Finger Pain: Causes, Treatment & Help

The term finger pain is the collective term for all pain in the fingers, or finger joints, which can have very different causes. In addition to temporary painful injuries that heal again, the focus is primarily on degenerative changes of the joints and inflammatory processes. A wide range of conservative and alternative treatment options is available for this.

What is finger pain?

Finger pain generally refers to all those painful symptoms that occur in the area of the fingers or finger joints. The main degenerative disease that causes finger pain is osteoarthritis of the finger joints. At first, arthroses are not visible externally, and only at a very advanced stage can cysts appear in the area of the joints. Arthrosis of the thumb saddle joint can be particularly painful. The first signs of arthrosis are usually restricted movement, and the typical arthrosis pain develops in parallel, which initially occurs temporarily after stronger movement. A common form of inflammatory processes in the finger joints is so-called arthritis, which can be caused by unfavorable dietary habits, metabolic disorders, infections or by other diseases such as Crohn’s disease and Bekhterev’s disease. Genetic predispositions and rheumatic inflammation also play a role in the onset of the disease in many cases. Gout represents a special form of arthritis that, in addition to pain, is also symptomatically manifested by swelling, redness, and warmth in the affected joints.

Causes

Typical osteoarthritis pain is caused by worn or physiologically degraded joint surfaces in the joints. In advanced stages of osteoarthritis, “bone may then rub on bone,” which is extremely painful. In addition to constant overuse, osteoarthritis itself can also be caused by congenital or acquired misalignments of the bones. Gout and other forms of arthritis cause pain due to the inflammatory processes in and around the finger joints. Similar pain-causing processes also occur in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, in which autoimmune reactions play a role. If a ganglion, a benign nodule formation in the area of a joint capsule or on a tendon sheath, occurs at one of the finger joints, unpleasant pressure pain is caused if the ganglion presses directly on nerves. Another cause of aching fingers may be pinched nerves at the exit of certain cervical or thoracic vertebrae.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Finger osteoarthritis
  • Finger fracture
  • Rheumatism
  • Finger dislocation
  • Gout
  • Metabolic disorder
  • Tendonitis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Arthritis

Diagnosis and course

Osteoarthritis of the finger joints usually develops without symptoms over a period of many years, so that in many cases it remains undetected in the initial phase. In addition to typical symptoms such as pain on exertion and onset, osteoarthritis can be well diagnosed by radiographic methods, although the objective radiographic findings often do not correspond to the patient’s subjective perception of pain. Arthrosis that is not treated gradually leads to persistent pain and hard thickening of the finger joints. In the further course, increasing movement restrictions occur up to a complete stiffening of the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis usually announces itself in the early stages with circulatory disturbances of individual fingers, and symptomatic are morning stiffness of the affected joints lasting longer than 60 minutes. The disease leads to deformities of the joints if left untreated. Symptomatic of rheumatoid arthritis is simultaneous involvement of all finger joints, making it de facto polyarthritis.

Complications

Because of the variety of possible causes of finger pain, the corresponding complications vary. In osteoarthritis, without treatment, finger function deteriorates to the point of stiffness accompanied by continuous pain. In case of surgical intervention, there are risks of infection, bleeding, thrombosis or embolism. It may happen that the prosthesis loosens after a few years and has to be replaced.In rheumatoid arthritis, the inflamed joints are destroyed and immobilized in a short time without treatment. The inflammation can spread to the spine, muscles and internal organs. The side effects caused by treatment with biologics are infections due to suppression of the body’s own defense system. In carpal tunnel syndrome, firm grasping is no longer possible without treatment. Complications after surgery are superficial disturbances of wound healing and infections. Rarer are deep infections with resulting post-surgery. Movement disorders of the whole hand (Sudeck’s dystrophy) are also rare. The risk of injury to the hand nerve during surgery is very low. In Raynaud’s syndrome, the autoimmune disease can also affect the internal organs without treatment. Possible side effects of drug treatment include swelling of the fingers and headaches. In Dupuytren’s disease, finger extension can be affected up to more than 135 degrees without treatment. Side effects of treatment with the enzyme collagenase have been observed, including itching, redness, swelling, pain, and tendon rupture. Possible complications of surgery include: Nerve and vascular injury, problems with wound healing, and unfavorable scarring.

