Hands and arthritis

What types of arthritis affect the hands?

Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect the hands.
While osteoarthritis is due to degenerative changes in cartilage, RA is the result of an autoimmune condition.
RA occurs when the body's immune system attacks healthy tissue that protects the joints. The resulting symptoms can be similar to those of osteoarthritis, including pain,inflammation, and redness.
How do you manage arthritis in hands?.

Many bones in the body, including those of the wrists and hands, are protected by cartilage. Cartilage can wear down over time. As a result, a person can experience a condition known as osteoarthritis.

Fast facts on arthritis in hands:Women are more likely than men to experience osteoarthritis.There is no cure for any type of arthritis in hands.Treatment focuses on relieving the pain and managing the underlying condition.In rare instances, a doctor may recommend surgery to repair a severely damaged finger joint.Most types of arthritis cause: pain with movement or when at rest joint swelling joint stiffness joint deformity weakness and loss of muscle mass loss of joint and muscle functionSymptoms differ slightly depending on the type of arthritis. These differences can help a doctor determine the correct underlying cause of arthritis symptoms in the hands.Most types of arthritis cause:pain with movement or when at restjoint swellingjoint stiffnessjoint deformityweakness and loss of muscle massloss of joint and muscle functionSymptoms differ slightly depending on the type of arthritis. These differences can help a doctor determine the correct underlying cause of arthritis symptoms in the hands.How are hands affected by arthritis?Any joint in your fingers, thumbs, knuckles and wrists can be affected by arthritis. Many different types of arthritis can affect your hands and cause joint pain, swelling and stiffness. People with hand arthritis often find their grip weakens and it becomes harder to do fine movements, such as turning a key or tying shoelaces.Here are some ways to protect the joints in your hands: 

Take notice of pain – it can serve as a warning that your joints are being overworked. Rather than giving up an activity altogether, try taking regular rests during the activity.

 You will usually find you can still do the things you enjoy without discomfort.  Use larger, stronger joints – for example, carry your shopping bags over your shoulder rather than in your hands. Spread the load over several joints – try carrying things with two hands. Reduce the effort you have to put in – there is a wide range of labour-saving tools and equipment available.Buy pre-cut vegetables and meat to make cooking easier.Osteoarthritis symptomsbony lumps (known as nodes or nodules) at the middle finger jointbony lumps or nodes at the finger joint closest to the fingernailpain that occurs deep under the base of the thumbstiffness, especially in the morningdifficulty pinching and gripping itemsRheumatoid arthritis symptomspain at the wrist and finger knucklesdeformities of the wrist and fingers where they will not straightentendon ruptures, which affect the ability of the fingers to straightenPost-traumatic arthritis symptomspain, primarily where the former injury occurredworsening deformity following an injuryMany of the post-traumatic arthritis symptoms are similar to those of RA and osteoarthritis. However, with post-traumatic arthritis, a person can usually attribute their symptoms to a previous injury.Home remediesHand exercisesExercises can help to keep the supportive ligaments and tendons in the hands flexible and may also help reduce pain in the hands.To help alleviate arthritic pain in the hands, a person can try:Making a loose fist and opening the fingers to fully straighten them, repeating this several times on each hand.Bending a finger slowly and carefully, then slowly straightening it out again, and repeating with all fingers.Hot and cold therapyApplying ice to swollen joints for 10 minutes at a time can help reduce swelling. The ice should always have a protective covering, such as a cloth, to prevent skin damage.Heat therapy can sometimes help to ease stiff joints. Placing the hands in a tub of warm water can help.Medical treatments for arthritisNonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs  such as ibuprofen or naproxen  sodiumdisease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for the treatment of RAbiologics for the treatment of RAoral steroids or steroid shots to reduce