Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hands
Who here has joint damage in their hands, or had rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms first appear here? What are your favorite products, tools or ways you take care of your hands? Share below your thoughts, experiences and any questions for members of the community.
I use compression gloves, heated mitts. CBD oil orally and in ointment, and Vibrants pain patches. I'm allergic to aspirin, Tylenol and NSAIDs. I typically use natural supplements. I'm on methotrexate, but so far, I have no improvement from it. I'm pretty amazed by the pain relief of a good quality CBD oil, as I was previously pretty skeptical.
Thank you so much for sharing what has worked for you and what hasn't. Like you I was hesitant to try CBD etc, but I have found some really good salves and lotions. How weird you mention you're allergic to aspirin.. I am allergic to ibuprofen and that led me to find natural supplements to rely on for pain/inflammation management alongside whatever medication I'm on like methotrexate and Humira. It can be hard to notice what really helps when we do so many things. -Effie, team member Thank you so much for sharing. I haven't used paraffin in a very long time and for some reason the heated wax creeped me out, haha. But I find Epsom salt baths do wonders along with warm mittens. I find it interesting how so many of us are allergic to NSAIDS and Tylenol. I don't take ibuprofen anymore. -Effie, team member
THC lotion
Do you have a particular brand of THC lotion that you prefer,
?
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.my hands ache almost constantly so my grandson gave me a Comfier hand massager & warmer for Christmas and so far it has done very well helping with my aching arthritic hands. That sounds amazing! I love it when loved ones think of us and give us items that can help. What a nice thoughtful gift from your grandson. -Effie, team member
Erin,
I wear compression gloves every day. I also have wonderful tools in my kitchen: a jar gripper, a bottle opener with also lifts pop-tops, an electric knife, and I set up my cabinets so that the things I use most often are in easy reach.
My other tools include an instant pot and an air fryer. Last night I used my instant pot to cook 6 chicken breasts in 10 minutes, after warm up. No standing and tending make a huge difference. I also make soup in 20 minutes that tastes like it cooked all day. Hard boiled eggs peel easily and take very little time. The air fryer is great for heating things up, cooking baked potatoes, and decreasing the oil I use.
I always recommend that you get assistive tools as soon as possible. I waited too long.
A massage once a month really helps also.
Blessing,
Mary Sophia, contributor/authorI find compression gloves really helpful and also have various hand/wrist/thumb splints made by my OT or Physio that really help when I’m flaring - anything that jars the joint sends shooting pains through my hands/wrist/thumb and up my forearm. My consultant also ordered ‘resting splints’ to be made for me to keep my wrists in a neutral position overnight when my Carpal Tunnels ( bilateral) are inflamed. The slightly funny problem with those the first time that I had occasion to use them in the winter was that I woke up to turn over and reposition myself, only to find both wrists firmly stuck to my fleecy bedding 🤣. It took quite some effort to free myself! Another time I found both arms stuck firmly to the sides of my fleecy pajama top! A bit like finding myself in a straitjacket!! 🤣
“Only you could get yourself in that kind of a pickle” was my daughter’s comment the next morning😀 At one point I had thought that I might have to start shouting for help - not something that I wanted to do at 2am when it didn’t seem like an actual ‘emergency’!
Warm wax baths are really the most comforting thing that I have found for the most awful of joint pain in my hands, when it feels like someone is hammering a long, thin nail into specific joints🙁 Be warned though - do only put one hand in to soak at a time, unless you have a willing assistant standing by to answer the telephone, open the door to the postman, empty the laundry out of the washing machine etc etc! Two hands coated in warm wax makes doing any of those things impossible unless you want to have to clean up a considerable mess!
Oh my goodness,
, that does sound like you were in quite the pickle! I'm glad you didn't have to shout out at 2am, and are now able to laugh at the whole situation, but I would imagine at the time it caused a quick moment of panic/anxiety. As much as I love my bed, I don't want to be straightjacketed into it either!
We really appreciate you sharing your experiences and tips for hand support and relief. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
