The wrist and hand have many small joints that work in conjunction with each other to produce motion. This provides individuals the exquisite dexterity required to tie a shoelace or thread a needle. However, when joints become afflicted with arthritis, daily activities can become difficult. Arthritis can appear in only one or multiple joints of the wrist and hand.
Cartilage works as a natural “shock absorber.” It provides a smooth, gliding surface for joints. With this loss of cartilage, the joint is deprived of its painless, mobile area of motion.Once cartilage is lost, our bodies cannot replace it.This condition is termed “arthritis.”
The body attempts to accommodate the lost cartilage by producing extra tissue in the joint lining (termed synovium). In addition, the joint lining created more of the lubricating (synovial) fluid that is normally found in joints.This addition of extra tissue and fluid causes the joint to swell, thus restricting motion. The swelling also causes stretching of the joint covering, which in turn causes further pain.With time, the bones of the joint can lose their normal shape as bone spurs form. This creates even more pain while further limiting motion.
