butterflies5518

an erognomic mouse will help on the computer, I use one at work and home - I noticed a big difference, plus an arthritis hand glove ebay less than $7 a pair and you can use them on either hand)

MsEithne

My mom had to have both knees replaced. In the years before the surgery, she and my dad were active travellers and she did not want to slow down just because her knees were bad.

So her doctor suggested hiking poles, which look like ski poles but with cane tips on the ends. When used one in each hand, the hiking poles take some of the weight off the legs. It was enough to let her do stuff like a walking tour of Baltimore, etc.

A word of caution: if you use a cane, consider getting a forearm crutch instead. Canes are very hard on the wrists! I wrecked one wrist and was on my way to wrecking the other before someone shoved a forearm crutch into my hands and made me promise to just give it a try for 30 minutes. After three minutes, I was hooked.

donna13350

You can buy finger splints at walmart...they are really hard to find...come in a teeny little box in the section where they sell band-aids and foot cushions...if you wear them at night and whenever you can, they will help rest the tendons in your thumbs...it took a good 4 months for me, but they were the only thing that helped...they are just a piece of soft metal lined with foam, they are easy to adjust to the shape of your thrumb...I had to tape around mine because they kept slipping off...but they did work.

mskityocat

Seriously it does help arthritis. It gives the joints what they need to formulate the lubricant and takes the swelling away. Go to Shaklee.com and go to the alfalfa and read all the stuff there. Its amazing within several months I didn't have any signs of the arthritis pain. I'm 68 and was
a lot of pain and none now. I'm back to walking and riding my bike.

kuseta

I have tendonitis in my elbow that I think started with a marathon sewing/quilting session a couple months ago. Dr. suggested a band used for tennis elbow and it helps some while I'm wearing it, but seems to make it worse if I don't wear it. Thanks for the alfalfa tip, I'm looking into that now.

sushi

Thanks to a suggestion made by Irish Rose, I bought a Futuro thumb stabilizer at my local Target this morning. It feels sooooooooo good! I'm pretty confident it's giving the thumb tendon(s) some much needed rest.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I hope others are being helped by this discussion, too!

Jenny3244

I suffered in pain for about 5 years (thumb side of wrist, already had sucessful carpal tunnel surgery on the inside of wrist). Trip after trip to the doctors for pain management. A few shots of corticosteriod, which helped for a little while, then it would come back...I had enough and asked why/ can't it be fixed instead of treated...sent me for MRI & x-ray, and therapy. After 4 weeks of therapy & ultrasound and $$$co-payments I was better. Then of course after a quilting retreat doing a mini paperpeicing project, It flared it up again.
At therapy I found out it was called DeQuervain tenosynovitis (similar to carpal tunnel just in another area), so I started researching. I even found an actual surgery video! But I now know it's fixable. I called my surgeon and after a referral from my doctor had surgery withing a couple of weeks. The surgeon asked why I hadn't come sooner!!!! BECAUSE NO ONE told me, just shots and pain reliver that rotted my stomach. Yes I did try rest, and even had a special wrist splint that imobolized the thumb and wore it faithfully every night and all the time w/ flair ups. Surgery was a complete success, not any pain for 2 years. Well not in the wrist anyway...I now have some trouble with the opposite elbow now. Does inflamation just go somewhere else when you physically correct narrow passageways?
In summay, if it's interupting the quality of life and treatment offer no relief, look into surgery (any risk was worth it to me to get out of pain and do the things I love)

mim

Run - do not walk - to a good physical therapist. Hopefully one who specialises. They are marvelous!! and can give you exercises that will keep it away -- I still do them when I get the slighest strain -- after 20 years. I couldn't even pick up a coffee cup-- I had torn a bunch of things in my arm and wrists putting up the wallboard for a cathedral ceiling.
Mim

nativetexan

try some of those stretchy gloves without finger tips in them. they fit down over the wrists and help keep your hands warm while working. I just got a catalog that had a pair with fingers in them, just no tips. the older style had most of the fingers out. either way, they should help.
they come in beige.

butterflies5518

My doctor is recommending surgery for the trigger finger - 2 cortizone shots every 6 months in which the last one did not help for more than 6 hours, so come January facing surgery, already had the corpal tunnel suregery on this hand. Thanks for the encouragement it will get better.