Painful hand joints

Overview

The pain in the joints is not so rare problem, but when concentrated on the joints of the hand, it is very frustrating, since in that case, it can interfere a lot with the everyday life because the hands are in use almost all the time. One must pay the special attention to this problem even more seriously if the pain of the joints turns out to be chronic, mostly because it can be the symptom of the underlying inflammation of the joints, which is characterized by the degeneration of the cartilage and bone of joints, medically called osteoarthritis.

So, the pain of the hand joints is a common phenomenon because those joints are very susceptible for any damage which is frequently the simple consequence of the overuse of them. That is why, the elderly people are most prone of suffering from this problem. Another cause can be the mechanical injury, of course.

However, in the case of the mentioned underlying disease, the pain can be described as chronic, gradually increasing through the time and worse after the resting periods (then, it is accompanied with certain rigidness of the affected joints); while the pain which is the consequence of the trauma is usually followed by the burning feeling. The joints also tend to become swollen and warm.

The treatment of the pain

Having in mind that the pain is, actually, the indicator of the extent to which the deformity of a joint is developed, the best thing to do is to seek the medical advice while the pain is still not so troublesome. That is because in the advanced cases of the disease, the surgical procedure is needed.

Additionally, the pain can be lessened by some at-home techniques, such as the massages and exercises for the hand, accompanied by immersing the hand into the cold and warm water; in order to improve the blood flow, to strengthen the ligaments, to lessen the amount of the swelling and to minimize the inflammatory process.

The basis of the process of dealing with the pain is the intake of the orally intended medications (that are focused on reducing the inflammation and the pain, consequently), and the supplements (e.g. glucosamine, which encourages the natural regeneration of the cartilages); and the treatment by the topically intended medications in the form of gels, also based on the glucosamine and calcium.

And, finally, it is important to mention that the pain as well may be the following sign of the syndrome of carpal tunnel, which is manifested as the stress on the wrist nerve, and in this case, the pain is accompanied by insensitivity, the lack of strength and the apparition of the sense of prickling.