Pain in the fingertips

Sometimes, when doing routine tasks, chores or relaxing, do you experience pain in your fingertips? How should you react if this pain is repeated periodically? What do such painful moments indicate? What should you do and how can you deal with it?

The human hand has 14 joints that connect the phalanges of the fingers. Each joint is like a small hinge that is activated by a system of forearm muscles and a complex system of tendons that run along the palm to the wrist. Therefore, hands must be handled with care, avoiding inflammation or damage to the joints, since such injuries can lead to the loss of the ability to move them.

Diseases that develop in the finger joints can be extremely difficult to cure. And even after successful treatment courses, a residual effect may appear - some stiffness, discomfort or pain in the fingertips. In some cases, the injuries suffered can be reflected in the appearance of the fingers - they can remain crooked or move incorrectly.

So, if the fingertips or middle phalanges swell, then this indicates the appearance in your life of a disease called deforming osteoarthritis. Such a disease manifests itself mainly in older people and appears as "nodes" on the fingers. Usually, this disease does not cause much discomfort and is treated with a course of regular exercises for mobility and fine motor skills of the hands.

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Causes of pain in fingertips

Pain in the fingertips should be locally divided into two camps - hands and feet - since the causes of pain in the fingertips and toes are different and indicate different diseases.

However, it is safe to say that the causes of pain in the fingertips are not only a mechanical problem in the form of a bruise or other injury, but more often it is a manifestation of some internal disease that is skillfully masked.

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Symptoms of fingertip pain

Symptoms of fingertip pain can be quite varied. Temporary numbness of the fingertips, burning or tingling may herald an approaching wave of pain. Also, with the possible imminent onset of fingertip pain, the usual skin color of the fingertips may be disrupted. Aching in the joints or in places of previously suffered fractures may also herald imminent fingertip pain.

Depending on the disease, the fingers and the entire palm may swell. Also, a change in the shape of the joints, their protrusion, may indicate an advanced disease. In this case, pain in the fingertips, as well as in other phalanges, is inevitable.

Pain in the fingertips

The causes of pain in the fingertips are extremely varied and characterize more than a dozen different general diseases of the body, diseases of the joints and blood vessels.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as carpal tunnel syndrome or stenotic ligamentitis of the transverse carpal ligament, which mainly affects women over 40, is manifested by numbness and burning in all fingers except the little finger. Pain and numbness begin in the bundles of fingers, extending to the base of the palm, but not concentrated in the area of the joints. Pain in the fingertips and on the surface of the palm may intensify at night or in the morning. Such painful sensations are rarely observed during the day. Visually, the shape of the joints and the fingers themselves does not change, but some cyanosis or, conversely, pallor of the entire hand, slight tissue swelling may occur.

Inflammation in the finger joints, accompanied by pain, swelling, redness and impaired mobility, may indicate arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common, which manifests itself in three or more small joints of the hand and lasts longer than three months. Symmetrical joints of the hands may be involved in the course of this disease, that is, for example, the middle joints of the middle fingers of both hands. This disease may be indicated by a certain stiffness of movement in the affected joints, which becomes less noticeable during the day. Such a disease, in the absence of the necessary and timely treatment, affects more and more joints of the hands over time, which makes it difficult to perform ordinary routine tasks.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be observed not only in the joints of the hands, but also in the ankle joints or the joints of the toes. However, this type of arthritis is not observed in large joints, such as the knee, hip or shoulder. In addition to joints, arthritis can also affect internal organs - kidneys, lungs, vascular system and others. Therefore, treatment of this disease is extremely important.

Raynaud's syndrome, or angiospastic peripheral crises, can be identified by cyanosis or pallor, as well as cold fingers, a feeling of goosebumps under the skin, tingling or numbness of the phalanges. Such a disorder can occur several times a day and last for several minutes. It can be caused by hypothermia or mental trauma.

In diseases of the blood vessels of the hands, pain in the fingertips and along their entire length, cramps, periodic numbness, and fatigue in the fingers may also be observed. In this case, paleness and cooling of the extremities are observed, the hair thins, and the nail plates thicken. As the disease progresses, the lumen in the arteries of the upper extremities decreases, which leads to blood flow disorders. Pain in the fingers and hands becomes chronic, the hands tire faster, and the pulse is weakly felt.

