Dr. Morris earned his bachelor's degree summa cum laude from the University of San Diego and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from UCLA School of Medicine in 1990. After medical school, Dr. Morris completed his surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency training at the University of Southern California (LAC/USC Medical Center).
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
What are symptoms and signs of arthritis of the hand and
wrist?
The most common symptoms of arthritis of the hands include pain,
stiffness, and swelling over the joints. The pain is usually worsened
when the joint is moved. Moreover, motion of the joint is frequently
limited due to pain and joint contractures. Symptoms can lead to
difficulty with daily living activities including tying shoes,
buttoning buttons, opening jars, or turning a key in a lock.
Physical signs of arthritis of the hand include changes in the
appearance of the joints. The joints most commonly affected by
degenerative arthritis are those at the ends of the fingers. Swelling
and bumps, or nodes, can occur at the small joints at the area of the
base of the nail. These bumps are called Heberden nodes and can
become extremely painful. The joint at the base of the thumb can
also become swollen with bone spurs and cause pain and deformity.
The joint destruction also leads to severe pain when pinching the
fingers together and gripping forcefully. Joint motion limitation
can also decrease the ability to grip.
Wrist arthritis can cause pain with motion of the wrist or
grasping and lifting. Wrist range of motion is frequently limited by
the arthritis. Patients typically experience relief when the wrist
is stabilized by a splint.
Rheumatoid arthritis frequently causes swelling, pain, and
stiffness in the wrists, as well as the small joints in the middle
and at the base of the fingers. This disease frequently causes hand
deformities. Tissue lumps called rheumatoid nodules can form over
the joints of the hand and wrist. The joints of the fingers and
thumb can become deformed and contracted by the destruction of the
supporting ligaments, so that grasping and pinching movements are not
possible.
How are patients with hand joint abnormalities evaluated?
The diagnosis of hand joint problems typically involves
evaluating symptoms, physical examination, and the x-ray appearance of
the joints. Blood testing is sometimes also helpful in the
assessment process. Joint replacement surgery becomes a treatment
option when significant joint destruction and/or deformity are
present.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of
cartilage in the joints. Also known as degenerative arthritis. Osteoarthritis
can be caused by aging, heredity, and injury from trauma or disease.
Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that causes skin and joint inflammation. Symptoms include painful, stiff, and swollen joints, tendinitis, and organ inflammation. Treatment involves antiinflammatory medications and exercise.
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