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Mike Turner

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361
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Laurinburg NC
Ok older guys and gals what do you do for your arthritis? I am 61 and have always done too much with my hands....some crazy over the yrs....If I could do some of it over I wouldnt do as much...But anyhow what do you all do to help??? They just hurt and I hate taking any pain meds etc.
 
I've been ate up with it for years. Plus, rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family, but I don't have it. Docs say mine ran rampant because of all the airborne jumps I did as a Marine. I don't take pain pills. Ginger root helps some. But, is the pain in your hands arthritis by your diagnosis or a doctor's? If it's primarily in the hands it could be carpal tunnel. THAT can drive you nuts until you have the surgery.
 
Rule out carpel tunnel. Get accurate diagnosis. In place of pain pills, use willow bark. Natural alternative to NSAIDS.. Works for me. Get it at a health food store.
 
I have it in both hands. Don't have much grip strength left in the right one, and can't bend the fingers enough to make a tight fist any more. My doctor prescribed Voltarin gel. It's a strong anti-inflammatory gel that I apply several times a day during flare-ups. It helps a lot, but doesn't completely make the pain go away. Best thing (other than nasty drugs) that I've found so far.
 
I guess I didn't make myself clear enough for some folks. What I was simply hinting at is get a doctor's diagnosis. But, also don't rule out anything until you get that diagnosis. Hopefully that clears up what I was saying earlier.
 
Carol Reed said:
In place of pain pills, use willow bark. Natural alternative to NSAIDS.. Works for me. Get it at a health food store.
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FYI willow bark is essentially asprin, so if you're taking heart meds or blood thinners or have other asprin issues be aware of that. It has some other related compounds and imho it works better than refined asprin but its still pretty high in salicylic acid. LOML made a rub out of some willow bark and it's worked where very few other things would have for me. Be somewhat careful dosing it out because its relatively easy to poison yourself with salicylic acid

I'll second Robs recommendation for tumeric, its basically an anti-inflammatory but has very few (no known I'm aware of..) side effects. You can also buy Curcumin which is the active component in tumeric so you don't have to take as much. Tumeric seems to take a month or so to "build up" before it helps much.

Also try egg shell membrane - sold as "Natural Eggshell Membrane", its similar to glucosamine but is more accessible or something, not sure .. the exact compound mix is complicated.. but seems to maybe help (or its in my head which is still something I guess hehe).
 
Carol Reed said:
Rule out carpel tunnel. Get accurate diagnosis. In place of pain pills, use willow bark. Natural alternative to NSAIDS.. Works for me. Get it at a health food store.
Click to expand...

Ive had carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists plus trigger thumb surgery in both thumbs..All were successful....Ive been eating ginger root and using it in my green tea for yrs now.I use some voltaren also but not a lot. I take a baby aspirin a day per drs. order and an occasional aleve (it doesnt really help). My wife goes to same Dr. for her back problems that did my hand surgeries..Without looking at my hands he said it is probably arthritis. It has just gotten esp. worse with the cold temps lately and my shop isnt insulated so heating only does a little good (Ill have to look at doing something in there)....(And we havent gotten to the coldddd part yet) Ill look at doing some of your suggestions......
 
Ryan is correct to caution about taking willow root, or anything for that matter. And I was aware of the connection with aspirin and the salicylic acid. Here is the deal for me. There appears to be a synergetic effect of the willow root. I take far, far less of it that other OTC pharmaceuticals, including aspirin. It is relatively inexpensive and it works. Like anything in life, try prudently. And like manyt alternative medicines, it works, so it gets painted with boogie man stories by those less educated. I discovered it by studying American Indian medicinal practices, as I have constant pain and had to learn to manage it without getting addicted. My two cents in this over inflated world.
 
Thanks Carol I will look into the willow root and try a little at a time.Thanks everyone that offered any helpful ideas etc. Carol where do you buy your willow root? GNC ,Walmart or is there any difference in their products???
 
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Mine is pretty mild at the moment and centred on my hands and an old ankle injury.

Hands get as much warmth as I can give them and I use "finger sleeves" (http://amzn.eu/d5nJS7t) for a bit of compression and extra warmth when gloves aren't appropriate. When they aren't enough I use Voltorol gel on my hands. I'm also a fan of a zippo hand warmer when the workshop gets too cold.

When the ankle gets angry my physiotherapist told me to use neproxen to reduce the inflammation. I find taking one of those a day for 2 days usually gets it back in its box. Cushioning (good socks and good insoles) and support (good boots) is the best I can find to keep it there.

And rest. My doc told me that people who don't use their hands much need to use them more and those who use them a lot need to use them less. So when my hands are flaring I have an evening or two away from the keyboard and the mouse.
 
Ian that sounds about like me..I know a carpenter friend who said if he quit using his his would draw up...i try to rest mine when flareups happen and I use voltaren also.Ill check the gloves and wraps out. I have used the handwarmera Thanks!
 
I have a local health food store - not a chain. I also find it at a local produce store - regional chain. Currently the brand is Solaray and the dosage is no more than 6 a day, one at a time, or, every four hours. Usually find two dosages work fine. And not necessarily everyday. Depends on what I am doing. YMMV.

Like others, cold exacerbates things. Gloves at night help a lot.
 
Mike Turner said:
...I know a carpenter friend who said if he quit using his his would draw up...
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Yeah some winter mornings when I wake up I have to use one hand to straighten out the fingers on the other and vice versa. I'm guessing its kinda my visit from the ghost of christmas future!
 
Get off the carbs, when I cut the carbs a LOT in my diet, my knees got better real quick, if I eat any substantial amount of carbs, my knees hurt, its all about the inflammation.

The turmeric works too, but you have to have it with a small amount of black pepper or it does not absorb well into your system.
 
Bart Leetch said:
The LOML & I were just discussing this yesterday. In years gone people used chicken soup or broth . My be worth a try.
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I believe the theory here is basically bone broth. If you make a real chicken bone broth it has a pretty substantial amount of gelatin in it which contains a lot of the glucosamine and chondroitin type compounds. You know you've got it right if it solidifies when it's cold. My grandpa's made himself something pretty similar out of beef bones and swore by it.
 
I have a little osteoarthritis, mostly in my neck. It's the RA that bothers me most. I'm on Cimzia monthly, methotrexate weekly, along with Celebrex and prednisone as needed for flareups.
 
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