Pain in the fingertips can also occur with vibration disease, which occurs in people working with hand-held mechanized tools. Discomfort begins when periodic mild pain, numbness, and tingling in the fingers appear. These symptoms subsequently intensify, become permanent, and affect vascular tone. Vibration disease can lead to the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia and asthenia.

Pain and paresthesia in the ring finger and little finger, when they are squeezed, may indicate the manifestation of ulnar nerve neuropathy. This disease occurs with mechanical damage to the elbow or wrist joint. As the disease progresses, difficulties with motor ability, muscle atrophy and the formation of a "claw hand" may arise.

If you have damaged your cervical spine, then discomfort and numbness may appear in one of your hands, and your pain threshold may decrease. Usually, pain and numbness in this case are observed either in all fingers or are concentrated on the ring and little fingers.

If you dislocate your finger, you will feel a sharp pain in it, its position will be slightly incorrect, the finger may look crooked, sticking out of the joint. Most often, when dislocated, the finger is immobilized. Usually, dislocations occur on the big (first) fingers.

Inflammation of the tissues of the fingertip, or felon, occurs in the body as a result of the development of an infection brought in during a manicure or when abrasions occur in the periungual space. The pain is twitching, gradually increasing. The injured limb is reddened, often swollen and painful. Sometimes the body temperature rises. In such cases, consult a surgeon in order to avoid blood poisoning.

With polycythemia - a quantitative increase in red blood cells - numbness and periodic pain in the fingertips can also be observed in combination with headache, itching, insomnia. Microcirculation in the body is disrupted.

Also, unpleasant numbness, chilliness, "crawling ants" and other symptoms may indicate the development of cervical osteochondrosis. At night, such pain intensifies, the mobility of the damaged area of the spine decreases.

Pain in the fingertips is often observed with gout, rheumatism, scapulohumeral periarthritis and other diseases.

Pain in the tips of the toes

Pain in the tips of the toes may occur in fewer cases. Most painful moments are signs of physiological and mechanical damage.

Arthritis is characterized by a special inflammatory rhythm of pain, which occurs at 3-4 o'clock in the morning. It is worth noting that different forms of arthritis affect different toes. Thus, pain in the big toe indicates gout, reactive or psoriatic arthritis. The rest of the toes will tell about rheumatoid arthritis, less often about psoriatic arthritis.

Arthrosis, popularly called gout, although it has nothing in common with it, affects, as was written earlier, the big toe in women. With arthrosis, the big toe strongly leans against the second toe, the joint begins to strongly protrude to the side and the resulting bump is often rubbed by shoes. The joint is deformed, becomes almost immobile. This disease is caused by wearing shoes with a narrow toe for a long time. With further deformation of the joint, the remaining toes can also be pushed to the side. It is treated with therapeutic methods.

Women also experience Morton's neuroma. In this case, the pain begins at the base of the toes, the nerve is pinched. Most often, it develops into a chronic form, the nerve thickens and becomes more sensitive and painful. It hurts at the base of the second, third and fourth toes.

Numbness of the feet and fingers in particular can indicate diabetes. In this case, burning appears especially at night, which is explained by increased activity of the nerve endings.

Pale skin on the toes, as well as pain during physical exertion, can indicate problems with blood vessels, especially the arteries of the legs. The tissues of the legs do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, so the legs begin to hurt, the hair on them thins, the skin and nails deteriorate, and increased sensitivity to cold occurs.

If your toe is very painful, red, or swollen, you most likely have an ingrown nail. Such cases occur with a poor-quality pedicure or when wearing uncomfortable shoes.

When the skin on your feet becomes rough and hardened, it can also cause pain in your toes. Hardened and dead skin cells usually settle on your heels and the balls of your feet, causing pain when you put pressure on them.

Diagnosis of fingertip pain

To determine the necessary treatment, it is necessary to diagnose pain in the fingertips.

Thus, with traumatic pain in the fingertips, hematomas or abrasions are usually visible upon examination.

When infectious diseases with inflammatory reactions occur, several signs may be observed. The skin may become edematous, and pus may periodically be released. When suppuration is neglected, tissue necrosis, inflammation of the tendon sheath, or osteomyelitis of the fingertip may begin. With inflammation of the tendon sheath, the same edema, hyperemia, and sharp pain upon palpation are observed.

Neoplastic pains can be identified by palpation or inspection, where purple-red spots are visible. They indicate the appearance of glomus tumors.

