Arthritis of the wrist joint: causes, symptoms and treatment

Pain in the wrist is a common reason for patients to consult a doctor.Moreover, such a syndrome always arises sharply, without any preliminary "preludes", which is connected with the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the wrist joint.The fact is that the synovial membrane of the joint feeds a huge number of nervous, lymphatic and bloody endings, that is why any inflammatory process is instantly recalled by severe pain.

Table of Contents: Causes of arthritis of the wrist joint Symptoms of arthritis of the wrist joint Treatment of arthritis of the wrist joint

Causes of arthritis development of the wrist joint

Very rarely considered disease manifests itself as an independent disease, according to statistics in most cases it is diagnosed as a complication / manifestation of lupus erythematosus, Rheumatoid arthritis( systemic lesions).

Doctors are also considering other causes of arthritis of the wrist joint - for example, it can arise as a complication of tuberculosis, venereal and / or infectious pathologies.Pathogenic microorganisms that provoke the inflammatory process can penetrate the wrist joint from any purulent focus with a current of lymph or blood.

There is such a thing as infectious-allergic arthritis, it is extremely rare in the radiocarpal joint, but such an opportunity can not be out of sight.

Symptoms of arthritis of wrist joint

The severity of symptoms in arthritis of the wrist joint is usually variable, depending on several factors: how long the inflammatory process is in the hands, what causes the development of the disease in question, what common chronic diseases are present in man.

The main symptoms of arthritis of the wrist joint are:

1. Pain.Her person experiences constantly, but especially this syndrome is manifested when trying to make some movement with a brush and fingers.At the very beginning of the development of pathology, pain is present only in the mornings, immediately after awakening, and literally in 30-40 minutes the condition is normalized, and a person can lead a normal life.Often the pain associated with arthritis of the wrist joint is accompanied by burning and tingling, these syndromes can be present at the very beginning of the inflammatory process, and when the disease is neglected.
2. Stiffness.The patient can not move his fingers, turn the brush in the right direction, patients describe this condition as "there is a narrow, squeezing glove on the hand".In order to perform some elementary actions, patients are forced to stretch their hands and fingers for 10-15 minutes.
3. Puffiness and congestion.The skin around the wrist becomes swollen and reddens, and by touching it, one can feel an obvious increase in the temperature of the body of a local character.Moreover, at the very beginning of arthritis of the wrist joint these symptoms may be absent, then( as the inflammatory process progresses), there is swelling, which extends to the fingers.And only at the time of active progression of the disease there is reddening of the skin.
4. Crepitation.This is a characteristic articular creak that appears when moving.It should not be confused with clicks in the joints, which, in principle, are considered the norm.

In addition, a person with developing arthritis of the wrist joint will be disturbed by general weakness, increased drowsiness, unstable psycho-emotional background, irritability, digestive system disorders( eg, loss or lack of appetite).Such manifestations of the disease in question are not typical, but they are due to a progressive inflammatory process in the body.

Please note: does not manifest itself at the earliest stage of arthritis development of the wrist joint.Patients note only a certain stiffness in the hands in the morning( for example, it is difficult for them to open the tap with water) and unintentional pain( characterize as an "ache").These syndromes disappear in just 15-30 minutes and so no one pays attention to them.And meanwhile, it's an excuse to see a doctor, clarify the diagnosis and start treatment.

Treatment of arthritis of wrist joint

Treatment of the disease in question should be comprehensive and conducted only under the supervision of a specialist.

Acute phase of the disease

Doctors prescribe patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that quickly relieve pain and stop the development of the inflammatory process.In especially severe cases, when the attack of pain is unbearable, the medications of this pharmacological group are injected directly into the inflammatory focus.

In most cases, the acute phase of arthritis of the wrist joint requires the immobilization of the hand - the patient must impose on it a special fixation belt, which prevents the movement of the joint.

