Thinking of the old man's hands, we almost certainly imagine gnarled fingers, thin at the phalanges, but seemingly swollen at the joints. Few people think that this is not only a sign of natural aging of the body, but also a symptom of the actual disease - osteoarthritis of the fingers. Moreover, not everyone knows that the disease can "age" at the age of twenty-five or thirty, which makes writing brief notes or turning bottle caps a painful and difficult task. How to maintain fine motor skills of the fingers, who is at risk and what to do with finger arthrosis, if it has already started - read about this below.
Damaging finger arthrosis
A person’s metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints are under constant strain, because for a normal quality of life he or she has to perform fine motor movements every minute - from easy to grasp (pick an apple, open a door, hold a cutlery) to very small and complex ones (they define writingone’s hands, his ability to sew and knit, play tools, and more). The stronger the finger is loaded, the more wear is exposed to the cartilage tissue, which covers the head of the phalangeal bone, forming the articular surface. This layer of cartilage, washed by synovial fluid, lets the bones not rub against each other when moving, but glide as before, and also acts as a natural shock absorber (e. g. , during shock movements, without which it is impossible to type on the keyboard).
For a variety of reasons, which we will discuss below, interphalangeal cartilage can be torn. Usually, the process goes as follows:
- Porous cartilage tissue undergoes a load where joint lubricant is "squeezed out" of it, providing good joint mobility. Usually, after this, recovery occurs - the cartilage returns saturated with moisture in a calm state. But if overload or nutrition of the cartilage is disturbed, it begins to dry out and crack. This causes a decrease in its elasticity and function.
- Unable to withstand friction, the dry cartilage begins to gradually become lethargic and become thinner, thus exposing the head of the bone. Because the articular surface does not fully handle the task at hand, the bones, muscles and ligaments begin to experience the load provided to the cartilage - almost the entire orthopedic device of the finger or even the entire hand. To increase the area of the articular surface and prevent it from being removed further, the body begins to "complete the building" of osteophytes in the affected area - bone growths that can have a round and even spike -like shape. Popularly, this process is also called "salt deposition", which is not entirely correct, because we are talking about the proliferation of bone tissue.
- The appearance of osteophytes causes a decrease in mobility - the fingers bend more severely, and it is no longer possible to cope with normal daily tasks as before. At the same time, bone tissue does not have its own protective mechanism against friction, and therefore osteophytes periodically break off and damage nearby tissue, causing pain and inflammation. In addition, microscopic cracks form, which reduce bone strength and make it brittle - therefore, with arthrosis and osteoarthritis, finger fractures are not uncommon, even from not -so -strong blows. When osteophytes, which compensate for inadequate joint function, are severed, others grow in their place - over time, the process only worsens along with cartilage dysfunction.
- Severe articular surface wear, bone deformation causes rearrangement of the entire hand, chronic inflammation and pain. The brush is so deformed that it cannot fully hold the cup with your fingers.
From arthritis, arthrosis, also called osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis (all synonymous), differs mainly in the destruction of joints and the course of chronic disease. While arthritis only indicates the presence of acute inflammatory processes that affect cartilage tissue. With arthrosis, the articular bags, synovium, subchondral bones, as well as ligaments and muscles are involved in degenerative-dystrophic processes. Also, with arthritis, the pain is usually sharp and severe, appearing at night. Although arthrosis makes itself felt during the day, in the early stages - the pain is not very noticeable.
The most common forms of arthrosis are currently considered: rhizarthrosis, in which the thumb is involved, and polyarthrosis, which affects several interphalangeal joints at once.
Remember: in the early stages of the disease, bone destruction can still be prevented and arthrosis can be brought to permanent remission while maintaining high -quality hand biomechanics.
Causes of arthrosis of the small joints of the hands
The risk group often includes people in families who have had finger arthrosis. The density of cartilage tissue and the rate of metabolic processes in it are determined genetically, and therefore the tendency to develop the disease can be hereditary. Also, the disease affects postmenopausal women about 10 times more often than their male counterparts.
The likelihood of arthrosis is increased in connection with professional and household burdens - typists, surgeons, masseurs, bakers, dairy maids, spare parts and manufacturers, pianists, athletes and other professionals who "work with their hands" often see symptoms that are notfun earlier than the others.
The development of finger arthrosis is facilitated by:
- rapid wear and / or insufficient regrowth of cartilage tissue;
- metabolic disorders, problems with the endocrine system, systemic autoimmune diseases (diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, gout);
- lack of rest and normal warm -up at work, excessive exercise with dumbbells;
- sleep disorders and chronic stress;
- age -related hormonal changes;
- congenital hand deformities;
- injuries to the hands, fingers and wrists;
- hypothermia, working with vibrators and other unfavorable factors;
- septic and specific infectious diseases (tuberculosis, chlamydia, syphilis);
- allergic reactions;
- chronic dryness (habit of drinking little);
- an unbalanced diet that is deficient in vitamins D, E, K and minerals.
Symptoms of finger arthrosis
The symptoms and treatment of arthrosis of the finger joint can vary significantly depending on the stage of the disease and the perception of the patient. Often, mild discomfort in the joints, increased muscle fatigue is caused by fatigue and is ignored until persistent pain. But the sooner treatment is started, the function of the fingers will increase in old age and the higher the quality of life in subsequent years.
