Hand Arthritis Overview
Hand osteoarthritis is inflammation that causes pain and stiffness in your joints, where the bones connect and move. Without treatment, osteoarthritis gets worse over time. It’s important to get a diagnosis and a treatment plan as soon as possible. Dr. Michael K. Kim can do a thorough evaluation to customize a plan to help alleviate symptoms. This may include surgical evaluation of bone spurs or other structures impede motion, injections to reduce inflammation or treatment plans as a therapeutic intervention for daily management of the condition.
Arthritis is thinning of the cartilage, which is the smooth covering of the joint. The body can react to loss of the joint surface by forming bone spurs. The base of the thumb or basilar joint is the most common joint Dr. Kim sees with arthritis. Cortisone injections are often helpful. Thumb arthritis is a genetic predisposition: like graying and thinning of the hair, it comes with age, and it shows up earlier in some families. Unlike thinning of the hair, women tend to get thumb arthritis sooner than men do. Patients with thumb arthritis report pain and weakness with pinching and grasping. For instance, opening jars, turning doorknobs or keys, and writing are often painful.
Hand Arthritis Treatment
Arthritis can take a heavy toll on hands, causing pain, deformity and disability. Yet surgery to repair the damage from hand arthritis is relatively rare. One reason is that finger surgery has a high complication and failure rate. It can also sacrifice mobility for pain relief.
Surgical Options
The two main surgical options for hand arthritis are fusion (arthrodesis) and total knuckle replacement (arthroplasty).
- Arthrodesis (Fusion)
- Arthrodesis involves fusing the bones of the joint together, creating a stronger, more stable and essentially pain-free knuckle, but one with little flexibility or movement.
- Arthroplasty (Total Knuckle Replacement)
- Arthroplasty involves removing the damaged joint and replacing it with an artificial implant. The goal is to relieve pain and restore shape and some function in the hand. However, the results are usually less satisfactory than with hip and knee replacements. One problem is that hinged finger implants don't fully replicate normal finger motion. Most are made from silicone rubber, which is flexible but breaks and slips easily. Some studies have found that up to 30 percent of silicone implants fail within 10 years, making them a poor choice for younger patients.
Whether arthrodesis or arthroplasty is used depends on the joint needing repair and on the patient's age, activity level and the amount of stiffness the patient can tolerate. It's not uncommon to have both procedures performed on different joints in the same hand.
Non-Surgical Options
As with other aspects of aging, we adapt to thumb arthritis and treatment is often unnecessary. Options for treatment include non-surgical methods and surgery. Treatments without surgery range from ice/heat, pain medicines, splinting, and injections.
There are some natural remedies for arthritis of the hands. While not a cure, these natural remedies can help alleviate one of the worst symptoms of arthritis... Inflammation.
- Ice - Cold therapy is good for those suffering from hand arthritis. You can use ice packs, a plastic bag filled with crushed ice or a bag of frozen vegetables. Simply put the ice pack on the affected area for a few minutes and then repeat. Continue this home treatment for about 20 minutes, several times a day. Apply the cold compress to only one or two joints at a time, and be sure to put a thin towel between the ice pack and the skin to prevent frostbite.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Apple cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory and alkaline-forming properties that help reduce pain and stiffness in the hands from arthritis.
- Ginger - Ginger contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce arthritis pain and inflammation.
- Epsom Salt - Mix two cups of Epsom salt in warm bath water, and soak your hands in it for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Turmeric Curcumin - Add one teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of hot milk along with a little honey and drink it once daily. Alternatively, heat a quart of water, add one tablespoon of turmeric powder and boil the solution for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool and then drink it daily.
Dr. Kim is one of the few Board-Certified Hand Surgeons in the area. In addition to doing 5 years of general surgery, 2 years of plastic surgery training, and a year of research in wound healing, he also completed a 1-year hand surgical fellowship at the famous Kutz-Kleinert hand institute in Louisville, KY. Dr. Kim participated in the first US hand transplant in 1999. Dr. Kim has passed the intensive examinations to obtain (CAQH) board certification in hand surgery. He is also a member of the ASSH (American Society of Surgery of the Hand). He performs many of his hand surgeries with WALANT (wide awake local anesthesia no tourniquet) which makes the procedure and recovery fast and comfortable.
