For arthritis of the hands, it is advisable to practice exercise therapy at least 3-4 times a day, daily and without skipping - this is the main key to success. It would not be superfluous to purchase special exercise equipment - rosary beads, expanders, elastic balls. If this is not possible, “grandmother’s” methods of exercise therapy for arthritis of the hands are also suitable - picking chestnuts between the fingers and rolling them between the palms, squeezing apples and others. If desired, any available object of suitable size can become a simulator.

Techniques of active influence

As your little one grows up, it is worth involving him in the process of hand massage; for this purpose, the following fun exercises will be optimal:

“Come on, catch up!” – the baby’s fingers “run” across the palm, and the adult’s fingers try to catch them.
“Rollers” - plastic tennis balls, pimply balls or any other round object should be rolled, held between two palms. You can try doing this at different speeds.
“Removing the mittens” - one hand jerks the fingers onto the other, imitating the removal of mittens or gloves.
“Iron” - you need to imagine that one palm is clothes, and the second is an iron, which needs to iron this very clothes thoroughly.
“Helicopter” - using a simple pencil placed on the palm of your hand, you need to imitate the movements of the propeller.

Parents should use their imagination as much as possible, emotionally and vividly commenting on every action of their child. Not only will the baby be delighted with such a pastime, but such exercises will come in handy for any kind of pronunciation problems.

Drugs for the treatment of arthritis of the hands

The lion's share of the therapeutic effect in the treatment of arthritis of the hands is achieved with the help of targeted drugs. Medicines for arthritis of the hands are available in the form of tablets, capsules, powders for the preparation of suspensions, solutions for IM, IV, IV administration, gels, ointments, creams and balms.

In addition to the main therapy for arthritis of the hands, the doctor may prescribe additional medications taking into account side effects or the patient’s health condition (for example, gastroprotectors for long-term use of NSAIDs - to protect the stomach).

The use of drugs to treat arthritis of the hands is an integral part of effective pain management.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Since pain, swelling and inflammation in arthritis of the hands affect the patient’s quality of life and disrupt the nutrition of the joints, first of all, an orthopedist or rheumatologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (orally or externally). NSAIDs must be taken as a course or symptomatically (during exacerbation) as prescribed by a doctor.

NSAIDs include: ibuprofen, meloxicam, celecoxib, diclofenac, nimesulide, indomethacin, naproxen, ketoprofen, dexalgin.

If NSAIDs are ineffective (usually in the later stages of arthritis of the hands), corticosteroid drugs (GCs) are used. These hormonal drugs relieve pain and inflammation within the first hour after administration, but have serious side effects and limitations in use. For arthritis of the hands, they are prescribed as intra-articular injections.

For example: artradol, hydrocortisone, prednisolone, diprospan.

Chondroprotectors

These are drugs with chondroitin and/or glucosamine sulfate - natural components of bone and cartilage tissue. Unlike other medications for arthritis, chondroprotectors improve the structure of articular cartilage and even help restore the affected areas if the degenerative processes have not yet progressed too far. Chondroprotective agents slow down the destruction processes, and not only alleviate the patient’s condition.

They should be taken for life, in courses of 3 to 6 months - because cartilage metabolism occurs very slowly.

Drugs of choice: artracam, alflutop, chondroitin complex, teraflex, structum, elbona, movex.

Warming

Local warming preparations are ointments, creams, gels or balms that have an irritating effect on the skin. They are made from animal poisons (snake, bee) or plant extracts (for example, hot pepper).

In the treatment of arthritis of the hands, warming agents are used to relieve discomfort and improve metabolism in the periarticular tissues. They help eliminate swelling and increase joint mobility.

For example: viprosal, apizarthron, capsaicin ointment, espol, larkspur.

Muscle relaxants

Spasms that occur with arthritis negatively affect fine motor skills of the fingers. And sometimes they are so strong that patients drop things, unable to hold them. But even in the absence of convulsive contractions, the inflamed muscles are in constant tension. This causes pain and constant discomfort, especially during work and household chores.

To prevent muscle destruction and relax the hands, muscle relaxants are used: mydocalm, baclofen, sirdalud, tolperisone, no-spa.

Microcirculation correctors

To a large extent, the feeling of numbness and stiffness in the hands is caused by tissue starvation. The fact is that with inflammation in the joints, metabolism, circulation of blood and other fluids in the periarticular tissues are disrupted. Because of this, nutrients and oxygen are less able to reach muscles, ligaments, bones and cartilage. Therefore, after relieving inflammation, it is important to restore normal blood circulation - this task is solved by angioprotectors and microcirculation correctors.

They are produced in the form of tablets, capsules and products for external use: troxevasin, troxerutin, actovegin, pentoxifylline.

Other means

For arthritis of the joints of the hands, it is not a bad idea to take vitamins and tonic agents. A standard course of vitamins should be taken every spring and autumn, when the body is weakened. Supplements with calcium and components that improve immunity (brewer's yeast, vitamin C) - as prescribed by a doctor.

In case of infectious inflammation, it is necessary to take a course of antibiotics (penicillins or macrolides), without which arthritis of the joints of the hands will constantly recur.

For rheumatoid arthritis, the so-called basic therapy (immunosuppressants): sulfasalazine, methotrexate, leflunomide, azathioprine.

Why is it useful?

It is well known that finger massage has a positive effect on speech and thought processes, but its benefits are not limited to this. Similar gymnastics:

relaxes and relieves muscle tone;
helps the baby learn to control his upper limbs and “feel” them;
develops flexibility and coordination of fingers;
improves blood circulation;
stimulates the active activity of internal organs;
strengthens the immune system;
has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
normalizes breathing;
improves the condition of the skin, removes peeling and makes it softer;
generally increases the child’s activity.

In addition, special techniques and exercises for fingers, complemented by funny poems and funny nursery rhymes, always delight children. They can be used from 3-6 months. The older the child gets, the more he learns to listen in the process of such activities. He develops a sense of rhythm, he tries to project his mother’s words onto real objects. In parallel with hand massage and nursery rhymes, you can learn the names of fingers, count to 5, and remember family members. For example, “This is a little little finger, he brought a gift to Sasha. Oh, look, the big one is just a daring guy, and this is the index finger - he is strict and influential...”, “This finger is the grandfather...”, “On my hand there are 5 fingers, 5 graspers, 5 holders...”, etc.

Play massage

Some inspiring ideas on how you can massage your hands to develop motor skills while playing (which, by the way, is the best option for an older child who has difficulty sitting in one place):

While swimming, ask the little one to use his hands to depict a fish that is quickly swimming in the sea, escaping from an angry shark.
Crumple sheets of paper, giving them a spherical shape and the desired size (i.e., the baby will have to perform all the actions, making varying degrees of effort), then you can play snowballs with the balls, glue a snowman out of them, or practice accuracy by throwing “balls” at “basketball hoop” (bucket or basket).
Play shadow theater with your palms.
Make your fingers characters from fairy tales who need to perform different actions: ride a horse, sweep the floor, etc.
Draw with your fingers on semolina (or any other) cereal, imagining yourself as a fashionable artist of our time.

It is important for parents to understand that a hand massage alone will not be able to stimulate speech and thinking if you do not talk to your baby at the same time. Therefore, always combine massage exercises and finger games with tongue twisters, poems, made-up stories and just your funny comments.