Dibetic Hand

Diabetic hand syndrome or finger joint pain in diabetic patients:

Finger joint pain in diabetic patients is also known as diabetic hand syndrome people suffering with type 1 diabetes are at risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the condition where your bone density decreases day by day making you stoop, abnormal body posture, bone pain and risk of fracture even with minor injury. You can prevent this by taking proper healthy food rich in calcium and vitamin d, doing weight bearing exercise and walking to strengthen the bones and joints.

Obesity and damage to the blood vessels and nerves due to abnormal blood sugar causes bones and joint disorder in diabetic patients.

Diabetic arthropathy or charcot joint is the common joint disorder caused to nerve damage in diabetic patients.

Signs and symptoms of diabetic arthropathy are:

• Swelling around the finger jointsyour joints may lose its normal shapeloss of sensation around the affected jointsabnormal sensation like tingling or pricking sensationunable to bear weight
• Timely diagnosis and intervention can definitely prevent further progression.
• Diabetic hand syndrome is a condition in which the skin over the hands become waxy and thick. It also causes the restriction in the joint movements of the hand. This is usually seen in persons with very long standing and untreated diabetes. It is uncommon among general population and exact cause is also not known yet.
• Physiotherapy will definitely improve the condition and prevent further progression.
• Osteoarthritis - individual suffering with type 2 diabetes and obesity are more prone to osteoarthritis. In this the cartilage inside the joint between the bones is degenerated.

Signs and symptoms are:

• Pain in the affected jointslimited joint movements or stiffnessreduced flexibilityswellingweight loss, exercise, proper medication, physiotherapy, oil massage and vasti will improve the condition.
• Frozen shoulder
• Majority of people suffering with diabetes have high chance of getting frozen shoulder.
• Signs and symptoms
• Pain and tenderness over the shoulder regionunable to lift the hand over headdecreased range of shoulder movements.

Physiotherapy plays a very important role in management of frozen shoulder. In ayurvedic rasna saptaka kashayam and trayodashanga guggulu are very effective. External treatments like patra pinda sveda, kukkutanda sveda will drastically reduce the pain.

Forestier disease - It is commonly known as dish - diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Usually spine is mostly affected. There will be hardening and thickening of tendons and ligaments around the joints along with extra growth of bone.

Symptoms are pain and restricted movement. Advanced stage may require surgical intervention.

Dupuytren deformity - It is a condition characterised by pain, contracture of fingers and you will be unable to straighten the affected fingers. It is caused due to thickening of tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues in the palm. It is usually seen in persons with diabetes for very long period.

External treatments like abhyanga, sevda along with physiotherapy will reduce the symptoms.