Treatment involves controlling symptoms and improving function. Unfortunately, we don't have drugs to halt or slow osteoarthritis. In the case of RA, we can prevent deformities, slow disease, and avoid other complications.' 'The earlier arthritis is treated, the more likely it's a milder course.

'We have drugs that very effectively treat these diseases,' Dr. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you have arthritis in your hands.

It can strike the thumbs and fingers, too,' Dr. Sparks says, 'and there can be little pits in the fingernails.'Īnother form of arthritis that affects the fingers is gout, caused by a buildup of uric acid (a waste product in the blood) that can form sharp crystals in the joints that cause inflammation. 'In psoriatic arthritis, the DIP joints may be involved,' Dr. Several other types of arthritis can affect the fingers or thumbs, particularly two autoimmune diseases, lupus and psoriatic arthritis. Other types of thumb and finger arthritis In addition to joint pain, RA can cause fatigue low-grade fever sweating poor appetite difficulty sleeping and inflammation of the heart, lungs, or eyes. 'Over time, the body damages the joints to point where you lose cartilage and the joints become deformed.' 'Often, many joints are affected, and it's usually the same joints on both sides of the body, at the same time,' Dr. RA also commonly affects joints in the wrist, feet, ankles, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and neck. However, in RA the joints also become quite swollen, red, and warm, reflecting the inflammation within them. As in osteoarthritis, the joints become painful and stiff. Hands are a common place where RA starts, with the MCP and PIP joints most often affected. It is caused by an overactive immune system that (for unknown reasons) attacks the lining of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is different from osteoarthritis. These symptoms can limit the motion of the fingers and thumbs. These joints can become painful, stiff, and slightly enlarged and can feel bumpy (where the little bony growths are). In osteoarthritis, the joints most often involved are the DIP and CMC joints, and sometimes the PIP joints. Where it shows up is a bit of a mystery,' Dr. You can get nodes in one or both knuckles, and in different fingers on either hand. 'These bony growths cause soft tissue around them to expand. As bones grind against each other, new bone forms, showing up as bumps (called nodes) on the joints. The most common type, osteoarthritis, is a degenerative problem that erodes the cushioning (cartilage) in the joints. Two main types of arthritis affect your thumb or fingers.

The joint at the base of the thumb is the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. Finger and thumb jointsįingers have three joints: the joint where the finger connects to the hand, called the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint the middle joint, called the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint and the joint closest to the end of the finger, the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint. Jeffrey Sparks, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a rheumatologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Using a fork or doing any simple task can become difficult, whether it's using your cellphone, typing, grooming, cooking, or eating,' says Dr. 'The American College of Rheumatology has a campaign on how arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affect lives, and the symbol is a fork with twisted tines. What happened to your thumb or fingers? Those versatile tools that always enabled you to skillfully button a shirt, open a jar, or tap out your thoughts on a keyboard are now stiff, hurting, and even changing shape.Īrthritis is most likely the problem, and its effects can compromise your independence.

Fingers typing image