How Can You Help Arthritis in the Hands?
When arthritis strikes, it is so often our hands that are affected. And the most common types of arthritis in the hands are osteoarthritis (wear and tear on the joints) and rheumatoid arthritis (an inflammatory type of arthritis caused by inflammation in the joint).
What are the common symptoms of arthritic hands?
Common symptoms of arthritis include:
Both osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis can cause pain, stiffness (especially in the mornings), swelling and tenderness of the joints in the hands.
However, those with inflammatory forms of arthritis (like rheumatoid arthritis) may display additional symptoms that aren’t seen in those with OA including:
- Warmth and redness in the hands.
- Symptoms that can be worse in the dominant hand.
- Prolonged morning stiffness for an hour or longer.
Psoriatic arthritis and other types can affect the hands too
The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) include having puffy fingers and toes that resemble sausages (a condition called dactylitis), skin plaques and pitted nails.
A rarer form of inflammatory arthritis known as palindromic rheumatism (PR) can also affect the hands.
A further type of arthritis, known as gout and caused by high levels of uric acid in the body, can also affect the wrist and fingers although it is most likely to appear in the big toe.
How to relieve the pain and discomfort of arthritis in the hands, naturally?
- A combination of heat and ice is one way. Heat therapy is helpful first thing to loosen up the joints while ice therapy can be used later after a day of activity. Heat treatments can include taking a long, warm shower or bath in the morning to help ease stiffness while cold treatments can help relieve joint pain, swelling and inflammation by wrapping a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and applying to painful joints for quick relief. A word of warning is never apply ice directly to the skin.
- Another suggestion is to work with hand therapists who help their patients by showing them how to make everyday activities easier and to use assistive devices which provide a larger area for people to grip. They can also suggest simple exercises to do.
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Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on your body. Practitioners say it can be helping in reducing arthritis pain in the hands and elsewhere.
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Use meditation and relaxation techniques to help reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis by lowering stress and enabling you to cope with it better. Tai chi and yoga along with deep breathing techniques can also help.
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A hand massage may also help to manage joint pain and discomfort in the hands. A massage therapist could provide this service for you or even teach you to self-massage.
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Splinting is another suggestion to help with arthritis pain in the fingers while compression gloves can also assist.
- H-Arthritis Formula will relieve the pain and discomfort of arthritis in the hands The formula is applied topically and uses established homeopathic ingredients to relieve arthritis discomfort safely and gently. This breakthrough delivery method allows for easy application and fast relief!
SOURCES:
How to Get Rid of Arthritis in Fingers (verywellhealth.com)
Conti V, et al. (2015). High prevalence of gluten sensitivity in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease.
researchgate.net/publication/273700262_High_prevalence_of_gluten_sensitivity_in_a_cohort_of_patients_with_undifferentiated_connective_tissue_disease (Accessed, Feb 10, 2021)
Ferri FF. Rheumatoid arthritis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2019. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2019. https://www.clinicalkey.com. (Accessed Feb 10, 2021).
Deveza LA. Overview of the management of osteoarthritis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. (Accessed Feb 10, 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.