Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your joint tissues, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Symptoms can show up in any joint, but it's common to have symptoms in your hands and fingers.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hands
When RA affects your hands, you may have:
- Hand pain, finger pain, swelling, and stiffness
- Hand joints and finger joints that are warm and tender to the touch
- The same joints affected on both sides of your body (both wrists, for instance)
- Misshapen finger joints
- Carpal tunnel symptoms such as numbness and tingling of the hands
- Fatigue
- Pain and stiffness that last for more than an hour when you wake up
Early-stage rheumatoid arthritis in hands
Early-stage rheumatoid arthritis often causes swelling in the small joints in your hands, like the ones in your fingers. You may also notice swelling in the wrist and elbows.
RA Causes
No one knows exactly why the immune system attacks joint tissues, but a few things can make you more likely to have it, such as:
- Smoking
- Being older
- Being a woman or assigned female at birth
- Having obesity
- Having gum disease
- Having a parent or sibling who has it
Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hands
You and your doctor will decide on a treatment plan based on your needs. This plan usually involves a combination of:
- Medications to ease pain and slow the progression of the disease
- Rest and exercise
- Splints and special arthritis aids that take pressure off of painful joints
- Managing stress
- Avoiding foods that trigger inflammation
- Eating foods that curb inflammation, such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon or in flax oil
- Regular medical checkups
- Physical therapy
- Surgery if joints are severely damaged
Red light therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
Red light therapy is a new treatment that involves exposing the skin to low levels of red light. It has been promoted for managing health conditions such as sun damage, hair loss, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Some research suggests that it may also help relieve pain and morning stiffness. However, more research is needed to understand how much it can help treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Talk to your doctor first before trying any therapy for your symptoms.
How Can I Ease Hand and Finger Joint Pain?
Your doctor can tell you which over-the-counter or prescription medicines you can take to help with your pain.
Regular exercise is very important to make your hands and fingers more flexible. You also need to rest painful joints. It helps to use hand or finger splints to ease pressure if your RA flares up.
To exercise your hands and fingers, you can use a soft foam ball. Squeeze it and then relax your hand muscles.
Ask an occupational therapist about gadgets and devices that may help make everyday activities easier, at home or on the job. For instance:
- Use hook and loop fasteners to replace buttons on clothing.
- Add accessories to doorknobs for easier turning.
- Use lamp switches that require just a touch to the lamp base rather than twisting a small knob switch.
- Try a long-handled shoehorn to put on your shoes so you don’t have to bend over and stretch your hands.
- Use lightweight household utensils, pots, pans, cups, and dishes.
- Put foam padding around your pen or pencil. These are available at most office supply stores.
Hand and Finger Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Doing some of these exercises regularly might help your RA symptoms:
Fingertip touches
- Hold your arms up in a relaxed position, bent at the elbows with palms outward.
- Start with your index finger and bend it slowly downward to touch your thumb, and then open your hand back up.
- Do the same with your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky.
- Repeat as many times as needed with each hand.
Thumb crosses
- Hold your arms up in a relaxed position, bent at the elbows with your palms out.
- Bend your thumb slowly until it touches your palm near the base of your little finger.
- Return your thumb to its original position.
- Repeat as many times as necessary with each hand.
Finger curls
- With your palms facing away from you, roll your fingers slowly from the tips downward until you can touch your palms with your fingertips.
- Cross your thumbs in front, making a loose fist.
- Slowly open your hand back up.
- Repeat as many times as necessary with each hand.
Finger lifts
- Put one hand flat on a table with your palm down and your fingers spread.
- While keeping your other digits as flat as possible, slowly lift your thumb as high as you can.
- Hold for a few seconds and then put it down.
- Repeat for each finger and then switch hands.
- Repeat as many times as you need with each hand.
Finger walking
- Start with your hands on the surface of the table, palms facing down with fingers stretched out.
- Keeping your thumbs in place and in contact with the table, walk the fingers of each hand back under your palms.
- Then slowly return them to where they started.
