Hi 👋

RileyA

Thanks for letting me join,

I have had arthritis in my right knee for at lest 5years now (im 48) it's progressed to my right hip, right elbow, I have Ankylosing spondylitis also but now I'm really suffering with hand joint pain, fingers and thumbs both hands equally, and have started growing nobby joints I no long bother my g.p as I'm unable to take the meds they prescribed due to allergys or unpleasant side affects, the ones that do work I'm no longer allowed,

I use hot/cold therapy, tenns machine, massage, yoga and rest to treat my other pains but have found nothing that helps the pain in the hands, it's constantly there, any tips on reducing the pain with exercise, massage, topically ect would be great..

It's it normally for this terrible condition to take over all of joints? Is there anyway to slow its progress?

Thanks in advance 👍

ToneBlues

Hi @RileyA

Welcome to our online community and thank you for asking for our support.

I see that you have ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and that you have symptoms in your right hip, knee and elbow, but you also get pain and swelling in your hands. As you have difficulties with pain medication you use a variety of pain control methods including TENs, yoga, etc.

Ankylosing spondylitis is an arthritic disease that generally only affects the spine - it is not usual for it to affect the hands and arms, although it can cause symptoms in the hips and legs. It may well be that you are affected by another type of arthritis that is causing hand and other joint symptoms. You say that you "no longer bother your GP", but it might be worth getting hands looked at (particularly if you get any numbness and tingling in your limbs) - not least they could refer you to a physiotherapist for some helpful exercises.

Here is the VA website's main page on AS -

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/ankylosing-spondylitis/

And here is some help with exercise from the National AS Society -

https://nass.co.uk/managing-my-as/exercise/

This is the VA website's page about hand and wrist pain -

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/hand-and-wrist-pain/

The page includes a link to exercises for the hand.

I hope that you find these links useful and that you are able to find support from other members of our online community. Please visit regularly and let us know how you are getting on.

Very best wishes,

@ToneBlues - moderator