Arthritis in Hands: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments That Preserve Function

Arthritis in the hands is usually osteoarthritis (OA), which wears down the fingertip joints, the middle finger joints and the base of the thumb, or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that inflames the knuckles and wrists of both hands. According to the Framingham Osteoarthritis Study (Haugen and colleagues, 2011), X-ray signs of hand OA appear in over 67% of women and 55% of men over age 55 [1], and the treatments that best preserve grip and dexterity are hand therapy, splinting, targeted medication and, for RA, early disease-modifying drugs.

Why Hand Arthritis Matters More Than You Might Think

Your hands perform thousands of tasks every day, from buttoning a shirt to typing an email to opening a jar. When arthritis strikes the hands, the impact on daily function is disproportionate to the size of the joints involved. A person can often work around knee or hip arthritis with modifications, but hand arthritis directly threatens independence, occupation, and quality of life.

Hand arthritis is extremely common. Radiographic evidence of hand OA appears in over 67% of women and 55% of men over age 55 [1]. Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 1% of the global population, and the hands are among the first joints involved in the majority of cases [2].

Despite this prevalence, hand arthritis is undertreated. Many patients assume nothing can be done and simply adapt around increasing limitation. In reality, early intervention can significantly slow functional decline and preserve the ability to grip, pinch, and manipulate objects for years longer.

Each hand and wrist contains 27 bones and dozens of small joints, so the pattern of which joints hurt is itself a diagnostic clue. For a wider overview of joint inflammation across the body, see the arthritis condition overview, and for the full range of non-surgical and regenerative options, the arthritis treatment guide.

OA vs. RA in the Hands: Two Different Diseases

The distinction between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the hands is critical because the affected joints, underlying mechanisms, and treatments differ substantially. OA is driven by cartilage breakdown, bone remodeling and low-grade inflammation in the joint, while RA is driven by an immune attack on the joint lining (synovium).

Osteoarthritis of the Hands

Hand OA, also called nodal osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease of the hand, is a degenerative and inflammatory condition that primarily affects:

• DIP joints (distal interphalangeal): The joints closest to the fingertips. Bony enlargements here are called Heberden’s nodes, named after the 18th-century physician William Heberden who first described them. They develop gradually and are often the earliest visible sign of hand OA.
• PIP joints (proximal interphalangeal): The middle finger joints. Bony enlargements here are called Bouchard’s nodes. PIP involvement tends to cause more functional limitation than DIP disease because these joints are critical for grip.
• First CMC joint (carpometacarpal joint of the thumb): The base of the thumb, also called the trapeziometacarpal joint. This is one of the most common and disabling sites of hand OA. Thumb base arthritis affects roughly 33% of postmenopausal women and significantly impairs grip and pinch strength [3].

Hand OA is characterized by gradual onset, asymmetric involvement (one hand often worse than the other), brief morning stiffness (usually less than 30 minutes), and pain that worsens with use and improves with rest. A more aggressive subtype, erosive hand OA, causes sudden painful flares in the finger joints and erosions on X-ray that can resemble inflammatory arthritis. More on the general disease is on the osteoarthritis condition page.

Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hands

RA is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the synovial membrane lining the joints. In the hands, it typically affects:

• MCP joints (metacarpophalangeal): The knuckles at the base of the fingers. These are the hallmark joints of hand RA and are almost always involved.
• PIP joints: Often affected alongside MCP joints.
• Wrist: Wrist involvement is very common in RA and relatively rare in OA.
• DIP joints are typically spared in RA, which helps distinguish it from OA on physical examination.

RA presents with symmetric involvement (both hands affected similarly), prolonged morning stiffness (often over 60 minutes), joint swelling that feels boggy or spongy (synovitis) rather than bony, and systemic symptoms like fatigue and malaise. Without treatment, RA can cause characteristic deformities including ulnar deviation (fingers drifting toward the pinky side), swan-neck deformity, and boutonniere deformity [4]. The rheumatoid arthritis condition page covers the disease beyond the hands, including the seronegative form that tests negative for RF and anti-CCP.

How OA and RA Compare in the Hands

The table below sets the two diseases side by side using the features described above. Clinicians weigh the whole pattern, not any single feature.

