Wellness

[halfpint1]

What if anything do  you take? My back is being affected again altho I had an operation a few years ago. The doctor said he cleaned it out. 

[qualitygal]

between arthritis in hands and back disk degeneration, Ibprofen helps.

[judy0330]

I was diagnosed with "very bad arthritis" in both hands in January.  I am the biggest shot phobic you could ever meet.  (I literally passed out in the waiting room after having a flu shot years ago.)  I decided I had to try a cortisone shot because the pain was terrible.  I had actually had cortisone shots in the past which did nothing and I ended up having 4 orthopedic surgeries.  (Two rotator cuff and two wrist surgeries for DeQuervains.)  Honestly -- I had zero expectation that the shot would do anything.  Well -- it was like a miracle.  It took awhile but the pain just about went away.  By September (actually earlier) the shot had worn off and the pain was back full force.  I had another shot and once again -- the pain is gone.  I still can't open jars -- etc -- but at least I am not in constant pain.  I am also taking Meloxicam but I have taken it before and it did very little to ease the pain.  I am sure that it is the cortisone that has made such a huge difference.  There is also the possibility of surgery which would be a permanent fix (too complicated to explain here) but it is not an easy surgery and I would like to avoid it.  I hope you are able to get some relief.  I totally understand how bad the pain can be.

[blackhole99]

Make sure you check with your doctor, but both my husband and I have osteoarthritis in our hands and I have it in my feet too. I use Arnica gel when I get up in the morning and before bed which is pretty effective for me. My husband whose hands are very painful uses a product called Australian Dream Cream the active ingred. is Histamine Dihydrochloride. It really works for him and he also wears hand splints at night. I had a bout with bursitis in my shoulder a few months ago and that product worked instantly on the pain for me and also the swelling. Hope you can find some relief.

[shaggygirl]

Those cortisone shots help but not long term. I had one in my thumb about a year or so ago at the base of the thumb, that joint is a swollen mess from arthritis, OMG TALK ABOUT HURTING!!. Never again in my thumb, I'll deal with the arthritis pain before I do that again. The shot only gave me a few months relief. God Bless You for going back for a second shot, you're a braver woman than I am.Two  Advil works pretty good for me to take most of the edge off of a flare up.

[nana59]

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@shaggygirl wrote:

Those cortisone shots help but not long term. I had one in my thumb about a year or so ago at the base of the thumb, that joint is a swollen mess from arthritis, OMG TALK ABOUT HURTING!!. Never again in my thumb, I'll deal with the arthritis pain before I do that again. The shot only gave me a few months relief. God Bless You for going back for a second shot, you're a braver woman than I am.Two  Advil works pretty good for me to take most of the edge off of a flare up.

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had one of those shots in my thumb.....doctor told me it was gonna be painful and he really didn't like giving that type of shot......boy, was he right.....i have a very high tolerance for pain, but blacked out for a few seconds during that procedure.....you're right, NEVER AGAIN!!

[ALRATIBA]

My left hand is the problem .... the doctor gave me an injection of cortisone w/novocaine and sent me to have a splint made to mobilze my hand/wrist/thumb when I have flareups.  After a day or so of wearing splint, I'm usually okay for a few more months.

I had some serious side effects with NSAIDS ... Tylenol is all I can take for pain.  

[SXMGirl]

I have some arthritis in my left hand in the soft spot between my thumb and forefinger.  I will go through times when it gets really uncomfortable and then no pain at all, like now.  What I do at night, when there is pain, is to use one of the roll-on meds like Icy Hot, Biofreeze, or Dr. Hoy.  I then use one of the small Salonpas with lidocane patches (I get the 60 pack from Amason).   I also have a brace so that I do not put undue pressure on my hand--again, only when I need it, especially if I am working out.  No way am I getting a cortisone shot in my hand.  I have had so many of them that I truly believe that my blood is being replaced with cortisone.

[RedTop]

My mother has severe arthritis in her hands and neck.  She takes Aleve every day, and often soaks her hands in hot water to warm them and loosen them up a bit.   

[lulu2]

@halfpint1

Everyone is different.  Some of us can get by with Arthritis Strength Tylenol, Advil or Aleve.  Some have relief from cortisone shots.  There are prescription drugs that may help.  Please see a doctor so the two of you can come up with a plan for you.