Thursday, March 28, 2024

What Can You Use For Arthritis In Your Hands

Risk Factors For Hand And Finger Arthritis

Sport Chek | The Joy of Soccer

According to Dr. Newsum, finger or hand arthritis can occur years after of an old injury, but most of the time, it affects people age 50 and older.

If you do, however, its important to get medical help to find your path toward relief.

Other factors that can increase your risk of arthritis in your hands and fingers include:

  • Diabetes
  • Enlarged bumps at the fingers knuckles

Its also important to distinguish between the different types of hand or finger arthritis.

Dr. Newsum explains, Osteoarthritis affects the middle knuckles and knuckles near the nails and can appear as large bumps on the knuckle, which are bone spurs that are caused from bone rubbing on bone when the joint moves.

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that attacks tendons, ligaments, the joint lining and bones.

  • How Do You Stop Arthritis From Progressing in Your Hands? Center
  • If you experience persistent pain and stiffness in your hands, you may be suffering from arthritis, which is a common condition that causes inflammation of the joints.

    The hand is made up of multiple small joints that are responsible for various types of motions required to perform daily activities. If arthritis is left untreated, the bones can undergo irreversible damage, leading to restricted motions and deformities that will make routine activities extremely difficult.

    • Perform hand and finger exercises
    • Avoid strain on the joints
    • Maintain a healthy weight
    • Maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels

    Make A Few Wardrobe Changes

    Minor changes to your wardrobe can reduce strain on your hands, helping to ease your overall pain and stiffness. For example, try wearing:

    • Shoes that slip on or use Velcro rather than shoelaces
    • Shirts that pull over the head rather than button up
    • Pants that have elastic waistbands rather than snaps and zippers

    Other lifestyle changes can also be helpful. For example, when cooking, use a jar opener, lightweight pots and pans, and kitchen utensils with large handles. An occupational therapist can give you additional ideas on how to reduce strain on hand joints.

    Key Points About Arthritis

    • Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases cause pain, swelling, and limited movement in joints and connective tissues in the body.

    • Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases can affect people of all ages. They are more common in women than men.

    • Symptoms may include pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, or redness in 1 or more joints.

    • There is no cure for arthritis. The treatment goal is to limit pain and inflammation and preserve joint function.

    • Treatment options include medicines, weight reduction, exercise, and surgery.

    Read Also: How To Ease Arthritis Pain In Fingers

    Arthritis Gadgets: Give Yourself A Lift

    Eliminate the struggle to get up out of your chair with the Upeasy Lifting Cushion. The hydraulic design gives you the boost you need to get on your feet from any hard surface or chair without the need for batteries or electricity. It supports up to 70 percent of your body weight as it lifts. And at just nine pounds, its easy to move from one place to another. $119 from www.spinlife.com.

    Sip 4 Cups Of Green Tea A Day

    Home Remedies for Arthritis in Hands

    In a study on mice, Case Western Reserve University researchers gave one group the equivalent of four cups of green tea a day and the other group the same amount of plain water. Then they gave all mice a substance to induce RA. The tea-drinking mice were far less likely to develop arthritis than the mice that drank water. Other research has found teas polyphenol antioxidants were anti-inflammatory, improved arthritis-related immune responses, and significantly reduced cartilage damage.

    Read Also: How To Ease Arthritis Pain In Hands

    Integrative Medicine Treatments For Hand Arthritis

    Many doctors today recommend a treatment plan that uses integrative medicinea combination of conventional Western medicine and alternative medicine. Both Western and alternative treatments are supported by research.

    Occupational therapy For many patients, hand exercises can be the most cost-effective treatment option.1 A licensed occupational therapist can teach a person exercises that help strengthen the joints in the wrists and fingers, improve hand dexterity, and protect joints from further degeneration.

    SplintingStabilize and support the hand joints with splints. There are several different types of braces, including smaller braces that stabilize individual knuckles and larger ones that stabilize the wrist and hand. Bracing at night can prevent pain from interrupting sleep .

