Arthritis - what helps?

[EstellaHavisham]

I have arthritis in my neck, not majorly but enough to cause discomfort.
Now it's in my fingers and thumbs and yesterday I woke up with my thumbs really bad from the knuckle onwards.
I know I can just go to the Dr but all they seem to give me is painkillers which make me feel spaced.
If you have arthritis what do you do for it?

[FoggyMorn]

If you are looking for an alternative to painkillers, have you thought about trying to identify food triggers? Obviously, this isn't going to work for everyone, but certainly some people find certain foods cause joint inflammation.

If you are interested in exploring that, you could try an elimination diet for a few weeks. Google will help you there! For me, gluten and night-shades (potato and tomato, peppers, aubergine) are problematic, I've heard others react to dairy... It's very individual!

[FoggyMorn]

If you are looking for an alternative to painkillers, have you thought about trying to identify food triggers? Obviously, this isn't going to work for everyone, but certainly some people find certain foods cause joint inflammation.

If you are interested in exploring that, you could try an elimination diet for a few weeks. Google will help you there! For me, gluten and night-shades (potato and tomato, peppers, aubergine) are problematic, I've heard others react to dairy... It's very individual!

[EstellaHavisham]

Thanks for the reply Foggy

I am already gluten free as gluten puffs me up and makes me itch all over.
I haven't tried avoiding anything else though but it's something to look into.
I work in a refrigerated environment so that doesn't help and I wear gloves etc.
Are there any supplements you take that help?

[ConkersDontScareSpiders]

I take all the usual cod liver oil type supplements. And I avoid dairy as that does seem to help a bit But really the only thing that has made a big difference is medication-I'm on methatraxate.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Have you tried compression gloves for your hand pain?

[EstellaHavisham]

Mine I haven't yet but I will do. They only really flared up the past couple of days but it's still Summer so I'm dreading Winter if it's bad now.

Conkers Does the methatraxate have any side effects?

[chalky3]

The best thing I can recommend is rest, not always easy I know! But simple things like sitting still for 5 mins, lying flat on the floor, or stretching slowly really do help. You could try yoga as it strengthens your muscles which in turn helps support your joints.
Perhaps you could have your arthritis medication reviewed, sometimes you need something different to help control the symptoms.
As for methotrexate, I found it effective in controlling my symptoms but it suppressed my immune system so much that I was permanently unwell with colds etc. I stopped taking it after becoming so run down that I was off work for several weeks. However, I know it works for many others.

I think you should visit your doctor to discuss your concerns. Don't be fobbed off with just painkillers

[FoggyMorn]

I make sure I eat oily fish a couple of times a week, vit d3 supplement (and sunlight!), seeds and nuts daily for the vit and minerals they contain. Hydroxy b12 sublingual drops daily, and 5methylfolate. Some of those because I have a low (genetic) )ability to utilise some forms more commonly used in supplements, and deficiency can cause muscle/joint/skin issues. Better to get things from food where possible but that isn't always practical.

[stupidgreatgrinonmyface]

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00CUD4G6E?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">these work brilliantly. My hands are usually really bad in winter - struggle to hold a pen even - last winter I wore these and the pain and mobility was so much improved. They reflect warmth back into the hand as well as compressing the hand.

[TheFairyCaravan]

BioFreeze is brilliant. I use it in the gel and roll on form. The roll on is good for hands because it's less likely to get in your eye.

DS1(21) has a significant knee injury atm he's getting more relief from the BioFreeze than anything else.

[ConkersDontScareSpiders]

Yes-also always made up with cold/chest/ear infections... Which sucks but not as much as not being able to move about (my arthritis at its worst was pretty harsh).
I like the look of those warm glove thingies!

[mineofuselessinformation]

The link to the gloves are the ones I have. they really help!
And yes to yoga - I've plenty of other sore places, but it has really helped my lower back.

[Grausse]

There are different kinds of arthritis. Osteo arthritis and Inflammatory arthritis ( of which one is Rheumatoid).
I have both.
The osteo affects my neck and finger tip joints. There aren't specific drugs other than painkillers. I found physiotherapy very helpful especially for the neck.
RA is different. a different pain with other symptoms such as fatigue. Methotrexate is a pretty powerful drug used for Rheumatoid arthritis.

I find my RA is well controlled by drugs but not much helps the osteo.
Ask your GP for a proper diagnosis.