Urgent, arthritis

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bicycleracer

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Need some help pronto. I have a paying gig tommorow night (36hrs from now) and I woke up this morning with stiffness and swelling ( I know you are snickering) in my left index finger knuckle(distal) . I have never had any joint problems before, even when racing bicycles. The swelling is most problematic as it has really limited my movement.
I am taking Ibuprofin and will start icing. Is there anything else? Are there more effective meds?

Cheers,
Bicycleracer
 
ibuprofen is it

for otc.....
then you've got a plethora of drugs available, if you go to the doc.
 
Ibuprofin is about as good as you can get for an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug. Alternate between cold and hot to reduce the swelling at a faster rate.

I doubt that it's arthritis that you have. Arthritis is a gradual, degenerative process... it doesn't just show up "all of a sudden." Sounds to me like you accidentally jammed the finger somehow, possibly forgetting when and where, or possibly even during sleep.

I know all about having arthritis in a left-index finger. I had my left hand pulled into a bag-making machine 15 years ago and it crushed the joint of my left index finger and also broke the finger in 3 (other) seperate places. My middle finger was broken in two places.

Imagine that...

One day I could copy any lick Jimmy Page or EVH ever did, and the next day I was told I would probably never play guitar again. Fortunately, due to surgery, I have regained about 75% usage of my left index finger and the middle one is 100%. That's not too bad, considering that I couldn't even pick up a guitar for over 2 years after the accident. :(

On the upside, though, I bought a set of drums and taught myself to play them after a year of feeling sorry for myself... so it wasn't a total loss that this happened. Holding the drum sticks helped me regain hand strength, too... which quickened my recovery. Anyway, I now suffer from arthritis in my left index finger. Sometimes it gets pretty painful during quick, drastic changes in temperature or a drop in barometric pressure. I can tell you when it's going to rain an hour or two before it actually starts.
If you are extremely worried about your playing ability for your gig, find someplace in your area where they will lend or sell you a "TENS" unit. I used one during my therapy 15 years ago (when it was cutting-edge technology) but I believe they are used quite commonly now. It's basically a little electronic unit that sends a small electrical charge to an injury, easing the pain and instantly increasing mobility. You put on some goopy gel, attach the little pad, and VOILA!... instant pain relief. ;)

At the very least, take two "Aleve" tablets just before you play. That stuff works wonders!

Hope this helps a bit.

Good luck with the gig! :)
 
Although I have studied arthritis in physiology class recently I kinda just figured it was my time. You are right that immediate display of symptoms is probably not arthritis. I will look into the "tens" unit. I have friends in medical places...maybe I could make a song outta that.
Again, Thanks for the assist.
I'm still anxious to see if anyone else has any othere experiences.

Kind regards,
Racer
 
As buck stated, you probably don't have arthritis but its best to go to the doctor and have it checked out.

Personally, I've had degenerative arthritis in my major joints and spine for the past 20 years. No picnic and I won't whine about it here, but:

Be VERY careful about getting on meds for any length of time. Most (especially steroid-based) have serious side effects and you can end up with more problems from the meds that the disease itself. Too many doctors are too quick to shove potent drugs down you that will come back to haunt you 10-20 years from now.

Don't fall for the herbal/natural bunk. There's more quack medicine in arthritis than all other branches of medicine put together, 'cause all the scam artists know that these people are the most desperate for pain relief.

If you have serious considerations that it is the onset of arthritis, get to a qualified rheumatologist to screen you.

and finally,

NEVER let your health insurance lapse for any reason. Any mention of arthritis on you records will make you nearly uninsurable and NOTHING about it is cheap when its coming out of your own pocket....
 
