Medical Questions » Hands Questions » Question No. 472
| Question: | I am 54 years of age and the knuckles of my fingers are very swollen and ache. Is there anything I can do to help this? |
| Answer: | You obviously have an arthritis of your finger joints, and the important thing to determine is what type of arthritis is present. Rheumatoid arthritis is most likely, but osteoarthritis is possible, as are a number of other rarer diseases.
Your GP can arrange X-rays and blood tests to make this diagnosis, and then the correct treatment can be given.
Treatmenr will depend upon the diagnosis, and can include anti-inflammatory tablets, specific anti-rheumatic drugs, heat, physiotherapy and exercise.
You are young to be developing a significant arthritis, and so it is important for the correct treatment to be started before your finger joints are permanently damaged.
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