Does anyone have problems with their hands

[cmetryme]

arthritis as my understanding from my doctors, are bone and joint related. not tendons. but they are attached to the bone.

 

[SickNicky]

I do experience pain, pins and needles, and inflammation in my hands. At times, they do lock up. My fingers stick together in groups of two. And my veins stick out really bad. Pins and needles! When it passes my hands are so sore

 

[2young4this]

Hi, I'm new. Yes. I use a tool from the hardware store to open bottles (2 liter sodas, etc.) It's a rubber winch that is used to turn plumbing pipes. I keep it in a kitchen drawer. My hands hurt too much to get anything like that open without help. Check one out at a hardware store. It'll save lots of pain and struggle!

 

[diamond]

How did you get on in September about your hands Hippiechick?

 

[Cheryl Ann]

My hands, fingers, wrists get stiff and inflamed quite a lot. One of the tendons that runs across my palm from elbow to middle finger had begun to get very inflamed and hard. The first time I showed my rheumy he said that I needed to keep rubbing on the Voltaren Gel or it would cause my hand to curl up. I remembered this woman who went to my church. She said she had to have tennis balls taped onto the palms of her hands at night so her hands wouldn't curl up, as it was very difficult and very painful to uncurl them.
No one wants that prospect in their future.

 

[diamond]

Cheryl Ann is the problem with your hands wrists and fingers fibro?

I am starting to get more and more hand problems and wondering if its start of RA.

 

[sweetpea51]

Hey Cheryl Ann,
Yes I have lots of problems with my hands and wrists. Dr told me not only do I have fibro, arthritis but also degenerative joint disease... When mine act up I either warm them with a heating pad or hot water. I feel for you . sending soft hugs

 

[SugarAndSteel]

Hi, I'm new. Yes. I use a tool from the hardware store to open bottles (2 liter sodas, etc.) It's a rubber winch that is used to turn plumbing pipes. I keep it in a kitchen drawer. My hands hurt too much to get anything like that open without help. Check one out at a hardware store. It'll save lots of pain and struggle!

I needed this suggestion, 2young4this. I'm getting really tired of having to ask my husband to open simple containers for me.

The problems I'm having with my hands are actually what led me to this forum. I was diagnosed almost 5 years ago after pretty much testing out of anything else. I've been tested for arthritis and don't have it, but my hands still get very stiff (especially when I wake up) and I oftentimes have a stinging feeling in the skin on my palms and fingers. I have been extra clumsy and dropping things more and more recently, and they feel swollen sometimes. They Feel swollen at times they don't even look it. Fibromyalgia is so weird.

 

[Cheryl Ann]

Hi Willow,
I guess I should know but I don't. Its probably a combination of Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia.
It seems like when I go to the rheumatologist, I feel overwhelmed, in shock and the fibro fog kicks in. Even with my journal I can't seem to articulate everything. Like so many others have said, it's hard to wrap your head around. There's always something new.


There are jar and bottle openers. Tbe good ones are 2 in 1. One of them is the Easy Twist Jar Opener

There is also the Evriholder Easi Twist Jar Opener

the Twist Jar Opener (Set of 2)

and last but not least, the Ableware Hand Protector and Jar Opener Task Aids

Advertising links are not allowed.

Just look up jar openers on the internet.

I've been tested for RA every year for the last 3 years and had x-rays of hands and wrists taken this year. Everything looks good and the RA test is always negative. That's a blessing! I'll count that one for sure.

Hi Sugar and Steel,
I have to carry things with two hands when I have a flare up. I think to myself, "I better carry this with 2 hands or I'll drop it." and I know for sure its true bc my hands are so weak, even without a flare up they're not as strong as they used to be. If you are dropping things bc you cannot support its weight that's probably fibro and/or arthritis. If you drop things bc all of a sudden you can't feel them in your hands, that's something different. It sounds to me like you may have neuropathy in your hands. I am not a d.....just going by the shared experiences of others. I believe its definitely a good idea to talk to your rheumatologist about it though.

 

[1sweed]

I also have problems with my hands in they get stiff and my fingers go into spasms in weird positions. It takes a lot of rubbing or warmth like heating pad, to make them relax and go back to normal. If I use my hands a lot or if the weather is cold it seems to happen more often. One idea is to wear lightweight gloves to help keep them warm during the day or night.

Cheryl Ann, listed some good jar openers. I also use round rubber disks that fit over the jar lid and have grippers that help open jars when you twist. Also gardening gloves with the rubber bumps also work well. I used one the other day to get the disk out of my camera as my hands and fingers hurt to much to apply pressure.

 

[Cheryl Ann]

Hey Cheryl Ann,
Yes I have lots of problems with my hands and wrists. Dr told me not only do I have fibro, arthritis but also degenerative joint disease... When mine act up I either warm them with a heating pad or hot water. I feel for you . sending soft hugs

Hi Sweetpea,
I'm sorry it took me so long to reply. I used to get relief from hot water but now it just makes them hurt more. And no, the water's not too hot. lol
I did take your suggestion about the heating pad though and that has helped some a few different times. Thank you!

 

[Roch]

Hands arms and elbows oh and shoulders too. I suffer with really restless arms so much so I could rip them off. I have Raynauds phenomenon in both hands and feet (thank you fibro) which is particularly painful. Arthritis type aching in hands and elbows to the point I can't even hold a cup it is so painful. In fact I am rotating a hot water bottle between shoulder and elbow as I type. Heat seems to be the best pain reliever I can find. I also have itching joints on my thumbs which drives me crackers.

 

[sully1211]

Hi hippiechick- yes, I have the same problem with my hands. My foot actually locked up the other night and my big toe was stuck straight up. Never a dull moment. I was diagnosed with Fibro by a Rheumatologist who was ruling out arthritis. So I believe your problem is just another aspect part of Fibro!
Sully1211

 

[Cheryl Ann]

Oh my gosh Roch,
I haven't read the itchy thumb thing yet but I definitely get that. The palms of my hands are often red too, esp. the fatty part of the thumb muscle. Does that happen to you?
I agree with you about the heat being the most relieving thing, except for my hands these days. It used to help now it just makes them "burny and tingly". Nope the waters not too hot.

 

[Cheryl Ann]

Everybody sing, "Head, shoulders, knees and toes...all our joints!"
I overdid it at the pool bc I was yakking more than I was keeping track of how many repetitions I'd already done for each exercise. And now playing on my phone is quite painful. Oh woe is me! lol I can't believe I just complained about that! Ridiculous! yes, it affects my life but at such minor costs right now. I guess that's what you call a blessing and I am thankful.

Sully,
I will often get cramps in my toes, arch of foot, calf, and thighs. Sometimes the cramp doesn't totally go away. It lurks just under the surface with just enough pain to remind me it could grab my muscle and squeeze until I'm swearing and trying to jump up out of bed or off the couch, and unable to untangle the blanket and the only thought is, "Hurry, hurry, hurry ," so as to stand up.
Do your attacks feel like cramping at all? I've had lots of cramping but only once when I could not uncurl my toes without physically using my fingers to do so. It was very painful.