Many people complain that their fingers snap. Sometimes this is due to a pathological condition in which careful diagnosis and treatment is necessary. The types of treatment for a snapping finger are described in the article.
Why does this occur?
This ailment often appears in female menopausal women. Ligamentitis (snapping finger) may be associated with:
- Age-related changes in bone tissue. In people older than middle age, it becomes thinner, which is considered a predisposing factor in the development of the disease.
- Hormonal adjustment. This negatively affects the structure of bone tissue. Usually this happens during pregnancy and after menopause.
- Hormonal background. As mentioned above, a greater risk of the disease in women.
- Associated pathologies. Usually this phenomenon occurs with diabetes mellitus, thyroid pathologies, various rheumatoid ailments.
- Traumatic lesions of the hands.
Genetic factor should be considered. If close relatives have a pathology, the risk of the disease increases. Great risk for musicians and people who work for a long time at the computer. In any case, snapping finger treatment is necessary.
Symptoms
When a person has to constantly perform the same movements with his hand, over time there is a narrowing of the limb channels, where nerves, blood vessels and tendons are located. The second name of the pathology is ligamentitis. With it, inflammation appears, which causes pain and swelling, and this limits mobility.
Patients complain of pain in the affected finger, which is aggravated by palpation. Movement becomes limited, you cannot freely extend your fingers, while a characteristic sound appears. Often this symptom appears on the thumb. Over time, contracture of this site may occur, which leads to an inability to perform movements. Symptoms are most pronounced in the morning.
Relief of the course of the disease
There are several recommendations that must be followed in case of a disease so that it is easier to tolerate:
- The load on the joints of the fingers should be reduced.
- Stretching exercises should be performed with moderate intensity.
- It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions.
- It takes a good night's sleep.
- In acute arthritis, a strict diet should be followed.
Food should be prepared with a low content of fat and salt. You need to drink more liquid, and alcohol - in moderation. With the disease, preventive measures will alleviate the condition.
Diagnostics
Before treating the snapping finger, diagnostic measures are performed. This is done by a traumatologist or surgeon. The doctor examines, collects an anamnesis, analyzes the patient's complaints. It is necessary to conduct an X-ray examination, and in order to clarify the boundaries of the lesion, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography is used.
Even patients undergo general and biochemical blood tests. Activities are needed to determine the severity of inflammation, the presence of hormonal and rheumatic disorders. Based on this, a snapping finger treatment is prescribed.
Stages of the disease
Pathology is divided into 3 stages. At the initial stage, there are only difficulties in extension, which is performed with a clicking sound. The pain syndrome appears later. First, it occurs at the site of the affected finger, and then it affects the entire hand or the entire wrist. This is the second stage of the disease.
In the third stage, the base of the painful finger is swollen, a violation of innervation and blood circulation is observed, manifested in the form of a violation of sensitivity and cooling of the skin. The process progresses over time, motor activity may disappear.
How to treat?
Treatment of a snapping finger without surgery is allowed in the initial stages of the disease. If the conservative method is not effective, the disease progresses, then the surgical method of ligamentitis of the hand is required - a ligament is cut, with which movement restriction occurs.
Treatment of a snapping finger with surgery is carried out under local anesthesia. It is necessary to fully carry out rehabilitation, which is necessary to restore range of motion.
ethnoscience
Common home methods for recovering a snapping finger. Alternative treatment includes many recipes, but before that you need to consult a specialist. It is useful to place grated raw potatoes on your fingers. It needs to be heated a little, wrapped in gauze, put on a painful place for 30 minutes. The procedures are performed for 10 days.
Effectively compresses based on aloe. The leaves of the plant must be cut longitudinally and applied to the lesion site. It should be kept for 15-20 minutes, after which the pain and swelling disappear. Effectively treating white clay. It is placed on a finger, and wrapped with polyethylene on top. Procedures can be performed 2 times a day for 14 days.
In pharmacies you can buy paraffin. It is melted according to the instructions, heated to 60 degrees, wrapped in special paper, which can be applied to the pathology site. Warm material is laid on top. The procedure is performed before the paraffin is cooled.
Essential oils
Treatment for the snapping thumb is with essential oils. Mix dry lavender flowers (20 g) and vegetable oil (100 ml). The composition should be rinsed in a water bath for 30 minutes. After cooling, it is poured into a convenient bottle and cleaned in the refrigerator. The tool is used in rubbing a sore spot.
