The signs of Arthritis in Hands

By

thebackpainreliefstore.com

May 27, 2023

Table of Contents

Arthritis refers to a serious condition that induces degeneration of the joints. Out of several types, there are two key forms of hand arthritis, which are namely, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The former adversely influences the cartilage that resides in the hand joints, while the latter mostly impacts the tendons, tissues, cartilages, and the muscles of the hands. Osteoarthritis is commonly seen among the aged people as the degeneration of the hand joints is mostly because of aging. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis refers to an inflammatory disorder that can impact a person of any age. Gender wise, as compared with the males, the females are more likely to develop arthritis in hands.

One of the common symptoms of arthritis in hands is the difficulty felt in moving the hands. In fact, the simple activities like holding and gripping, which we do everyday are adversely influenced by arthritis. The arthritis in hands signs are mostly seen in the joints of the wrists, thumbs, and fingers. Listed below are the signs of arthritis in hands.

Joint Pain: Keep in mind that this is among the early known signs of arthritis in hands. It features a steady dull pain carrying a burning sensation, which stays to trouble you continuously. This pain is accelerated if you use your hands repeatedly and in heavy activities like lifting, knitting, writing, and typing. However, if you make your hands to rest, you will notice that the joint pain has reduced. In case of severe pain, you might not be even able to sleep. During hot or rainy season, the pain actually worsens.
Swelling: If you continue to experience the joint pain for a prolonged period, still do not lessen the burden on hands, and in fact do extra activities; then swelling in the joint is an inevitable result. This is a way that our body signals us to prohibit any kind of further hand use. Technically, swelling is mostly the outcome of the damage of the underlying tissues.
Stiffness: The wrist as well as the finger joints get stiffer and stiffer because of thelasting pain that induce swelling. This comes to the notice when you feel too much pain while performing simple tasks such as unlocking a door or opening the container’s lid. Because of stiffness, redness of the joint also occurs due to which, when touched, the joints seem to be warmer and tender. Generally, joint stiffness because of arthritis is experienced mostly in the morning and during the winters or cold weather. So, you need not have to ignore these symptoms by thinking that it is common to have it in this season.
Defect: Arthritis in hand induces a deformity in finger joints, which is known as Heberden’s node. This is a condition wherein, due to persistent swelling, the size and form of the fingers’ zenith tend to change. You might also experience the loosening of the joints.
More Signs: Some more symptoms of hand arthritis include a grinding, cracking, or crushing sensation during movement, loss of flexibility, no strength, loss of function, and reduced joint mobility. All these signs are because of the cartilage damage. Further, hand arthritis can also lead to the generation of the cysts in the fingers’ end joints.

Natural remedies

Sadly, no single cure exists for arthritis. But, the arthritis symptoms can be certainly managed by using painkillers, corticosteroid injections, and ointments. But, these medications when taken for much time have the power to invite a myriad of after effects. Therefore, one can go for some easy home remedies.

One of them is to use heating pads for alleviating pain of arthritis in hands. Alternatively, one can dip the hands in lukewarm water wherein the Epsom salt is dissolved. It is well known fact that the healing properties of this salt can also provide much relief from swelling, besides pain.

Cold compression also works out as a great remedy for arthritis in hands. In this method, put a few ice cubes in a bag of plastic, cover it with towel, and put it over the hands exactly for 15 minutes. Kindly do not exceed this time. Again after 30 minutes, do it again.

Hand stretching movements or exercises are the simplest remedies for fighting with joint stiffness and pain. With this, your joints gain the lost flexibility and strength back due to which the hands mobility is restored. Ask for these exercises from a physical therapist. Even simple chores such as little gardening and light housecleaning would help.