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minor question - finger arthritis
Posted: Dec 19, 2016
In the grand scheme of things this is a very paltry question, but it's new to me, so would like to hear about any tips or fixes. I'm in my 60s but have never had arthritis, no pains anywhere, even with doing MT for 30 years. I do have the Heberden's nodes on a couple fingers, but again, no pain associated with them. But one night 2 weeks ago, I got off work and realized my left ring finger was swollen and stiff at the PIP joint. My wedding ring, which I've always been able to slip off very easily, was totally stuck. No injury that I was aware of. I figured I'd give it a couple days to settle down, but it never has, it is still the same. When I make a fist, it feels like that joint is kind of "jammed," if you know the feeling.
So I GUESS it is arthritis, but since when does arthritis happen all of a sudden, bang? Did manage to get the ring off when I woke up yesterday morning, along with applying cold water to the swollen area to try to reduce swelling, holding that arm up in the air, and vaseline, and a h*** of a lot of manipulation. I had really thought the ring would still have to be cut off, but did manage to get it off.
Has anyone had this happen, and did it go away, or what to do about it, if anything? Thanks in advance.
;
I've had finger swelling and days to week of finger andbhand joint pain. - in my 40s
[ In Reply To ..]I've 2 instances of up to 2 weeks of pain and swelling before I had the "ah-ha, it's probably arthritis" brainstorm. Now when I start getting the pain, I start scheduled ibuprofen or naproxen and within 2-3 days, it's gone. Lately, I've started getting really bad ankle swelling and constant low back and neck pain within the last year. This job is killing my body. :(
60s are - such fun
[ In Reply To ..]I am 68, diagnosed with Heberden nodes and also arthritis in my fingers. No fun and it makes me mad but I just live it. My right index finger is my main problem with the top digit pointing out to the left now. I am now feeling those little weird sensations in my left index finger. I don't even wear my rings any more, and I have some lovely rings. Oh well. My mom had it, my grandma had it and most likely my many times great-grandmother who lived 1,000 years had it (unless she was shot with an arrow or something and didn't live that long)! So, we just have to "deal" with it.
Right there with ya - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Age 62, MT for 30. At age ~58, started having a broken-glass sensation between distal and middle phalanges of 3 fingers, exquisitely tender & swollen. I had to try to type without bending my fingers. It would usually last a few days and then gradually diminish. Cold/hot water, ice, heating pads -- none of these seemed to make a difference.
I tried all my life to avoid hitting my keyboard with force, hoping to avoid this. Interestingly, the newer soft-touch keyboards cause me to slam each key for its full depth because I can't get a distinct feeling of having hit it. I could fly over the old IBM clicky-keys while barely touching them.
Paraffin bath ! - Seasoned MT
[ In Reply To ..]I am almost 62 & my hands started giving me fits in my 40s. A friend gave me a paraffin bath and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Walgreen's has them for under $30 (Conair) and it takes a long time to get the wax all melted, but a couple of series of multiple dips, letting the wax cool, pulling it off and doing another series, will usually give me 100% improvement that lasts for weeks. During a particularly bad stretch at work (50-hour weeks for several months), I was doing these dips just abut nightly -- but that, plus naproxen and Aspercreme, kept me going. Now a few sessions during the cold months are enough to keep the aching at bay. My internist said the petroleum in the paraffin plus the deep heat effect was great for joints.
Agree with paraffin baths - sm
[ In Reply To ..]I use them as well and they work for me, and I like not having to take any drugs.
thanks from OP - Bugsy
[ In Reply To ..]thanks to all, I'll consider everything!
I have severe osteoarthritis in both thumbs - that had shown no symptoms - sm
[ In Reply To ..]until the first time I ever texted on a new cellphone. I had spent the evening reading emails on it and texting my replies. My thumbs became very painful, and even though I never texted again, they never stopped hurting.
nodes and knuckles - late reading this
[ In Reply To ..]I've never gone to a doc about my hands (or anything else in the last dozen years), but I have the nodes on at least 4 fingers that are obvious and knuckles that are fused in those fingers and almost fused in others. I can still type but not as fast now. There's rarely any pain. By the time I can't type anymore, perhaps I'll be too old to care. lol ... I'll look into the paraffin idea. Maybe it'll help relieve some of the stiffness and offer some temporary flexibility in the fingers that aren't so bad yet. Might try it on toes too. They're also fusing, but I don't know if it's from arthritis or fractures, could be both. Hard to treat broken toes. The buddy tape caused more pain than just leaving the toes free, but it probably helped cause the knobby appearance to let them just "go". I only do MT very part-time now since I can't type all day long and can't get enough lines in anyway.
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