Arthritis is a common chronic condition that causes inflammation in joints. According to the CDC 53.2 million adults aged 18 or older have been diagnosed with arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, impacting the hands, hips, knees, or back. According to the Arthritis Foundation about half of all women and one-quarter of all men will experience osteoarthritis in their hands by age 85. Because of how common arthritis in the hands is, there are plenty of treatment options available to alleviate pain and stiffness.
Boston Hand to Shoulder’s team of hand specialists treat symptoms of all types of arthritis in hands, alleviating pain and stiffness.
Symptoms of Arthritis in Hands
Arthritis attacks the lining of your joint or cartilage, causing it to break down. When this happens, the bones become exposed to each other, rubbing against each other. The human hand has 27 joints, making it highly susceptible to arthritis over the course of one’s lifetime.
When the bones rub together, it can cause a wide variety of symptoms, such as pain and swelling. The most common symptoms of arthritis in hands are:
- Morning pain and stiffness in your hands
- Swollen joints
- Dull, aching, or burning joint pain
- Hand or finger pain that keeps you up at night
- Tenderness in the joints during movement
- Reduced range of motion
- Bony growths
- Grinding sensation of the bones rubbing together during movement
- Joint deformity
- Inflammation, which may be noticeable through warmth or redness
- Fatigue
- Weakened grip
- Creaking or clicking joints
Recognizing symptoms of arthritis helps you get treated earlier, reducing the risk of worsening symptoms. While arthritis is not curable, treatments help manage symptoms and prevent further damage.
Types of Arthritis in Hands
There are several types of arthritis that affect the joints of the hands and fingers, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. Each one has its own causes and symptoms. When you make an appointment for suspected arthritis in your hands, our hand specialists can diagnose the type of arthritis you have to determine the best course of treatment for you.
Surgery
Fasciectomy is a surgery used to treat Dupuytren’s contracture in which an orthopaedic hand surgeon removes thick fascia, allowing you to straighten your fingers and regain movement. This surgical procedure should be performed by an experienced hand surgeon. Although the recovery time can be long for fasciectomy (compared to other treatment options), it is a highly effective treatment for Dupuytren’s disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints. In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, you may experience swelling in the smallest joints of your hands, such as the joints in your fingers. While the exact cause of why the immune system targets joints is unknown, a few signs indicate that you are at a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis, such as:
Women: women are more likely to suffer from this autoimmune disease than men
Age: older people are more likely to develop RA
Smoking: known to cause inflammation in the body
Obesity: unhealthier lifestyles may make someone more prone to RA
Genetics: having a parent or sibling with RA
These risks also give you a higher chance of developing other types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease that causes arthritis in hands. This degenerative disease affects all the tissues of a joint, causing them to break down over time, removing the protective cartilage on bones. This can cause pain and swelling, amongst other symptoms of hand arthritis.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a progressive inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissue. This type of hand arthritis impacts some people who suffer from psoriasis. In some instances, patients may suffer from psoriatic arthritis before noticing skin patches associated with psoriasis. While this disease is chronic and can worsen over time, there are still ways to treat and manage symptoms. In addition, there may be times when your symptoms improve or go away for periods of time.
Treatment for Arthritis Hands
Our hand doctors at Boston Hand to Shoulder can first diagnose the arthritis in hands before determining the best treatment options for you. There are plenty of options to treat hand arthritis, some more invasive than others, depending on your needs and symptoms.
Medications
When diagnosed with arthritis in hands, your doctor may prescribe medication to slow the progression of arthritis or alleviate symptoms. There are topical medications, creams or gels, that absorb through the skin, or the kind of medication taken by mouth, also called oral NSAIDs.
Physical Therapy
Patients may find significant improvement in their arthritis through physical therapy. This helps manage pain while focusing on improving range of motion or maintaining hand function. Your hand specialist may suggest targeted exercises or techniques to treat your symptoms and level or arthritis severity.
Cortisone Injections
Cortisone injections help with immediate pain relief and reduced inflammation in hand and finger joints through a steroid injection. This is often one of the first treatments for arthritis, though that will also be dependent on your symptoms and what your hand specialist recommends. All types of arthritis benefit from cortisone injections, which are administered by your orthopedic doctor or sports medicine doctor. An X-ray may be used to check that the needle is in the right place.
This treatment can last several months, and costs may vary. Consult with your orthopedic doctor or hand specialist to determine if cortisone injections are the best course to treat your hand arthritis.
Splints or Braces
For some people suffering with arthritis in hands, splints or braces may be used to help improve function and mobility. In most cases, splints and braces are used as additional support to other treatments for arthritis in hands. This aims to reduce stress on your joints while improving stability and support.
Surgery
Surgery for arthritis in hands is performed by a specialized hand surgeon. While this method of treatment is not common, it can serve as a last resort for serious cases of hand arthritis. There are several surgical procedures used for different levels of hand arthritis severity, including joint fusion (arthrodesis), joint replacement (arthroplasty), tendon transfer, carpal tunnel release, or synovectomy. It is always best to consult with an experienced orthopedic doctor or hand surgeon before going down the path of surgery.
No matter what the symptoms are that require hand care contact Boston Hand to Shoulder today to make an appointment for your hand arthritis.