"Anybody with Arthritis?" Topic

Any of you guys have arthritis in your hands? My hands are developing it and the discomfort is getting in the way of painting and preparing figures. My doctor says there's nothing to be done. I was wondering if there are any tricks or tips you can offer.

Sorry to hear that.

Supposedly, a bit of gin will help.

Mom says the stuff is horrible tasting, but apparently, if you add a bit of fruit juice, of squeeze of lime, or lemon, it is tolerable.

Well, if your Mom says so, I guess I could choke some down.

Don't bite more than you can chew . . .

In other words, don't mix more Green Stuff putty than you can use and shape before your hands give out which, for me, is about 30 minutes. Then I give my hands a long rest (an hour or so) and then pick up another armature that needs a little putty added, and so on.

It means that a simple figure may take me 4 times as long as the next guy but, like Dirty Harry says, "a man needs to know his limitations".

Dan

My hands are knackerd as well, in my case computer work and painting figures. I can only offer sympathy and suggest taking regular breaks and perhaps focusing on what you do really want to get done. It's what I've had to do.

If you've masses of lead lying around sell some and perhaps use the funds to hire a painter or somebody to prep your figures for you.

Don't believe the doctors.

About 10 years ago I started with arthritis. It runs in the family. Went to te doctors, lots of tests, not a lot happened. Mentioned it to someone at work – she asked if I'd changed anything in my diet recently.

I had. I'd stared drinking more red wine rather than white. Stopped drinking red wine, arthritis went away. Holiday in Spain, thought I'd try a week of Spanish red wine, end of week arthritis back.

Doctors had never mentioned diet bas a possible cause.

So one thing to try is looking at your diet. A starter could be:

link

link

But really it's a matter of trying things and see if it works.

I run my hands under warm water. The heat seems to soothe the aches.

My Arthritis comes and goes in my hands – never quite goes away but it is in recession at the moment.

I have found that short bursts of different sorts of use seems to keep it at bay better than complete rest. One really good activity seems to be washing up – in and out of hot water with the activity of handling the dishes seems to loosen the joints.

You might try one of these linament creams that increase blood flow. I used them overnight when mine was bad a few years ago and it did help a bit.

Diet – for some this is a key factor, for others not.

I paint as a part of my business but limit myself to a max 4hrs per day in shortish bursts (20-40min). If my hands and wrists start playing up I stop and do something else – pain is usually a warning, so take your body signals seriously !!!

Garrison Miniatures is absolutely right diet can help you control arthritis in a major way.

Also there are drugs that will help Alpurinol for example. The latter won't work if you drink coffee otherwise its pain gone time.

Once you have effected an improvement in your hands I suggest you go back and throttle your doctor. While doing so you could recite "Do no harm you ****".

Good luck with it all.

I have terrible arthritis. Have had it since I was 14 (33 years ago- wow.) Diet helps a lot. Keeping yourself hydrated is also a big help. I keep a large tumbler of water and refill it often. I do this also because I like coffee and I need to flush the system.

In the winter, you know it gets cold where you live. Find the gloves that have the tips missing from the fingers. This way you can keep the hands warm and still paint and such. I would not wear them if sculpting though, stupid fibers get into everything.

Oh, one other little trick with the gloves. Rub some bengay on your wrists, top of the hand and palms before you put on the gloves. Then wipe off the finger tips. The hands will get very warm.

I hope this info helps when you add it to the other good suggestions form the others here.

Matthew

It's the main reason I gave up anything smaller than 25mm

strips of copper in my shoes …

Also there are drugs that will help Alpurinol for example. The latter won't work if you drink coffee

The horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't have it in my hands, but my left elbow in another story.

First an expression of surprise at GarrisonMiniatures' doctor When my hands started to go about 15 years ago diet was the first thing my doctor went on about. GarrisonMiniatures' links are good.

For a temporary relief I find a mug of hot tea a great help as much for the heat on the hands as the tea itself.

x42

"The horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I know but you can have decaff…

I've had it in my little finger on the right hand for decades, but that has never really interfered with anything apart from shaking hands and making certain hand shapes in British Sign Language.

However, I'm now developing it at the base of my index finger. That's not affecting painting and sculpting so far, but boy does it hurt when doing things like unscrewing jar lids, using a can opener or sawing through tough bits of meat with a knife.

I've got an anti-inflammatory pain relief cream from the doctor, but I'm not convinced it really does anything. The only other thing I can add is that when I take Vitamin D tablets (for completely unrelated ailments), my arthritic joints ache the next day. No idea why!

