Arthritis Is the Usual Cause If you have OA, morning joint stiffness usually stops after a few minutes. RA morning stiffness can last up to an hour more. Long-lasting morning stiffness usually means inflammation is to blame.
There are multiple causes for hands stiff in the morning which include excessive wear, trauma, medications, inflammatory diets, and osteoarthritis. Treatment depends on the severity of the stiffness, range of motion and the severity of underlying cartilage, tendon and ligament injuries.
Tasks that were once simple – such as making coffee or tying your shoelaces – become labourous and time-consuming. Stiff finger joints in the morning can be due to several reasons, including arthritis, pregnancy, previous trauma, and over-usage.
Both osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis can cause pain, stiffness (particularly in the morning), swelling, and tenderness of the joints in the hands.
You are more likely to get arthritis in your hands if: You're older. Osteoarthritis is commonly seen after age 50. Rheumatoid arthritis typically first appears between the age of 35 and 50.
Joint tenderness that affects the hands and feet is a typical early sign of RA. In the hands, the joint in the middle and at the base of the fingers may feel tender when pressed or during movement. In the feet, the joints at the base of the toes may be tender.
Most of the time, when patients can't make a fist, it's because they have one of these three common hand conditions: Hand Osteoarthritis. Hand Rheumatoid Arthritis. Trigger Finger.
"One of the most effective tips is using heat first thing in the morning," says Macgillivray. Warm water can work wonders on stiff joints, either a bath, shower or simply running stiff hands under the hot water faucet.
Wrist tendonitis is inflammation in the tendons that connect the muscles in your forearm to the bones in your hand. It may cause pain when you make a fist, lift objects or perform repetitive wrist movements.
This can be caused by a number of factors, including poor sleeping positions that compress nerves or blood vessels, sleeping on an arm for an extended period of time, or conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or cubital tunnel syndrome.
This appears to be because too much inactivity (such as while sleeping) actually allows fluid to build up, thereby stiffening the connective tissue. Movement helps to distribute bodily fluids more evenly, thus increasing flexibility.
Your fingers may become stiff, painful and swollen and you may develop bumps on your finger joints. Over time, the pain may decrease and eventually disappear altogether, although the bumps and swelling can remain.
Arthritic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and osteoarthritis, can all cause pain in the hands and fingers that may mimic carpal tunnel syndrome.
Because the carpal tunnel is somewhat narrow, a major nerve called the median nerve that passes through this tight space, can become irritated or compressed. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a combination of numbness, tingling, pain and weakness in the hand caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel.
Pain or aching in more than one joint. Stiffness in more than one joint. Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint. The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
Stage I: Synovitis
During stage I, you may start having mild symptoms, including joint pain and joint stiffness. Most commonly, this affects the hands and fingers, as well as the ankles and knees. The immune system has begun attacking the joint tissue, causing the synovial membrane to swell and become inflamed.
It most commonly starts among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It's more common in women than men. There are drugs that can slow down an over-active immune system and therefore reduce the pain and swelling in joints. These are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and include biological therapies.
A doctor can diagnose arthritis of the hand by examining the hand and by taking X-rays.
Treatments for Hand OA
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease. There is no cure, but healthy lifestyle habits and treatments can help manage your symptoms and keep you active.
Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based primarily on having pain all over the body, along with other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory or imaging tests for fibromyalgia.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes visible damage to joints. Fibromyalgia does not. Rheumatoid arthritis also gets progressively worse, causing swelling and sometimes deformities. The pain from fibromyalgia is more widespread, while rheumatoid arthritis is concentrated initially to hands, wrists, knees and balls of the feet.