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 anti-rheumatoid arthritis 33 antibody synovial fluid routine examination flexion test

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, finger stiffness and pain: rheumatoid arthritis, often the proximal finger joint of the finger is involved, there is morning stiffness (morning finger stiffness, difficult to make a fist), generally multiple joint pain, often symmetry, travel 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 cervical spinal cord to the hands and fingers. When some parts of the nerve damage, inflammation, tumor, pressure, etc. cause abnormalities, it will There is numbness in the fingers.

3, finger gout: finger gout is one of the common reasons for the elderly to feel limb pain, severe cases even have serious deformation of the limbs. 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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