hand tremors and compression gloves

shinisobaa
shinisobaa Member Posts: 2
in Living with arthritis

I suddenly noticed that I was having hand tremors, making it difficult to use a spoon or type. It came out of nowhere and then went away. Is there a way to predict this? Is it a side effect of having arthritis (don't have the clearest diagnosis yet, RA potentially) or could it be something else?

Also, as a student, typing is something I have to do a lot, but prolonged durations of it hurt my hand. Do compression gloves help?

Comments

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 837

    Hi @shinisobaa

    Unfortunately I think inflammatory arthritis affects different people differently. I have a different type of inflammatory arthritis - psoriatic arthritis. My hands were the second area of my body to be affected - when I was at my worst I couldn't close them or hold a normal piece of cutlery. I now take 3 drugs for my PsA and they have greatly reduced the pain in my joints and increased the movement but I'm not cured. The best way I'd describe my finger joints now is they feel permanently overworked and achy. They are also cold most of the time. I use compression gloves which I feel help with my joints and also retain heat in my hands. I do daily hand exercises - you can get a stress ball to help as well as exercise putty. I saw an occupational therapist who recommended these as well as sleeves of dense polystyrene which slip over the handles of cutlery to provide a fatter handle.

    I hope you get treatment and stabilised soon.

  • Welsh1
    Welsh1 Member Posts: 89

    I would mention to your Dr I have RA take medication and have started having hand tremors not got to the bottom why. I have compression gloves not sure they help with this but I sometimes put them so I don't focus on tremors. You will have to take breaks from computer as I found long periods make it worse. There are lots of reasons for hand tremors so you would need tests. Unfortunately I have found medics a bit dismissive of them particularly if you are on medication which they feel is working.

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,841

    Hi @shinisobaa

    Welcome to the online community.

    I see you have already had some lovely replies from @Welsh1 and @jamieA .

    You don't have a definitive diagnosis yet so I really think you ought to be mentioning these tremors to your consultant when you next see them or your GP if that is sooner. Every symptom will help their diagnosis.

    Best wishes

    Ellen.

  • shinisobaa
    shinisobaa Member Posts: 2

    Thank you!!
    I have been using a stress ball on and off, will try out exercise putty.

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