Gym bunny

alykat
alykat Member Posts: 12
edited 22. Oct 2019, 12:44 in Living with arthritis
Hi

I have inflammatory OA in my fingers and finding it really hard to use the gym equipment as my fingers are so painful. Anything to improve my upper body strength requires pulling, pushing or lifting. Any suggestions?

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi alycat
    Welcome to the forum,great to hear from you. Everyone on the forum understands about pain and arthritis everyone has various forms of Arthritis and are very sympathetic and understanding and will try and make you feel part of the forum the most popular forums are Living with Arthritis and Chit Chat.
    All the best Christine
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi alikat. Sorry to hear your inflammatory OA is playing up. Which meds are you on?
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Padded gloves with grip might help to protect your fingers. Mine have psoriatic arthritis in them which also affects all my toes, both knees and my elbows. I have OA in both ankles, both knees, both hips, both wrists and one shoulder. My PT tried me with weights but that was disastrousfor the rest of me so I do my home exercises with ankle and wrist weights. When I make it to the gym I use only the treadmill and cross trainer (without the weights because I need to get home after) but that is because improving my mobility is my main concern. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sorry, I've only just seen another thread where you say which meds you're on. I actually know very little about inflammatory OA (I have RA and the bogstandard version of OA) but I see it mainly affects the hands. I don't see how you can lift weights etc with dodgy hands. I'd have thought it dangerous both for the hands and you generally.

    Have you thought of horse riding? To an outsider it would seem to involve very little strength work. (My husband reckons it's the horse which does all the work :roll: ) but, believe me, it really does help with core muscles especially.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I've hunted (albeit half-heartedly) and can't find the thread: I am curious too as I am on meds for an auto-immune arthritis which have never done anything positive for my OA. I know that methotrexate was being given to some with OA, is that the jollop you are taking, alykat? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,

    Here’s the link to the thread

    https://arthritiscareforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=50763

    And a copy of the relevant post

    Hi

    I am new to the site too and have inflammatory OA in my fingers which is very painful. I am managing on paracetamol as co-codamol made me feel awful and am on Methotextrate. I get those achy all over feelings very frequently and have to push myself to get up for work. It takes me ages to get going but hadn't associated it with the OA. I can only say I empathise and will mention it next time I see the GP. Good luck

    Alykat

    Take care
    Yvonne x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you, Yvonne, that is very kind of you and I appreciate it.

    I dunno about anyone else but methotrexate to me smacks of an auto-immune athritis rather than OA but that is based on my experience of both. I know that my meth is controlling disease acitivity in conjunction with an anti-TNF (it's never had the cojones to do it on its own) but it does nothing for my OA. Didn't stop it arriving either. :roll: DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I think I'm correct in saying that not all inflammatory arthritis is autoimmune, so treatment of inflammatory arthritis with MTX doesn't necessarily mean it is an autoimmune sort.
    This is from a BMJ article
    As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to understand how a drug that diminishes inflammation by preventing proliferation of immune cells might work at effective concentrations for only a very short time and once a week. In addition, the rapid clinical remission and the short term effect on the acute phase reactants, as seen with low dose MTX administration in most patients with RA, as well as the fast flare of disease after drug discontinuation, suggest that the mechanism of action of low dose MTX might be more anti-inflammatory than antiproliferative (immunosuppressive).
    Which presumably is one reason why it is used when there is some doubt about firm diagnosis, and also why it may be necessary to add in other drugs or change completely to control disease.
    As more attention is paid to the role of inflammation in the development of OA it may be used more than at present; there have been trials of its use to reduce pain in knee OA by treating synovitis.
  • alykat
    alykat Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi alikat. Sorry to hear your inflammatory OA is playing up. Which meds are you on?

    I'm on Meth but not on any regular pain killers have erosive gastritis so no Ibu based ones for me. Just had a jab in the bum steroid injection this morning. So fingers crossed.
  • alykat
    alykat Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    I've hunted (albeit half-heartedly) and can't find the thread: I am curious too as I am on meds for an auto-immune arthritis which have never done anything positive for my OA. I know that methotrexate was being given to some with OA, is that the jollop you are taking, alykat? DD

    Yep I'm on the meth. No improvement so far.
  • alykat
    alykat Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Thank you, Yvonne, that is very kind of you and I appreciate it.

