Definition
Pain in the index finger is a very common symptom that affects many people. The pain can be of different types: there is a stabbing, dull, pressing or throbbing pain. Some pains occur exclusively during or after pressure on the index finger, others are permanent and/or independent of pressure or movement. In addition, a distinction must be made as to whether the pain radiates into the hand itself. In some cases, pain in the index finger is accompanied by so-called neurological symptoms, which are often perceived as tingling (“formication”) or numbness (“furry feeling”).
Therapy
The treatment and therapy must always depend on the cause of the pain. In case of traumatic injuries such as a household or sports accident without tears or cuts in the skin, the so-called PECH rule can be applied. If the skin is injured and blood is leaking, the bleeding should first be stopped with a sterile compress or similar.
If the bleeding does not stop on its own after a few minutes, a doctor must be consulted. In the case of rheumatic diseases or arthroses, a special therapy must be carried out in each case. In these cases, conservative measures such as physiotherapy, cooling pads or specific medication are usually used, but surgical measures are also used less frequently.
Causes
There are many causes for pain in the index finger. Basically, a distinction must be made between different major categories: So-called traumatic injuries (trauma) are caused by external force, for example sports injuries in which the finger is bent unnaturally, but also by pinching or hitting the finger. The simplest examples are a sprained or broken finger.
With traumatic injuries, the cause is usually obvious and is determined by the patient himself. There is an overlap here to the very common arthrosis, the so-called joint wear and tear. In contrast to this are inflammatory diseases, which are caused, for example, by the entry of bacteria through a wound in the finger.
Inflammations can also occur without foreign bodies, for example in the so-called autoimmune diseases. Here the immune system attacks the body’s own structures. Another important point is the so-called internal diseases.
These are diseases that are not limited to the finger, but occur in several organs or in the whole body, but whose symptoms appear in the index finger. The term “siphoning arthrosis” refers to arthrosis of the end joint of the finger (also often called “distal interphalangeal joint” or DIP). Typically affected are the index finger and the little finger.
In addition, so-called lifterden nodes form, which are palpable and usually also visible at the finger joint. The consistency of the nodes is cartilaginous-hard, similar to the hard parts of the auricle. Typical is a relapsing course, during the relapses symptoms such as pain, restricted movement and loss of strength occur.
Between the attacks, the symptoms may decrease or even disappear completely. The siphoning arthrosis usually affects women (about 80%) and occurs very often during the menopause. It is therefore being discussed whether a hormonal change in the body could be the cause of Heberden arthrosis.
In addition, there is an accumulation within families, which is why genetic factors probably play a role. Heberden arthrosis can also occur together with Bouchard arthrosis (see below). This topic might also be of interest to you: Finger ArthrosisThe Bouchard arthrosis is the arthrosis of the middle finger joint.
The clinical picture is similar to that of Heberden arthrosis (see above). Here, too, swelling and pain with restricted movement occur, and there may also be siphon nodules (see above). Bouchard arthrosis also affects women more frequently, but is generally less common than Heberden arthrosis.
If the disease is advanced, permanent pain at rest may also occur. Bouchard arthrosis is also often accompanied by arthrosis in other joints such as the knee or spine. Tendovaginitis is an inflammation of the tendon sheath surrounding the muscles.
Every tendon sheath can be affected, i.e. both the flexor and extensor tendons. The main symptom of an inflammation of the tendon sheath in the index finger is pain in the area of the affected tendon sheath, which gets worse when moving. In the area of the next joint, swelling and redness are typically seen.Tendinitis of the index finger is usually treated conservatively.
This means that one often treats it with immobilization and pain-relieving ointments or tablets containing, for example, the active ingredients ibuprofen or diclofenac. Compared to most of the other diseases mentioned, the pain of gout occurs very suddenly. It comes to the typical symptoms redness, swelling and overheating at a joint.
The attack of gout often occurs after a particularly sumptuous meal, often also after alcohol consumption. The diagnosis can usually be confirmed by taking a blood sample. The blood count shows increased uric acid and inflammation values.
The kidney function should also be clarified in the course of the examination. Gout can affect almost any joint, the big toe being the most frequently affected. However, an infestation of the index finger is also possible in principle.
The illness “rheumatism“, which is known in the vernacular, is actually not an independent illness. Although rheumatism used to be a term for an independent disease, it has been discovered in recent decades that there are many diseases that cause symptoms of so-called rheumatism. These diseases are summarized under the “rheumatoid form circle”.
The most frequent disease from the form circle is rheumatoid arthritis. This can also develop on the index finger. Here, the basic joints of the fingers and the middle joints of the fingers are usually affected.
In addition, the disease usually affects the same joints of both hands symmetrically. Psoriatic arthritis refers to arthritis (inflammation of the joints) in patients with psoriasis. It can affect large joints such as the knee or spine, but also the fingers and hands.
If the fingers are affected, the middle and end joints are usually affected. In contrast to most other rheumatoid diseases, psoriatic arthritis often affects only one finger, but then all joints (“ray infestation”). The affected finger is then typically swollen and limited in movement.
Injuries to the capsule are very common injuries to the finger, especially the index finger. The capsule is a ligamentous apparatus that surrounds each finger joint and stabilizes it. In common parlance, a capsule or ligament injury is often called a “sprain”.
They are caused by external force, usually by bending against the natural direction of the joint. Typical causes are sports accidents (especially ball or martial arts) or domestic accidents. In most cases, the joint capsule is pulled; in severe cases, the capsule can tear, possibly even tearing off bone parts. In such cases, the joint is often visibly dislocated. In these cases, a doctor must be consulted in any case.
