Three early finger arthritis signs to heed in Jacksonville, NC

Arthritis in the fingers has many early signs, but many people in Jacksonville, North Carolina, may not recognize what they are. The lack of recognition can make it harder to get help for finger arthritis; this could mean that your arthritis progresses more rapidly. You can help yourself catch finger arthritis early by learning some of its early symptoms, and three of these symptoms are particularly common. 

1. Soreness after activity

One common early sign of finger arthritis is that your fingers feel sore after lots of activity. An example would be typing on your keyboard for hours at a time. Many people report that the soreness feels like a burning sensation in the finger joints, and it typically goes away when you let your fingers rest for a while. Some people may not feel the soreness in their fingers until they wake up the next morning. 

2. Swelling of the finger joints

Swelling of the finger joints is another common early sign of finger arthritis. Arthritis affects tissue in your finger joints called cartilage, and this tissue often becomes inflamed. The swelling is more likely after you’ve been doing an activity that stresses your fingers. Physically, swelling can cause your fingers to appear puffier, and it can also cause unexplained redness or feelings of warmth. 

3. Difficulty moving the fingers

In its early stages, arthritis in the fingers can make it more difficult to move your joints. One reason for this is the joints can become stiffer as the cartilage wears away, and the stiffness is typically caused by increased friction in the joint. It can also be connected to swelling in the joints of the fingers. Swelling can lead to finger stiffness because it decreases the space inside the joint. 

Visit Peak Performance in Jacksonville, NC, to start treating the early signs of finger arthritis

At Peak Performance’s Jacksonville clinic, we can help you recognize and treat the early signs of finger arthritis. Often, our team can catch these signs during one of our free screenings. We can then build you a personalized plan to treat your arthritis symptoms, and your plan can contain many beneficial therapy methods like: 

• Therapeutic exercises
• Ergonomic training
• Manual therapy
• Aquatic therapy
• Kinesiology taping

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to begin treating your arthritis symptoms.