Gransnet forums

Health

Arthritis in thumb joint

(74 Posts)
Singlegrannie Sat 03-Nov-18 14:22:42

I have been having yearly steroid injections in my right hand thumb joint for several years now with only minor short term improvement. The last one I had, a couple of months ago, was incredibly painful while being done ( I have always had them done in hospital under x-ray by a consultant) and very painful for several weeks afterwards. The pain has now settled to being slightly worse than before the last injection. This morning I had a post injection consultation but not with the surgeon who carried out the last one as he has "cancelled all appointments for the foreseeable future" .The new surgeon, whom I haven't seen before, recommended that I have the bone adjacent to the offending joint removed. He said it is 90% effective in removing pain and will take about 3 months to recover from.
I would love to hear from anyone who has any experience of this operation, it sounds scary !

Singlegrannie Mon 12-Nov-18 07:39:42

I have ordered the cream , hope to report back positively soon ! Does it take long to work Sparklefizz ?

Nelliemoser Mon 12-Nov-18 07:59:10

The pain I get very in my thumbs seems to have lessened compared with how it was about five years ago. At times I had difficulty pushing the button to open the car boot.
There is a product called Flexiseq which was promoted by the Arthritis charity . You rub it into the offending joint and it does seem to lubricate it.

EllanVannin Mon 12-Nov-18 08:07:17

Just saw your remedy Sparklefizz many thanks for that. I'll get some in----------just in case as I never know when it flares up then both hands are deemed useless,it's awful. I feel for those whose body is racked in this pain as I can't imagine what that must be like !

Singlegrannie Mon 12-Nov-18 08:39:40

I have been using flexiseq Nelliemoser, haven't noticed a difference in my hands but is does seem to help my creaky knee. Expensive though.

Sparklefizz Mon 12-Nov-18 10:03:06

Singlegrannie The first time I plastered my thumb with the cream, the terrible pain faded away within about 15 minutes, and the relief lasted for a few hours. Every time it came back, I used more cream. Now I use it every night and occasionally during the day if I feel the odd stab of pain returning, but it has worked wonders for me. I make sure I am never without it. I had begun to get nobbly painful fingers but the nobbles went along with the pain.

Parsley3 Mon 12-Nov-18 10:43:06

My tube of Rhus Tox and Ruta cream arrived on Friday. I have been using it over the weekend and I can say that it is wonderfully cool and soothing on my thumb joints. I can continue with my Christmas knitting painfree and reapply the cream when needed. I would certainly recommend it.

Sparklefizz Mon 12-Nov-18 11:26:46

Great news Parsley. I'm pleased for you! smile

Parsley3 Mon 12-Nov-18 16:02:18

Thank you, Sparkle, for suggesting the cream.

Situpstraight1 Mon 12-Nov-18 18:34:09

I’m off to my GP for this problem tomorrow, I’ve waited 3 weeks for the appointment, after trying FlexiseQ for a while with no result. I’ll see what he suggests but the pain is pretty bad at the moment and wasn’t any better during the heatwave. I’ve taken a note of the homeopathic remedy as well. As I’ve had the problem for about 3 years I thought it time to go to the Doc.
We will see what he has to say about it, I assume it’s arthritis?

Jobey68 Mon 12-Nov-18 20:12:50

I sympathise, I have arthritis in my knees and had a cortisone injection last week, no improvement as of yet.
My cousin had the op to remove an arthritic toe joint a month ago and is feeling great now and would highly recommend it.

Patsy70 Mon 12-Nov-18 20:57:30

Sparklefizz: I have been using the homeopathic cream for a few days now - when should I start to feel some improvement?

Sparklefizz Tue 13-Nov-18 18:56:41

Patsy70 How often are you applying it?

Patsy70 Wed 14-Nov-18 16:54:37

Sparklefizz. I'm using the cream in the morning and when I go to bed. I think there is an improvement, so will apply it more often. It has such a wonderful texture and smells divine. Thank you again for recommending it.

Sparklefizz Thu 15-Nov-18 08:36:13

Patsy70 I'm glad it's beginning to work. Use it as often as you need to during the day to keep the pain at bay, and eventually you will be able to cut down. I now buy it by the tub because it doesn't go "off" and works out cheaper. I agree, it really is lovely cream and the fact that it has healing effects makes it even better smile

Nananj Sun 13-Jan-19 20:17:29

I take turmeric capsules no more painful thumb joints .

nannyof4 Sat 19-Jan-19 19:16:55

I also have painful thumbs,and have just ordered a tube of the mentioned cream from Amazon,its coming tomorow.
I also wear an acitpatch on my hip,not one for taking tablets.Although i am taking Lercanidipine for BP.

Marydoll Sat 19-Jan-19 19:46:02

Sparklefizz, I have just ordered the cream. I have a combination of rheumatoid arthristis, osteoarthritis and de Quervain's tensonyvitis in my hand, nothing has worked in the last four years, so I'm going to give it a try.

Singlegrannie Sat 19-Jan-19 21:06:54

I have been using the rhus tox & Rita cream and it does help, not completely pain free yet, but thanks for the recommendation Sparklefizz.

BradfordLass72 Sat 19-Jan-19 21:30:40

Steroid injections, known to be painful, should be preceded by an application of EMLA cream. Ask your surgeon about it.
EMLA cream is used, if you ask or even insist, for elderly patients who may have collapsed veins where looking to take blood can mean repeated, painful tries.

I have avoided this joint surgery by taking MSM capsules and now have very little and often no pain at all.

maddyone Sun 20-Jan-19 15:48:30

I had this operation on my left hand some five years ago, and yes, for about 90% of the time I no longer have pain in it. The right hand now needs doing and so I’ve got an appointment to see the surgeon next week. It’s a pain, pardon the pun, having the operation because I was in plaster for six weeks, followed by three months physiotherapy, but it’s much, much better than it was before. I haven’t got good strength in it despite the operation, but then I hadn’t much strength in it before. The main thing is being more or less pain free.
I did have the steroid injections in both thumbs previously, but eventually they have little effect, and they are very painful to administer. With the surgery I’ll be pain free, or mostly pain free, all the time, in my thumbs at least.

GrannyIris5 Sat 26-Jan-19 14:03:18

I had the little Trapeze? bone removed from both hands. Pain free since. Scars aren’t very pretty but worth it to be pain free. Mine were done about 10 years ago, had both carpal tunnels done too.

maddyone Wed 30-Jan-19 00:30:58

I’ve just been to outpatients today, and now I’m ‘on the list’ so come the summer I’ll be having my right thumb done. The pain was dreadful for the first 48 hours after the operation, but it’s worth it to get rid of the pain for good. Next winter when the rain comes, and the cold weather, I’ll be pain free.

Namsnanny Wed 30-Jan-19 02:28:20

Sparkle....Just looked up the rhus tox on ebay and there was another brand available. What do you think about trying that? The Helios brand was around £50....bit steep!

Marydoll Wed 30-Jan-19 08:15:08

I bought the Helios brand the other day. The cost was £10 per tube. It has not "cured" it, but has reduced the pain by a significant amount. Initially I was very sceptical, but it has given some relief.

I forgot to use it last night and the pain in my hand is excrutiating this morning. sad

maddyone, glad to hear you will be getting some relief soon.

maddyone Wed 30-Jan-19 08:52:10

Thank you Marydoll, hope the cream keeps working for you. The surgery option is not an easy one, as I know from having my left hand done. But it is a permanent solution.