Thanks to the muscles, a person can move, maintain balance, lift and hold various objects. However, the impact of adverse conditions from human activities adversely affects the work of the whole organism. Hands are no exception, they are susceptible to a variety of injuries, infections, injuries and pathologies. Pain and inflammation of the joints of the hands of the hands can be a symptom of a malfunction in the organs or testify directly to the disease of the hands.
Tunnel syndrome
This pathology is found in most people who, according to the specifics of their activities, spend a lot of time working on a computer.
Pain and inflammation of the joints of the hands appear against the background of compression of a nerve in the metacarpal canal. Pathology is rather difficult to treat, but it can be prevented. The characteristic signs of the syndrome include: goosebumps, problems with arm movement.
Treatment of pathology is based on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs and drugs to improve blood circulation can also be used. A good result can be achieved after a course of acupuncture, manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.
Injuries
Three types of injuries characteristic of hands are conditionally distinguished:
- Bone fractures. Depending on the severity of the injury, the fracture may be accompanied by slight discomfort or excruciating pain. But most often it’s quite difficult to understand that the bones in the hand are broken. In light of this, treatment is often carried out inadequately at home. As a result, the bones grow together incorrectly, which leads to inflammation of the joints of the hands and can even cause a lack of joint mobility.
- Ligamentous apparatus or tendon injuries. These are sprains, dislocations, tears of ligaments. As a rule, such injuries are accompanied by severe pain.
- Injuries to muscle tissue often arise from bruises, but can also be a result of open wounds.
In most cases, treatment is performed by artificially restricting movements on the injured arm. In some cases, surgical intervention may be indicated.
Problems with the cervical spine
But what if there are no local reasons for the onset of inflammation of the joint of the hand, there were no injuries? In such cases, it is recommended to examine the cervical vertebrae.
Some pathologies that occur in this zone can provoke compression of the nerve paths at the exit of the spinal cord, which is the cause of pain in the hands. This can be osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, protrusion of the intervertebral discs, radiculitis or hernia.
In the early stages, the effect may be from medical treatment. Good results can be achieved with the help of manual therapy and physiotherapy. However, in the later stages of the disease, the patient's condition can be alleviated only with the help of surgical intervention.
Arthritis
Another fairly common disease, characterized by inflammation of the joint of the hand (photo below), local redness and an increase in body temperature in these places. In the acute course of the disease, swelling and painful sensations appear. In the morning hours, as a rule, the inactivity of the affected joint is observed.
The main trigger factor is age. Due to the slowdown of metabolic processes, less nutrients enter the joints, as a result arthritis occurs. The disease can appear against the background of previous injuries, due to specific working conditions, infectious diseases.
The treatment of inflammation of the joint of the hand in this case is carried out medically and with the help of physiotherapeutic techniques, local drugs. In the last stages, endoprosthetics may be recommended.
Rheumatoid arthritis
This disease is quite common and is characterized by a long inflammatory process. About 2% of all inhabitants of the planet suffer from this disease. Pathology is more common in the female half of the population, middle and more mature age.
Inflammation of the joints of the hands over time lead to destruction of bones and joints. There is a limited mobility of the hands. Pathology can develop not only on the hands, but also on the feet.
To date, it has not been possible to establish clear reasons for the development of pathology. The disease can appear against the background of an infectious infection or have an autoimmune nature of origin.
Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be completely cured, but it is still possible to stop the rapid development of the disease: by surgical intervention or by using anti-inflammatory therapy.
Common types of arthritis, in addition to rheumatoid, include: gout, osteoarthritis, bursitis, psoriatic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and others.
Arthritis Treatment
This type of disease involves a long course of treatment. Inflammation of the joints of the hand can only be removed with an integrated approach to the problem. In the case of the infectious nature of the origin of arthritis, the patient will be prescribed a course of antibacterial therapy. If there are metabolic problems in the body, then corticosteroid drugs are prescribed, with allergies - antihistamines. Regardless of the cause of the disease, the patient needs to review his diet and include foods with a high content of vitamins.
Along with drug therapy, local treatment will be required, which consists of ointments and compresses. It is the local effect on the joints that can reduce the number of side effects from the use of pharmaceuticals and act directly on the joint.
Ointments
To eliminate the causes of pathology in the treatment of inflammation of the joints of the hands, three types of ointments are used:
- warming;
- painkillers;
- regenerative.
The best result when using ointments can be achieved with the use of ultrasound, the waves of which enhance the permeability of tissues for medicinal components. In medical institutions, this procedure is called phonophoresis.
Your doctor may prescribe pain relievers. Treatment of inflammation of the joints of the hands is carried out using NSAIDs. Most ointments penetrate well through the skin of the hands and quickly eliminate pain. However, you should always remember that these drugs have many contraindications for use and are not used for open injuries of the hands. The most popular include Dolgit, Fastum-gel, Nimesulide, Diclofenac-gel, Indomethacin, Butadion. These ointments can be used to relieve pain in tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis.
Warming ointments are designed to expand the vessels in the area of the diseased joint. When using such products, the temperature rises around the joint, and the flow of blood and oxygen increases. Such procedures are recommended after heavy physical exertion and as a preventive measure against inflammation of the joints of the hand.
There are two main types of warming ointments:
- Based on hot red pepper, snake, bee venom: "Capsicum", "Golden Star", "Nikoflex" and others.
- Based on salicylic acid: Efkamon, Viprosal, Bom-Bengue and others.
Regenerating ointments can also be attributed to warming agents. Most of them contain snake or bee venom.
Rubbing
Treatment with folk remedies for inflammation of the joint of the hand can be carried out using rubbing with medicinal herbs. Kalanchoe shows high efficiency in eliminating pain. The leaves of the plant are crushed using a meat grinder. A liter of vodka is added to half a liter of raw materials and insisted for five days. After that, the resulting tincture is rubbed into sore joints.
You can use interior fat, which, after warming, is carefully rubbed into the hand. It is recommended to use a golden mustache. To prepare the product, you need a fresh plant from which juice is squeezed and mixed with petroleum jelly or hand cream, in a 1: 1 ratio. Ointment should be applied daily.
Compresses
It is best to do compresses and lotions for the night. The easiest way to prepare the composition for the anti-inflammatory compress is to take honey and salt, which must be mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. A gauze swab is moistened in the resulting mixture and applied to an inflamed hand, a compress is warmed, and left for the whole night.
You can make clay compresses. To do this, you should purchase medicinal clay in a pharmacy, dilute with water and apply in a warm form to the brush, bandage and hold on hand for several hours.
If pain is often tormented, then in the spring you can break the leaves of burdock, put them in a jar, then grind and leave in the sun. As soon as an unpleasant smell and mold appear, compresses can be made from the product. According to patients who have tried such a remedy, the pain subsides after the first session.
Prevention
In order to prevent an inflammatory process in the joints of the hands, you are always fully treated for infectious diseases, do not allow hypothermia of the hands. Whenever possible, give up drinking alcohol and smoking. Try to exclude any overload of joints, control the amount of salt in food and drink at least 1.5 liters of pure water throughout the day.