What is hand and finger arthritis?

Each finger has two small hinge joints.

The one nearest the fingertip is the distal interphalangeal joint, or DIP. The middle one is the proximal interphalangeal joint, or PIP. Osteoarthritis is the slow thinning of the cartilage lining these joints, so the bone ends run rough and the body lays down extra bone at the edges.

Firm knobby swellings at the joint nearest the nail are called Heberden's nodes. The same swellings at the middle joint are called Bouchard's nodes. They build gradually, are often more noticeable than painful, and once formed they stay. A mucous cyst is a small fluid-filled bump pushed up by an arthritic DIP joint, usually beside the nail fold.

Symptoms are aching and stiffness, worst in the morning and after rest, easing after a few minutes of movement. Grip weakens, and jars and keys become awkward. Age, family history, and past finger injury all raise the chance of it.

Not all finger arthritis is wear. Inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, behaves differently: it tends to involve the knuckles at the base of the fingers and both hands in a matching pattern, the swelling feels soft and warm rather than bony, and morning stiffness lasts an hour or more. That kind is managed by a rheumatologist, with medicines that change the disease. A page cannot tell you which of these you have.

Arthritis at the base of the thumb is common, behaves differently, and is covered on its own page.

How is hand and finger arthritis diagnosed?

The history and the exam usually settle it.

Which joints are involved, whether both hands match, how long the morning stiffness lasts, and whether the swelling feels bony or boggy all separate wear from inflammation.

X-rays confirm the picture and show narrowing of the joint space, spurs at the edges, and hardened bone under the surface. Blood tests are not needed for straightforward osteoarthritis. They are ordered when the pattern suggests an inflammatory or gout-related cause.

What is recovery like?

Osteoarthritis is managed rather than cured, and many people do well for years with splints, therapy, and occasional injections.

Relief from a steroid injection commonly lasts weeks to several months and varies from person to person. When a DIP joint is fused, it no longer bends, pain generally settles, and the bone commonly takes six to twelve weeks to unite. PIP joint replacement aims to keep some motion and is chosen case by case, since the evidence on how long these implants last in the hand is limited. These are ranges, not promises.