A longer side-by-side of the two diseases across all joints is in our article on osteoarthritis vs rheumatoid arthritis.

Other Types of Arthritis That Affect the Hands

OA and RA account for most hand arthritis, but several other conditions target the fingers and wrist. Each has its own pattern, and telling them apart changes treatment.

• Psoriatic arthritis (PsA): An inflammatory arthritis linked to psoriasis that often involves the DIP joints, like OA, but with inflammation rather than bony nodes. It can cause dactylitis (a whole finger swelling like a sausage) and nail pitting. See our overview of psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
• Gout and pseudogout (CPPD): Crystal arthritis that causes sudden, hot, very painful flares, sometimes in a single finger joint or the wrist. Gout can leave chalky deposits called tophi over the knuckles.
• Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus): Can cause hand pain and a reducible finger deformity known as Jaccoud arthropathy, usually without the erosions of RA.
• Reactive and septic arthritis: Reactive arthritis follows an infection elsewhere in the body, while septic arthritis is a joint infection that needs urgent care.

Hand pain without joint swelling can also come from conditions that are not arthritis at all, including carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, de Quervain tenosynovitis and fibromyalgia. Our article on fibromyalgia in the hands covers how widespread pain differs from joint disease.

Symptoms: What Each Type Feels Like

The first signs of arthritis in the hands are usually joint pain after use, stiffness on waking, and swelling or a bony bump at a finger joint. How long the stiffness lasts and which joints are involved point toward OA or RA.

Hand OA Symptoms

• Pain: Aching pain in affected joints, typically worse after repetitive use (typing, gardening, cooking) and better after rest. Thumb base pain is often described as a deep ache that worsens with gripping and pinching.
• Stiffness: Fingers feel stiff and tight first thing in the morning, usually resolving within 15-30 minutes. Stiffness also returns after periods of inactivity.
• Bony enlargement: Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes develop slowly over months to years. They can be painful during formation but often become painless once fully established.
• Reduced range of motion: Affected fingers may not fully straighten or close into a fist. This gradually limits grip strength and fine motor tasks.
• Crepitus: A grinding or crackling sensation when moving the fingers, caused by roughened cartilage surfaces.
• Grip weakness: Progressive loss of grip and pinch strength, making it difficult to open jars, turn keys, or button clothing.

Thumb base arthritis has its own telltale sign: pain at the fleshy base of the thumb when turning a key, pinching a page or opening a bottle. A clinician can reproduce that pain with the grind test, pressing and rotating the thumb against the trapezium. Our article on the thumb arthritis test walks through it.

Hand RA Symptoms

• Swelling: Soft, boggy swelling at the MCP and PIP joints, often warm to touch. This differs from the hard, bony enlargement of OA.
• Prolonged morning stiffness: Often lasting 1-2 hours or longer, which is a key distinguishing feature from OA.
• Symmetry: Both hands are affected in a similar pattern, often simultaneously.
• Fatigue and systemic symptoms: RA is a systemic disease, and hand symptoms are often accompanied by generalized fatigue, low-grade fever, and malaise.
• Tendon involvement: RA can affect tendons and their sheaths, causing trigger finger, tendon rupture, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

When to See a Doctor About Hand Pain

Book an appointment with a primary care physician or rheumatologist when finger or wrist swelling lasts more than a few weeks, when morning stiffness lasts longer than an hour, or when both hands are affected in the same joints. Those features suggest inflammatory arthritis, where the timing of treatment matters most [11].

Seek same-day care for a single joint that becomes hot, red and very painful, especially with fever, because that can be septic arthritis or gout. A sudden inability to straighten a finger can mean a tendon rupture, which needs prompt assessment by a hand surgeon.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis begins with a thorough history and physical examination. An experienced clinician can often distinguish OA from RA based on which joints are involved and the character of the swelling.

Blood Tests

Blood tests help confirm or rule out RA:

• Rheumatoid factor (RF): Positive in approximately 70-80% of RA patients, but also present in some healthy individuals and other conditions
• Anti-CCP antibodies (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide): More specific for RA than RF, positive in about 70% of RA patients and highly predictive of the disease, according to a meta-analysis by Nishimura and colleagues (2007) [5]
• ESR and CRP: Markers of systemic inflammation, elevated in active RA and sometimes in inflammatory OA

Hand OA is primarily a clinical and radiographic diagnosis. There is no specific blood test for it, and inflammatory markers are usually normal or only mildly elevated. When psoriatic arthritis or gout is suspected, a clinician may add uric acid levels or examine joint fluid for crystals.

