The Most Common Signs Of Arthritis In The Hand
Are your wrists stiff? Are your hands achy and swollen? These symptoms are often attributed to arthritis.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is inflammation of the joints due to degenerative conditions.
Arthritis has many forms — osteoarthritis (OA) involves the breakdown of cartilage in the joints, while rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves the immune system attacking the joints. Hand and wrist pain, burning sensations, and decreased functionality are early signs of arthritis.
The 3 types of Hand Arthritis
Arthritis of the finger TIps
In the same way that we put pressure on our knees when walking, we put pressure on our fingertips all day long. As a result, patients often have tiny bony bumps on their fingers called Heberden's Nodes, which are actually outgrowths of bone. Unless they impair mobility, these bumps rarely need to be treated. Hereditary arthritis affects ten to fifteen percent of people at the fingertips, or distal interphalangeal joints.
Thumb Arthritis
Women over 50 are more likely than men to develop arthritis in the thumb. It is believed that estrogen receptors exist in the ligaments that hold the joint together in women, since men rarely suffer from thumb arthritis. Women's ligaments stretch out as they lose estrogen over the course of menopause after 50, resulting in joint degeneration.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis is a form of osteoarthritis that develops gradually after a joint injury. It’s difficult to pinpoint when the condition began due to the arthritis developing gradually.
Take, for instance. Many wrist injuries result from undiagnosed fractures, such as scaphoid fractures or ligament injuries. Arthritis can take 8 to 10 years to be diagnosed after an injury like this, which is why it usually shows up in people ages 45 to 60.
As there are no muscles or tendons connecting the eight bones in the wrist, the wrist is highly susceptible to arthritis.
Symptoms of Hand Arthritis
Symptoms somewhat vary depending on the type of arthritis you have, some of the most common symptoms are:
Hand and finger pain
Joint swelling in the hand or wrist
Joint and hand stiffness
Having a weak grip
Diagnosis and Treatment of Hand Arthritis
An accurate diagnosis of hand arthritis is sometimes difficult, so a physical examination is not always sufficient. A hand x-ray is typically recommended to pinpoint the severity and stage of the arthritis.
Non-Surgical Treatments
Depending on your individual diagnosis, there are many non-surgical options available to reduce pain and improve dexterity. These are some of the most common non-surgical treatments:
The use of exercise to improve mobility is one way to change your lifestyle
Inflammatory and pain-relieving medications
Applying ice regularly to reduce swelling and pain
Using braces or splints to decrease pain and increase function
Symptom relief with steroid injections
Surgical Treatments
Surgery might be an option if non-surgical treatments haven't relieved your pain or improved hand mobility. When surgery is the best solution for you, our Board-Certified Physicians can help you determine which procedure would best meet your needs and goals. These are some of the most common surgical procedures:
Joint Replacements
When a damaged or abnormal joint causes consistent pain, joint replacement is an option. A joint replacement involves removing the painful joint and replacing it with a joint implant. A joint implant can allow you to maintain joint motion and function without experiencing pain. You can discuss this option with one of our hand specialists to determine whether it is the right choice for you.
Joint Fusions
In a joint fusion, the bones are fused together rather than replaced, resulting in a stable, painless joint. There is no doubt that joint fusions will relieve pain, but some movement may be lost as well.
Partial Joint Fusions
The use of partial joint fusions is restricted to patients suffering from degenerative wrist arthritis. Partial joint fusions relieve wrist pain while preserving some wrist mobility, as they fuse the small bones together. In the case of degenerative wrist arthritis, this treatment might be best suited to you.