Router Forums banner

Dealing with Arthritis in the Hands

14K views 49 replies 27 participants last post by  BCR 
#1 · (Edited)
I haven't been officially diagnosed with arthritis in my hands but my ortho dr feels pretty sure it is. I have overused my hands like a lot of us have for many yrs and I am feeling it.Im 63 and still work full time plus overtime....I just need to hang in there a little bit more.But the hands are really bothering me.It is my right hand at the thumb/grip area.Dr. says a lot of people have the same thing.I cant do no where near what I used to in the shop but am still trucking on along. All I use is Voltaren Gel on the painful area. Dont want to use celebrex ,advil,etc. because of liver and kidneys Voltaren helps some but still not good. I wonder about the future use being affected.What do some of you do that may have similar symptoms?
 
#2 ·
Jogging In A Jug. A bunch of recipes for it on-line, each slightly different. The one I chose is 2 qts red grape juice, 2 gts apple juice, 1 cup of honey, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Took a week or so to start kicking in for me, but did help. Apparently won't work for everyone, but does for me. Just take a slug or two of it every day. Even if it doesn't help your arthritis, might help you be a bit more healthy.

VA said I had arthritis of the spine when I retired, but couldn't tell me what kind. So, asked them to check - said I didn't have rhumetoid or osteo arthritis. Being as there are over a hundred type, asked them to check for something else. I wound up going for check 9 times, and each time I was told I did not have rhumetoid or osteo arthritis. I gave up and haven't been to the VA since. Retired in '81.
 
#3 ·
Hi Mike. I am 63 also and have arthritis beginning to show itself in my hands and right knee. Wife said the hand trouble is because I was a "knuckle cracker"; you know crack the knuckles when they get stiff.
The knee was an injury when I was younger. After it healed for a while I would be walking along and it would just give way and I would be sprawled on the ground. Not a nice situation!! :surprise::no:

I take Voltaren capsules and try to keep my hands warm when they are hurting.
 
#4 ·
The trouble with all pain-killers I've found,is you can get to tolerate them & they don't seem to be as effective. About once or twice a week,try taking Epsom salts,but only a very small amount.I take just enough to cover a 10 cent piece. You will know how much you need & it wont have a laxative effect if done right.This reply will cause some people to laugh but they don't have arthritis.It's not a cure,it just lets the pain-killers keep working. James.
 
#15 ·
It's probably the Magnesium, James. There are topical Mg. sprays available...basically lotions that absorb into the skin. Another option is MSM capsules; in that case it's supposedly the organic Sulphur compound (as opposed to the mineral form).

"However, there is evidence that MSM may help a bit with the pain and swelling of knee osteoarthritis. Also, early animal research shows some promise for decreasing joint degeneration."
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/msm-methylsulfonylmethane-uses-and-risks#1
I can say for a certainty that it helped my wife's excruciating arthritis in her jaw; hugely in fact!
 
#5 ·
I am 65 and have had both hands fixed including the ulnar nerve repair. My knuckles swell and arthritis medicine doesn't do much for me. I have heard that a shot of vinegar works for some folks. What works extremely well for me is applying essential oils to the top of my hands and knuckles. I use a blend of five different oils (deep blue, lemongrass, wintergreen, turmeric, and copaiba), it provides several hours of pain relief.
According to the Doctor I don't have RA, but he agrees that I have some form of arthritis. like it was mentioned already there are a lot of different types and not many remedies short of serious drugs. Good luck, it is a hard road getting old.
 
#6 ·
The absolute best home remedy that my wife and I use on almost a daily basis is St. John's Wort Oil. I have found it to be the best thing for any kind of pain, arthritis, inflammation and even wound healing.

The one we use has St. John's Wort flowers infused in olive oil. We go to the Mediterranean every year where it is sold in markets by the local women who make it. I have never bought a commercial brand but I'm sure a good health food store would have it.

The St. John's Wort works great on its own but for serious pain you can rub in a a few drops of DMSO on top of the St. John's Wort. DMSO on it's own is great for arthritis and other inflammation but a little on top of the St. Johns amplifies it's strength. DMSO is a carrier so it carries itself and whatever it is mixed with into the body. For this reason you want to have clean hands when using it.

DMSO was discovered by an organ transplant surgeon Dr. Stanley Jacob in 1961. He wrote a book about it and is well worth reading if you are interested in taking charge of your own health.
 
#9 ·
Got the same complaints ... is painfull ! You cannot repairr the damage, painkillers is 1 solution ... I tried ( since 2 months ) CBD - cannabisoil - and have good result : NO PAIN anymore.
Hands still stiff when i wake up, but after a few minutes of ' exercise' I can use my hands again and WITHOUT pain !
 
#11 ·
I'm 69 and have been in a wheelchair full time since Jan. 2001. In 2005 I became one of the 20% for whom Medicare approves power wheelchairs. I had developed, quoting the hand specialist I saw, "severe osteoarthritis" in both hands, especially in the base of my thumbs. The diagnosis was based in part on an ultrasound scan of my hands. Even the administering tech remarked on how my thumbs "lit up" I was told manual wheelchair users tend to develop after about 12 years or so, and my symptoms first became noticeable in about 2013. Last summer I got into phone games and my left hand (non dominant) became very painful. Physical therapy sessions with iontophoresis of something and ultrasound relieved the pain. I now take 500 mg acetaminophen daily. The pain is greatly reduced. What I have noticed is a bit of loss of strength and perhaps fine motor control. But I don't feel seriously impaired.

in 2012, when I was 62, after 6 hours in an MRI (for unrelated issues) "arthritic changes" were diagnosed in my lower back. I was prescribed a high dose of gabapentin, but I question its effectiveness. It may well be that because I have no feeling below the rib cage, except along the lumbar vertebrae, that the gabapentin makes no difference.

