arthritis in hands

I wish....I have galloping osteoarthritis and my hands and thumbs seem to cause the most discomfort apart from the warmer months. It seems this year it’s creeping into my wrist too. My personal solution would be to live somewhere warm.
The doctors say to take anti inflammatories like paracetamol, and glucosamine with chondroitin (unproven) I’m trying the latter but not holding my breath.
Really sorry, as it seems another curse of age ?‍♀️

I will be interested to see the suggestions on this thread. I have arthritis in my hands and find everyday tasks harder to do. My thumbs can be very painful and can wake me from sleep. I can't take anti-inflammatory medicine due to a heart condition.

I have RA, osteoarthritis and Carpal tunnel in my hands. I too can't have anti inflammatories but do use 10% prescription Ibruprofen gel ,wrist and thumb splints. I also have steroid injections into the affected areas, but too many are not recommended.
Heat bags also help and I am very fortunate in that I am on biologics for my RA, which dampen down inflammation.

On occasions, I have threatened to cut off my hands, the pain is so severe!

I have arthritis in fingers, thumbs, feet, neck, lower back and one knee.

I've been using Rhus Tox & Ruta Cream by Helios (the Helios brand is best) since 2014 and it has worked wonders on the pain so I don't need to take medications.

It's homeopathic, and for those who deride homeopathy - well, ok, find other ways to control your pain, but I'm saying that it works for me and has done for years.

Once I found it worked so well, I rang Helios and asked them if I could have a 500g tub of it which works out cheaper than buying it by the tube.

I bought Rhus Tox & Ruta Cream , in fact I bought four tubes. I found a little relief, but ended up giving the tubes away, as it was having little impact on my pain and swelling.

Marydoll

I bought Rhus Tox & Ruta Cream , in fact I bought four tubes. I found a little relief, but ended up giving the tubes away, as it was having little impact on my pain and swelling.

It has a cumulative effect.

Tried steroid injections into my painful thumbs some hears back. Most painful injections I have ever had. Really caused me pain problems for three days after injections, that went - and my thumbs were exactly as they had been. Will not repeat that.

I wear wrist splints at night on both hands, and this has really helped and cleared up the problems of carpel tunnel that was causing me pain with even such things as using my electric toothbrush.

For the arthritus in my thumbs, I do feel that knitting is a great physio. Use wooden or similar needles and, if necessary, special gloves whilst doing this.

A small heating pad applied to thumbs can help. Do other people find themselves holding their thumbs against hot drink mugs without thinking?

Cutting out alcohol and turmeric in my smoothies works for me - so far. Fingers crossed - whilst I still Can ....

Sparklefizz

Marydoll

I bought Rhus Tox & Ruta Cream , in fact I bought four tubes. I found a little relief, but ended up giving the tubes away, as it was having little impact on my pain and swelling.

It has a cumulative effect.

It still didn't work. It's great it works for you, but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. I did give it a good shot!
RA is a systemic and destructive disease, which is attacking many of my joints. I'm afraid that despite my desire to reduce conventional meds and use natural remedies, I have no alternative..

Same here, thumbs and wrists. It is a darned nuisance, isn't it.
The painkiller, Solpadol, which I take for my back also helps with this pain too. But I do wish I didn't have to keep taking it.

2 High strength organic turmeric with organic black pepper and organic ginger capsules a day helps me.

I also take omega 3 oil every day and warm my hands with a heat pad or hot water bottle in the evening. Arthritis is no longer a real problem for me, it's being kept at bay I think.

Marydoll I am sorry for what you're going through. I have Osteoarthritis not RA so perhaps that makes a difference.

I belong to an OA Support Group online and many of us have had great success with Rhus Tox & Ruta Cream, but you're right, nothing works for everyone including drugs, of course.

I wish you all the very best.

I have Dupuytrens contracture in my hands and I had operations for carpal tunnel and trigger finger. The last operation was on the main joint on my left hand the most painful but the problem still exists. I have painful ganglion cysts constantly coming and going. I can’t take medication because the medication I have taken for years for Osteoarthritis have (so I was told) caused kidney disease. I have tried everything available with no success. My hands are unsightly but I am stuck with them everything I do practically has to be negotiated.

