If you feel pain in the thumb, then this can be a sign of dangerous diseases. Sometimes a person even has to go to the hospital, as it is simply impossible to cure some ailments at home.
Causes of Pain
Pain in the thumb can occur for a variety of reasons. Doctors divide the pain into 2 categories, namely, inflammatory and mechanical in nature. Inflammatory pains are characterized by prolonged constraint of arms, which can persist for a long time. In addition, additional symptoms may be observed, namely:
- swelling;
- redness in the joints;
- violation of flexibility.
Mechanical pain may be accompanied by signs of local inflammation, but they are less pronounced. Often, patients simply do not notice them. There are various diseases that can trigger pain in the joints of the thumb. The reasons for this may lie in diseases such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- psoriatic arthritis;
- gouty arthritis;
- osteoarthrosis;
- Raynaud's syndrome.
In addition, gout can also provoke the onset of soreness, the cause of which is a violation of the metabolism of uric acid. With insufficient removal of this substance from the body, it accumulates in the cartilage and joints, impairing their functioning.
Causes of pain when moving fingers
Very often there is pain in the thumbs, the reasons for this can be very different. A similar violation occurs with problems such as:
- pinched nerves;
- arthrosis;
- osteoarthrosis;
- tunnel syndrome.
Mostly painful sensations occur during flexion and extension of the fingers. If pain is often observed, and other symptoms also appear, then you need to consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Osteoarthrosis
If pain is felt in the thumb and small seals appear, then this may be a sign of osteoarthritis. Seals form right next to the nail. Specialists call this disease knotty fingers.
In the place where the nodule is formed, there are strong painful sensations that resemble a burning nettle. The skin around the seal acquire a reddish tint. The disease is mainly observed in people after 40 years.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a fairly common disease in which the pain in the thumb becomes simply unbearable. If very often pain is observed for a long time, then you must definitely consult a doctor for additional diagnostics.
The causes of this condition can be viral or bacterial infections, colds, flu, hypothermia, overheating, stressful conditions. At risk are mostly women, regardless of age. With the course of this disease, the fingers on the hands become swollen, redden and numb.
Psoriatic arthritis
Pain in the joint of the thumb can occur with psoriatic arthritis. Before the joints of the fingers are affected, severe swelling is observed, as well as psoriatic lesions of the skin.
With the course of this disease, the skin becomes covered with whitish scales, and a little later the pain in the phalanges of the fingers, in particular, the thumb, joins. Pain in the joints can be very strong, so painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are required.
Gouty arthritis
With gouty arthritis, pain in the joint of the thumb is very worrying, manifesting itself mainly at the base. Soreness and swelling can be in the toe. The pain is so severe that a person cannot even move normally and it is cutting in nature. Affected joints swell, redden, and hurt a lot. A person has a sharp increase in temperature, weakness, headache and severe fatigue appear.
At risk are mostly men, since gout affects them more than women. This disease is characterized by a sharp and severe soreness, therefore, it is important to consult a doctor immediately after the occurrence of discomfort.
Raynaud's Syndrome
Raynaud's syndrome is the most common cause of pain in the right thumb. When this disease occurs, numbness of one or more fingers is observed. If you raise your hand up, then the pain and numbness will intensify even more.
A similar disease occurs mainly when bearing a child, taking hormonal and contraceptive drugs, frequent and prolonged stress, which, among other things, can also provoke arthritis.
Risk factors
There are certain factors that trigger the occurrence of pain in the thumb, which include:
- hormonal changes;
- hereditary factors;
- impaired immunity;
- infections
- metabolic decline;
- exposure to external factors;
- trauma.
It is possible to determine the presence of a specific disease only with the correct therapy, which is prescribed by a rheumatologist or traumatologist.
Main symptoms
Pain in the right thumb can occur due to various diseases that are accompanied by additional symptoms, in particular:
- the formation of nodes in the joints;
- soreness when pressed;
- sharp pain;
- change in the skin;
- temperature rise;
- motor impairment;
- the formation of an inflammatory process and tumors.
Initially, you need to establish the reasons that provoked discomfort and only after that, prescribe therapy.
Diagnostics
Before treatment, you need to determine exactly why there was pain in the thumb of the left hand. Therefore, people experiencing pain in the joints and discomfort when bending their limbs, require such types of diagnostics as:
- blood biochemistry;
- tomography;
- radiography;
- general analysis of urine and blood.
The occurrence of certain discomfort during flexion of the fingers can be a sign of dangerous diseases. Ignoring a problem can have serious consequences. Often there is a loss of movement. As a result of this, a similar problem can lead to the fact that a person will not be able to bend his finger, as well as provoke disability.
Treatment features
Many diseases provoke pain in the thumb. Treatment is selected purely individually, depending on the characteristics of the course of the disease. With rheumatoid arthritis, hormonal drugs are used, in the presence of gout - drugs designed to remove urea, and with lesions of the spine, it is important to eliminate compression of the nerve endings.
If symptoms of joint diseases are observed, then you should immediately seek help from a doctor. Arthritis can be complicated, and soreness will only increase significantly, and health will worsen. Psoriasis, gout and many other pathological processes do not go away on their own and often have very serious consequences. Therefore, self-medication is not recommended. Only a qualified doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate therapy.
Drug treatment
If during the course of inflammatory processes there is pain in the joint of the thumb, treatment involves taking painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
With significant soreness, hormonal corticosteroids are used, which can be injected directly into the joint cavity. With osteoarthritis, chondroprotectors are prescribed that provide nutrition to the cartilage tissue and help prevent the process of its destruction.
The use of folk remedies
For treatment, you can use some traditional medicine, which will complement therapy and eliminate pain in the joints of the fingers. An ointment prepared on the basis of bay leaf, juniper needles and butter helps to cope with discomfort. Every day, you need to massage the affected fingers with the resulting product until the pain completely disappears.
Compresses made from dairy products and chalk help well. Compresses are applied at night. Boiled oatmeal is considered a similar remedy. Inside, you can consume birch sap, as it contains many vitamins, as well as other beneficial substances that well affect the joints and the entire body.
Additionally, other treatment methods can be used, in particular, such as mud therapy, physiotherapy, paraffin therapy, massage, ultrasound.
Physiotherapy
Pain in the joints of the fingers can indicate a malfunction or certain disorders in the body. First of all, you need to abandon physical activity, as this can only aggravate the course of the inflammatory process. Physiotherapeutic techniques are quite effective in the fight against joint diseases.
Such techniques include resonance therapy, electrophoresis with novocaine and elektroson. During the period of remission, it is necessary to carry out the therapeutic effect by means of massage, manual therapy sessions, smearing with mud and therapeutic exercises. In addition, it is recommended to visit the springs in a spa setting. Treatment in a sanatorium is prescribed only after a thorough examination of the patient.
Dieting
It is important to follow a special diet during the treatment period, which helps to cope with joint pain. It is recommended to consume fish and seafood, as the substances contained in them contribute to the normalization of mineral metabolism. Apple cider vinegar causes the excretion of salt and the alkalization of blood.