    People who find braces too cumbersome or rigid to wear all the time may wear compression gloves or sleeves instead. The goal of these products is to support joints while allowing for some flexibility.

    MedicationsBoth topical and oral pain medications can temporarily ease pain caused by hand arthritis.

    • Topical pain relievers come in the form of creams, balms, gels, or patches, and are sold over-the-counter. Certain topical products require a physicians prescription.

    How Can I Protect My Sore Hands

    Here are some ways to protect the joints in your hands:

    • Take notice of pain it can serve as a warning that your joints are being overworked. Rather than giving up an activity altogether, try taking regular rests during the activity and learning ways to manage pain. You will usually find you can still do the things you enjoy without discomfort.
    • Use larger, stronger joints for example, carry your shopping bags over your shoulder rather than in your hands.
    • Spread the load over several joints try carrying things with two hands.
    • Reduce the effort you have to put in there is a wide range of labour-saving tools and equipment available. Buy pre-cut vegetables and meat to make cooking easier.
    • Avoid gripping things tightly find out about gadgets that can make gripping and holding objects easier.
    • See an occupational therapist to learn more ways to make daily tasks easier and take pressure off your joints.
    • Visit an Independent Living Centre. These centres have a wide range of tools and equipment on display. You can get advice, including where to purchase equipment, in person or over the phone. Occupational therapists are also available at the centres to provide advice about equipment. Although you can drop in at anytime, it is preferred that you call the telephone enquiry service beforehand.

    Don’t Miss: Arthritis In Arms Symptoms

    Give Hand Injuries Time To Fully Heal

  • 1Even a minor hand injury can be problematic if it never heals. Talk to your doctor if you’re aren’t sure how long the injury will take to heal. Always wear splints or casts for the recommended amount of time don’t remove them early! If you suffered a fracture or break, make a followup appointment with your doctor and get an x-ray so they can monitor your progress. Once your doctor gives you the green light, you can get back to your normal activities.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • Not allowing a hand injury to heal properly stresses and weakens the affected joint.XExpert Source
  • Maintain A Healthy Weight

    How will a Template like this Help you in your Work? Joinery for Beginners
  • 1Weight gain can put extra stress on your joints. Being overweight doesn’t affect your hands too much, but carrying extra weight does put stress on your other joints, especially your lower back, ankles, knees, and hips. To keep those joints strong, try to eat a healthy diet and exercise a few times a week.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to sourceAdvertisement
  • Don’t Miss: What Does A High Rheumatoid Factor Mean

    Types Of Arthritis In Hands

    The 5 types of arthritis in the hands include:

  • Osteoarthritis: Caused by degenerative changes in the joints due to age-related wear and tear
  • Characterized by pain and stiffness in the hands
  • Symptoms are worse in the dominant hand
  • Absence of warmth and redness of the affected joint
  • Morning stiffness for a short period, often eases in just 5 to 15 minutes
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: Autoimmune inflammation of the small joints
  • Characterized by pain and stiffness in the hands, especially in the morning
  • Symptoms are present in both the hands
  • Presence of warmth and redness in the affected joint
  • Prolonged morning stiffness of the hands that usually lasts for an hour or more
    • Tingling and numbness in the fingers
    • Crepitation
    • Deformities such as Bouchardâs nodes and Heberdenâs nodes

    Osteoarthritis Of The Hands

    Get more information about the causes, symptoms and treatments of hand OA, which is very common and can be debilitating.

    About half of all women and one-quarter of all men will experience the stiffness and pain of osteoarthritis of the hands by the time they are 85 years old. A degenerative disease that affects all the tissues of a joint, OA leads to the breakdown over time of the smooth, protective cartilage on the ends of bones, so bones rub together, causing pain. The 29 bones of your hands and wrists come together to form many small joints that can be affected by OA.

