Osteoarthritis & Heberden's Nodes

No, I do not have sinus congestion (as in, "I hab a code in my nodes"). But I do have nodes. The kind that come with arthritic fingers.

Mrs. Heberden

When such swelling appears on the mid-finger joint (commonly called the "proximal interphalangeal" joint, or "PID") it is called rheumatoid arthritis and, when the joint swells, the swellings are called "Bouchard's Nodes."

When such swelling appears on the terminal finger joint (commonly called the "distal interphalangeal" joint, or "DIP") it is called osteoarthritis and, when the joint swells, the swellings are called "Heberden's Nodes." That's the kind that I have on my two index fingers.

I have had such a node on my right hand index finger for well over 20 years. At times it aches and pains miserably. Although I have had tenderness and pain in my left hand index finger for over five years, the node more or less "erupted" in great swelling (and real hurting!) while attending a local Christian Conference in Honolulu earlier this month.

Tonight, having nothing better to do, I did a little internet research and discovered, as mentioned above, that these swellings actually have nodal names! And don't you find it strange that arthritis in the top joint of a finger is called osteoarthritis while arthritis in the the middle joint of a finger is called rheumatoid arthritis? Why the difference?

You can read a really good, simple explaination of this at the Van Denmark Orthopedic info site here. That's where I got the info.

By the way, have you heard this one?

Person #1: Today I met a man with a wooden leg named Smith.

Person #2: Oh, really? What was the name of his other leg?

I think I shall call my two nodes Mr. & Mrs. Heberden from now on!

(And don't even think about me having these nodes in my nodes!)