Do you feel pain at the base of your thumb, your knuckles, in the joints of your fingers? These are common sites for hand arthritis. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are the common types that most patients have.
Arthritis can be disabling, especially when its in your hands and fingers. It can prevent you from carrying out normal day-to-day activities.
Arthritis is a disease that attacks the tissues of your joints in your hands. Arthritis can attack the lining of your joints or the cartilage breaking it down, and when the ends of your bones become exposed, and begin to rub against each other and wear away. You have many joints in your hand, making it unfortunately a common site for arthritis attack.
This disease causes pain and stiffness in your joints that can increase with time. Treatment options depend on the severity of your symptoms, they can include splints/braces, medications, steroid injections etc. If surgery is necessary, this may include joint fusion, joint replacement and tendon transfer.
Symptoms Of Prolonged Arthritis
There are several surgical options based on the type and severity of your arthritis and your overall health. Dr. Stephen W. Pournaras Jr., will discuss options & help you decide which is best for you.
The most common surgical procedures are:
Most hand surgeries are followed by hand therapy to strengthen the muscles and improve function. We offer this therapy as well.
If you have a hand injury or chronic condition such as arthritis, please contact us at Fairoaks Ortho. Dr. Pournaras & our staff have a great understanding of the complex network of blood vessels, nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones that make up your hand and fingers.
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The joints in your hands are constantly exposed to stressors due to everyday life, and in most cases your body repairs the damage naturally. With arthritis, this is not the case. The three forms of arthritis that affect the hands are:
Osteoarthritis effects the protective cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in your hands and effects the joints by gradually breaking it down and wearing it away. Cartilage is a very tough, shock-absorbing material that allows the bones in a joint to glide easily during motion and when gone, causes pain and injury.
The loss of the cartilage causes painful bone-on-bone rubbing. Other symptoms of arthritis include immobility, swelling, and the formation of bony growth spurs in the affected area.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, leading to hand deformity and loss of function. The protective membrane called synovium that covers joints, secrete a lubricant called synovial fluid, which acts as a cushion between the joints and ligaments to reduce friction between the bones and prevent “wear and tear.” RA causes the synovium to become inflamed, which prevents it from working properly.
Psoriatic arthritis causes pain, swelling and stiffness in and around the joints in your hands, It affects about 1 in 4 patients who already have the skin condition psoriasis. Some patients may develop psoriatic arthritis before the skin condition psoriasis is even present.
Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis are both autoimmune conditions, caused by an issue in your immune system.
Your immune system protects you from illness and infection. But in autoimmune conditions, the immune system becomes confused and attacks healthy parts of the body, often causing inflammation.
Patients with psoriasis can get other types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions are not linked to psoriasis though.
We know how important pain-free hand and finger motion and function is to our patients and the ability to do daily activities, including work, self-care, sports, we are here to help you. Our orthopedic practice specializes in hand surgery, and we offer state-of-the-art nonsurgical and surgical care to treat a full range of hand and finger injuries and conditions.
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For questions about your medical insurance coverage, please contact Rebecca St. Peter (Certified Billing Specialist) [email protected] or call 703.591.0077.
We look forward to speaking with you.
Our board-certified, fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon, Stephen W. Pournaras, Jr., M.D. utilizes the latest technology and cutting-edge procedures to treat a broad spectrum of orthopaedic conditions, sports injuries, and work-related injuries.
By preforming operative and non-operative procedures, our goal is to use the latest and most minimally invasive techniques that allows our patients a rapid return to a full and active life.
“What is important to us as a practice is superior patient outcomes and unmatched patient satisfaction. We pride ourselves in being patient advocates, going the extra mile to ensure that the care delivered to our patients is best of that medicine as to offer.”
“I believe in a team-oriented approach to treatment, which often involves physical and occupational therapists to maximize functional outcome for all my patients.” Dr. Pournaras
We understand that you are coming to us for help. Suffering from pain can limit your daily activities and decreases your enjoyment of life. Please call us!
Our commitment to support your journey towards recovery can help ease your mind. Read more about our comprehensive range of advanced treatment options for hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder issues designed to provide pain relief and heal as quickly, and as safely as possible.
3998 Fair Ridge Dr., Suite 100 Fairfax, Va 22033
Mon 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Tue 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Wed 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Thu 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