Imaging

X-rays of the hands show characteristic findings for each condition:

• OA findings: Joint space narrowing, osteophytes (bone spurs), subchondral sclerosis, and subchondral cysts, primarily at the DIP, PIP, and first CMC joints
• RA findings: Joint space narrowing, periarticular osteopenia (bone thinning around the joints), and erosions (small bites out of the bone at the joint margins), primarily at the MCP joints and wrist [6]

Ultrasound is increasingly used in rheumatology practice to detect synovitis and erosions that may not be visible on X-ray. It can also guide injections into small hand joints with greater precision. MRI is used less often, mainly when early RA or psoriatic arthritis is suspected and X-rays are still normal.

Who Treats Arthritis in the Hands

Hand arthritis care is usually shared between several clinician types, and knowing who does what helps you book the right appointment.

• Primary care physician: The usual first stop, who orders X-rays and blood tests and starts topical or oral pain relief.
• Rheumatologist: Diagnoses and manages RA, psoriatic arthritis, gout and erosive hand OA, and prescribes DMARDs and biologics.
• Certified hand therapist (CHT) or occupational therapist (OT): Designs exercise programs, makes custom splints and teaches joint protection.
• Hand surgeon: An orthopedic or plastic surgeon with hand fellowship training who performs injections, fusions, joint replacements and trapeziectomy.
• Physiatrist or sports medicine physician: Often performs ultrasound-guided corticosteroid, PRP or prolotherapy injections into small joints.

Hand Therapy and Exercises

Hand therapy, delivered by a certified hand therapist (CHT) or occupational therapist, is a cornerstone of hand arthritis management. A Cochrane review found that exercise programs for hand OA produced significant improvements in grip strength and reduction in pain and stiffness [7]. The 2019 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Arthritis Foundation guideline also strongly recommends exercise for hand OA [9].

Exercise Program Components

Range-of-motion exercises: Performed daily to maintain the joint’s available arc of movement. These include making a fist and fully extending the fingers, touching the thumb to each fingertip (opposition exercises), and bending each finger individually at each joint.

Strengthening exercises: Grip and pinch strength training using therapeutic putty, stress balls, or spring-loaded hand exercisers. Start with soft resistance and progress gradually. Typical prescription: 10 repetitions, 2-3 times daily.

Tendon gliding exercises: Specific sequences of finger positions that ensure tendons glide smoothly through their sheaths. These are particularly important for preventing stiffness and adhesions after flares or surgery.

Warm-water soaking: Immersing the hands in warm water (100-104°F / 38-40°C) for 10-15 minutes before exercise reduces stiffness and pain, allowing more effective exercise. Paraffin wax baths offer similar benefits and are available for home use.

Exercise principles that help the hands carry over to other joints. Our guide to exercise for osteoarthritis covers which movements help and which aggravate worn joints.

Joint Protection Strategies

Occupational therapists teach techniques to reduce joint stress during daily activities:

• Use the largest joint possible for a task (push doors open with your palm, not your fingers)
• Distribute load across multiple joints rather than concentrating force on one finger
• Avoid prolonged static gripping (take breaks when writing, typing, or using tools)
• Use adaptive equipment: jar openers, built-up pen grips, lever-style door handles, electric can openers
• Carry items close to the body using forearms rather than gripping with fingers

Splinting

Splints, also called orthoses, can reduce pain and improve function, particularly for thumb base arthritis. The 2019 ACR guideline strongly recommends a hand orthosis for first CMC joint OA [9]. The evidence supports several types:

• Thumb spica splint: Stabilizes the first CMC joint while leaving the fingers free. Worn during activities that stress the thumb (cooking, gardening, writing). A randomized trial found that thumb splinting combined with exercise was more effective than exercise alone for thumb base OA [8].
• Ring splints (Silver Ring Splints or similar): Small, discrete splints worn on individual fingers to prevent hyperextension at the PIP or DIP joints. Particularly useful for swan-neck deformities in RA.
• Resting splints: Position the wrist and hand in a neutral, supported position during sleep. Used primarily during RA flares to reduce inflammation and prevent deformity.

