Reply With QuoteDon’t go near the dishwasher. You now have a medical dispensation.
Over the last 15 or 20 months, my thumbs are hurting. Today my GP told me that there's a big chance that I have arthritis. I need to go to the radiology dept. of the hospital for x-rays next Thursday.
I feel a constant pain. Normally not too bad. Let's say 3 on a 1-10 scale. But after a morning manual labour I need to recuperate for a few hours before I can restart my work. And the in-between period is getting longer and longer. Holding the handlebars of my bike is a painful exercise nowadays. Squeezing my fingers (alone) is not a problem. It starts when my thumbs comes into play as well! Last weekend, I nearly dropped half of the content of the washing machine (I tried to hold 4 mugs in one hand...) and that was the moment my wife ordered me to see my GP.
As per title: anyone familiar with arthritis? Do's, don'ts and tips are welcome.
Menno
Don’t go near the dishwasher. You now have a medical dispensation.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
read this, it will be more help
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arthritis/living-with/
Yes, I've got it Menno.
Started off in my spine and the roots of my thumbs.
I've been prescribed Gabapentin which does a brilliant job.
Cheers,
Neil.
This also..Originally Posted by xellos99
https://www.versusarthritis.org/
I was diagnosed in 2017/18 I’m 39 now takes a bit to get your head around but there’s plenty of help out there.
Not all medication works immediately but follow dr/rheumatologist advice and things should go smoothly, until a flare up!
My daughter has had it since she was 6. It took us a year to get a diagnosis and ended up paying for her to see a specialist at Great Ormond Street.
There are a myriad of treatments, from NSAID’s (Ibuprofen) through to infusions. My daughter has been through the whole lot in the last 12 years or so. She finally has a treatment that (fingers crossed) is working well, although it is a great treatment for very sick Covid patients. As a result she was very nearly taken off that treatment!
Listen to the doctors, do what they say and be prepared for a bit of a long haul. The first treatments might not work, but there are a whole load of options available, so stick with it.
Best of luck and keep at it.
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
May I suggest that all sufferers look out for, and read, "Treating Arthritis : The Drug Free Way" by Margaret Hills.
Basically it's about altering your diet.
It worked for my wife, who in 1989 was confined to a wheelchair, and from 1992 to present has never needed it again.
When I saw a specialist about my rheumatoid arthritis 7 years ago he recommended trying to reduce dairy products in my diet.
I now only have very small amounts of this - usually as ingredients in various foods, I dont eat cheese or use milk.
Works well for me. When I saw him I was having difficulty with stairs and had problems walking more than a few miles. Now, I have the odd twinge but otherwise Im pain free. On new years day I walked a very hilly 10 mile route along the coast no problem.
I also find keeping my weight down helps - but I guess that more about the strain on the joints.
It sounds like you carpometacarpal joints are affected - the joint where the thumb articulates with the wrist - and it may well be osteoarthritis (commonly described as wear and tear). It can be problematic for physiotherapists (as I once was) as a number of techniques involve stress through the joint. Heavier manual work can be even more problematic. Just over a year ago I spent a couple of days digging out some particularly stubborn roots in my garden and the following day both thumbs were extremely painful and they took around three months before they were largely pain free again. Nowadays they ache if I do any significant manual work, but tend to settle quite quickly (a day or so) if I stir them up.
I am fortunate that I generally don't need to do the sort of physical activity that triggered the three months of discomfort (in my youth, the work would have not been troublesome at all, not so for my life-worn joints now). I prefer not to take medication so I tend to manage things by moderating activity and putting up with the relatively mild discomfort (nowadays) that sometimes happens. Splints can be used to protect the joints or simply rest them, though I have never needed to use them. A physio should be able to advise on exercise or other treatments after an assessment.
You may find that you are able to manage without medication by moderating activity. I don't know enough about diet to comment (other than noting that for weight bearing joints such as the knee and hip, losing weight will reduce the physical forces through the joints). But it may be that medication helps you pursue your interests and activities - hopefully just some anti-inflammatories to settle an occasional flare up of symptoms but maybe something more regular.
All contributors: thanks! The message in your postings is that there's a lot that helps. I'm now armed with (some) info when I return to my GP early next week.
Menno
I’ve got the same in both my wrists/ thumb joints . My gp managed to get me to see the hospital physio once a month for exercises and they made me a support to wear to help. They have been great tbh go again on the 11 th. They did mention about having injections in my thumb joints
I have arthritis in one finger joint which is permanently swollen but not painful unless I knock it. Also got mild osteoarthritis in one knee but that only bothers me if I walk a long way (8-10 miles) or standing on it for too long. I find that walking for 3-4 hrs causes joint pain in my feet, ankles and hips, rgat didn’t happen 10 years ago but I’m 64 tomorrow so I guess age is catching up a bit.
If I’m doing a longish walk or strenuous manual work I take ibuprofen before and after, this helps significantly, it really does make a difference. I wouldn’t take it daily without medical advice.
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