When should you go to the doctor?

Many people pay little attention to their finger pain at first. They usually attribute them to overexertion. This can become fatal later. In the case of finger pain, those affected should not hesitate long in visiting a doctor. The aim is to clarify the cause of the finger pain at an early stage: Is it really “only” due to overexertion? Or is there more to it? Finger pain can be an expression of a disease of the fingers. However, they can also indicate another disease that a medical layperson would not think of. The doctor examines whether a disease is the cause of the finger pain or whether it is actually due to overuse of the fingers. Both possibilities must be clarified, and at an early stage. In the first case, the underlying disease must be treated. In the second case, the patient can be happy that his finger pain does not have a serious background and that he merely has to take more care of it in the future. If the finger pain is not an overuse syndrome, the pain is usually caused by a dislocation of the fingers or finger arthrosis. When making a diagnosis, a doctor will also think about other possible diseases: Gout, rheumatism, osteoporosis, immune diseases and hormonal disorders trigger pain in fingers. In some of the diseases, such as osteoarthritis, pain only appears at a more advanced stage. Accordingly, the need for treatment is urgent.

Treatment and Therpie

The first goal of treatment of finger osteoarthritis is to stop the progression of the disease and, if possible, restore the functionality of the joint. Therefore, the joints should be relieved as much as possible and, in individual cases, must be fixed by splint, as in the case of thumb saddle joint arthrosis. Further therapy options include heat applications, electrotherapy, ultrasound and physiotherapy, as well as laser treatments. Medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers in the form of creams or gels applied directly to the joint. Some doctors also prefer to treat the joint with cortisone and hyaluronic acid. In exceptional cases, surgery may be necessary, for example, to insert an artificial joint (endoprosthetics). The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is primarily aimed at containing the causative inflammatory processes and relieving the pain. Therefore, medication with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen and other drugs is recommended. Physical therapy can be given in parallel to maintain joint mobility as much as possible. As ultima ratio, various surgical intervention options are available, such as minimally invasive arthroscopy or the nuclear medicine procedure radiosynoviorthesis (RSO), in which radionuclides (beta emitters) are injected into the joint.

Outlook and prognosis

The outlook for finger pain depends greatly on the type and severity of the pain. In most cases, finger pain occurs primarily due to overuse of the fingers. Here, the fingers need rest and need to relax.In these cases, the pain disappears on its own within a few days. Finger pain also frequently occurs in older age and is a common occurrence. However, if the finger pain persists for a long time and leads to very severe pain that is no longer bearable, a doctor must be consulted. In this case, it may be a chronic disease that requires medical treatment. In many cases, the pain can be controlled with medication, and often surgery is possible to eliminate the finger pain. In many chronic diseases, massage and movement of the fingers also helps to prevent the finger pain. If the pain is to occur in childhood, it is mandatory to seek treatment from a doctor to prevent secondary damage.

Prevention

The most important thing to prevent finger pain from osteoarthritis or arthritis is to get enough exercise without overexertion. Another measure for the prevention of arthritic symptoms is a balanced diet in which, as far as possible, naturally left, i.e. not industrially processed foods, are integrated into the menu to give metabolic diseases no chance. In case of genetic predisposition, regular laboratory tests are recommended in addition to the above measures.

What you can do yourself

In the case of finger pain, it is only in a few cases that a doctor needs to be consulted. Most of the time, this pain can also be controlled by home remedies. If the finger pain occurs mainly after a long and strenuous work, the fingers need rest and relaxation. It may take several days for the finger pain to disappear completely. During this time, the fingers should not be strained, if possible, to avoid inflammation of the joints and further pain. Often, the finger pain is an ordinary muscle soreness. If the finger pain lasts longer and does not go away on its own, light massages on the fingers and hand can help. Wearing splints for the hand can also help the fingers do their job and thus relieve them. While this will not completely remove the pain, it can greatly curb it. If finger pain only occurs for a short time, painkillers can also be taken. However, these should only be taken temporarily and in no case over a longer period of time, as they damage the stomach. If finger pain occurs after an accident or a blow to the fingers, a doctor must be consulted. This may be fractures or bruises that require professional treatment.