Wellness

[PMS 24-7]

has anyone ever had surgery on their arthritic fingers?  i am considering haveing it on my right index finger closest to the nail.  if you have had surgery,, was the doctor able to cut or shave the spurs off the joints and how was your recovery time and success.  the right hand is tough going if you're right handed.  thanks

[abbysgirl]

I had very painful hand , due to arthritis.  Arthritis foundation  website is very helpful.  I do hand stretches when watching tv, no more pain!!  Good luck. /After i was diagnosed at a very young age, i was running and a very active lifestyle. Keep moving!!!

[shaggygirl]

I have considered it but can't decide which is worse, dealing with my issues or being without the use of my right hand for however long the recovery is. I have two things going on, both on my right hand.  First is arthritis in the joint at the base of my thumb. It's swollen all the time and some days it doesn't hurt at all, other days it's really painful and achy depending on what I do. I've had a cortisone shot in it and OMG never again, it was so painful and it's only temporary relief. I wear a brace kind of thing on my hand at night when I go to bed to rest the joint. I think it helps a little. Problem number two is the middle finger on that same right hand. No pain but my finger is bent inward (leans towards the index finger) from that joint closest to the nail on up to the tip of the finger. It looks weird. I can't imagine if I were to have these things surgically corrected how I would shampoo, blow dry, put on my eyebrows (have to use pencil to fill in) and the rest of my make-up, button and zip my clothes and a bunch of other stuff. The only activity I've had to give up so far due to this is the bowling league I was in, had to quit that 2 years ago.

[violann]

@shaggygirl- has your thumb been professionally diagnosed as being arthritis?

I will have to call a hand specialist this week to deal with deQuervain Syndrome in my right thumb, but I DO have one deformed arthritic joint in my left hand, second joint of pointer finger, which keeps me from playing some of my beloved musical instruments.

deQuervain's is a terrible annoyance.

Someone here has wisely recommended physical therapy before steroid shot, but I have read that steroid shots CAN clear up deQuervain's too, especially if PT isn't quite enough.

Hopes that all pain sufferers can find solutions. Life is tougher without hard working hands.

[shaggygirl]

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@violann wrote:

@shaggygirl- has your thumb been professionally diagnosed as being arthritis?

I will have to call a hand specialist this week to deal with deQuervain Syndrome in my right thumb, but I DO have one deformed arthritic joint in my left hand, second joint of pointer finger, which keeps me from playing some of my beloved musical instruments.

deQuervain's is a terrible annoyance.

Someone here has wisely recommended physical therapy before steroid shot, but I have read that steroid shots CAN clear up deQuervain's too, especially if PT isn't quite enough.

Hopes that all pain sufferers can find solutions. Life is tougher without hard working hands.

---

Yes, it was an orthopedic doctor I went to who x-rayed it and who gave me the cortisone shot. After the shot he formed a cast (some concoction that hardened) around the thumb and part of my hand and about 5 inches up the arm then wrapped it with an ace bandage to keep it immobilized. I had to wait till it hardened before leaving the office. I forget how long he told me to keep it on or how often to wear it (this was over a year ago) but I got something off Amazon that is much easier to put on and off via velcro straps when I want to immobilize it to give it a rest. It actually hasn't been bothering me much the past few weeks....although now that I said that in print I probably cursed myself, LOL. Strange tho that as bent as the middle finger is it causes no pain at all.

[Mmsfoxxie]

I have to laugh at myself because it seems that I can speak about so many of these maladies that there are threads about, lol.

My worst problem is arthritis in my knees.  To a lesser extent, I have it in my feet, my shoulders and my thumbs, especially my right thumb.  Sometimes it throbs but mostly I feel pain when I use that right thumb to release my seat belt or use a can opener.

Funny how you don't notice how often you use a body part until there is pain there.  More and more I have to ask my husband to open things for me because just trying to turn a jar top hurts so much.

For me to consider a shot or surgery I would have to get considerably worse.

[blackhole99]

I have osteoarthritis in my fingers too and although the Heberdens nodules on the joints do not look good they are not painful. I read somewhere in one of those natural health magazines that if you massage the nodules they will reduce some. I massage mine with Arnica Gel and it does help in reducing the size of the nodule and the pain in my joints and hands in general. I would not have surgery on anything unless there was no other alternative. Also, even with surgery I have an idea that the nodules will reoccur.

[PMS 24-7]

this is a follow up.  iwent back to see my hand specialist/orthopod today to get some answers.  the surgery will be short and the osteophyties  can be taken down, but the recovery will be lengthy....6-8 weeks for  the joint fusion.  i can no longer stand the pain, so i am going to schedule surgery.  it is the fusion of the DIP joint.  wish me well because my husband is going to take care of me, since it is my pointer finger on my right hand,

[Ohio Night Owl]

Glucosamine helps me feel better 

[LilacTree]

I have rheumatoid arthritis all over my body and some of my internal organs as well.  It is an autoimmune disease, quite different from osteoarthritis, which is just as painful, but does not attack the bodily organs.  I am in the midst of testing right now (have one more to go) which will identify what's going on with my digestive system and which, hopefully, will be treatable.

Both of my hands are shot, my right hand is particularly ugly, having the disfiguration of all of my fingers splaying to the right.  I can't do anything with it except type . . . and even then, I have to place my fingers carefully, type slowly, and correct a lot of typos.  I cannot write anymore, can't hold a pen, or try to hold a glass (I am breaking things all the time.)  The day I can no longer type at all will be one of the worst days of my life, and I am hoping it never happens.

I asked the rheumatologist about surgery and she said my hand is too bad for surgery to do much good.  I would be lucky to get 50% usage back, and it would still be ugly.  I am also too old for surgery to be really safe, so I have opted out.

I expect my left hand will eventually go as well, but right now, although painful and all finger joints clicking in and out and swollen, my thumb is the only disfigured finger.

I wish I could tell you if surgery will help, as I don't know what the prognosis would be for osteoarthritis as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis of the hand and fingers.  I am assuming you are seeing a specialist to advise you.

You have my empathy.