Regular massage, particularly orthopedic massage modalities, will help .

I have bad arthritis in my big toes and my right index finger. Someone I know who suffers from a similar problem recommended glucosamine sulphate, which is a dietary supplement that is supposed to help with the treatment of pain and functional impairment resulting from osteoarthritis. I have been taking it for a month … and I must admit that the pain has diminished and I have more movement in the joints of the affected finger.

I have rather annoying deformities – mostly stable now, developed many of them when I was in my 20s. Along with dogy knees and elbows (one of each is now titanium) and feet that swell amazingly and ache if I walk without shoes. I use a cane to walk outside.

Two important things:

(1) Keep going. Work through the pain. Miniatures painting is not a damaging activity; the continued mobilization is therapeutic. Keep some hot packs at hand or bathe your hands in warm water occasionally.

(2) Don't assume you can keep doing things the same way. Experiment with any aid, tool, grip or technique you think might get the job done.

Two wider lessons I have learned over the years, and it has to do with who I am so YMMV:

(1) Persevere. While rest and physical management are important, if you set down and put your life on hold until it stops hurting it will still be on hold when your ticker stops. Keep going no matter what. This is a chance to demonstrate character to those around you.

(2) Discover how kind and helpful most other people really are. I have had perfect strangers not only hold doors for me but clean snow of my windshield in parking lots. I used to resent it, but in the last decade or so I have embraced giving folks the chance to feel helpful and good about themselves.

Find another Doctor…
seriously.
there are plenty of ways to cut down on
flare ups and treat them when they do occur.
also they do need to find out what type of arthritis
(rheumatoid, osteo, etc)
ask about voltaren gel, my wife uses it for her wrists,
and I occasionally borrow some for my fingers when they are
acting up

Chris

Started with mild arthritis knee pain, and was advised by Doc to start taking Chondroitin/Glucosamine tabs. Pain went 3 weeks later. Cant say for sure, but it seems to work.

I hope you find this link helpful.
link

Tony

I have degenerative arthritis of the spine. Causes all kinds of problems. For one thing, I can only sit and paint for a couple hours at a time. And even taking frequent breaks only keeps the pain down to a dull roar.

I agree to Mako11:-)

Mild Arthritis in my hands and knees, pretty significant in the shoulders. Glucosamine/Chondroitin has been a big help. I also started taking tart cherry extract* a few months ago and was surprised at how dramatically my discomforts went to nearly zero. I had originally started the tart cherry for its antioxidant properties, so wasn't expecting the huge impact it had as an anti-inflammatory. FWIW, I work out about 15-18 hrs/week (running, weightlifting, fast walking) and rarely have arthritis pain any more.

*I recommend the powdered extract as it is very cheap and concentrated. While the juice and fruits and darn tasty, they are crazy expensive and very high in sugar content.

I'm going to cast in another vote to second Atomic Floozy above. Massage then chiropractic session and stay hydrated. I have a friend who is a classical guitar performer and teacher. He suffers from arthritis in his hands and it really crimped his abilities. He fought with it for years and tried many remedies. The massage works because over time our muscles learn to go, stretch, bend and stiffen in bad ways. The massage loosens them and helps them back to the proper locations. Follow this with chiro session to align everything to relieve stress on your joints. And always stay hydrated. Dehydration hits the joints hard and causes an extra feeling of stiffness. I've got two kids in sports. You can see the difference in performance with the kids hitting the water bottles.

I had constant joint pains in my knees and elbows for years. Then I tried some tonic water with quinine. Cleared it up within a week or two. You only need half a glass twice a week for the first couple of weeks, then a slug of it once in a while or when you feel pains again. (My 'theory' is that some forms of arthritis are related to the malaria virus.) Sure, it tastes nasty, but give it a try…. ;-)

Thanks all, really appreciate the help! I'll try these suggestions.

FWIW, noticed that I'd been drinking nothing but diet Coke for the past day or so. Downed 4, 32 ounce mugs of ice water this afternoon and evening and damn, my hands feel much better!

Thanks also, Lentulus, for your advice. Off to paint now . . .

There is a product called Recovery, it's made in Canada. It seems to work wonders with any kind of arthritis.
link

Also soaking your hands in warm caster oil will help a lot.
I also recommend Turmeric with Boswellia, a client has RA in his knee and it has brought the pain and swelling down a lot.

I've been following this closely because a couple of three months ago I began experiencing what my doctor calls "trigger finger," which in my case means the third finger, right hand, locks down into the palm. While this happens mostly while sleeping, it can happen during the day.

