Treatment

The aim of the treatment of finger arthrosis is to maintain freedom of movement. Any inflammation that occurs in the finger joint damages the cartilage and leads to its degradation. In the symptom-free phases, the affected person can contribute to the mobility of the fingers by means of movement therapy and strengthening exercises.

Exercises with a softball have proven to be effective. Pressing the ball together strengthens the fingers. If functional disorders or severe pain occur, finger joint arthroses should be treated by a physician.

Before surgery, conservative measures are used. At first a drug therapy is started. Local ointments such as Voltaren Emulgel or tablets (such as Ibuprofen or Diclofenac) can be prescribed for stronger pain.

They belong to the class of non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs and have both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, natural remedies such as Devil’s Claw can be taken. Studies have shown that it can alleviate mild symptoms on its own and, in combination with synthetically produced drugs, can alleviate the problem in cases of more severe pain.

Other herbal remedies that can be taken for arthritis of the finger joints are Nettle leaves, willow bark, poplar leaves, goldenrod. If the drug treatment is not sufficient, laser therapy can help. A laser is a light of a certain wavelength, which is highly energetic and very effective.

If the laser is directed to the affected finger joint, it has the following effects in the irradiated area: pain-reducing, anti-inflammatory, blood circulation-promoting, lymph drainage accelerating. The laser light influences the metabolic processes and triggers a repair and self-healing mechanism. During an injection, the treating physician injects a small amount of an active substance into the affected joint.

This active ingredient can be hyaluron, cortisone or, since 2009, orthokine. Hyaluron is an endogenous component of synovial fluid. Since hyaluron is often missing in osteoarthritis, the bone or cartilage parts rub directly against each other, which leads to an inflammatory reaction.

Locally injected hyaluronan can help to minimize this friction and thus the inflammation. Cortisone can be produced by the body itself. It serves as a stress hormone and inhibits inflammation.

When injected into the joint, it also has an “anti-inflammatory” effect and relieves the swelling in the joint.Cortisone can help in many cases, but does not necessarily lead to permanent pain relief or freedom. There are patients in whom the typical symptoms of the disease reoccur after a certain period of time. Orthokine is a drug that has anti-inflammatory properties.

It is obtained from the patient’s own blood sera. Orthokine has a good long-term effect. Even after several years many patients are still free of symptoms.

If the above mentioned treatments do not bring improvement, surgical intervention can be performed. During the operation the lifter nodules are removed and the swollen joint mucosa is removed. It is also possible to cut the nerves responsible for the sensation of pain.

The remaining sensitivity is retained. Patients who suffer from severe deformation of the fingers in addition to severe pain usually have the affected joint stiffened. Stiffening is achieved either by inserting two to three small wires (so-called Kirschner wires) or by inserting special screws.

They are removed after a certain period of time (6-18 months). In the case of finger arthrosis, specific exercises can contribute to pain relief by strengthening the muscles, promoting mobility and increasing the supply of nutrients to the joint cartilage through increased blood circulation. At the beginning of the exercise a comfortable and upright sitting position should be adopted.

The first thing to practice is fist closure. To do this, the hand and forearm are placed on the table, then the fingers are bent. First the end joints, then the middle joints and finally the basic joints.

Finally, the thumb is placed over the bent fingers so that the fist is completely closed. Then it is opened again and the exercise is repeated about ten times. As a further exercise, the finger closure and the extension of each finger can be practiced.

To do this, the fingers are first stretched and spread. Then the thumb and index finger are brought together so that they touch each other. Then the fingers should be stretched again, and the finger- thumb closure should be repeated with all other fingers.

In addition to these simple exercises, the finger closure and the flexor muscles can be trained with a softball. To do this, the ball is taken in the hand, squeezed together and then released again. This exercise can be repeated as often as desired on both sides.

The movement, muscle strength and coordination can be additionally improved with a tennis ball. To do this, hold the tennis ball with your fingertips and rotate it in a circle or surround the ball with both hands and move your hands in opposite directions as if it were a screw cap. To improve muscle strength and relieve pain, regular, preferably daily practice is recommended.

It is also important that the exercises are performed correctly and do not cause pain. If you are unsure about the exercises, a doctor or physiotherapist can be consulted. There are many simple home remedies that can alleviate the symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis.

A rough breakdown is given below: The first group of home remedies includes tinctures and ointments for application to the affected joints. A cooled mixture of curd cheese and olive oil, which is used to wrap the joints, relieves the pain. Enelbin kaolin clay also has this effect and should be applied two to three times a week.

It also helps to reduce swelling in the affected joint. Applying propolis to the painful area can also help. This is a product made by bees, which has anti-microbial, antiviral and antifungal effects and also promotes wound healing and minimizes allergic reactions.

The expressed juice of orange peel can be applied like an oil to the affected joints. Wraps with white cabbage are above all anti-inflammatory for acute joint reactions. Both cold therapy with a cooling pad and the warming and circulation-promoting effect of mustard flour compresses can alleviate the symptoms.

In general, it is very different from person to person which home remedies help. The best way to find this out is to try out different applications in acute situations, in pain or threatening inflammation and to pay attention to your body’s reaction. Finally, a leech therapy can stimulate the blood circulation and reduce pain because the saliva of these leeches contains analgesic substances.However, this therapy option should first be discussed with a doctor.

Baths with warm salt water or a sulphur mud bath can also be helpful. To alleviate the symptoms from the inside, chestnuts pickled in gin can be used as a painkiller. Two to three cups of rose-hip tea daily or capsules with rose-hip powder, celery nodules brewed with water, extract or tea of Devil’s Claw or a vitamin E tablet daily can help.

General exercise tips and home remedies include swimming in the sea, light exercise for the affected joints and moving the joints after long periods of rest such as after sleeping or long journeys. In addition, one-sided loading of the affected joint should be avoided, as well as wringing movements of the fingers.

Home remedies for external use
Household remedies that must be taken orally like medicines and
Tips for movements in everyday life

There is no special osteoarthritis diet, but a balanced and calorie-conscious diet is always advisable to ensure that bones and cartilage are also supplied with sufficient nutrients, especially minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

The diet should be based on: An intake of two to three times a week of fish and seafood covers the omega-three fatty acid requirement and promotes the formation of healthy cartilage and connective tissue and also has an anti-inflammatory effect. However, meat should not be consumed more than 500g per week, as it contains substances that promote inflammation, such as arachidonic acid. Vitamin D and calcium are essential for maintaining healthy bones.

Calcium is mainly found in milk and dairy products such as yogurt, quark or cheese and should be consumed regularly. Vitamin D, on the other hand, is only found in small amounts in food and is formed into an active form by the body with the help of sunlight. A daily stay of at least thirty minutes in daylight is therefore beneficial to health.

Foods that should be avoided because of their high acidity are mainly coffee and alcohol, but also asparagus, tomatoes, sweets, nuts, strawberries, margarine, butter and egg yolk should be consumed in small amounts. The success of a change in diet as the disease progresses is great and can even mean that drug therapy is not necessary or is used only very rarely.

Cereals
Vegetables and fruit and
Lean meat and fish based.