Arthritis

The hand and wrist have multiple small joints that work together to produce motion. This gives the fine motion needed to thread a needle or tie a shoelace. When the joints are affected by arthritis, hands can be less able to perform activities of daily living, and for arthritis in hands, treatment can often do little more than address symptoms. Patients can have arthritis that occurs in multiple areas of the hand and wrist. Multiple factors can cause this, such as disease or trauma, and symptoms include:

SYMPTOMS

• Painful joints
• Joint stiffness (especially in the morning)
• Swelling