Arthrosis of small joints is a disease that destroys the cartilage layer 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 often develops in old age.
Mechanism of disease development
Arthrosis begins with a disruption of blood circulation in the subchondral layer of the periosteum.Because of this, the nutrition of the cartilage deteriorates, it loses elasticity, becomes thinner, and cracks appear on it.The amount of synovial fluid decreases, due to strong friction, the joints become inflamed.
Progressive arthrosis is very dangerous.If treatment for arthrosis of the hand or foot is not started in time, the joints begin to take on unnatural, ugly shapes and may lose mobility.
The disease often occurs in women during menopause.Hormonal 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 brittle.
Species
Depending on the location, arthrosis is of two types:
- joints of the hands and fingers.
- small joints of the foot, big toe.
Arthrosis of the joints of the hands and fingers
Arthrosis of the hands is often found among typists, pianists, programmers, and secretaries.The disease affects the interphalangeal joints.With arthrosis of the fingers, the joint tissues dry out and crack.Subcutaneous small nodules often appear in the joints of the hands.Usually they no longer disappear.
As the disease progresses, the bone tissue becomes denser and growths appear on it.They cause severe pain when moving your 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 joints of the fingers, swelling of the periarticular tissues.
Arthrosis of the foot joints
Ballerinas, dancers, gymnasts, wrestlers, and jumpers are susceptible to arthrosis of the feet.The disease affects the joints of the toes.Bone spurs appear on the small joints of the foot.Because of them, it is painful for a person to move his foot.As the disease progresses, the deformation of the joints is very noticeable, and the person is practically unable to move the foot.
Osteoarthritis of the big toe is the most common type of arthrosis in the feet.When the disease occurs, a “bone” forms in the area of the thumb joint.Osteoarthritis of the big toe occurs due to wearing tight shoes.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the foot: pain in the foot after physical activity, crunching in the joints when moving, an increase in the size of the joints.When walking, a person limps and rests on the outer edge of the foot.
Causes of occurrence
Arthrosis can be primary or secondary.
Primary arthrosis appears due to problems with the cartilage tissue of the joint, namely:
- genetic disorders in the composition of joint cartilage tissue;
- joint hypermobility;
- dysplasia, flat feet, wide feet.
Secondary arthrosis is the result of joint damage and other diseases.Among its 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 labor, heavy load on the finger joints;
- overweight, excessive alcohol consumption;
- long-term wearing of uncomfortable tight high-heeled shoes;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- hypothermia of the feet.
If your work often puts stress on the joints of your fingers and toes, or you have relatives who suffer from arthrosis of small joints, you should think about prevention.We will talk about it 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, they either subside or arise again;
- moving your fingers or toes causes pain;
- joints swell, bend and straighten with a “crunch”;
- the tissues surrounding the joint become inflamed;
- the shape of the joints changes - they thicken, Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes appear;
- The sensitivity of the fingertips decreases.
Stages of arthrosis 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.The joints may begin to crack, and swelling may form near them.
- Second stage of arthrosis.The disease progresses, the pain intensifies and becomes constant.Moving your fingers causes pain.Heberden's and Bouchard's 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 almost impossible to move.The area around the affected joint becomes red and swollen.Sharp pain in the joints is felt not only during movement, but also at rest.A person walks with difficulty, going up and down stairs becomes a challenge for him.
Diagnostics
If you notice symptoms of arthrosis of small joints, do not delay a visit to an orthopedist.The disease is curable at an early stage.At the second and third stages, you can only slow down its 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 appointment is carried out by neurologists and orthopedists.They accurately diagnose arthrosis of the joints of the hands and feet 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 arthrosis of small joints
An integrated approach is the best way to cope with the disease.Our doctors treat arthrosis 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 an individual course of treatment for the patient, taking into account the cause of arthrosis, condition, age, gender and characteristics of the patient’s body.Treatment of arthrosis of small joints of the foot, hands and fingers will take a maximum of one and a half months.The patient undergoes procedures 2-3 times a week.The pain in your joints will go away after the first week of treatment.The course of treatment consists of the following procedures:
- Percussion-vibration therapy on the device
- High-intensity magnetic therapy
- Isometric kinesiotherapy using the Pilates method
- Resonance wave UHF therapy
- Fermatron injections
Treatment of arthrosis of small joints in clinics relieves pain and inflammation in the joints.The patient's blood circulation and nutrition of the cartilage are improved, and the destruction of cartilage tissue and joints is stopped.Our doctor will advise you on what you can do on your own to prevent the disease.
Prevention
Doctors at the Health Workshop advise to avoid problems with joints:
- walk more, run, swim, water aerobics, ski;
- do not get overcooled;
- 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 consumption of tomatoes and legumes;
- include cartilage, gelatin, 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 arthrosis of the hands and fingers, do the following exercises:
- Rub your palms together.
- Rub the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other, first in the direction from the base to the nail and in the opposite direction.
- Bend and straighten your fingers 10 times without clenching into a fist.
- Press your palms tightly and press the fingers of one hand onto the fingers of the other.
- Separate your palms and continue pressing your fingers against each other.