The remission phase

Patients should be prepared for the fact that the treatment of arthritis of the wrist joint is a long process, drug therapy is carried out for several months. The doctor selects the treatment scheme for each patient in a strictly individual order, but there are several basic principles of treatment of the disease in remission:

1. Drugs are prescribed based on glucosamine and chondroitin.The course of taking such drugs is an average of 3 months, during which the restoration of the hyaline cartilage of the wrist joint occurs.
2. The patient receives vasodilator drugs.They are necessary in order to ensure an excellent blood supply to the joints, and it is impossible to do this with the narrowed vessels.To such medicines can include: Theonikol, Actovegil and / or Trental.They are administered intramuscularly or intravenously, for one course of treatment, doctors prescribe 10 injections.
3. Antibacterial drugs are prescribed.This is advisable only if a diagnosis of arthritis of bacteriological origin was diagnosed during the examination of the patient.In the case of active progression of the disease under consideration, antibiotic injections are made directly into the inflammatory focus.
4. The patient should take vitamin-mineral complexes.They should be selected by the attending physician, the need to strengthen such complexes with calcium is taken into account.

Note: if the above therapy fails, the patient is prescribed corticosteroids and anti-malarial drugs.But doctors in every possible way try to avoid such an appointment - the effect of such funds is short-term, but there may be many side effects that will worsen the patient's condition.

In the remission phase, doctors recommend the active use of topical agents to relieve the condition.These are ointments, which contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the advantage of their use is the absence of negative effects of medications on the gastrointestinal tract.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Within the framework of complex therapy physicians prescribe physiotherapy procedures - acupuncture, electrophoresis, ultrasound, quartz.The most effective procedures specifically for arthritis of the wrist joint are electrophoresis and ultrasound, although in other countries( for example, in China) only acupuncture is used.

Separately it is worth noting the role of massage and therapeutic gymnastics.First, such procedures should be performed only by specialists, at least at the beginning of the treatment - the patient will be able to learn, and then he will regularly be engaged.Secondly, any physical effect on the affected joint can only be carried out in the remission stage.Thirdly, massage and gymnastics should not cause pain and discomfort.

Diets for arthritis of wrist joint

To adhere to certain rules of nutrition in this disease will be necessary for life, and, at the time of exacerbation of arthritis of the wrist joint, and during the stage of remission.

It is necessary to exclude from the diet:

• hot pepper;
• fatty meat;
• products cooked on the grill;
• alcoholic beverages.

It is advisable to limit the use of:

• tomatoes during exacerbation of the disease;
• eggplant;
• cocoa( including chocolate, coffee);
• green onions;
• rhubarb;
• spinach;
• sorrel.

Must be included in the diet:

• nuts( walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, but almonds are especially useful);
• fruits and vegetables, which contain a lot of vitamin C( papaya, oranges, peaches, gooseberries);
• marine fish of fatty varieties( salmon will be especially useful);
• ginger and turmeric( these products help to reduce the inflammatory process);
• apples;
• garlic;
• millet, buckwheat, rice and oatmeal.

When compiling a diet / diet, the patient with diagnosed arthritis of the wrist joint should adhere to the following rules:

1. The break between meals should not be more than 3 hours.
2. You can not overeat, but starving will be harmful.
3. If there is excess weight, then you need to get rid of it, but only under the supervision of a specialist.
4. Every day you need to drink a certain amount of water, which will be determined by your doctor.

Rules for the treatment of arthritis of the wrist joint

With the appearance of pain in the hands, each person tries to apply some kind of lotion, compresses - they really bring relief, but it will be short-lived and will not stop the inflammatory process.Patients with the disease should understand that a positive result after the therapy is possible only if certain rules are observed. These include:

1. Self-treatment is not allowed.Any, even the most proven methods of treatment of patients with joints, should be coordinated with the attending physician.
2. The load on the hands should be minimal.If this moment is connected with the peculiarities of labor activity, then during periods of exacerbation of the disease it is necessary to take a sick leave.
3. Every day you need to perform exercises from the course of medical gymnastics, which the doctor will recommend.They can be done only during the period of remission, there is no need to apply any effort in performing the exercises.
4. Heavy objects are forbidden to lift, sharp movements of the hands are also undesirable.
5. The night rest of the patient must be full and be at least 8 hours.
6. The diet should be observed clearly, without interruption for holidays and weekends.

Arthritis of the wrist joint is a complex disease, the treatment is difficult to treat, complete recovery does not occur.But with timely diagnosis and unquestioning fulfillment of all prescriptions and recommendations of the treating doctor, you can achieve a long-term remission and not lose your ability to work.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapist of the highest qualification category