Finger joint pain

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, can cause pain in the joints of the fingers. It belongs to the category of traditional Chinese medicine, and it is known as the bones and the wind. It is a systemic disease characterized by chronic polyarticular inflammation. It is often caused by the onset of small joints of the hands and feet. It is often symmetrical. The early symptoms are pain, swelling, difficulty in movement and stiffness of the affected joints. Fingers, palms, and toes are dominant. Late symptoms of long-term unhealed are joint deformities.

Cause

The main pathological change is the so-called synovitis. Under normal conditions, the inner surface of the joint cavity has a fine synovial membrane that secretes joint synovial fluid to lubricate and protect the joints. In rheumatoid arthritis, the synovial membrane produces an inflammatory reaction, and the joints are red, swollen, hot, and painful due to the accumulation of inflammatory cells. When this inflammatory reaction is severe, it even invades the entire joint and destroys the cartilage and even the bones. In the absence of proper treatment, the joints will deform, stiffen and become inoperable. In addition, about 5%-15% of active rheumatoid arthritis patients will have subcutaneous nodules, which occur under the skin and are denatured into fibrous tissue due to inflammation, which is widely distributed, but it is good. In more sensitive areas such as joint extension, scalp, etc., there is usually not much problem, and sometimes it will lead to infection. If it occurs in the pleura, eyes, etc., it will lead to more serious consequences.

an examination

Related inspection

Rheumatoid factor synovial fluid visual inspection

The patient had morning stiffness, joint pain, swelling, fluid accumulation or limited mobility, but no joint deformity; from the x-ray film, there was no abnormality in any structure of the affected joint. If every doctor or patient can grasp the early stage of rheumatoid arthritis, which is only about 2 years, and actively apply the drug change, this will greatly avoid reducing the adverse outcome of advanced rheumatoid arthritis. Generally, one or two small joints at the distal end start to be painful, swollen, and gradually develop into multiple joints, and some are symmetric, migratory, and intermittent. More than half of the patients may have morning stiffness (both hands swell when they get up in the morning) and disappear after the event.

Differential diagnosis

Finger joint pain is different from other pain symptoms of the finger. Should pay attention to identification.

1. Fingers are stiff and painful: Rheumatoid arthritis, often involving the proximal knuckles of the fingers, has morning stiffness (the morning fingers are stiff, difficult to make fists), usually multiple joint pains, often symmetry, swimming The characteristics of walking. May also be proliferative arthritis, generally older, more than 40 years old, X-ray examination has bone hyperplasia.

2. Finger numbness: The sensory nerve of the finger is distributed by the nerve roots of the cervical spinal cord to the hands and fingers. When the nerves of some parts are damaged, inflammation, tumor, pressure, etc. cause abnormalities, There is numbness in the fingers.

3. Finger gout: Finger gout is one of the common causes of limb pain in the elderly. In severe cases, there is even a paralysis that causes severe deformation of the limb. Many elderly people suffer from gout without knowing it. They mistakenly think that their fingers are uncomfortable.

Generally, one or two small joints at the distal end start to be painful, swollen, and gradually develop into multiple joints, and some are symmetric, migratory, and intermittent. More than half of the patients may have morning stiffness (both hands swell when they get up in the morning) and disappear after the event.

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