I have stiff joints including hands, daily, but there are some days worse than others.

What you describe happened to me abut two months ago, and it lasted a week.
It was constant, hard snapping in one of my pointer fingers. Nothing but time actually fixed it.

However, two things that help with joints/arthritis is/are the following...

Hyaluronic acid supplements...they moisten joints
Sour/tart cherry juice that you can get at the grocery store

They both help. They don't cure because nothing stops bone-on-bone, but they help.

...!

Saw this on another post - soak it in Cider