Custom splints made by a hand therapist fit better and are more comfortable than off-the-shelf options, improving compliance. In the trial by Rannou and colleagues (2009), the benefit of a night splint for thumb base OA showed up as less pain and disability at 12 months rather than within the first weeks, so consistent use matters [8].

Medications

Medication for hand arthritis follows the diagnosis: OA medicines relieve pain, while RA medicines suppress the immune process that damages the joint.

For Hand OA

• Topical NSAIDs: Diclofenac gel applied to the hand joints is a first-line pharmacological option, conditionally recommended for hand OA by the ACR. The hands are ideal for topical treatment because the joints are superficial and easily accessible [9].
• Oral NSAIDs: Ibuprofen or naproxen for flares, used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration necessary.
• Topical capsaicin: Available over the counter, capsaicin cream depletes substance P from nerve endings, reducing pain signals. It requires consistent application (3-4 times daily for several weeks) to become effective.
• Duloxetine: This antidepressant has evidence for chronic OA pain through central pain modulation. The ACR conditionally recommends it for hand OA when other options have failed [9].
• Corticosteroid injections: An injection of a steroid into a painful thumb base or finger joint can calm a flare. The ACR guideline conditionally recommends intra-articular glucocorticoid injections for hand OA, and relief tends to fade within a few months [9], [12].

Drugs used for RA do not help ordinary hand OA. The same ACR guideline strongly recommends against hydroxychloroquine for OA, because trials found no meaningful benefit over placebo [9].

For Hand RA

RA treatment aims to suppress the autoimmune process, not just manage symptoms. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are the foundation:

• Methotrexate: The first-line DMARD for RA, effective in most patients and well-studied over decades
• Hydroxychloroquine: Often used in combination with methotrexate for milder RA
• Biologic DMARDs: TNF inhibitors (adalimumab, etanercept), IL-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab), and JAK inhibitors (tofacitinib) for moderate to severe RA that doesn’t respond adequately to conventional DMARDs [10]

Early and aggressive DMARD therapy has transformed RA outcomes. Patients treated within the first 3-6 months of symptom onset have significantly better long-term outcomes, including less joint destruction and higher rates of remission [11]. The rheumatoid arthritis treatment guide covers DMARDs, biologics and supportive therapies in more depth.

Regenerative Options for Hand Joints

Regenerative medicine for hand arthritis is a developing field with growing but still limited evidence. These injections aim to calm pain and inflammation inside the joint; none has been shown to regrow lost cartilage in the hand, and most are paid out of pocket because insurers classify them as investigational.

PRP for Hand Arthritis

PRP injections for hand OA, particularly thumb base (first CMC) arthritis, have been studied in several clinical trials. A randomized controlled trial comparing PRP to corticosteroid injection for thumb CMC OA found that PRP produced superior pain relief at 6 and 12 months, while corticosteroid benefits faded after 3 months [12]. Another RCT found PRP superior to hyaluronic acid for first CMC arthritis [13].

The small size of hand joints makes injection technique critical. Ultrasound guidance improves accuracy and may improve outcomes. Most protocols involve 1-2 PRP injections for thumb base OA.

Both trials were small, and PRP preparations differ in platelet and white cell content from one system to the next. The FDA clears the devices that prepare PRP, but it has not approved PRP injection as a treatment for hand arthritis, so its use here is a physician’s off-label choice. The 2019 ACR guideline advises against PRP for knee and hip OA because preparations are not standardized, and it does not recommend PRP for the hand [9]. For timing and side effects, see our article on PRP recovery time.

Hyaluronic Acid for Hand Joints

Viscosupplementation has been studied for both thumb base and finger OA, with mixed results. Some trials show modest pain improvement, while others find no significant benefit over placebo. A 2015 meta-analysis found small, statistically significant benefits for thumb base OA but acknowledged that the clinical significance of these improvements was uncertain [14].