First stage.The disease begins with pain in the hands, numbness or tingling, sometimes - manifests itself in pain. Becoming more difficult to carry out everyday tasks - quickly tired, dry and rough fingers arise on the joints (not to be confused with "healthy" without sound! ), Click when bending. I want to rest. Pain is usually felt only during exercise. In a relaxed state, the fingers feel sore for some time and cause discomfort. Movement stiffness is increasingly observed, before exercises that require manual agility, there is a need to "warm up", to stretch the fingers. The joints become swollen. If there is cardiovascular disease, the hands begin to respond to changes in weather.
The second level.At this stage, there is a strong narrowing of the joint space (up to 50%), the inflammatory process increases. The skin over the joints often becomes hot. The pain tends to be persistent and may not stop even at night. After work and in the morning, there is swelling, stiffness of the fingers. The phalanx feels thickened, and the ligaments shorten, spasms appear in movement, because the manipulation of small objects (needles, threads, small coins and buttons) is more difficult. In the joints, characteristic thickening of connective tissue (called Heberden and Bouchard nodules), filled with synovial fluid, appears - cysts are clearly visible when viewed from the back of the palm. Touch sensitivity and finger temperature are greatly reduced. It becomes almost impossible to rest the hands without a hot bath - the muscles are in a constant state of tension. The amplitude of voluntary movement is significantly reduced, spasms appear.
The third level.In the last stages of the disease, the fingers are practically not bent, ankylosis and persistent contractions may appear. The pain is persistent, debilitating, and often causes depression in the patient. The phalanges of the fingers between the joints become thinner due to dystrophy of the muscle tissue. Even simple everyday tasks - for example, holding a cup - are practically inaccessible to patients. He needs the help of others. Joint damage and deformity of the hand are clearly visible. In further cases, the possibility of necrotic changes in the tissue.
If you want to take an express test and understand whether to worry, articles on the symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis will be useful for you. However, the best solution is to contact a rheumatologist or orthopedist as soon as possible - the only clinical diagnostic method that will help to finally confirm or refute the diagnosis.
Treatment of finger arthrosis
Controlling finger arthrosis at an early stage allows you to completely eliminate the external symptoms of the disease that affect the quality of life. However, therapy is complex, multi -vector - it encompasses not only the use of pharmaceuticals, but also physical effects, as well as occupational therapy. Fighting chronic illness sometimes requires rethinking your diet, daily routine, work conditions, and workplace organization.
Drug treatment
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the fingers, as a rule, begins with the elimination of pain, for which the use of immobilization of the hand with a splint or orthopedic bandage and analgesic tablets, creams and ointments are used. Rest mode helps rehydrate the cartilage, restoring its elasticity. If there is severe inflammation and edema, which interferes with the trophism (nutrition) of tissues, the doctor prescribes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which restore blood circulation in the fingers. According to the instructions, steroid hormones are prescribed. Osteoarthritis caused by infectious arthritis requires the administration of topical antibiotics.
The reception of chondroprotectors has made itself one of the most effective measures at each stage of the disease. Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine must be consumed in a course, about 6 months a year - the effects appear after a few months and long -term.
If the proposed treatment does not relieve the pain, analgesics can be injected directly into the joint. Often, these procedures involve the use of a special drug mixture that also contains chondroprotectors, hyaluronic acid, platelet -rich blood plasma (PRP therapy) and other means aimed at regenerating cartilage tissue and eliminating friction.
Surgical intervention for hand arthrosis
In the last stages of the disease, according to the instructions, surgery can be performed. As a rule, these are joint removal and osteophyte removal, reconstruction or formation of crushed joints, their stabilization (fusion) or endoprosthetics (so far an unpopular measure in small hand joint surgery).
Physiotherapy treatment
In most cases, the disease responds well to conservative physiotherapy treatment - however, the disease is only performed at the stage of remission, once the inflammation has subsided. Apparatus methods for treating deformed finger arthrosis include electrophoresis, shock waves, UHF, pulse, magnetotherapy and others. Acupuncture is also effective.
Patients are recommended therapeutic massage and self -massage, which help fight muscle tension and cramps, have a beneficial effect on the condition of the ligaments, metabolism in the hands and fingers, as well as the amplitude of voluntary movements. For your own massage, just:
- rub both palms until the skin becomes warm;
- rub each finger from the base to the tip;
- roll each finger with a slightly clenched fist, like sharpening a pencil;
- bend and release your fingers quickly for 30 seconds, avoiding clenching your fists;
- place both your palms and place your fingertips on each other, press well for 1-2 minutes.
Includes finger arthrosis treatment and gymnastics. Use special rubber balls and wrists, special cubes and other tools for the development of fine motor skills while doing warm -ups. Modeling from clay or plastic will not be superfluous. This will help maintain muscle tone and prevent the formation of large osteophytes.
You can also take a warm bath at home with water (should be added sea salt, essential oils, herbal teas), paraffin or clean sand - heating the formulation will accelerate the removal of decay products and give quick access to nutrients.
Diet for finger arthrosis
Patients are advised to follow a non -strict diet that does not include smoked, overly salty foods, alcohol, as well as foods with artificial colors, steroids, preservatives. Diet is very important in the treatment of metabolic arthrosis - in this case, it is determined entirely by the attending physician. As a rule, patients are advised to eat rich in animal and plant collagen and other gel ingredients. Foods should contain a minimum of "empty" calories and meet the body’s daily needs for vitamins, macro and micro elements. You must drink water with adequate electrolytes, such as mineral or isotonic drinks.