Go to your local vitamin store that sells homeopathy and pick up some Arnica Montana, Rhus Tox and Ruta Graveolens. The best potency is the 200C strength but more than likely you'll only find it in the 30C strength. Buy the 30C short term and order the 200C. Dissolve (3) pellets in ~4oz. of water. For acute cases you can take it every couple hours. Arnica works on the swelling while the Rhus Tox and Ruta Grav work to repair the damaged tissue. Note: Avoid coffee and products containing mint as they neutralize the homeopathic remedies. Now go play! :)
 
You're way ahead of yourself. You are not competent to make a self diagnosis. There are bizzillions of reasons you could have the symptoms you have. Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, a ganglion, old fracture with a bone chip in the joint capsule. I doubt Ibuprofen will do any harm, but if you have, say, Osteomyelitis, Ibuprofen isn't going to do much for you. See a Doctor.-Richard Monroe RN
 
ive got carple tunnel in my right wrist and tendonitice from right about my elbow down in my right arm. i know the kind of pain your talking about. i found that if i stretch my wrist and arm before playing, during playing, and after playing, it helps greatly. my wrist will swell just from sleeping wrong.


try stretching and loading up on all the anti-swelling stuff you can find. icy hot, tiger balm, bengay, anything like that might help. it could very well be just a stubbed finger. who knows, do you remember doing anything to it?


watch the pills the doctor will give. mine gave me celebrex which worked fine.....until i started to puke constantly for about a week, turns out, he made my ulcers bleed from those pills and never checked into the side-effects of them. just watch out. i had to go to the hospital and crap, and miss work, without pay. i switiched doctors after that.


but just take it easy. if it hurts, dont do it. it cant be good.


freak
 
I have a condition called loose ligaments. Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like. My ligaments are loose. This means my hands are extremely flexible, which sounds like a good thing until you realize that the ligaments and the tendons run along the same paths. As my hands move, the ligaments rub up against the tendons, which causes something very much like tendonitis. I have been having hand and forearm pains since I was eighteen. I can bend my fingers back to about a ninety degree angle, which I hope (for your sake) none of you can do.

For me, it is important that I do not stretch my hands anymore than I have to, because they will easily go past what is healthy. When you stretch, you stop when you experience pain, because that is when you are doing damage. When I stretch, if I go to the point where I feel pain, I am long past the place where I am doing damage.

The things I have found which help in my situation, and would help in most other peoples situations, are first of all heat. Right before I play, I soak my hands in the hottest water I can stand. I also dip my hands in melted paraffin wax at least once a day, which is hugely helpful. Second, when I am done playing, I soak my hands in the coldest water I can stand. This helps to reduce and heal swelling. Lastly, as you have already done, is when I am having a really bad day, I take Advil. I have had a doctor tell me I should take an Advil everyday, but I am not comfortable with the stomach consequences of that.


Hope that helps, at least a little.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Richard Monroe said:
You're way ahead of yourself. You are not competent to make a self diagnosis. There are bizzillions of reasons you could have the symptoms you have. Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, a ganglion, old fracture with a bone chip in the joint capsule. I doubt Ibuprofen will do any harm, but if you have, say, Osteomyelitis, Ibuprofen isn't going to do much for you. See a Doctor.-Richard Monroe RN
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I won't do it again (smile, wink) Thanks for all of the advice. I have been icing and then heating plus a regular pattern of advil. The pain is not so bad as the swelling. I have a few tunes that use the C on the B string and they take a little work for my never-been-fat-before finger. Kinda reminds me of that Steve Martin movie where he was a brain in a jar and had been left in the sun and it burned out his Z's. My C's may be missing in action.

Again, I really appreciate all the help. The show must go on!

Bicycle racer
 
After having the doctor completely blow my concerns off ("It's arthritis. [shrug]"), I undertook to treat myself for serious pain and decreasing mobility in some of my fingers.

I decided that one thing that might work was cortisone, having been successfully treated with injections in my shoulder many years ago. I figured I might be able to get enough in my knuckles transdermally by rubbing in ointment. I had some 1% cortisone goop sold OTC for itching, so I started rubbing that into the most seriously affected knuckle.

Nothing else was helping.

In about a week, I had full mobility back and no pain. I periodically rub it in again to stay ahead of relapse.

Since then, I have discovered that this is a very common treatment.

I got a whole pile of this stuff for $1 a tube at the local dollar store.

You might try this. It's medically sound, cheap and can't hurt.
 
bongolation said:
After having the doctor completely blow my concerns off ("It's arthritis. [shrug]"), I undertook to treat myself for serious pain and decreasing mobility in some of my fingers.

