Pains in hands
Hello My name is Gwen and I have just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Can anyone give we advise on how to cope with pain and stiffness in the hands.
Hi Gwen, sorry for your recent diagnosis. I'm glad you found our site. There are excellent resources and community here for support. Pain and stiffness is one of the hallmark symptoms of RA. Ultimately, treating the biological processes of RA can help reduce pain and stiffness. That usually is done with a disease modifying drug (DMARD) and/or a biologic. Have you started any of these medicines? If not, speak to your rheumatologist. It's recommended to treat early after diagnosis. Sometimes other medicines like NSAIDs and steroids are used to reduce pain. You might try some other things at home that some people find helpful like heat, cold, and gentle exercise. There are a list of possibilities at this link https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/
You're also welcome to post this question at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RheumatoidArthritisDotNet
Hi Dave~
I agree that hand pain can be particularly frustrating! It's funny how we don't really realize how much we depend on our hands to do a million little things every day - until they hurt! I think you have the right approach - to do what we can and try to appreciate it. But if you are really struggling with your hands it may be worth discussing the issue with your rheumatologist to see if it would be possible to improve things by adjusting your medications. Best of luck to you!
~Mariah~ (Site Moderator)