    You May Like: Rheumatoid Arthritis Edema Treatment

    Who Gets Arthritis In Their Hands

    You are more likely to get arthritis in your hands if:

    • Youre older. Osteoarthritis is commonly seen after age 50. Rheumatoid arthritis typically first appears between the age of 35 and 50.
    • Youre a woman.
    • Youre white.
    • Youre overweight.
    • Youve had previous injuries to your hand. If youve dislocated or broken any joints in your hands or fingers, you are more likely to develop arthritis.
    • You’ve inherited genes that cause the development of arthritis.

    Hand Osteoarthritis Home Remedies

    8 Tips to Reduce Pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis in Your Hands

    These home treatments can help:

    • Exercises. Your doctor or physical therapist can show you what to do to improve strength and range of motion and to ease pain.
    • Assistive devices. Special pens, kitchen utensils, and other tools with big grips may be easier to use.
    • Ice or heat. Ice may reduce swelling and pain. Heat, like a warm washcloth or a paraffin bath, can loosen stiff joints.
    • Skin treatments. Medicated creams can give relief when you rub them on sore joints. Gels with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also help.
    • Supplements. Many people take glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for OA. Researchers are still looking into whether they help. Ask your doctor if they’re OK to try.

    Read Also: Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect Your Back

    Consume 1200 Mg Of Calcium Every Day

  • 1Calcium helps support strong, healthy bones and joints. For healthy adults, experts recommend 1,200 mg of calcium daily. Avoid consuming more than 2,500 mg per day . The best way to consume calcium is by eating calcium-rich foods, but you can also take a calcium supplement if your diet falls short.XTrustworthy SourceArthritis FoundationMain organization devoted to arthritis support and educationGo to source
  • Great food sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products, leafy greens, broccoli, canned sardines, salmon , calcium-fortified cereals, soy products , orange juice, and nut milks.
  • It’s best to check with your doctor before starting any new supplements.
  • Bromelain A Natural Anti

    Bromelain is an enzyme with proteolytic action. Its extracted from the fruit or the stem of the pineapple. It stands out for its anti-inflammatory, circulatory and immunomodulatory properties.

    For that reason, bromelain is effective in preventing and relieving rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that it can help to significantly reduce inflammation.

    Therefore, you can take a bromelain supplement to help prevent arthritis in your hands. It can also help to relieve discomfort, such as pain and inflammation, if you already suffer from it. This will help you avoid having to take anti-inflammatory drugs and having to suffer from their side effects.

    Don’t Miss: Long Term Effects Of Arthritis

    Hand And Wrist Arthritis Symptoms

    Hand arthritis symptoms can include:

    • Pain or burning in the hand or wrist joints, especially in the morning and with heavy use
    • Swelling
    • Nearby joints become unusually flexible to compensate for the affected joint
    • Feeling or hearing grinding of the joint inside the hand
    • Appearance of cysts on the fingers
    • Difficulty moving the wrist

    Along with the symptoms above, rheumatoid arthritis can also cause:

    • A weak grip
    • Fever

    Tips For Dealing With Arthritis Pain In Your Hands

    Will DEWALT’s NEW Tool Change How You Garden & Work?

    Arthritis in the hands in a painful condition.

    Arthritis, though a normal part of aging, is nonetheless uncomfortable at best and extremely painful at worst. While it may be frustrating to deal with this condition and its symptoms day after day, you are not helpless. In addition to medical treatment, there are also natural ways that you can work through some of the pain.

    If you are living with arthritis pain in your hands, try these five tips for relief:

    1. Limit movementOne of the simplest ways to limit the pain caused by arthritis is to identify the movements that make the symptoms worse and put a pause on activities that require those activities, at least for the short term. A doctor may recommend wearing a splint for a while to help immobilize the area thats causing you pain.

    2. Use ice and heatHot and cold may be opposites, but both can provide arthritis pain relief.

    An ice massage can do wonders for pain caused by physical activity, Scott Burg, DO wrote for Cleveland Clinic. Take a piece of ice and rub it in a circular motion over your painful joint. Just dont do it for more than five minutes at a time so you dont irritate your skin. You can use an ice pack with a cover, too.

