Hands: to every disorder “its” pain

Trigger finger, rhizoarthrosis and osteoarthritis of the long fingers: many innovations to recover the use of the hand when it is affected by one of these three disorders.

The hands are among the most underrated parts of the body. In fact, many still believe that there are no therapeutic solutions for this joint.

“It is an attitude that no longer makes sense today,” said Giorgio Pajardi, director of the Hand Surgery Center of the San Giuseppe Irccs Multimedica University of Milan. “Medicine has made progress and targeted therapies are available based on the disorder.”

The diagnosis is still mainly based on the visit and interview with the patient, in order to focus on the type of pain and the moments of the day during which it occurs. Only in this way is it possible to frame the problem and choose the ad hoc treatment.

Snap finger

When the pain is mainly in a single finger, more swollen than the others and that occasionally freezes, so much so that it must be put back in motion with the help of the other hand, it is stenosing tenovaginalitis of the flexors, commonly called “trigger finger”.

In addition to the thumb, the most affected fingers are, in order, the ring finger, middle finger, little finger and index finger.

To cause the disorder is an inflammation of the flexor tendons of a finger, which is manifested by the formation of a painful tendon nodule at the base of the affected finger.

It is often the result of trauma or repetitive movements conducted for years. Or it manifests itself as a result of carpal tunnel operation. Or again, it is among the consequences of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism and diabetes.

“It can be solved in two cases out of three with the use of guardians,” explains Pajardi. “But we must not waste time, otherwise the mechanism that generated the problem gets worse and worse and the only way remains surgery”.

Osteoarthritis of the long fingers

If the ailment is localized at the level of the terminal joint, where there is the nail, which swells, pulsates and hurts, it is arthrosis of the long fingers.

These attacks last about three months, then the area becomes inflamed and remains larger and more deformed than the other fingers.

This form of osteoarthritis affects 7% of the population over 26, about 4 million people, and affects women more in a ratio of two to one than men.

To be affected is the cartilage, that is the kind of pad that protects the bones during movements.

“Today, if we intervene promptly, we avoid this damage in eight cases out of ten,” the expert intervenes. “A custom-made thimble-like brace is prepared to wear forever, which keeps the finger at rest at night.”

Rhizoarthrosis

If a form of osteoarthritis is affected by the joint at the base of the thumb, then we speak of rhizoarthrosis, a pathology caused by the excessive use of the joint that is consumed ahead of time.

It is unleashed around the age of 40 and is so widespread that it has earned the nickname of “social pathology”.

“Today, in eight out of ten cases, thumb degeneration can be stopped if it is properly treated and surgery will never take place,” Pajardi points out. “The therapy involves two custom-prepared braces, one for the day (called functional) and the other for the night.”

“With this approach – explains the specialist – two important objectives are achieved. On the one hand, the joint at rest becomes inflamed, to the advantage of a reduction in the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and ointments. On the other hand, you learn with the help of the physiotherapist to perform the right movements so as not to overload the structure of the thumb ».

The goal? Educate the brain to reprogram hand movements and ensure that the automatic correction of the gesture in case of error is triggered.