Degenerative pain is the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by a change in the shape of the fingertips, joints are deformed, abnormal interfingered joints are observed, and the muscles of the hand atrophy.

If the pain in the fingers is characterized as vascular, it can manifest itself in two cases. If frostbite of the dorsal or lateral surfaces of the fingers has occurred, then characteristic bluish-red skin and swelling will be observed. Blisters or ulcers with a crust may appear.

When diagnosing diseases of small vessels, paleness of the extremities, cyanosis or gangrene are observed, ulcers may appear, and the pads may atrophy. To check, check the heart rhythm.

Metabolic pain in the finger caused by gout can be determined by the condition of the skin around the joint - it becomes tense, reddened, shiny. The diagnosis can be confirmed by palpating the gouty nodes near the joint.

With scleroderma, which indicates an autoimmune nature of pain, the skin of the hands becomes waxy, quite pale, thickened. The fingers seem swollen, the pads may lose sensitivity. When diagnosing scleroderma, pay attention to the patient's face - the skin of the face also looks like wax, many wrinkles accumulate near the mouth. The patient may look quite emaciated.

If you suspect that the pain in your fingertips is radiating, check the sensitivity of your fingers, reflexes in your upper limbs, and the range and nature of movement in your cervical vertebrae.

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Treatment for fingertip pain

To prevent recurrence of fingertip pain, avoid movements that can provoke or aggravate them. To improve the condition of blood vessels and joints, stretch, bend your hands and fingers, do simple exercises for clenching/unclenching your hands, come up with a set of exercises for yourself.

When determining the type of pain, ibuprofen may be prescribed as an anti-inflammatory drug; in case of dystrophic damage, treatment is initially aimed at restoring cartilage in the joint, for which chondroprotectors are prescribed, and massage is also recommended. If the pain in the joint is unbearable, injections, ointments or tablets are prescribed.

Chondroprotectors (including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) are the most effective group of drugs prescribed for the treatment of arthrosis. They not only eliminate pain symptoms, but also directly affect the restoration of the cartilaginous tissue of the affected joint, and promote the release of fluid that lubricates the joint.

Chonroprotectors, with their complex effect on joints, are irreplaceable in the fight against arthrosis, but their effectiveness is significantly reduced when the disease passes into the last stage, when the joint is destroyed. The thing is that they can cure pain in the fingertips or restore the properties of the joint lubricating fluid, but it is impossible to build a new joint or return the correct shape to deformed bones with the help of the drug.

Chondroprotectors are effective in combating pain in the fingertips and joint disorders, however, to achieve the effect, you need to undergo 2-3 full courses of treatment. These courses can last for a year and a half.

At the moment, chondroprotectors are represented on the drug market by the following drugs:

• Artra – country of origin USA, tablet form, taken 2 tablets per day;
• Dona – country of origin: Italy, forms: injection, powder or capsule; course of treatment - 3 injections per week, or 1 packet of powder per day, or 4-6 capsules per day;
• Structum – country of origin France, capsule form, taken 4 tablets of 250 mg or 2 tablets of 500 mg per day;
• Teraflex – country of origin: Great Britain, capsule form, taken 2 tablets per day;
• Chondroitin ACOS – country of origin Russia, capsule form, taken at least 4 tablets per day;
• Chondrolon - country of origin Russia, injection form, course of 20-25 injections;
• Elbona - country of origin Russia, injection form, course involves 3 intramuscular injections per week.

In medical practice, Dona is most often prescribed in injection form.

Chondroprotectors have virtually no contraindications in the treatment of fingertip pain and joint problems. Side effects include, in extremely rare cases, allergic reactions, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, and in isolated cases, headaches, pain or swelling of the legs, drowsiness, insomnia or tachycardia.

The most acceptable course of treatment with chondroprotectors is 3-5 months with daily intake. The course must be repeated after six months.

Salicylates (similar to diclofenac), paracetamol or indomethacin are prescribed as anesthetics and anti-inflammatory agents that complement the treatment of pain in the fingertips and joints. Local remedies have a good pain-relieving effect - ointments that include novocaine, anesthesin or menthol-based ointments.

Diclofenac – tablet form, taken at the initial stage – 100-150 mg/day, divided into several doses.

