osteo-arthritis hands

palo

Hi folks, am wearing 2 pairs of gloves on my hands now to stop them feeling cold, anyone got any better suggestions. Pain now constant every day.

stickywicket

This is a tricky one, isn't it, as don't I remember that you use your hands for work - cake-making or something?

I'm quite lucky in that, although people have always told me my hands feel cold, they don't feel particularly cold to me - which is just as well as the gloves have yet to be invented that will go over my fingers.

I guess what you should do will depend on why your hands are cold. If it's poor circulation waving them about regularly might help. (I'm being serious. It gets the blood flowing.) Or holding them under the hot water tap. Regular hand exercises might help. I think there are some in Arthritis Care's booklet on exercises. Just squeezing Playdough or an exercise ball might help too.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

palo

Thank you SW.

I do do all the exercises, and hot wax treatment most days, it is the rest of the time.

I feel I am losing more and more ability with my hands and it is quite frightening to think I am only 53.

I have pretty much given up cakes as it is just too painful and have really cut back on all work now. The ortho specialist I saw wants me to wait until it gets too bad and go for surgery.

I am loathe to consider surgery yet, and am also loathe to just dose up on painkillers. I think it feel it more now that I have almost come off the steriods just 1mg daily. So it is not being masked so much now.

stickywicket

i think you're probably right about coming off the steroids and I'm sorry your work has necessarily suffered.

It's far too late for me now but, in your position, I think I'd at least investigate surgery. By the time I saw a hand surgeon, many years ago, mine were already shot to bits and as by then I had little pain in them and still had a grip of sorts (between thumb and palm) he felt it best to leave well alone. But that was at least thirty years ago and surgery has come on in leaps and bounds since then.

ARUK has plenty of reading on hand surgery. It might help you to decide whether or not it's for you. https://tinyurl.com/y8wan2pj

palo

Thank you SW.

It just feels like a merry-go-round.

Last year was re-lasering eyes (correct previous cataract surgery), previous year was having my gall-bladder out.

This year so far had suspicious lump removed from leg, waiting for advice re sciatica and back issues, so I kinda feel like I'm just falling apart, and desperately trying to hang on to as many bits of me I still can...

stickywicket

Oh palo I'm so sorry. At times it just seems as if our whole lives consist merely of body maintenance, doesn't it? This will pass. Things will get better but in their own time. ((( )))

palo

Thank you SW it is much appreciated.

Airwave!

Hot Wheat bags, pain relieving gels and pain killers for a start. I wear ski gloves, which are the warmest gloves I've found with good grip levels for driving etc. and just coming up for sales time for ski wear.

Try and keep moving and the circulation going.

Yes I know I'm up at 4.10am but I'm awake!!!

palo

Hi AW thank you for your suggestions, am doing hot wax baths daily, turmeric and black pepper (which does help), glucosomine and fish oil but it seems to be very angry at the moment and nothing is appeasing it, even taking painkillers now.

daffy2

palo wrote:

Hi AW thank you for your suggestions, am doing hot wax baths daily, turmeric and black pepper (which does help), glucosomine and fish oil but it seems to be very angry at the moment and nothing is appeasing it, even taking painkillers now.

Sometimes that's just what happens. I am having difficulties at present not just with my 'known' bad bits(especially middle RH finger) but also with others, mostly but not exclusively, on my hands. There is no obvious reason, so I'm dealing as best I can and hoping it settles sooner rather than later.
It's possible that although your usual regime doesn't seem to be helping at the moment, things would be worse without. And painkillers aren't failure, just another management tool, even if one you'd prefer not to use!

Airwave!

I agree with daffy2, your present state may well be the new norm hopefully for not too long? arther does like having his way!

Stay cool.

palo

Thank you daffy and aw saw my gp yesterday and he decided against steriod injection as he said he could only do one at a time and since all my hand joints are affected it wouldn't help much, he could see both hands are swollen and red.

He is referring me to physio assessment again and we agreed that I would take tramadol now and as long as they remain inflamed, hopefully not too long.

Yes you are right it is not failure to take painkillers just a revised strategy and hopefully a short term measure.

Airwave!

Its a hard task to have patience with arther, just when you think nothings happening you wake up and know something has changed for the better.

👍