I have learned that spinal arthritis is almost a normal condition of aging caused by deterioration of the spinal discs.
 
#12 ·
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)WAS DISCOVERED IN THE 19TH CENTURY. It was used long before 1961. As a kid growing up we used DMSO on horses legs daily. It has been used on athletes as long as I can remember. If you use too much, your body will reak of it. Terrible smell. You can taste it after it has been used. It is great to help swelling, strains, and sprains.
 
#14 ·
I used DMSO as a laboratory solvent for years. It rapidly penetrates plastic gloves and skin. About 60 years ago it was thought it might replace the syringe for injections (who likes shots?)(I do not mean the type found in bars:)) but things like insulin do not penetrate the skin along with it. On the other hand, the effects of LSD were discovered when it was dissolved in DMSO.

When it penetrates skin within about 20 seconds a garlic-onion like flavor appears.
 
  • Like
Reactions: harrysin
#13 ·
Try curcumin, a major ingredient of turmeric. It's an anti-inflammatory without the NSAIDs effects on the organs. You can buy it at the pharmacy, health food stores, or online. It works just as well, if not better than ibuprofen and similar drugs that damage our organs.

An ointment that is supposed to work wonders is Flexcin as it contains Cetyl Myristoleate. I saw a TV program where a research MD from a New York university was interviewed, and he was recommending it for joint issues.

Hope these suggestions help, but I sincerely recommend you research these ideas before you try them. They won't harm you, but they won't work miracles....miracles seem to have evaporated with the times, my friend.

Adios
 
#20 ·
MSM, is a product that is derived from DMSO. MSM has many of the properties of DMSO, but is generally regarded as a food supplement. It has not been subject to the medical studies of DMSO and is not considered to be as effective as DMSO in treating most ailments.
 
#21 ·
Mark; typically for these types of remedies, folks try them for ailments for which there's no logical rational, then they opine that they don't work.
MSM is supposed to target connective tissue. Period. It's primary medical study was on Arthritis sufferers and for which it had fairly good results. It can be hard on the gut and taking it with meals is strongly recommended.
I've started taking it again myself; OA in my knees and shoulder. I'll give it a month (6x1,000mg daily).
 
#22 ·
Ran across this while watching The Zoo (one of several similar shows about behind the scenes at a zoo, interesting).
They had an older kangaroo with arthritis, very slow moving. The vet got talked into finding out if Cryotherapy would help. So they tried it. Then turned him loose in a yard, and ran around like he was young. Now he gets regular treatments. Do a search on Cryotherapy arthritis treatment. Supposedly inexpensive, but didn't double check that.
 
#28 ·
I'm so sorry Tom that your condition has deteriated to this extent. I've been wondering how you were because of the lack of postings from you. I really had high hopes of you becoming a very competant routologist. I wish that I could suggest something to ease your pain.
 
#33 ·
@harrysin, Thank you so much for your thoughts. My lack of posting for several months were due to a log in problem that @Cricket resolved.
I really feel the arthritis I described is not a serious impediment. At the risk of hijacking this thread the real impediment is my severe sleep apnea and never feeling rested and clear-minded enough to safely work with rapidly spinning sharp things. I am working on ways to be able to get back to where I want to be.
 
#31 ·
I'm only 51 and starting to have problems on the joints which have been bashed a lot during 35 years of contracting. I'm scared to use pain killers as I'm afraid that it it allow me to further abuse my hands. I figure the pain is there for a reason, i.e. to tell me to quit hurting my hands!

Interested to read about the more natural remedies here though. Useful, thanks.
 
#32 ·
Sorry to hear about your affliction. I had the same problems as you describe, starting in 2012. A Native American noticed my pain and suggested that I try Turmeric Root Extract- also referred to as Curcumin. It comes in powder form from reputable Health food stores or Online. It needs pepper extract to absorb in the body properly- some capsules have the pepper already mixed in- otherwise get Bio-Perrine, as the pepper source. I tried it daily, and within 1-2 weeks, the problem greatly lessened and eventually totally disappeared. The only possible side effects seem to be dry-mouth/slight overnight dehydration; the solution was to drink lots more fluids- a good idea anyway. I have never had the problems recur and still take it daily. My wife researched it online to find the best bran/ price. Probably the easiest and simplest solution for you to give an honest try . Good luck.
 
#34 ·
Roger That!



I've only heard positive things about the Turmeric. Expect the price to go up as more folks start buying it, ie supply and demand.
Totally different issue, but we've recently started sprinkling ground cloves on and around the picnic table...seems to work like a charm at discouraging the wasps! Seriously.
 
#35 ·
My wife has some arthritis problems in her hands. A couple years ago we got her this wax machine thing. It uses a wax that melts at a very low temperature, maybe around 110-120 degrees. When her hands are acting up she just puts them in the wax for 5-10 minutes. She says it helps a LOT.

(I am out of town on business at the moment, but will be going home tomorrow. If you want, I can post the specifics of the type of wax and melting machine name when I get home.)
 
#36 ·
That reminds me of a story I heard some time ago. A fella came out of the bush up north where he'd been logging for quite some time. Decided to get a complete cleanup so he went for a haircut, shave, had a long hot bath and a great massage. The whole nine yards. The massage was finished and she asked him if he wanted a wax job. He wasn't too clear on that but thought what the heck, so said yes. She told him to stand close to the table and lay his ***** out and close his eyes. He did just that. She wound up and gave his ***** a mighty whack. The wax popped out of both his ears.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top