Testimonials

Finger pain, Heberden's nodes. (Female/ 50's)

Symptoms before treatment

About three years ago, I started feeling a pain in my right index finger. The painful area was the first joint (called distal interphalangeal joint) closest to the fingertip. Gradually, the other fingers started to hurt. After a year, four fingers on both hands, from the index finger to the little finger started to hurt.

Due to the pain, I was not able to wring a towel, to hold a knife, or to open a jar lid. In severe cases, my index finger hurts badly to touch chopsticks, and I had to use a fork or spoon.

I could not enjoy pressed flower craft which was my hobby. In addition, I was also having trouble waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain. Even though I went to an orthopedic hospital, I was told that Heberden’s nodes were probably due to my age. Painkillers and poultices had little effect. I was always wishing when to recover and when this pain goes away. During such time, I happened to find OKUNO CLINIC. on the internet and visited the clinic. 

Findings from our doctor

We found that her first joints of fingers on both hands were deformed and swollen and diagnosed that her case was Heberden’s nodes. The pain areas were outwardly looked swelling and red. These swollen and reddened joints are known to have increases in extra blood vessels caused by inflammation. In order to reduce the number of these blood vessels, we used a specially developed treatment called arterial injection. Arterial injection takes about 5 minutes. This is not covered by public insurance, but the cost is not so expensive.

After the treatment

After 2 weeks of the first arterial injection, I hardly felt the strong pain I used to have any more. Also, it stopped to wake up in the middle of the night due to the pain. I still felt pain when I move my hand, I visited OKUNO CLINIC to get second arterial injection after a month.

Follow-up

She explained that the current pain level after twice arterial injections is “1” if the maximum pain is 10 which she felt before the treatment. She also said that her pain at night is less than before, and she feels happier every day since she can do the usual things such as wring a towel or open a jar or plastic bottle. She wished she could have this treatment earlier since she had given up and waited for a long time until the pain went away. It has been more than one and half year since she had the treatment, she has had no recurrence and in good shape.

**Heberden’s nodes is a disease that can interfere with life because it causes strong pain in severe cases even when you touch a small object like chopsticks. Until now, there has been no effective treatment for this disease, but arterial injections can fundamentally approach and treat the increased blood vessels.