Another recipe is also suitable. In equal quantities mix oils - fir and lavender. The finished composition is processed snapping finger several times a day.
Use a remedy from geranium oil, cloves and lavender (3 drops each). Vegetable oil (40 g) is poured into the mixture, mixed thoroughly. The resulting composition is treated sick tendons 3 times a day.
Vitamin B6
This component is considered an excellent prevention of joint inflammation. With vitamin B6, relapse can be prevented. People with this disorder should eat regularly with this ingredient. This applies to the liver, fish, raw garlic, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pistachios. You can take additional supplements prescribed by your doctor.
Folk remedies are effective if they are used as adjunctive therapy. Self-medication is not worth it. Before using any method, you need to consult with a specialist.
Self massage
If the thumb clicks, treatment can be performed using self-massage. Before this, you need to make a bath for a sore hand based on sea salt and essential oils. To do this, add sea salt (3 tsp) and essential oils of sage and yarrow (2-3 drops each) to water (1 liter). Massage is performed as follows:
- With the help of the thumb of a healthy hand, circular movements are performed inside the palm of the hand, and then the painful hand is stretched, spreading fingers.
- The back of the damaged brush is kneaded in circular movements. It is placed on the fingers of a healthy hand, fingers are extended, kneading the place of the wrist. Movements must be performed carefully.
- Demands to deflect the affected hand back, while extending the wrist joint. During the procedure, pain should not appear.
- The inner part of the palm is kneaded in a circular motion of the thumb, starting from the wrist and moving to the little finger. The procedure is performed a second time on the back of the hand.
- The metacarpal bones, ligaments, and also the tendons and phalanges of the fingers are being worked out.
- Using the thumb and forefinger, the other hand is grasped from the sides and held with pressure from the top to the base. Then the exercise is repeated from the outside and back of the fingers.
- The fingers should be extended, process the gaps with strokes and pressure.
- The procedure ends with rubbing each finger or the entire brush.
Self-massage is useful to perform regularly. With it, the condition of the fingers noticeably improves, the pain syndrome decreases. The presented sequence is the most effective.
Physiotherapy
This event is included in the comprehensive treatment of the disease. When it is allowed to use ultrasound, shock wave therapy, phonophoresis, paraffin baths, ozokerite, dirt. Massage in the affected area is undesirable to perform in a coherent manner, so as not to lead to more damage and the development of inflammation.
Medicines
Conservative treatment of a snapping finger on a hand involves the immobilization of a finger, anesthesia is used. It is performed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - “Ketoprofen”, “Nimesulide”.
Medicines are available in tablets and injections. Multiplicity and duration of use is established only by the attending physician. Usually, inflammation and pain decreases after 5-7 days of use. When this symptomatology is eliminated, it is necessary to go to the procedures of physiotherapy and massage. Still patients are prescribed exercise.
Gymnastics
Treatment of a snapping finger at home can be performed using self-massage and physiotherapy exercises. The latter should be carried out regularly, for one exercise it takes half a minute.
Training is provided by medical staff. Gymnastics is easily performed at home, which is important for effective rehabilitation of patients.
Recovery
In the presence of stenotic ligamentitis during rehabilitation, it is useful to perform the physical exercises necessary for the mobility of the development of the ligamentous apparatus. It is important that gymnastics is not a heavy load on small joints.
Fix the therapeutic effect will allow massage and heat treatment. After eliminating the symptoms, the patient should for some time exclude the usual labor regime so that a second disease does not appear. If after conservative treatment and adherence to the regimen during recovery, symptoms appear again, surgical intervention is necessary.
The prevention of the disease is the normalization of loads on the phalanges of the hands and the alternation of the regime of work and rest. When working with small parts, when the same actions are performed, prophylactic fixators of joints and tendons should be used, which significantly reduce the tension and force of action on the ligaments.
Prevention
If there is a predisposition to the onset of an ailment, you need to regularly perform finger gymnastics. Useful massage and self-massage. Effective are baths for brushes with useful herbs (coltsfoot, burdock).
Such a pathology can cause an almost complete loss of motor activity of the finger. Therefore, it is important to go to the doctor in a timely manner, who will make the diagnosis and prescribe treatment for the snapping finger syndrome. This is necessary for recovery and protection from complications.