Prolotherapy

Dextrose prolotherapy around the thumb CMC joint and supporting ligaments has shown promising results in small studies, potentially strengthening the lax ligaments that contribute to joint instability and pain. Larger trials are needed.

Stem Cell and Fat-Based Injections

Injections of a patient’s own processed fat (autologous fat grafting) or bone marrow concentrate into the thumb base have been reported in small case series. These studies had no control group, so they cannot separate the effect of the injection from natural fluctuation in symptoms. The FDA has not approved any stem cell product for arthritis and warns patients about clinics marketing unapproved regenerative products, as explained on its regenerative medicine consumer information page. Our stem cell therapy guide explains the regulatory categories.

Laser and Light Therapy

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT, also called cold laser or photobiomodulation) has been tested for RA in the hands in a Cochrane review by Brosseau and colleagues, which found some short-term relief of pain and morning stiffness in small trials. Evidence for hand OA is thinner. The laser therapy guide covers how sessions work.

What to Ask a Clinic Offering Regenerative Hand Injections

1. Has my diagnosis been confirmed with an examination and X-ray, and is it OA, RA or something else?
2. Will the injection be guided by ultrasound or fluoroscopy, and who performs it?
3. Which product is being injected, how is it prepared, and is it FDA approved for this use?
4. What results have published trials shown for this joint, and what happens if it does not help?
5. What is the total cost, including repeat injections, and is any part covered by insurance?

Surgical Options

Surgery for hand arthritis is considered when conservative treatments fail and function is significantly impaired. The specific procedure depends on which joint is affected and the patient’s functional demands. A hand surgeon usually recommends at least several months of therapy, splinting and injections first.

Thumb Base (CMC) Surgery

Thumb base arthritis is the most common indication for hand arthritis surgery. Options include:

• Trapeziectomy (with or without ligament reconstruction): Removal of the trapezium bone at the base of the thumb. This is the most established procedure, with good long-term results for pain relief. The trade-off is some loss of pinch strength, though most patients retain functional strength [15].
• CMC joint arthroplasty: Replacement of the joint with a prosthetic implant. Results have been variable, and implant longevity in this high-demand joint remains a concern.
• CMC joint arthrodesis (fusion): Permanently fusing the thumb base joint. Provides excellent pain relief and strong pinch strength but eliminates motion at the joint. Generally reserved for younger, high-demand patients.

The Cochrane review of thumb base surgery by Wajon and colleagues (2015) found no single procedure clearly superior to trapeziectomy alone, while adding ligament reconstruction was linked to more complications [15].

Finger Joint Surgery

• DIP joint fusion (arthrodesis): The DIP joint contributes relatively little to overall hand function, so fusing it in a functional position eliminates pain with minimal functional loss. This is the most common surgery for DIP arthritis.
• PIP joint arthroplasty (replacement): Because the PIP joint is critical for grip, joint replacement is preferred over fusion when possible. Silicone implants and newer pyrocarbon implants provide pain relief while preserving some motion [16].
• MCP joint replacement: Most commonly performed for RA with significant MCP joint destruction. Silicone spacer implants (Swanson arthroplasty) have a long track record. They improve alignment and reduce pain, though the arc of motion is typically modest.

Tendon and Soft Tissue Surgery

In RA, surgery may also address tendon ruptures, synovitis that hasn’t responded to medications, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Synovectomy (removal of inflamed synovial tissue) can reduce pain and prevent tendon damage in RA patients with persistent synovitis despite adequate DMARD therapy.

Protecting Hand Function Long-Term

Preserving hand function over decades requires a proactive approach that starts well before significant damage occurs:

• Daily hand exercises: Even 5-10 minutes of range-of-motion and strengthening exercises performed consistently will maintain mobility and strength better than sporadic intensive sessions.
• Ergonomic awareness: Modify your work environment to reduce repetitive joint stress. Ergonomic keyboards, padded tool handles, and voice-to-text software can reduce the load on hand joints.
• Splinting during aggravating activities: Wearing a thumb splint during gardening, cooking, or other heavy pinching activities protects the CMC joint without limiting your life.
• Anti-inflammatory nutrition: Omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and a Mediterranean dietary pattern may modestly reduce inflammatory contributions to both OA and RA [17].
• Temperature therapy: Warm soaking before activity (to reduce stiffness) and cold application after activity (to reduce swelling) are simple tools with genuine benefit.
• Early treatment for RA: If you have RA, aggressive early DMARD therapy is the single most important factor in preventing hand deformity and functional loss. Don’t delay treatment waiting for symptoms to worsen.
• Regular monitoring: Follow up with your rheumatologist or hand specialist at recommended intervals. Progressive damage may not always be symptomatic, and imaging can catch changes before they become functionally significant.