- Repeat as many times as necessary with each hand.
Tug of war
- Put an envelope or card between your thumb and index finger.
- With your other hand, try to pull the envelope or card free for a count of three, but resist the pull with your thumb and index finger.
- Repeat using the thumb and each of the other fingers on your hand to resist the pull of your other hand.
- Repeat using the other hand to hold the envelope or card.
Making a 'C'
- Start by holding your hand and fingers straight and close together.
- Gently curve your fingers into a “C” shape, as if you’re holding a can or bottle.
- Slowly return your hand to the starting position.
- Repeat as many times as necessary with each hand.
Finger spreads
- Rest your hand on a flat surface, such as a tabletop, with your palm facing down.
- Move your thumb away from your hand.
- Beginning with your index finger, move it up and over to your thumb.
- Continue with each of your other fingers, one at a time up and toward your thumb.
- Repeat as many times as necessary with each hand.
Always check with your doctor or physical therapist before you begin any exercise program. They’ll know which activities are best for you.
Can Moist Heat or Ice Help Ease RA Pain?
Both of these simple methods can ease RA pain and stiffness.
Use a warm, moist compress (or towel or heating pad) on your fingers and hands for 20 minutes at a time.
Take a warm shower or soak your hands in a warm bath. You can even try doing your exercises in warm water.
To reduce swelling, use ice packs. Put an ice pack on the painful joint for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
You may want to switch between moist heat and ice packs. Experiment to find out what works best for you, and then make it part of your routine before and after exercise.
What Is a Swan-Neck Deformity?
This happens when the base of the finger and the outermost joint bend while the middle joint straightens. Over time, this imbalance of the finger joints can result in the crooked “swan-neck” position. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause it.
A swan-neck deformity can make it almost impossible to bend the affected finger normally. It can make it hard to button shirts, grip a glass, or pinch with the fingers.
Treatment may include:
- Finger splints or ring splints
- Surgery to realign the joints or fuse the joints so they work better
What Is a Boutonniere Deformity?
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause boutonniere deformity. The middle finger joint will bend toward the palm while the outer finger joint may bend opposite the palm. It may be the result of chronic inflammation of the finger's middle joint. Treatment may include splinting to keep the middle joint extended. Some cases need surgery.
Osteoarthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hands
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, a group of conditions that cause damage to the joints. It develops when the tissues in your joints that cushion and support the bones break down so much that using the joints causes the surrounding bones to rub against each other. This condition can affect any joint in the body, but it mostly involves the joints in your hands, knees, neck, lower back, and hips.
Similar to rheumatoid arthritis, this condition causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints in your hands. It can also limit how much the joints in your hands can move and make them feel loose. The cause is unknown, but the risk of having it increases as you get older. It affects people people over 50 and women and people assigned female at birth more. Having a family member with the condition, being overweight, having had joint injury or surgery, overusing your joints with activities like running, or having misaligned joints can also raise your risk.
The main differences is that osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on the joints that happens with age, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.
Takeaways
If you have rheumatoid arthritis in your hands, you may have symptoms that limit how much you can do with your hands and cause distressing pain. If you have pain, swelling, and stiffness in your hands, especially in the morning, see a doctor. They can diagnose the condition and suggest a treatment plan that may include medication, exercise, rest, a healthy diet, physical therapy, and, in severe cases, surgery.
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hands FAQ
How fast does rheumatoid arthritis progress?
Rheumatoid arthritis progresses slowly in many people, taking weeks to months for symptoms to start showing. You’ll likely feel stiffness in the joints in your hands first before feeling pain and tenderness.
What medications help treat rheumatoid arthritis?
Medicines for treating rheumatoid arthritis help relieve symptoms and keep joints working longer. They usually fall into three classes: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like diclofenac and ibuprofen; corticosteroids, like prednisone; and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), like methotrexate.
What is the life expectancy of a person with rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis may shorten your life span by about 5 to 10 years, research shows. But getting proper treatment can help you live longer.
