Silver finger splints.

littlemissmai

Hey, I hope I'm posting this in the right place, if not please feel free to move it.

I was wondering if anyone has used finger splints to prevent finger deformities caused by RA.

I've seen lots of different types online, my sister is a silversmith so could make me some for a reasonable price.

I just wanted to ask if anyone here uses them as a preventative method and weather or not you think they work. Do you have any problems with them etc.

Thanks

LL X

stickywicket

You're definitely in the right place . I haven't used them myself as mine are long beyond redemption :roll: but I know some on here do and I hope they'll soon see this. (Weekends are a bit slow.) However, I've used wrist splints and, from my experiences with them, I'd have thought silver splints would be amazingly uncomfortable. Even with the old-fashioned hard plastic wrist splints, I had to wear a protective 'inner'.

jillyb1

I was given finger splints by my OT and offered the silver ones ( if I paid £20 for them ) ; they were uncomfortable and in my case , of no use . I still had swan neck on my fingers and it got worse until now when I have full blown Depuytrens contracture . I hope you have more success but wouldn't advise spending money on splints that may not help . Jillyb

dreamdaisy

If I remember rightly you're not sure yet what form of inflammatory arthritis you have (or even if it is?) Finger damage might not become an issue so it may be best to wait until you have more information about what is what before you go ahead with this idea. Splints are not that easy to live with. DD

littlemissmai

Thanks for your replies. I already have Bouchard nodes on all my fingers, I noticed my nuckles had gotten bigger but the specialist I saw told me what they were. It's since then I've been looking into the splints to see if they would prevent my fingers from becoming more deformed in the future.

LL x

dreamdaisy

I'd forgotten the Bouchards - I apologise. :oops: They are less common than Herbeden's nodes and more characteristic of OA, they can occur in RA but whether splint-wearing would prevent them I don't know as they are caused by deposits in the synovium lining of the finger joints - leasways I think that is the case. DD

littlemissmai

Thanks for the info DD. Until I have a confirmed diagnosis I won't be doing anything re the splints, I just wanted to find out more about them. I just want to do everything I can to prevent things getting worse. Are Bouchards nodes rare in RA? Is RA more common in younger people that OA? X

dreamdaisy

OA is the most common form of arthritis, I think there are about ten million arthritics in the UK and the vast majority of those are OA-ers (I have no idea about the figure but eight million is floating around my mind, probably erroneously).

Arthritis will strike when, where and who it chooses - don't let anyone (medics included) tell you you are too young to have it. No-one is too young as the My Child forum on here proves. DD

littlemissmai

Thanks DD.

I don't think my age is helping me get a firm diagnosis I must say!!

Fingers crossed I will get somewhere on Thursday when I visit my GP!!