Arthritis In Knuckles Symptoms – 5 Warning Signs

How do you know you have arthritis in the knuckles?

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint and a joint is where two bones meet. Signs and symptoms of inflammation in any part of the body are:

• swelling
• redness
• pain
• heat
• loss of function i.e. limited movement

You know you have arthritic knuckles if:

• you have knuckle soreness
• you find your knuckles swelling
• you have finger knuckle pain
• your knuckles feel warmer than the rest of your body
• you have stiffness in the finger joints and you find it difficult to bend or straighten your fingers and thumbs properly

Finger knuckle pain in arthritis in the knuckles

Knuckle soreness and pain is usually one of the earliest symptoms of arthritis in the knuckles. You may feel a dull pain or burn in the joints. You may notice the pain more after using your hands to grip or hold something for a long time. The pain may not start immediately but several hours after using the hands. You may also experience finger joint pain first thing in the morning.

As arthritis in the finger joints gets worse, you may start having knuckle soreness at night and it might even wake you up. You may also have more pain when it rains. You may find that the more you use your hands the worse the pain becomes.

Other symptoms of arthritic fingers

Knuckle swelling occurs as a result of using the hands too much. This causes stress on the finger joints which swell in response to stop you using the hands anymore. The joints become red and warm as part of the body’s response to injury.
You may hear a grating sound and maybe also feel it when you move the affected joints. This is due to damaged cartilage and ligaments rubbing on each other.

Inflammation of the finger knuckles can be caused by several things including:

• autoimmune disease
• bacterial or viral infections
• a broken bone
• general wear and tear of everyday life

Usually, the inflammation in the knuckles subsides when the cause is found and treated. If the inflammation doesn’t go away, then arthritis in the knuckles is said to be chronic.

The most common form of arthritis affecting the body generally and the hands, in particular, is osteoarthritis.
Arthritis can affect different joints all over the body. The most common joints affected include the neck, the lower spine, the hip joints, joints of the wrist and fingers and the knees.
The hand has many small joints that work together to carry out small everyday tasks. When you have knuckle soreness and swollen finger knuckles, it can make life much more difficult.

Arthritis In Knuckles Symptoms – 5 Warning Signs, Last Updated: 17/12/2017