Osteoarthritis of small joints is a disease in which the layer of cartilage between the joints is destroyed.The disease affects the joints of the hands, fingers and feet.Osteoarthritis of small joints is less common than large joints.The disease often develops with age.
Mechanism of disease development
Osteoarthritis begins with a circulatory disorder in the subchondral layer of the periosteum.As a result, the nutrition of the cartilage deteriorates, it loses elasticity, becomes thinner and cracks appear.The amount of synovial fluid decreases and strong friction causes the joints to become inflamed.
Progressive osteoarthritis is very dangerous.If treatment for osteoarthritis of the hand or foot is not started in a timely manner, the joints begin to take on unnatural, unsightly shapes and can lose their mobility.
The disease often occurs in women during menopause.The hormone levels in the female body change and less estrogen is produced.This causes the body to lose a lot of moisture, causing cartilage and joints to become more brittle.
species
Depending on the location, there are two types of osteoarthritis:
- Joints of the hands and fingers.
- small joints of the foot, big toe.
Osteoarthritis of the joints of the hands and fingers
Osteoarthritis of the hands is common in typists, pianists, programmers and secretaries.The disease affects the interphalangeal joints.Osteoarthritis of the fingers causes the joint tissue to dry out and crack.Subcutaneous small nodules often appear in the joints of the hands.Usually they don't disappear anymore.
As the disease progresses, the bone tissue becomes denser and growths form on it.They cause severe pain when moving the fingers.In advanced cases, a person loses the ability to move the hand and fingers.
Symptoms of the disease: crunching in the joints when moving the fingers, pain in the fingers after exercise, seals on the finger joints, swelling of the periarticular tissue.
Osteoarthritis of the ankles
Ballerinas, dancers, gymnasts, wrestlers and divers are susceptible to osteoarthritis of the feet.The disease affects the joints of the toes.Bone spurs form in the small joints of the foot.Because of this, it is painful for a person to move their foot.As the disease progresses, the deformation of the joints becomes clearly noticeable and the person is practically unable to move the foot.
Osteoarthritis of the big toe is the most common form of osteoarthritis of the feet.When the disease occurs, a “bone” forms in the area of the thumb joint.Wearing tight shoes causes osteoarthritis of the big toe.
Symptoms of foot osteoarthritis: pain in the foot after physical activity, crunching in the joints when moving, enlargement of the joints.When walking, a person limps, resting on the outer edge of the foot.
Causes of occurrence
Osteoarthritis can be primary or secondary.
Primary arthrosis occurs due to problems with the cartilage tissue of the joint, namely:
- genetic disorders in the composition of articular cartilage tissue;
- joint hypermobility;
- Dysplasia, flat feet, wide feet.
Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of joint damage and other diseases.Among his reasons:
- Injuries, microtraumatization of joints;
- acute and chronic arthritis, synovitis;
- Metabolic disorders, lack of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals;
- gout, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis;
- Diabetes mellitus and other diseases of the endocrine system.
Risk factors
Risk factors for the disease include:
- hereditary predisposition;
- heavy physical work, heavy strain on the finger joints;
- obesity, excessive alcohol consumption;
- prolonged wearing of uncomfortable, tight, high-heeled shoes;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- Hypothermia of the feet.
If your finger and toe joints are often stressed by your work or you have relatives who suffer from osteoarthritis of small joints, you should think about prevention.We'll talk about it at the end of the article.
Symptoms
Signs of osteoarthritis of small joints of the foot, fingers and hands include:
- pain in your hands and feet that either goes away or comes back;
- Moving your fingers or toes causes pain.
- Joints swell, bend and straighten with a “crunch”;
- the tissue surrounding the joint becomes inflamed;
- the shape of the joints changes – they become thicker, Heberden and Bouchard nodes appear;
- The sensitivity of the fingertips decreases.
Stages of osteoarthritis of small joints
There are three stages of the disease.
- The first stage of the disease is accompanied by periodic pain in the finger or toe joints during active movement or work.The pain subsides after rest.There may be cracks in the joints and swelling around them.
- Second stage of osteoarthritis.The disease progresses, the pain increases and becomes constant.Moving your fingers causes pain.Heberden and Bouchard nodes form in the joints.Their appearance is accompanied by burning and pain.After a few months, the redness and swelling disappear and the nodules become hard.
- The third stage of small joint arthrosis is the most serious.Fingers and toes become deformed and are barely mobile.The area around the affected joint becomes red and swollen.Severe pain in the joints can be felt not only when moving, but also at rest.A person has difficulty walking, climbing up and down stairs becomes a challenge for him.
diagnosis
If you notice symptoms of osteoarthritis of small joints, do not hesitate to consult an orthopedist.The disease is curable at an early stage.In the second and third phases you can only slow down development.
To diagnose arthrosis of small joints, a comprehensive examination is required.With its help, the doctor determines the cause of the disease and prescribes effective treatment.The initial appointment is carried out by neurologists and orthopedists.They diagnose arthrosis of the joints of the hands and feet accurately using the following methods:
- MRI.Magnetic resonance imaging
- Ultrasound examination (ultrasound)
- Densitometry
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Daily ECG monitoring
- Comprehensive medical examination of the body (check-up)
- Bioimpedance analysis of the body as part of the “Smart Weight Loss” program.
- Laboratory research
How we treat osteoarthritis of small joints
An integrated approach is the best way to deal with the disease.Our doctors treat osteoarthritis of small joints using non-surgical methods.They stop the development of the disease and heal the entire body.
The family doctor prescribes an individual course of treatment for the patient, taking into account the cause of arthrosis, the patient's condition, age, gender and body characteristics.The treatment of osteoarthritis of small joints of the foot, hands and fingers takes a maximum of one and a half months.The patient undergoes procedures 2-3 times a week.The pain in your joints will disappear after the first week of treatment.The course of treatment consists of the following procedures:
- Percussion vibration therapy on the device
- High-intensity magnetic field therapy
- Isometric movement therapy according to the Pilates method
- Resonance wave UHF therapy
- Fermatron injections
Treatment of arthrosis of small joints in clinics relieves pain and inflammation in the joints.Blood circulation and nutrition of the patient's cartilage is improved and the destruction of cartilage tissue and joints is stopped.Our doctor will advise you on what you can do to prevent the disease.
Prevention
Doctors at the health workshop advise avoiding joint problems:
- walking, running, swimming, doing water aerobics, skiing more;
- Don't let yourself get hypothermic;
- monitor your weight;
- avoid joint injuries;
- Walk in comfortable shoes.
When it comes to nutrition, we recommend adhering to the following principles:
- eat more avocados, grapefruits, kiwi;
- limit the consumption of tomatoes and legumes;
- Include cartilage, gelatin and garlic in your diet;
- eat less fatty and fried meat, sugar, chocolate, coffee, cookies;
- give up smoking and alcohol;
- Drink at least two liters of water per day.
Therapeutic massage
To prevent osteoarthritis of the hands and fingers, perform the following exercises:
- Rub your palms together.
- Rub the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other hand, first in the direction from the base to the nail and then in the opposite direction.
- Bend and straighten your fingers ten times without clenching them into a fist.
- Press your palms together firmly and press the fingers of one hand onto the fingers of the other.
- Separate your palms and continue to press your fingers together.