arpie Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Hi guys As some of you may know, I get savage pain & restricted use of my hands (especially first up in the morning), when they sort of 'freeze and lock' and I am unable to close them into a fist, or hold anything till they 'warm up' which is usually about 8am! It is a real pain in the butt - and I am already on medication (1 celebrex a day) to help combat it. Over the last couple of years, this has really helped, but in the last 2-3 months, it seems to be getting worse. I will be seeing the doc soon to discuss the issue, but I don't really want to go onto stronger medication! (And thank God they didn't put me on Vioxx back then!! It was being touted as the Wonder Drug for arthritis sufferes!! Yeah - it fixed the problem for good for some, all right - it killed some people!) Who else has the 'painful hands' syndrome & do you have something that works in reducing pain? What do you do to alleviate the pain & stiffness?? Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewgaffer Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 (edited) Hi guys As some of you may know, I get savage pain & restricted use of my hands (especially first up in the morning), when they sort of 'freeze and lock' and I am unable to close them into a fist, or hold anything till they 'warm up' which is usually about 8am! It is a real pain in the butt... ....Who else has the 'painful hands' syndrome & do you have something that works in reducing pain? What do you do to alleviate the pain & stiffness?? Roberta Roberta I hope the doctor can identify the underlying cause of the arthritis in your hand and finger joints. If you are also experiencing pains on the top of your hands between the base of the fingers and your wrist, the distribution nerve in the carpal tunnel might be compressed by the ligament being frozen into an overstretched position and fixated against the nerve. You'll find that these particular exercizes will relax your hand and finger muscles and keep the joints moving and not only eventually tame this annoying hand and finger problem to a good extent but will help prevent arthritis from setting in further- and particularly if you also have Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in your wrists and, as well as easing other problems eminating from your neck to your hands, the excercizes also assist loosen off trigger finger where your fingers have a tendency to stay closed and can hurt a bit when you make a fist and try to re-open the offending hand/s. The doctor would be able to arrange tests and organise the necessary nerve conduction tests where applicable. 1) Extend and stretch both wrists and fingers out in front of you (as if you are telling an oncoming car to stop with both hands) 2) Hold for a count of 5 seconds 3) Relax and straighten both wrists out in front of you 4) Now make a tight fist with both hands (arms still extended out in front of your body) 5) Bend down both wrists curling your fists to the floor 6) Hold for a count of 5 seconds 7) Relax and straighten both wrists out in front of you 8) Repeat steps 1 through 7 ten more times At the end of the session relax both your arms straight down by your side and shake you hands and wrists back and forth for about ten seconds to loosen them up as though you are shaking water off your hands. Edit:- Roberta It's a good idea keep your finger joints moving by getting hold of one of those little rubber excersize balls that you can buy and make a habit of squeezing the ball regularly and relax your fingers each time as you partly release your grip on the ball. Cheers jewgaffer Edited March 16, 2010 by jewgaffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 Thanks for that Byron - it is mainly in the fingers so don't think the carpal tunnel is involved, tho the base of my thumb is excruciating at times if knocked or whilst trying to remove a stubborn cap from a jar! Very frustrating! ....RSI injury ...... hehe only from catching fish!! Unfortunately, arthritis runs in the family - mother & grandmother both had hip & knee replacements ....... I think I inherited their genes! I've already had ops on both knees 20 years ago & they are functioning well ..... I think pedalling the Hobie actually helps them stay mobile!! CHeerio & thanks Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double pluggers Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hello Roberta I take 7x1000mg fish oil in the morning & again at night & if it is a really bad day 7 with lunch. They work better than any prescription medication i have tried & the only side effects are good ones. Give them a go.Cheers j. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalucius Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 About 25 years ago I too suffered with those problems and I was sent to a Rheumatologist. My joints were starting to deform. He prescribed Salazopyrin EN. I have been much better since then, hardly ever have hand pain now and have no deformities. I hope you find a suitable 'fix'. Don't put off medication that may make your life a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Roberta, go to see your doctor and get a definative diagnosis. From there a treatment plan can be discussed There are many forms of arthritis and treatments range from physiotherapy, complementary therapies and supplements to medications usually in combination. It is important that you get the right treatment for your condition, what is right for someone else may not be right for you. As Dalucius said don't put off getting suitable treatment to ease the pains. Check out the Arthritis Australia website for more info http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au/index.php/arthritis-information/what-is-arthritis.html Cheers mrsswordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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