This probably isn't the right place, but I will ask here anyway. Anybody have any advice on dealing with arthritis? Seems to have attacked the middle finger of my trigger hand. Joints are swollen and movement is painful. Going to V.A. Dr. next week for quarterly check on Stomach problem, but don't expect anything more than maybe some pain pills. Before this spreads to my trigger finger, I would like to find some way of controlling or getting rid of it. Any suggestions? Really not looking forward to any more fingers or other joints getting involved. Help would be appreciated.

I have R A (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and can sympathies with your problems and concerns. Many years ago one of my little fingers got sore in the joint near the tip. I thought I would let it rest and not bend it. After a week it was more inflamed and hurt something awful. I took the little finger in my other hand and started working the joint and about 2 days the inflammation was gone and the finger worked fine. I asked my doctor about what had happened he told me the best thing for arthritis is exercise.

I have seen several commercials on TV about different drugs you can take to manage the pain but I don’t like to take so many they all seem to have nasty side effects.

Hopefully the doctors at the VA can help

BTW I am 51 now

You could be experiencing gouteous arthritis ("the gout"). This most often manifests itself in the joints, often the feet, and is caused by an excess of uric acid. It can be controlled with diet (sorry, less rich high protein food) and there may be some pharaceutical treatments, also. I've already told you more than I know, so see a doctor.

There are various supplements out there that the vast majority of patients who use them report relief. Sometimes by a substantial amount.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate.

You need to make sure you do not have an infection. Sounds odd, but it is certainly a differential diagnosis. Arthritis is likely, however, not knowing your age/history makes it difficult.

One method of exercise for the hand/fingers is putty exercises. Essentially, taking a fist full of putty and working it with the hand. Also, grip exercises with resisted hand held strengtheners. Usually they are color coded for degree of resistance.

I haven't seen it used in quite some time, however, a paraffin "bath" for your hand is sometimes relieving, though temporary.

Other conservative modalities have gained popularity but it is too soon to realize any long term effects, IMO. Have you ever heard of Low level light/laser therapy? I personally have no experience with this modality but I've come across a plethora of feedback insisting that patients have had excellent outcomes utilizing this technique with arthritic joints.

You can consider more meds, range of motion exercises for the digits, strength and stretch, etc. Discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of any meds that they prescribe. Know the goals of any course of treatment, this will help you maintain compliance.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the information. I am pretty sure it is a form of arthritis, probably one of the side effects of taking Prednisone for a number of years for Crohn's disease. Seems the miracle drugs often aren't so great in the long run. My wife read about a treatment of injecting something into the effected area to promote blood flow and healing. Supposedly, when the healing takes place, new cartilage or whatever forms and the fix is permanent. I have ben using warm Epson salts baths, which help for a while. Diet is generally good because of intestinal problems. I will look for something with "mushy" resistance to exercise with. Any more information would still be welcome. I don't want to develop a bad trigger finger.

WD-40

Alan

If you can take them, anti -inflamatory meds held a lot. I know all about this,
Judge Sharpe

I've been taking glucosamine and chondroitin for the last few years and do notice a difference. Took awhile to have any effect, but when I stop, I notice more pain/stiffness after a few days.

Now, here's the WEIRD part:
I've evidentally never been "smelly". I spend a lot of time in the woods, hunting,trapping,and in the course of my job. And for the last 30+ years, deer often walk right up to me, even when they are downwind. After I started taking the supplements, deer started spooking at my odor. If I lay off the supplements, things get back the way they were after a few days. I also notice a slight,strange odor when get out of the shower:kind of like Cambells Chicken Noodle soup! Again, goes away withing a few days of cessation of the supplements.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, or if it is something unique to my body chemistry. I'm dealing with it by laying off the supplements a lot this time of year,and suffering through it.

I take the osteo-biflex too but I take it in 30 day doses about three times a year. I haven't noticed me being any smellier than usual. I usually smell like sweat, Hoppes #9 and WD-40 so it's kinda hard to tell about anything else.

I'm not kidding about the WD-40. I kinda have a touch of pain/stiffness in my hands from time to time and I just rub a littel WD-40 into my knuckles and it clears right up.

Alan

quote:

Originally posted by Alan R. McDaniel, Jr.:
I'm not kidding about the WD-40. I kinda have a touch of pain/stiffness in my hands from time to time and I just rub a littel WD-40 into my knuckles and it clears right up.

Alan

That's interesting, I've heard that WD is fish oil based--wonder if that's relative?

Im with doc (after all he is a doc right) take glucosamine-chondroitin everyday. If I miss 3 or 4 days I can tell. It is pretty expensive so I only take 1/2 as much as they recommend.

I also have gout and take an Allopurinol pill everyday. Gout could cause what you are experiencing but normally it will show up in the big toe or ankles. A simple blood test will show if your Ureic Acid is out of the normal limits.

Will have to try the WD-40. Used to spray it on fishing lures and it seemed to help catch fish.

If it really troubles you, forget the "jailhouse doctors," and see an orthopedic surgeon or other specialist who can properly diagnose your problem, and make suitable
recommendations. Glucosamine-Chondroitin helps for some and does nothing for others. It seems to be working well on my 14.5 year old lab, but did zip for me.

I don't really know what WD-40 has in it but I sure use a lot of it. We spray it on fishing line and every time I go saltwater fishing I spray(soak) the entire engine compartment under the cowling with it. I know folks say not to use it on guns but I do and have experienced no ill effects. We have realtivly high humidity here and I like to keep the water displaced. I don't let it sit but wipe it off using a silcone cloth. I used bee sitngs for a while too but became allergic to them.

