splinting bent fingers

earthspirit

ok folks its diy time here!

i have 2 bent fingers which havent given me too much trouble but the last few weeks i have 3 joints a bit more buckled & twisted looking and the little finger seemed to be lolling about a bit lamely.

i wear cohesive bandages for support on my wrists and hands as i can be exactly the right compression where i need it and have now bound my little finger and the one next to it together. this is only stopping them bumping around like...spare fingers

should i be doing something else to help them straighten or put something firm between them to keep them a bit straighter or should i be doing something else? i can still drive and can still type which is more of less all i can do anyhow so not suffering the loss too much but would like to preserve whatever strength i have left in them

stickywicket

I have, in the past, tied some of mine together for a while but that was only to deal with pain. I'm not sure about re-straightening them but,to hang onto what you have and help prevent further damage, I'd suggest AC's factsheet 'Getting a Handle on Arthritis'. If you enter 'finger exercises' into the search engine at the top of the page, it's the first item on the left. Good luck!

frogmorton

Dear Earthspirit

Your poor fingers

Can you ask to be referred to and OT/ [hysio so they can make you some splints especially for you?

Love

Toni xx

duvarayi

Dear earthspirit

So sorry your fingers are troubling you. I agree with Toni about asking for OT referral. I think splints will help you keep your fingers straight and support your wrists as well.

Hope you get sorted fast.

Babs

earthspirit

hi & thanks for that info and advice. didnt know they could do such things! i did have those velcro wrist supports with metal in them and found them very awkward to use and certainly couldnt drive with them, hence the cohesive bandages.

will see what they can do for me & my "spare" finger - ta very much x

Chelle123

Hi,
Please ask for a referal to a rheumatology OT or hand therapist at your local hospital. They will be able to offer joint protection advise, possible resting splints that are custom made for you and you wear at night. They won't be able to reverse any joint damage that has already occured but can help to prevent further damage. OT's will also take measurements of your hands and with regular appointments monitor any changes.

Also worth a try are isotona gloves. They are compression gloves and work for many people. You can buy them online but if you get referred to OT they should be able to issue a pair.

You can ask your rheumatologist but with most NHS trusts you can self refer by simply writing or calling.

Good luck