    For heat, Burg recommended soaking your painful extremities in warm water.

    4. Exercise your handsThere are a number of hand exercises that can provide relief from arthritis pain in the hands. For example, Mayo Clinic recommends the following stretch:

    Read Also: What Can Be Done For Arthritis In The Back

    Staying Physically Active Despite Hand Arthritis

    Your doctor will tell you and probably has already that staying physically active is an important part of managing arthritis. In fact, according to a study of 5,715 adults with arthritis over age 65, a lack of regular, vigorous physical activity doubled the risk of functional decline. In other words, the less physically active the participants were, the more likely they were to become disabled.

    Of course, despite data showing that physical activity helps people with arthritis become stronger and more flexible, anyone with arthritis will tell you that sometimes pain or stiffness makes it hard to get going, let alone lift weights at the gym. People with arthritis often give up activities they think of as optional, such as exercising or gardening, in order to have enough energy for the activities they feel obligated to do, such as cleaning the house. One study found that only 13 percent of men and 8 percent of women with arthritis met federal guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

    If symptoms of arthritis in your hands or elsewhere are preventing you from participating in the physical activities you used to enjoy and that are good for you it may be time to find new ways to be active. For example, you may want to experiment with water activities such as swimming, or try tai chi, dance, or walking .

    You May Like: Swollen Hot Finger Joint

    How Arthritis In The Hands Is Treated

    If youre diagnosed with an inflammatory form of arthritis, you have more treatment options than someone with OA. While nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help manage the pain of both types of arthritis, the development of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics has vastly improved the prognosis of those with inflammatory forms of arthritis by reducing inflammation and preventing further joint damage.

    Cortisone injections can be useful for those with OA and conditions such as RA, though theyre usually used in patients whose inflammatory arthritis is limited to just one or two joints, Dr. Byram says. Injections of hyaluronic acid can be helpful for those with OA , but these are better for managing pain in larger joints like the knees rather than the hands.

    Don’t Miss: How To Deal With Arthritis

    How To Get Rid Of Arthritis In Fingers

    Arthritis of the fingers can be quite uncomfortable, causing symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. These symptoms make hand motions like grasping and pinching difficult, which restricts a persons ability to perform everyday tasks. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two types of arthritis that most commonly affect the finger joints. Depending on which type of arthritis affects your finger joints, you may experience additional symptoms.

    Thankfully, numerous remedies can help alleviate the discomfort from arthritis of the fingers, from hand exercises to help strengthen your fingers to over-the-counter and prescription pain medications and surgical treatments.

    Dont Miss: Ra Symptoms In Wrist

    How Is Arthritis Treated

    Three ways you can alleviate arthritis pain in your hands

    Treatment will depend on your symptoms, your age, and your general health. It will also depend on how what type of arthritis you have, and how severe the condition is. A treatment plan is tailored to each person with his or her health care provider.

    There is no cure for arthritis. The goal of treatment is often to limit pain and inflammation, and help ensure joint function. Treatment plans often use both short-term and long-term methods.

    Short-term treatments include:

    • Medications. Short-term relief for pain and inflammation may include pain relievers such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

    • Heat and cold. Pain may be eased by using moist heat or dry heat on the joint. Pain and swelling may be eased with cold on the joint.

    • Joint immobilization. The use of a splint or brace can help a joint rest and protect it from further injury.

    • Massage. The light massage of painful muscles may increase blood flow and bring warmth to the muscle.

    • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation . Pain may be reduced with the use of a TENS device. The device sends mild, electrical pulses to nerve endings in the painful area. This blocks pain signals to the brain and changes pain perception.

    • Acupuncture. This is the use of thin needles that are inserted at specific points in the body. It may stimulate the release of natural, pain-relieving chemicals made by the nervous system. The procedure is done by a licensed health care provider.

    You May Like: What Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Feel Like In Hands

    Popular Articles
    Related news