Arthritis in other joints often runs alongside hand OA, since the same person frequently has knee or hip involvement. Our articles on knee osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis treatment options cover those joints.

Finding a Hand Arthritis Specialist or Regenerative Clinic

Most people start with their primary care physician or a rheumatologist, then add a hand therapist. Patients who want to explore PRP, prolotherapy or other injections usually see a physiatrist, sports medicine physician or orthopedic practice that performs ultrasound-guided small joint injections.

The Regenerated.com directory of arthritis treatment clinics lists practices across the United States that treat arthritis, and you can narrow it to clinics offering platelet-rich plasma injections. Listing order is not paid ranking. Featured slots are labeled and capped, Verified means the clinic completed the credential checks described in our vetting materials rather than paying for placement, and Regenerated.com is free for patients. Inclusion in the directory is not an endorsement, so use the questions above when you call. The guide to Featured, Verified and organic listings explains each label.

Frequently asked questions

What are the first signs of arthritis in your hands?

The first signs of arthritis in the hands are usually aching after use, stiffness on waking and a swollen or bony finger joint. In osteoarthritis, small hard bumps called Heberden’s nodes appear at the fingertip joints and stiffness eases within about 30 minutes. In rheumatoid arthritis, the knuckles of both hands swell softly and morning stiffness often lasts over an hour. Pain at the base of the thumb when turning a key is an early sign of thumb base arthritis.

How can I tell if my hand pain is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis?

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis differ mainly in which joints they hit and how long stiffness lasts. OA affects the fingertip joints, middle finger joints and thumb base, often more on one hand, with stiffness under 30 minutes. RA affects the knuckles and wrists of both hands, with soft swelling and stiffness over an hour. A rheumatologist confirms the diagnosis with an examination, hand X-rays and blood tests for rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies.

What is the most effective treatment for arthritis in the hands?

The most effective treatment for hand osteoarthritis combines hand exercises, a splint for the thumb base and topical anti-inflammatory gel, all supported by the 2019 American College of Rheumatology guideline. Corticosteroid injections can calm a flare. For rheumatoid arthritis, the most effective step is starting a disease-modifying drug such as methotrexate early, ideally within 3 to 6 months of symptoms. Surgery such as trapeziectomy or joint fusion is reserved for pain that persists despite these measures.

Does PRP work for thumb arthritis?

PRP has shown encouraging but early results for thumb base arthritis. A randomized trial by Malahias and colleagues (2021) found platelet-rich plasma gave better pain relief than a steroid injection at 6 and 12 months, and a trial by Rocchi and colleagues (2022) found it outperformed hyaluronic acid. Both trials were small, PRP is not FDA approved for this use, preparations vary between clinics, and treatment is usually paid out of pocket. Ask whether the injection will be ultrasound guided.

What kind of doctor treats arthritis in the hands?

A rheumatologist treats inflammatory hand arthritis such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, while a primary care physician often manages early osteoarthritis. A certified hand therapist or occupational therapist designs exercises and custom splints. A hand surgeon, trained in orthopedic or plastic surgery, performs joint fusion, joint replacement and trapeziectomy. Physiatrists and sports medicine physicians commonly perform ultrasound-guided injections, including corticosteroid, PRP and prolotherapy, into the small joints of the hand and thumb.

Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?

Cracking your knuckles has not been linked to arthritis in the hands in the studies that have looked for a connection, including a 2011 study by deWeber and colleagues in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. The popping sound comes from gas in the joint fluid as the joint surfaces separate, not from bone grinding. Hand osteoarthritis is driven mainly by age, genetics, prior injury and repetitive heavy gripping, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.

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9. Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis Care Res. 2020;72(2):149-162. doi:10.1002/acr.24131. PMID: 31908163 ↩
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Related Reading

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