The joint in the palm, and now more the first joint above that in the finger itself, are extremely painful and make opening jars, or working anything using the whole right hand hard to impossible due to the sharpness of the pain. There is, however, no evidence of any swelling anywhere.

I mentioned it to my doctor who simply said "Rheumatoid Arthritis," and basically suggested (as above) that nothing could be done.

But the pain is so severe, and can be felt in all my hand and the tips of the other fingers, is it possible I'm experiencing something else?

Is "trigger finger" a symptom any of the rest of the posters here experience as part of their arthritis?

I began Chondroitin-Glucosamine about a week ago and can't be sure of any benefits to this point.

Would love to hear more practical advice from those of you struggling with this!

TVAG
(Who fears losing the ability to type, not to mention model and paint!)

TVAG,

If you haven't already, try water. I've been keeping up pretty constant hydration since yesterday and the pain is comparatively non-existent. Feeling it a bit now because I've been typing for hours (for work), but nothing like what it would be. No herbs, Advil, Alleve, or aspriin -- just water.

It's sort of depressing because I don't like drinking water. I'd prefer caffeine of some kind. But I can't complain -- and besides, there are so many great ideas above that I have lots of fallbacks or additions to my strategy.

I hope you find some relief.

Just my knees,at present.

Herr Oberst!

Thank you for sharing your "strategy."

Fortunately, I'm a big water drinker, though usually at dinner (Brunch is when I take my caffiene "cold"). For a number of reasons, I've been thinking of the advantages of hydrating throughout the day with water at my work desk, and now you've given me another persuasive reason to do so.

I've been taking those glucosamine-chondroiten (sp?) pills twice a day (morning/night) and may be noticing some differences--inevitably, I'll soon enough know if there's any real sign of progress.

And, like you, I think, I've been loathe to take Aleve (which has come well recommended), Ibuprofen, etc, for fear of the long term kidney and other effects if I come to rely on them.

But water, if it works at all, can at least do no harm--unless I try to inhale it, and as a certified scuba diver (retired!), I learned that wasn't a good idea.

Thanks again, and good luck to all my fellow arthritics!

TVAG

I haven't tried the hot paraffin dips myself, but my Mom (88 years) says she wouldn't be able to use her hands much if it weren't for paraffin dips twice a day.

Seems to get the heat deeper under the tissues than does simple hot water.

Dan

Recently went through this for osteoarthritis with GP and Rheumatologist:

…was advised by Doc to start taking Chondroitin/Glucosamine tabs

Both said 1500 mg Glucosamine HCl daily. GP said liquid form, so I started taking Joint Juice, although Rheumatologist said liquid didn't matter. Both said it won't hurt but only might help.

GP said not to take anti-inflammatories, but Rheumatologist disagreed and said to Ibuprofen as needed.

TVAG-
The "trigger finger" symptons you describe could be tendon related. I have a mild case of something similar going on with my left hand. My doctor said if it becomes uncomfortable he would begin a more exacting diagnosis. However, his first thought was to check the tendons.

Dear zoneofcontrol,

I've had a history of locking tendons and minor nerve damage years ago when I cleared a fenceline over a summer with only a hand branch clipper.

Then it was the thumb (same right hand, though), and when surgery was suggested, I said I'd wait. That worked out fine, no problem on my over-used thumb for almost 15 years.

But why my third finger would go this "locking" route now with no apparent cause, is more troubling.

I have another check-up middle of next month, so I'll ask about tendon issues.

Thanks for the observation and idea!

TVAG

In my case, the "locking" was caused by a tendon that needed to be "released" (the sheath around the tendon is cut)*.

It is commonly called "trigger thumb".

link

Dan
* That was one of 8 surgeries I had to my elbows, hands and left heel last year. Now, after the usual recovery periods, I'm finally starting again with sculpting and painting.

Cacique & TVAG

Interesting – I followed the link and realized that my right index finger's been doing that occasionally. Good to keep in mind.

I take Allopurinol for gout, and also drink coffee by the bucket. The Allopurinol works fine, I'm pleased to say… and I've not had an acute attack for years.

I've also heard (anecdotally) that cherry extract can deliver great results against gout.

Cheers, Simon

Don't rule out the possibility of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as an alternative to a diagnosis of arthritis. If it is CTS, then rest or surgery are possibilities.

My pain is in my neck initial cause a couple of motorcycle accidents where I got "rear ended" at a roundabout. I'm going to try some of the ideas mentioned above.

On different note…….is it just me or are we getting old?

is it just me or are we getting old?

Certainly not. Anyone who has been playing AD&D stays young forever. I know what I am talking about.