Arthritic fingers and also Guitar playing

GalaxyA12

Hi week ago my right hand developed severe Index finger pain weakness and numbness then hand became severely aching.I use loads 4 times daily handcreams both hand slightly inflamed. Only play rhythm or fingerpick half hour per day. Please any tips have organic diet tied cutting out all forms sugar and all regular tea and coffee I use organic.Any tips diet exercises specific to this please.Thanks.

Galaxy A12

helpline_team

Hi @GalaxyA12

Thank you for posting on our Online Community.

We are sorry to hear that you have arthritis in your fingers, can we ask if you have had a confirmed diagnosis from your GP as this is really important as there are several forms of arthritis, the two most common one's is Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid (RA) both are treated differently.

Managing the condition is important as well and pleased that you are trying to eat healthy and wanting to exercise the joints, I have added a couple of links to help you with this. There isn't a particular diet that can cure arthritis but a diet of fruit and vegetables, and like you are doing cutting out sugar salt and processed foods can help.

Other ways of managing your condition are with heat and ice treatment which can help with pain and swelling, heat can be in a form of a hot water bottle, wheat pack or having a warm shower. Ice can help with pain and swelling so that can be a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a damp tea-towel.  The treatments that often help if it is osteoarthritis is painkillers such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen. If you are unable to take either of these drugs then it may be worth speaking to your doctor about Capsaicin cream which is a drug free complementary treatment, which is recommended for osteoarthritis and has been given a score of 5/5 for effectiveness for this condition, it is only available on prescription from your GP. When applied in the form of a cream it is thought to provide pain relief by temporarily changing the way our body process pain which works mainly by reducing Substance P, a pain transmitter in your nerves. If you were to get the cream, it would need to be applied 4 times a day and allowed to build up into the system for at least 2 weeks.

Also speak to your GP about a referral either to see a Physiotherapist or a Hand therapist they can help with exercises, preventative care and aids that could help.

Hope that you can continue to play your guitar.

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/diet/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-fingers-hands-and-wrists/

Best wishes

Chris (Helpline Advisor)