Causes And Treatment Of Sore Knuckles
Sore knuckles are often experienced by mechanics, the result of banging the knuckles on metal when a crescent wrench slips. The rest of us aren't immune to sore knuckles, though they often occur for reasons other than slippage or other causes of trauma.
It's not surprising that there are a number of different ways in which sore knuckles can develop. The joints and muscles of our hands and fingers are the most heavily utilized parts of our body, and as such the most injury prone. Disease can also play a factor in sore knuckles, particularly arthritis, which often attacks the joints of the fingers.
Diseases - There are several types of disease which can create sore muscles, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, and psoriasis arthritis. The last named is somewhat rare, first because psoriasis generally affects the skin, though in some cases can affect internal tissues, secondly, because in those rare instances when psoriasis is internal, the tissues and joints of the fingers and knuckles aren't necessarily singled out.
Gout is also rather rare as far as affecting the knuckles is concerned. Gout is a form of arthritis in which uric acid is present in excess in the bloodstream and crystallizes in the joints of the extremities. In nearly every case of gout, it is the big toe that is affected, but gout in the knuckles has been known to occur.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are far more common causes of sore knuckles. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in the knuckle to break down, allowing bones to rub together, eventually leading to their becoming thickened or deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis is the result of the immune system attacking the joints, again causing cartilage breakdown, but often causing bone breakdown as well. As in the case of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis in the fingers and knuckles can be very painful.
Nerve Injury - Another common cause of sore knuckles is a brachial nerve injury. The brachial nerve serves the hand and fingers as well as the arm. Injury to this nerve may cause very sore knuckles although the point of injury is not necessarily the knuckles themselves. This would be a case of what is called a referred injury, where disease or trauma affects one location and pain is experienced in another.
Treatments - While pain killers won't necessarily cure whatever is causing sore knuckles, the person afflicted usually doesn't care, as long as the pain is reduced or eliminated. Some pain medications contain anti inflammatory agents which not only relieve the pain but often treat the source as well. Massage can also be helpful, especially if the cause of the pain is due to a nerve problem, but it can also help when the cause is due to arthritis. Exercise can help as well, although it's important to take the time to learn which forms of exercise can be of some benefit and which forms might actually aggravate the situation. A combination of massaging, stretching and exercise does help in many instances though. It would be best to consult with a professional to know what kind of a regimen would work best.
Those who favor an alternative medicine approach claim magnetic therapy can be quite effective, and recommend wearing magnetic jewelry on the fingers or wrist. Since it is claimed relief comes quickly, magnetic therapy might be worth a try, even if you're not familiar with alternative medicine techniques. Soaking the hands in warm salt water is also highly recommended. This isn't a quick soak, but one that takes at least 30 minutes, and it's important that salt water, not plain water be used. As is the case with magnetic therapy this is a technique worth trying. If it works, great, if not, try something else.