Noticing early finger arthritis signs? Try these three tips

Early Signs of Arthritis in the Fingers

Are your fingers sore the next morning after doing strenuous activities? Are they sometimes swollen too? Are they stiffer and much harder to move? All these can be early signs of finger arthritis. 

Arthritis is a progressive condition in which the joint cartilage wears away as the body ages, but the progress of this condition can be slowed. Here are three tips that can help you slow the progress of finger arthritis:

1.   Do daily finger exercises

Exercising a body part helps improve blood flow to the area. It can also benefit people with early signs of finger arthritis in other ways. 

There are many exercises that are specifically designed to stretch the ligaments in your fingers. Reducing tension in these structures helps reduce strain on the finger joints, which can go a long way toward slowing arthritis progression. Other finger exercises can help strengthen the finger ligaments. More robust finger ligaments can then provide increased support to your joints. 

2.   Decrease repetitive movements

Another tip that can help you deal with early signs of finger arthritis is decreasing repetitive finger movements. Repeatedly moving your fingers strains them and tires them out. It can also lead to increased wearing of finger joint cartilage. One of the most common types of repetitive movements is typing. There are several ways that people can decrease how much they type. One option is to use the voice typing feature found in many word processor programs, which allows you to still create documents without repetitive finger movements. 

3.   Eat more anti-inflammatory foods

Changing the foods you eat can also help you slow the progress of finger arthritis’s early signs. One factor that contributes to inflammation in the human body is free radicals. These molecules are often increased by eating processed carbs and fried foods. If you have a lot of such foods in your daily diet, it’s very likely that the inflammation in your finger joints will increase. 

However, you can eat other foods that can help counteract free radicals. Berries, citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables are a few of the foods that are high in antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals. Fewer free radicals can help reduce the amount of joint inflammation caused by your finger arthritis. 

Find out if your symptoms are early signs of finger arthritis at SSOR

Are you worried that your finger issues could be early signs of finger arthritis? Our physical therapy team at SSOR can help you find out if they are. We offer complimentary screenings that can help you determine if you might be developing arthritis. Our team can also design a personalized treatment plan to treat your arthritis symptoms, which may include therapy methods such as:

Contact us today for more information about how we can help with arthritis or to schedule an initial appointment.