Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and can impact any joint in your body, including your hands. Hand osteoarthritis Essex occurs in the small finger joints, knuckles and the wrist. Very commonly, it affects the joints at the base of the thumb. Hand osteoarthritis Essex is the result of wear and tear and is more common as you get older, or if you have sustained trauma to a joint.
Although the symptoms of hand osteoarthritis Essex differ from person to person, typically the symptoms include:
- A weak grip
- Tenderness and swelling around the wrist or in the knuckles or finger joints
- Difficulty moving the fingers
- Stiffness of the joints
- Aching pains when using your hands or at the end of the day
Hand osteoarthritis Essex tends to get worse with time as the cartilage lining of the bone deteriorates through wear and tear.
Early Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Essex
Rheumatoid arthritis causes swelling, stiffness and pain, and is a long-term condition. This autoimmune disease is caused by the immune system attacking the cells lining your joints. This damages the cartilage, ligaments and bone over time, making the joints painful, stiff and swollen. As well as joint problems, the disease can affect the tendons which move your fingers, causing them to become deviated and compromising hand function.
The early signs of rheumatoid arthritis Essex usually occur in the smaller joints, such as feet and hands, affecting the joints symmetrically. One of the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis Essex is an aching and throbbing pain, which tends to be worse in the morning. Stiffness is another one of the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis Essex, as well as swelling, redness and warmth.
Steroid Injection Into Joints Essex
One of the ways to treat problems such as arthritis and joint pain is to inject steroid into the joint. If you would like to undergo this treatment, you can book an initial consultation with Mr Sierakowski who will talk you through the procedure, so you have a complete understanding. If you are happy to go ahead and have a steroid injection into joints Essex, you will have an appointment booked to undergo the procedure with Mr Sierakowski himself.
For steroid injection into joints Essex, Mr Sierakowski will always use a fine needle and local anaesthetic to help minimise the discomfort. For certain joints, such as the base of the thumb, it is recommended that the injection takes place with X-ray guidance, to ensure that the steroid is delivered to precisely the right place.
When you undergo a steroid injection into joints Essex, you will have to wait a few days for the injection to start working. It is important to understand that the steroid injection is not a permanent cure for the condition and the effects of the steroid injection are likely to wear off after a few months. Please note that you are advised not to drive on the day of your steroid injection as you will be receiving a local anaesthetic.
Like all procedures, there can be some possible side effects and complications from a steroid injection. These include:
- Temporary bruising
- An infection – ensure you seek immediate medical advice
- Paler skin and prominent blood vessels in the area
- Discomfort and pain
Flushing of the face – please note this will only last a couple of hours
Joint Replacement Surgery Essex
Another type of treatment for hand arthritis is joint replacement surgery Essex. This surgery involves removing the damaged parts of a joint and replacing them with an artificial joint. The small joints in the fingers, knuckles and the thumb can all be treated by joint replacement surgery Essex. Not only can this surgery help to reduce pain, but it can also allow the patient to have more freedom of movement. Joint replacement surgery Essex involves replacing the damaged joint with an artificial joint, or prosthesis. The type of prosthesis used will be different depending on the type of joint affected. For example, silicone prostheses shaped like a small hinge tend to be used for the finger joints, whereas a metal joint – a “baby hip replacement” – can be used for the base of the thumb.
After the joint replacement surgery Essex has been performed, the patient will learn to use the joint under the guidance of a hand therapist. The total duration of treatment is usually about two months.
Joint Fusion Surgery Essex
Joint fusion surgery Essex is also known as arthrodesis surgery and may be an option suggested to you if you have severe arthritic pain. The surgery involves fusing, or permanently joining together, the two bone ends that make up the joint that aches. This joint fusion Essex surgery removes the painful, raw, bone ends that are grinding against each other. The aim of joint fusion Essex surgery is to create a stable, pain free joint. Although any movement at the joint is lost, the patient is often able to put more weight through it due to the increased stability and pain relief.
Any joint in the hand and wrist can be potentially fused, if it is indicated. The procedure is usually reserved for advanced cases of arthritis. At your consultation, Mr Sierakowski will examine your joints and help you decide if joint fusion Essex surgery is the correct procedure for you.
Joint fusion Essex surgery can be carried out either under either local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. A tourniquet is used to keep blood away from the area during the surgery. Once you are under anaesthetic, Mr Sierakowski will carefully make an incision to remove the damaged joint and then fuse the two bones together. This can be achieved using screws or wires, depending on the type of joint involved.
Joint fusion Essex surgery is performed as a day case procedure. You will be provided with a splint to wear whilst the bone heals. Depending on the type of joint fusion surgery you have undergone, you may need to have wires removed from the joint after 6 to 8 weeks. Over a period of time, the ends of the joint will grow together and become one solid piece of bone. Healing from joint fusion Essex surgery will take up to 12 weeks, so you may need extra assistance and time off work.
Base Of Thumb (1st CMC Joint) Denervation Essex
A base of thumb denervation Essex operation involves removing the sensory nerve supply to the joint at the base of the thumb. This can be an effective way of treating pain caused by osteoarthritis, before the need for trapeziectomy or joint replacement arises. The nerves responsible for carrying sensory signals (and therefore pain) from the 1st CMC joint are divided via short incisions around the wrist.
Trapeziectomy Surgery And Recovery Essex
Trapeziectomy surgery Essex involves removing the trapezium bone from the base of your thumb, which is commonly affected by osteoarthritis. Removal of this bone prevents damaged bone ends from grinding against each other at the base of the thumb. This is an effective and proven means of treating the pain of advanced arthritis at the base of the thumb.
During trapeziectomy surgery Essex either a regional or general anaesthetic will be used, and Mr Sierakowski will begin the procedure by making a small incision at the base of the thumb. Once the bone has been removed, the wound is closed, and a splint will be applied to protect the thumb. You will be advised to keep the hand elevated in a sling, in order to keep the swelling to a minimum following your trapeziectomy surgery Essex. After two weeks, your dressings will be removed, and a hand therapist will fit you with a custom-made plastic splint. You will be shown exercises to help restore the strength and movement in your hand. Four weeks after your trapeziectomy surgery Essex you can begin to take off your splint during the day for light use. However, you are advised to wear your splint for protection at night for at least 6 weeks after your trapeziectomy surgery Essex. Full recovery after trapeziectomy surgery Essex can take quite a long time and it can be up to 6 months before you can carry heavy items. Six weeks into trapeziectomy recovery Essex you will be able to drive, providing you have got movement and driving is pain free.
Tendon Rebalancing and Repair Essex
Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect ligaments and tendons, causing deformity. Various procedures, including tendon rebalancing Essex can be performed to realign tendons to correct these deformities. Tendons connect muscles to bones and allow you to make a wide range of movements. If you suffer from a tendon injury, or a condition like rheumatoid arthritis, which causes tendons to become inflamed, your tendons can end up rupturing. Therefore, you may need to undergo surgery for tendon repair to correct this.
If you have tendon repair surgery, this usually involves a lengthy recovery period, as the tendons will need time to heal together and will be weak until they do. It can take up to 3 months before the repaired tendon will regain its strength back. You will need to protect your tendons in a hand splint for several weeks after surgery. Mr Sierakowski and his dedicated hand therapy team will help guide you through this recovery period.
Arthritis In Essex
Mr Sierakowski is able to perform hand surgery for arthritis in a variety of hospitals across Essex. These include Springfield Hospital Chelmsford, Phoenix Hospital Chelmsford and Wellesley Hospital in Southend. Get in touch for more information about surgery for arthritis, today.