I decided that one thing that might work was cortisone, having been successfully treated with injections in my shoulder many years ago. I figured I might be able to get enough in my knuckles transdermally by rubbing in ointment. I had some 1% cortisone goop sold OTC for itching, so I started rubbing that into the most seriously affected knuckle.

Nothing else was helping.

In about a week, I had full mobility back and no pain. I periodically rub it in again to stay ahead of relapse.

Since then, I have discovered that this is a very common treatment.

I got a whole pile of this stuff for $1 a tube at the local dollar store.

You might try this. It's medically sound, cheap and can't hurt.
Click to expand...


You want to be careful about cortisone, as it will accelerate the rate of deterioration in your joints. It provides temporary relief, but when the relief wears off, the problem is worse, and eventually the problem will get to the point where the damage is so sever the cortisone will not help anymore.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
You want to be careful about cortisone, as it will accelerate the rate of deterioration in your joints. It provides temporary relief, but when the relief wears off, the problem is worse, and eventually the problem will get to the point where the damage is so sever the cortisone will not help anymore.
Click to expand...
This is true in the case of repeated cortisone injections, which are often immense, but from what I can gather online it poses no problem in the case of infinitely smaller amounts absorbed transdermally.

If I can ever find a competent doctor who actually cares, I'll run it by him and see what he says.:confused:

Short term use of 1% cortisone ointment should certainly pose no problem.

That the effects of cortisone are only temporary I would also dispute; I had chronic pain in my right shoulder for years, and after one cortisone injection into the joint, I have had not a single instance of pain there in over twenty years. It's probably the only medical procedure I've ever had that was 100% successful.
 
It went well

I suppose I took a little stress off of myself by having a little trouble to fall back on...if that makes sense.
The gig went well. It was my first gig and most folks did not even move from where they were standing to listen to what I was playing. That's how it goes I suppose. Later, however, several folks came up to me and commented on how much they enjoyed my playing.
I guess my ego tells me that they should have been standing there with their eyes glued. Oh well, no one left.

Thanks for all of great feedback. The finger is starting to loosen up a bit. just in time to entertain the in-laws. Yeah, I'm all blowed up!

Ciao,
Bicicletta Primo!
 
bicycleracer...

You might have a volar plate injury too... I have played baseball and softball for many many many years... never an injury...

Then last year... FIRST game of a church league softball season... last inning... last out... of a game we had already lost, the shortstop ran into me as I was running between second and third base.

My finger hit him funny (not sure how)... hurt like you wouldn't believe, but I thought I had just sprained it.

It swelled up... turned black and blue... doctor said "should be ok... just jammed the joint"... but after a few days of it being even worse I had it x-rayed.

I busted the volar plate, which is the little bone on the bottom of the joint to which the tendon is attached... had to immobilize the joint for a month.

Now its better, I can once again play guitar, but the finger is noticeably larger at the knuckle than any other finger and I can't straighten it 100%.

Have to wear my wedding ring on my other hand because I haven't gotten it resized yet to fit over my knuckle.

Velvet Elvis
 
Hey I don't mean to high jack a thread but was it ever proven that knuckle popping can add to your risk of arthritis? Or was that just an old wive's tale?
 
Info from the Mayo Clinic:

"Knuckles are the metacarpophalangeal joints connecting your fingers to the rest of your hand bones. Synovial fluid lubricates these joints, nourishes the cartilage and helps stabilize the joint by acting as an adhesive.

When you crack your knuckles — by pulling or pushing on a finger — you produce a gas bubble in the joint. This causes a separation of the joint. The cracking sound you hear is the disruption of the adhesive seal.

It may take awhile for the joint to reseal and before you can crack your knuckles again. No scientific evidence indicates that knuckle cracking will cause arthritis. However, it may cause soreness of the joint."

Basically if you read up on things it will say that long time habitual knuckle crackers will cause damage to their joints... one of which can be swelling, which can affect arthritis... so no... it doesn't seem to cause it directly, but yes it can damage your hands and cause other complications which can lead to arthritis.

Velvet Elvis
 
Oh okay so technically knuckle popping won't give you arthritis. Much the same as technically AIDS won't kill you.

thanks elvis.
 
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