    I dunno about anyone else but methotrexate to me smacks of an auto-immune athritis rather than OA but that is based on my experience of both. I know that my meth is controlling disease acitivity in conjunction with an anti-TNF (it's never had the cojones to do it on its own) but it does nothing for my OA. Didn't stop it arriving either. :roll: DD

    I think it is meant to help the inflamatory part of the OA as it is behaving like RA. I don't have a rheumatoid factor but was told today that doesn't actually mean I don't have RA!?! but as 9 months of Meth hasn't improved my fingers and they are getting worse I'm not sure it is the right course of action.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Are you having regular blood tests with the meth? If so you are your inflammatory markers steady and you are entitled to a free flu jab. I have injected meth and it controls my auto-immune inflammation but does nothing for the pain or the localised OA swelling as that is different in nature.

    Auto-immune arthritis comes in two sorts, sero-positive when rheumatoid factor is present in the blood and sero-negative when it isn't so it remains a possibility that you could be sero-negative and also have OA.

    You mentioned in another post somewhere that you found the youth of personal trainers disconcerting. Mine is 37 years younger and excellent: her focus has been on learning from me about what I can and cannot achieve so she can extend her ability range to meet the needs of older clients. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • alykat
    alykat Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Are you having regular blood tests with the meth? If so you are your inflammatory markers steady and you are entitled to a free flu jab. I have injected meth and it controls my auto-immune inflammation but does nothing for the pain or the localised OA swelling as that is different in nature.

    Auto-immune arthritis comes in two sorts, sero-positive when rheumatoid factor is present in the blood and sero-negative when it isn't so it remains a possibility that you could be sero-negative and also have OA.

    You mentioned in another post somewhere that you found the youth of personal trainers disconcerting. Mine is 37 years younger and excellent: her focus has been on learning from me about what I can and cannot achieve so she can extend her ability range to meet the needs of older clients. DD

    I am having regular blood tests and have had my free flu jab. They are now talking about adding Leflunomide to the Methotextrate has anyone else had both? It worries me all this medication that is reducing my immune system, but I want to fight arthritis. I have seen the crippling effects on my mother to be determined to do all that I can. As for the gym I will find another trainer who might be more understanding but at the moment am doing walking, cycling and rowing so that is all good and will help my general health.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Many of us are on two or more DMARDS. I take meth with hydroxy(chloroquine) but a friend has been on meth and lef for years. Just keep up to date with your blood tests and all will be well.

    Boosting ones immune system is big business these days but, for us, an over-active immune system is the problem not the solution to anything. Yes, by dampening it down we become more susceptible to colds, flu etc so we have to be a bit more careful. That's all. It's far better than arthritis :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • alykat
    alykat Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Many of us are on two or more DMARDS. I take meth with hydroxy(chloroquine) but a friend has been on meth and lef for years. Just keep up to date with your blood tests and all will be well.

    Boosting ones immune system is big business these days but, for us, an over-active immune system is the problem not the solution to anything. Yes, by dampening it down we become more susceptible to colds, flu etc so we have to be a bit more careful. That's all. It's far better than arthritis :D

    Thanks, that has made me feel much better.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I suspect that inflammatory OA is different to 'ordinary' OA in that the first inflammation is caused by an over-active immune system causing the body to attack the joints with a view to 'protecting' them. This kind of inflammation also affects the whole body and the only way to reduce disease activity is to suppress the immune system. It is not unusual to be on two DMARDs to do this, together with an NSAID. The inflammation in non-inflammatory OA is localised to the aggravated area (usually self-induced) and can be sorted by rest and topical anti-inflammatory medication (which should not be used if one is already taking an NSAID).

    My mother never got the hang of why boosting my immune system could not and would not make things better for me. It is the focus of the healthy who hold the ambition to remain healthy allied with no understanding of how the body can turn against one because they have never had to find out. The meds I take for my auto-immune arthritis do nothing for my OA which I 'manage' with rest, pain relief and pacing myself: both kinds persevere as these things do. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Sharryaudrey
    Sharryaudrey Member Posts: 12

    Hi Alykat, I know you posted this a while ago but I found this thread. I’m 44, just diagnosed with inflammatory OA only in hands and wrists and feeling a little alone as this isn’t common as far as I’m aware. It is really flared up from being perfectly fine to affecting every middle joint in all my fingers and wrists.

    I was wondering how you got on with your treatments? Your rheumatologist sounds quite proactive in giving you methotrexate to start off with. I’ve just started hydroxychloroquine.

    would love to hear your experience in these last 3 years.

    Sharry