Bill is right though in that if you have it bad nothing takes the place of modern medicine. It is truely astounding what science has given us.

Alan

I've had arthrtis since I was 12 (now 65) and have been thru all the treatments but what you're describing might be something called "trigger finder" ... no kidding ..... and it's a problem with the sheath around the tendons in your fingers. Main symptom is your fingets are very stiff and sore in the morning and it's difficult to bend them and it feels like you're "breaking" them when you do. I've had the problem off and on for about a year and they are giving me pain-killers for it. They can give you shots and there's even a surgery option but the risks for both are very present.

The advice I got from a reheumatoid specialist a long, long time ago is probably the most useful. He told me to learn to live with it and keep active --- easy advice and hard to do but he was right....nothing like a positive attitude.

Good luck and stay active.

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
If it really troubles you, forget the "jailhouse doctors," and see an orthopedic surgeon or other specialist who can properly diagnose your problem, and make suitable
recommendations.

Actually most of the recommendations are exactly what many specialists would tell him to do--especially meds and exercise, and beyond that, just live with it. As far as orthos go, well, I can't think of any that I know that feel if you don't need surgery, you are a waste of their time. Most surgeons do not like to "manage" pain. That's the PCPs job in their eyes.

quote:

Glucosamine-Chondroitin helps for some and does nothing for others. It seems to be working well on my 14.5 year old lab, but did zip for me.

Unfortunately, there are no absolutes in physical medicine. Just as one narcotic might work for some patients and do nothing for you also. The Glucosamine-chondroitins only tend to provide some benefit when taken for extended periods of time, as I understand it.

Surgery should always be the last course of action.

I have had R.A for the last 30 years. It, for me is a genetic passdown. I have been perscribed many differet drugs. None really worked. My fingers have been atrophorised for several years.
Sorry for the negative.
I just put up with it. It gives me pain most of the time.
I just figure, "mind over matter" and hunt on.
Good Hunting and hope for a cure.

Thanks for all the replys. Idkier, hang in there. They are always coming up with new treatments. One of the meds I currently take for Crohn's disease was originally intended for transplant recepients from my understanding.

Doc may be correct. I heard of this treatment. It is VERY long term, as I understand. My buddy as been taking this for a few years. Seems he doesn't have a conclusion as of yet. Maybe someone will invent "zerk" fittings for us guys to "grease up" the 'ol joints

Just as a warning to us arthritics. Be SO careful with your use of ibuprofen. I used "Ipren" (swedish ibuprofen) for several years. It gave me some relief for my problem, but caused a significant reduction of my renal (kidney) function. Just be careful...

The only med that gave me complete & total relief was "bute" and then they took it off the market

Before I started taking it I had trouble climbing steps, had to walk slowly and had trouble lifting anything heavier than a 5lb bag of sugar. After taking it for a week it was like I had a full-body transpant.

quote:

Originally posted by Alan R. McDaniel, Jr.:
WD-40 ...

Hey Alan, I have a neighbor who is 79 that uses it on his knees. He is convinced it helps him.

Best of luck to you.

I have had arthritis since my teens and the thumb on my left hand especially. I also have gout and have controlled it very well for years with Allopurinol. When the thumb gets very painful I rub in Castiva from WalMart (it is a castor oil product with no odor) it's a remedy suggested in Dr. Gott's column which I read daily. It works quite well. The pain I control with large doses of Darvocet three times a day. It does work and you can survive it. I am presently 73 and still shoot.

Wow! If I took 3 Darvocet a day I'd don't think I'd remember my name.....do you build up a tolerance for it and need to keep increasing the dosage?

Along with Docs recommendations, I advise you to try Capzacin. It is a product that contains oils from hot peppers. My Primary turned me on to it. I bought it at Walmart. I advise that you get the "roll on" applicator. I have arthritis in both my thumbs, the left is worse than the right. Supposedly the pepper removes something called "Substance P", which is what transfers the pain impulses from the receptors. All I know is that the stuff works. I turned my 78 year old mother in law onto it and now she doesn't even remember which hand was hurting !!! It's almost completely taken the pain away from my right thumb and probably cut the pain in my left by 75%. The only thing is, watch out what you touch after putting it on. Don't rub your eyes or touch your privates (ouch) !!!! Don't ask me how I know. Seriously though, look up Substance P on the internet and give it a try. It really works.

quote:

Originally posted by ldkier:
Just as a warning to us arthritics. Be SO careful with your use of ibuprofen. I used "Ipren" (swedish ibuprofen) for several years. It gave me some relief for my problem, but caused a significant reduction of my renal (kidney) function. Just be careful...

My kidney doc said to stay away from ibuprofen he said it is hard on the kidneys and being a diabetic I quit after using it for years.

The specialist that worked on my back said that the Glucosamine-Chondroitin was not proven to do anything and it would not rebuild my cartilage.

DB Bill,
Actually the script is for 2 650mg tablets 3 times a day I usually get by with 2 twice a day.
Bowhuntrrl,
Capsazin HP in a tube is the one I used until I found the Castiva. The Capsazin gave relief that was immediate but does not last as long as the Castiva for me. It's a trial and error method. I try them all to try and stop the pain. I'll find that magic one yet.

Try 2x the daily max recommended dose of Alieve (over the counter pain reliever). My knee surgeon says this is the max dose. There are no fixes for the joint problem you have.