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Rosemont, IL June 25, 2004 -- Arthritis may affect any joint in the body, but it is most visible when it strikes the hands and fingers. If you suffer from arthritis of the hand, you are not alone. More than 40 million Americans are affected by arthritis of the hand—20 million suffer from osteoarthritis, and 2.1 million are diagnosed with the more severe rheumatoid arthritis. If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis of the hand, relief may be found as close as your nearest hand surgeon—a specially trained physician who has dedicated his or her practice to both surgical and non-surgical care and treatment of the hand.

Arthritis of the hand may be both painful and disabling. The most common forms of arthritis in the hand are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease in which the cushioning cartilage that covers the bone surfaces at joints begins to wear out. It may be caused by simple "wear and tear" on joints, or it may develop after an injury to a joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the cells that line and normally lubricate the joints. It is a systemic condition, which means that it affects multiple joints, usually on both sides of the body. The joint lining becomes inflamed and swollen. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand offers the following descriptions:

Signs and Symptoms of Arthritis of the Hand
Stiffness, swelling, loss of motion, and pain are symptoms common to both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the hand. With osteoarthritis, bony nodules may develop at the middle joints of one or more fingers and at the finger tip. Osteoarthritis is very common at the base of the thumb. In rheumatoid arthritis, some joints may be more swollen than others. There is often a sausage-shaped swelling of the finger. In either form, the joints may enlarge and the fingers become crooked.

How Arthritis of the Hand is Diagnosed
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