Many patients report that their fingers are swollen, numb, and stiff when they see a doctor, and they even feel that they can't hold them tightly, which will be relieved after a few minutes of activity. They always think that they have rheumatism.
Similar problems are more common in some 50-year-old women and elderly people. Is really caused by rheumatism? If nothing else, the following four reasons may be greater. 
Maybe everyone does not pay attention to it and often ignores the examination of the cervical spine. Only when the pain is unbearable will they go to the hospital for examination. There may also be a lack of experience on the part of the treating doctor, leading to missed diagnosis.
Because on the cervical spine, not only has nerves, but also blood vessels , which are important structures that control the entire upper limb. If the cervical spine is not good, pinching the nerves will cause numbness of the fingers, and pinching the blood vessels will cause numbness of the fingers. The pain, stiffness, and even the inability to clench a fist.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is most common in people who lower their heads for a long time, have poor neck and shoulder posture, and have tense muscles around the cervical spine.
Second: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Generally, women aged 40-50 years old, in addition to working every day, have to do a lot of housework, and even use the mouse or disc for a long time. The wrist is always exerting force, which can easily cause the wrist. The carpal tunnel is narrowed and strained , and compresses the nerves running through it.
In the carpal tunnel , in addition to nerves, there are also many hand tendons passing through it. If the nerves are compressed due to strain or trauma, numbness and tingling will occur in the thumb, index finger, and middle finger; Tendons, which can make it difficult for you to make a fist, etc.
Third: Menopausal syndrome
Among female friends around 50 years old, with the changes of menstrual period, body hormone levels drop in a "cliff-like" manner , and calcium will be significantly lost; at the same time, many female friends have a single diet and do not eat enough. Love sports and never supplement calcium supplement ; this will lead to low calcium condition.
During this period, the loss of calcium and hormones will not only cause autonomic nerve dysfunction , causing hand numbness , hot flashes and night sweats , but will also lead to osteoporosis as bone mass decreases. Causes pain in muscles, joints, and tendons.
Therefore, women around the age of 50 often experience stiffness, pain, and uncomfortable sensations in their fingers when they wake up in the morning; especially some perimenopausal women, there is a typical phenomenon that they do not feel the cold water. Any slight stimulation will cause obvious finger joint pain.
Fourth: Osteoarthritis
Perhaps most people are not unfamiliar with the term osteoarthritis, especially the elderly. Knee joint pain makes it difficult to go up and down stairs and squat. When I go to the hospital, I am often told that it is knee osteoarthritis.
In fact, as age changes, the elderly will also suffer from osteoarthritis of fingers, especially the distal inter-finger joints which are more obvious. As shown in the figure below:
There is a layer of cartilage between the joint surfaces of the fingers, which can maintain the full movement of our fingers; however, the elderly will suffer from osteoporosis and stress stimulation when doing things on their hands, and the between joints will Cartilage will accelerate the degeneration of .
Therefore, the elderly will often feel that their fingers are swollen, painful, stiff, and inflexible ; especially in the morning and evening or when the weather suddenly turns cold, this is most obvious. As long as you move for a few minutes or rub your fingers a few times, the symptoms will improve quickly.
So, and the above 4 common diseases will cause swelling, pain, stiffness, and difficulty in moving the fingers, and are problems for most people. Could it be the rheumatism that everyone often talks about?
In fact, it has been found in clinical practice that finger joint problems caused by rheumatism are rare, especially if there is morning stiffness, which will improve after a few minutes of activity, let alone rheumatism.
As for rheumatoid arthritis, although it accumulates in the small joints of the fingers, it usually occurs bilaterally symmetrically on the fingers. It is mainly damage to the synovial membrane within the joints; It is more common in women aged 30-50 years.
Generally, the joints will show spindle-shaped swelling. This characteristic occurs first, and is accompanied by joint pain. If the disease is not well controlled, in severe cases, there will be stiffness, difficulty in finger movement, and "swan neck" on the fingers. swan neck "Transformation.
Summary
When your fingers have stiffness, swelling and pain, and difficulty in moving, do not think that it is caused by rheumatism. It is best to go to the hospital for relevant examinations to determine the cause of the disease. This is the most fundamental .
@Toutiao Rumors @Toutiao Health Information Bureau @Toutiao Health