Indomethacin - tablet, capsule, injection, suppository form. Daily dose - up to 100-150 mg, divided into 3-4 doses. The course of treatment for pain in the fingertips and joints must be completed in full, otherwise there is a possibility of the disease recurring.

To relieve acute attacks of gout, 0.05 g is prescribed three times a day. To treat acute conditions or exacerbation of a chronic process, 60 mg is administered intramuscularly 1-2 times a day for 7-14 days or 1 suppository twice a day.

As for corticosteroids, they are prescribed to treat carpal tunnel syndrome - compression of the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are relieved with 1-2 low-dose cortisone injections into the wrist area. This treatment has no side effects.

If the stage of the disease is advanced, then surgical intervention is necessary to treat carpal tunnel syndrome and pain in the fingertips. When performing surgery, both in the form of open access using local anesthesia and in the case of microinvasive access, the task of doctors is to reduce the compression of the median nerve. The transverse ligament of the wrist is crossed, which helps to open the carpal tunnel.

The most commonly prescribed medications for treating fingertip pain associated with gouty arthritis are indomethacin, naproxen, phenylbutazone, and pheniprofen, as described above.

The dose of indomethacin is reduced with each dose: the first dose is 75 mg, the following days are 50 mg every 6 hours, the next day is 50 mg every 8 hours, subsequent treatment is 25 mg every 8 hours.

Side effects of this drug include gastrointestinal disorders, symptoms of central nervous system disorders, and sodium retention in the body. Despite all the possible side effects of the drug, observed in 60% of cases, indomethacin is preferable to colchicine. Also, in acute attacks of gout, an effective drug is systemic or local injection of glucocorticoids into the joint. Usually, moderate doses of glucocorticoids are prescribed for several days to treat pain in the fingertips and joint pain, since the concentration of the drug in the body is sharply reduced and the effect weakens. Intra-articular injections of the drug help stop attacks of bursitis or monoarthritis for a day and a half. Such treatment is mainly prescribed when it is impossible to undergo a full course of treatment.

To treat pain in the fingertips and joints, you can also use folk remedies:

• Caucasian hellebore in the ointment. To prepare the ointment, mix 20 g of dry hellebore, 20 g of honey, 10 g of vegetable oil and 5 g of dry mustard. Melt all the ingredients in a water bath and mix until smooth. Transfer to a dark container and cool. To relieve pain, lubricate the joints at night;
• using fruit vinegar, make compresses on painful joints;
• Mix a small amount of propolis with sunflower or corn oil. Apply as an ointment;
• chop burdock leaves and pack them tightly into a jar, leave them on a window where the sun constantly shines. When the leaves turn into a foul-smelling mush and become moldy, apply them as a compress to the joints. You can also wrap your joints with burdock leaves at night;
• 100 g of camphor oil, 100 g of dry mustard, 2 whites of fresh chicken eggs, beat until smooth and foamy, pour into a jar, close the lid tightly and put in a dark place. Rub the joints with this mixture and make compresses, covering with cellophane and something warm on top for a warming effect;
• cut the sponge from the branches of the loofah, wash and dry, heat in the oven and grind into powder. Rub the painful area with the powder with a drop of vegetable oil. You may experience a slight burning sensation in the smeared area;
• grind the Kalanchoe flower through a meat grinder, add 1 liter of vodka to 0.5 liters of gruel. Infuse for 3 to 5 days, rub into the joints. Another effective remedy is to mix Kalanchoe ground through a meat grinder with grated chalk until a thick mixture is obtained and apply it as a compress, wrapping it in cellophane and something warm;
• you need to rub sore joints with natural fat - after a bath, rub natural pork fat into the joint that hurts. The procedure should be repeated for several months;
• Infuse 1 glass of sticky birch buds in 0.5 l of alcohol or moonshine for 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking occasionally. Then rub the infusion into the joints that hurt.

How to prevent fingertip pain?

• Remember that it is better not to neglect your own health than to treat it diligently later.
• The first rule for preventing pain in the fingertips is to avoid alcohol, nicotine, large amounts of spicy, salty foods.
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid fried foods, and give preference to steamed or boiled foods.
• Don't freeze. Warm up while you work, don't let the blood stagnate.
• Wear comfortable shoes that fit properly and are the right size.
• Perform manicures or treat wounds only with sterile instruments.

Preventing fingertip pain is extremely important because it prevents dangerous diseases and strengthens your organs and limbs.