Sparklefizz, thank you. I already have cervical spondylitis, so I understand how painful your neck pain must be. I have a collar to wear at night, which helps. Much to my amusement, it looks like a Dr White's sanitary pad, remember those?
Yesterday I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my hip, not suitable for a hip replacement, so may give the Rox cream a go. I have already given DD a tube for her knee!
I hate filling my body with chemicals!

It would be easier for me to say where I DIDNT have arthritis. It's a dreadful condition that I think non-sufferers don't quite understand.
I know it sounds odd but movement and exercise are reported to ease the discomfort by strengthening the surrounding soft tissue.
Cold and damp weather are my worse times as I'm sure fellow sufferers will agree.
Pain relief for me comes in the form of paracetamol during the day and CoCodamol at night, other medical conditions contraindicate anything stronger for me.
I've got a couple of wheat bags which have been a godsend too.
Even the simple tasks like wringing out a dishcloth or taking the lid of a jam jar are excruciatingly painful some days. But I tell myself that there's worse things in life, it's not terminal and there's always someone else worse off.
Sending good wishes to all fellow sufferers ?

I also have arthritis in the trapezium joint and the doctor has taken me off naproxen because of lowered kidney function . I've had two lots of steroid injections which have helped massively but they have left me with pigmentation and thinning of the skin at the injection site.

Marydoll I'm a believer in alternative therapies ,have you tried an Acti Patch for your hip pain .Its worn 24/7 and my daughter had good results from it when her pain was at its worst .She also has acupuncture which can be brilliant some times and not so good another depending on the practitioner .She buys support gloves for her hand pain from Amazon and gets some relief from them.Its all trial and error I'm afraid as doctors just give up when they find out the different conditiions she has,so self help is her way of coping .I hope you find a solution .

paddyann, I will have a look, I see it is medication free. I have to be very careful because of contra indications and drug allergies, which have landed me in hospital.
I forgot to say, I have a TENS machine, which does help to some extent.

Marydoll

*Sparklefizz*, thank you. I already have cervical spondylitis, so I understand how painful your neck pain must be. I have a collar to wear at night, which helps. Much to my amusement, it looks like a Dr White's sanitary pad, remember those?
Yesterday I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my hip, not suitable for a hip replacement, so may give the Rox cream a go. I have already given DD a tube for her knee!
I hate filling my body with chemicals!

Me too re the chemicals. I have a fairly rare pancreatic condition whereby my pancreas has stopped producing digestive enzymes (who knew it did? ) Consequently I have a number of gut problems and multiple food intolerances, so react to many things apart from foods, such as meds.

I developed Osteoporosis and Hypothyroidism from the breast cancer drugs I had to take 20 years ago ... and they didn't do my ME much good either, so I always try to find an alternative therapy if possible.

paddyanne I'm a believer in alternative therapies ,have you tried an Acti Patch for your hip pain .Its worn 24/7 and my daughter had good results from it when her pain was at its worst

Thanks for this suggestion Paddy. I'm going to look into it. I love acupuncture but my acupuncturist has moved away and I haven't found anyone else nearby.

I have Psoriatic Arthritis and all my joints are affected, but hands and feet the worst, currently waiting for an operation to fuse the joints in my left foot. Cannot take Ibuprofen in any form as prescribed Naproxen gave me a stomach ulcer?No real advice to give , just empathy for an illness many people without it view as ‘ minor’.

I wear fingerless gloves in the winter, they keep my hands warm. Fortunately the arthritis in my thumb and finger joints is not too painful unless I'm crocheting.

DH has osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, he was told early on to never stop using his hands, he has a soft rubber ball that he was told to squeeze and exercise his hands with when he sat relaxing, reading or watching tv etc. His knuckles and joints are swollen and painful on occasions but he still managed to build our 5 year old DG a dolls house complete with furniture for Christmas.
Don’t let it beat you he was told and so far it hasn’t.

It depends on what type of arthritis. If it’s RA, like my own, you’re better getting a referral to a rheumatologist as left alone it can destroy joints. I take Methotrexate and occasionally Naproxen and it keeps the inflammation down. For osteoarthritis cod liver oil is good - especially if you can take it off the spoon, rather than capsules. Incorporate olive oil into your diet, and turmeric wherever you can - both helpful for OA.