Using assistive devices such as jar openers, key turners, and large zipper pulls using larger pens using kitchen utensils and tools with larger handles.Minimizing activities that put stress on your hands, such as gardening or knitting.If you have Bouchard’s nodes, there are things you can do to make daily living easier, including: There is no cure for Bouchard’s nodes or finger OA, but with proper treatment, the disease can be managed effectively and progression stopped or delayed. Interferential current therapy (IFC) or TENS therapyĪre you seeking physiotherapy for Bouchard’s nodes? Book an assessment today.Ĭan Bouchard’s Nodes Go Away on Their Own?.Cross-disciplinary pain-relieving therapies such as:.Patient education so you feel in control of your condition.Activity modification and functional retraining.Stretching, strengthening, and range of motion exercises.The goal of physiotherapy for Bouchard’s nodes is to prevent disability and the progression of finger OA, reduce pain, regain strength, and increase joint mobility, function, and quality of life.ĭepending on your individual needs, physiotherapy for Bouchard’s nodes can include: Physiotherapy is a drug-free and non-surgical treatment that has been proven to reduce arthritis pain. Surgery – surgery is rare for Bouchard’s nodes, but if it is necessary after other less invasive treatments have not helped, physiotherapy is an important part of rehabilitation.Topical medications such as creams, sprays or gels.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), either prescribed, or over-the-counter, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve).However, surgery is considered only as a last resort, and many drugs carry serious side effects and are not meant to be taken over a long period of time. Treatment for Bouchard’s nodes aims at treating the underlying condition of finger OA, which includes medications, physiotherapy, and surgery. Weakness in your fingers and difficulty gripping.Stiffness and difficulty moving your fingers, especially first thing in the morning or after periods of inactivity.

Decreased range of motion and/or pain while doing routine activities such as opening jars, turning a key or doorknob, writing, or gripping the steering wheel of a car.

The main sign of Bouchard’s nodes are the characteristic bony bumps on the middle knuckles of your fingers which indicate severe finger OA. What are the Signs and Symptoms of Bouchard’s Nodes?

Genetic defects in the cartilage or fingers.

Family history of osteoarthritis and/or Bouchard’s nodes.

Gender – women are more likely to develop OA, and women who have finger OA are 10 times more likely to develop Bouchard’s nodes than men.

Increasing age, especially being over 65.

Long-term repetitive stress to the fingers, whether occupational or recreational.

There is no one cause of finger OA, but several factors increase your risk of developing it, along with Bouchard’s nodes, including: The hand and finger joints are the third most common joint to be affected by osteoarthritis, just after the knees and hips.Ĭauses | Symptoms | Treatment | Preventionīouchard’s nodes are caused by finger osteoarthritis. In the case of Bouchard’s nodes, painful bone growths called osteophytes form at your PIP joints, which cause joint damage and can cause your fingers to become misaligned and crooked.īouchard’s nodes are less common than Heberden’s nodes, which occur in the joints at the tips of your fingers.

They are named after the French pathologist Charles-Joseph Bouchard, who studied arthritis patients in the late 1800’s.įinger OA occurs when the smooth, rubbery cartilage that cushions the ends of your finger bones (phalanges) begins to break down and wear away, causing pain, stiffness and inflammation.Īs the disease progresses, eventually the cartilage wears away completely, causing bone to rub on bone. Bouchard’s nodes are bumps on the joints in the middle of your fingers (the proximal interphalangeal joint, or PIP), and are a sign of advanced finger osteoarthritis (OA), which is a degenerative joint disease.

Misshapen finger joints