Arthrosis of the small joints is a disease that destroys the layer of cartilage between the joints.The disease affects the joints of the hands, fingers and feet.Osteoarthritis of small joints is less common than large joints.The disease usually develops in old age.
Disease development mechanism
Arthrosis begins with a violation of blood circulation 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, due to strong friction, the joints become inflamed.
Progressive osteoarthritis is very dangerous.If treatment for arthrosis of the hand or foot is not started on time, the joints begin to take on unnatural, ugly shapes and may lose mobility.
The disease usually occurs in women during menopause.Hormone levels change in the female body and less estrogen is produced.Because of this, the body loses a lot of moisture, which makes cartilage and joints more fragile.
Species
Depending on the location, osteoarthritis is of two types:
- joints of the hands and fingers.
- small joints of the foot, big toe.
Osteoarthritis of the joints of the hands and fingers
Hand arthrosis is often found among typists, pianists, programmers and secretaries.The disease affects the interphalangeal joints.In osteoarthritis of the fingers, the joint tissues dry out and crack.Small subcutaneous nodules often appear on the joints of the hands.They usually don't disappear anymore.
As the disease progresses, bone tissue becomes denser and growths appear.They cause a lot of pain when moving your fingers.In advanced cases, the person loses the ability to move their hand and fingers.
Symptoms of the disease: clicking in the joints when moving the fingers, pain in the fingers after exercise, seals in the joints of the fingers, swelling of the periarticular tissues.
Osteoarthritis of the foot joints
Ballerinas, dancers, gymnasts, wrestlers and jumpers are susceptible to osteoarthritis of the feet.The disease affects the toe joints.Bone spurs appear in the small joints of the foot.Because of them, it is painful for a person to move their foot.As the disease progresses, the deformation of the joints is very noticeable and the person becomes practically unable to move the foot.
Osteoarthritis of the big toe is the most common type of osteoarthritis in the feet.When the disease occurs, a “bone” forms in the region of the thumb joint.Osteoarthritis of the big toe occurs due to wearing tight shoes.
Symptoms of foot osteoarthritis: pain in the foot after physical activity, clicking joints when moving, increased joint size.When walking, the person limps and rests on the outer edge of the foot.
Causes of occurrence
Osteoarthritis can be primary or secondary.
Primary osteoarthritis arises due to problems in the cartilaginous tissue of the joint, namely:
- genetic disorders in the composition of articular cartilaginous 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 load on the finger joints;
- overweight, excessive alcohol consumption;
- prolonged use of tight and uncomfortable high-heeled shoes;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- hypothermia of the feet.
If your work often puts stress on the joints of your fingers and toes, or if you have relatives who suffer from osteoarthritis of small joints, you should think about prevention.We will talk about this at the end of the article.
Symptoms
Among the signs of arthrosis of small joints of the foot, fingers and hands:
- pain in the hands and feet, whether they decrease or reappear;
- moving your fingers or toes causes pain;
- joints swell, bend and straighten with a “crunch”;
- the tissues around the joint become inflamed;
- the shape of the joints changes - they thicken, Heberden's and Bouchard's nodules 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 joints of the fingers or toes during active movement or work.The pain subsides after rest.Joints may begin to crack and swelling may form near them.
- Second stage of osteoarthritis.The disease progresses, the pain intensifies and becomes constant.Moving your fingers causes pain.Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes form at the joints.Its 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 osteoarthritis is the most serious.Fingers and toes become deformed and are almost impossible to move.The area around the affected joint becomes red and swollen.Acute joint pain is felt not only during movement, but also at rest.A person walks with difficulty, going up and down stairs becomes a challenge for them.
Diagnosis
If you notice symptoms of osteoarthritis in small joints, do not delay in consulting an orthopedist.The disease is curable at an early stage.In the second and third stages, you can only slow down your development.
To diagnose arthrosis of small joints, a comprehensive study will be required.With its help, the doctor will determine the cause of the disease and prescribe effective treatment.The initial consultation is carried out by neurologists and orthopedists.They accurately diagnose arthrosis of the joints of the hands and feet using the following methods:
- MRI.MRI
- 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 body as a whole.
The primary doctor prescribes individual treatment to the patient, taking into account the cause of arthrosis, condition, age, gender and characteristics of the patient's body.The treatment of osteoarthritis of the small joints of the feet, hands and fingers takes a maximum of one and a half months.The patient undergoes procedures 2 to 3 times a week.Joint pain will disappear after the first week of treatment.The course of treatment consists of the following procedures:
- In-device percussion-vibration therapy
- High Intensity Magnetic Therapy
- Isometric kinesiotherapy using the Pilates method
- UHF resonance wave therapy
- Fermatron Injections
Treatment of osteoarthritis of small joints in clinics relieves joint pain and inflammation.The patient's blood circulation and cartilage nutrition improve and the destruction of cartilage tissue and joints is stopped.Our doctor will advise you on what you can do yourself to prevent the disease.
Prevention
Doctors at Oficina de Saúde advise you to avoid joint problems:
- walk more, run, swim, water aerobics, ski;
- do not get too cold;
- monitor your weight;
- avoid joint injuries;
- walk in comfortable shoes.
When it comes to nutrition, we recommend following the following principles:
- eat more avocado, grapefruit, kiwi;
- limit the consumption of tomatoes and vegetables;
- include cartilage, gelatin and garlic in your diet;
- eat less fatty and fried meats, sugar, chocolate, coffee, cookies;
- stop smoking and alcohol;
- drink at least two liters of water a day.
Therapeutic massage
To prevent osteoarthritis of your hands and fingers, do the following exercises:
- Rub your palms together.
- Rub the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other, first from the base to the nail and in the opposite direction.
- Bend and straighten your fingers 10 times without clenching your fists.
- Press your palms together tightly and press the fingers of one hand over the fingers of the other.
- Separate your palms and continue pressing your fingers together.