question: I am 77 years old and over the last year or so I have begun having small knots (3-4 cm wide/2-3 cm elevated above the surrounding tissue) on my fingers and thumbs. Sometimes they are very painful for 2 or 3 days and then subside. Sometimes they are not painful at all for long periods of time and then for no apparent reason they get painful again. The bumps are near but not in or on the joints. I currently have 3 on my left hand and 4 4 on the right hand. ? ? ?