If you have started to get little aches and pains in your hand and you are wondering if it is due to aging, you may be wondering, “is hand arthritis preventable?”

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the joints in your body. When it affects the wrists and fingers, you may experience pain in your hand.

There are many different types of arthritis. When it comes to the hands, they may be affected by either osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Children can be affected by juvenile arthritis.

If you have arthritis in your hand or hands, you may notice symptoms such as these:
● stiffness
● swelling
● limited ability to move hands and fingers
● pain

The symptoms may be present all the time, or may seem to flare up randomly. You may even experience chronic pain from these symptoms. Recognizing the symptoms early plays a key role in preventing arthritis from getting worse.
[Related article: ​Treatment For Basal Joint Arthritis​]

Risk Factors For Hand Arthritis
Although there is no known cure for arthritis, there are several things that seem to lead up to it happening. These can include:
● genetics
● family history where arthritis is present
● gender (women are more likely to get it than men)

Is Hand Arthritis Preventable?
While there are things that you can do to try to prevent hand arthritis, there are no guarantees that you will not still experience symptoms of this inflammatory condition. However, it is worth noting that doing these things may help:
● follow an overall plan for good health, including: weight management, healthy eating, exercise, and don’t smoke
● try to prevent injuries to your hands while participating in sports or hobbies
● if you are often at a keyboard, use ergonomic equipment
● complete hand exercises regularly to keep your hands flexible and keep synovial fluid flowing

If you are looking for ways to keep your hands healthy, ward off arthritis, or need to speak with a hand therapist about what to do, contact us to schedule a consultation. With a fellowship in surgery of the hand, ​Dr. Yospur​ is also able to help address any hand issues that you are having.

Contact us​ today.