Me and my arthritis again ��....anyone's fingers lock up when chopping food etc?

[Icantstopeatinglol]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has fingers that lock straight when too much pressure is put on them. I was chopping food last night and my index finger kept locking straight then it would after a few seconds pop back to normal!?
I've got psoriatic arthritis and there's actually a slight indentation over the finger joint and I think it's a tendon which is getting stuck? It's not exactly painful but I think it will be eventually. I have swollen knuckles from my arthritis but my next appt. isn't until June! ??

Bump...anyone?

Yes me but I don't know why it happens only that it does. I have rheumatoid arthritis and it happens in my damaged fingers. In fact it happened today when chopping veg! Can be painful like an ache as well.

Yea pandsbear that's exactly what I was doing, chopping veg! Fingers are sore now, might have to start being more careful and buying ready chopped veg just to save my energy and fingers!
...another issue to add to my list. Just worried I'm not seeing the consultant until June and I'm concerned about the damage

Yes, my L index finger often does that, and my L & R middle fingers do it sometimes... Not just when they're under pressure, but also when they get cold or I don't move them for a while.

A similar thing happens with my jaw, some of the small bones in my feel, and sometimes my knees. I have arthritis in these places too. I've always assumed that it's a combination of my hypermobility (I have hypermobility syndrome) plus arthritis, particularly depleted 'lubrication' in the joints, less joint space, and maybe osteophytes... But maybe I'm wrong...

Hi flow4 what are the symptoms of hypermobility syndrome? One rheumatologist did say this to me once but that was that! I do have problems with my tendons and especially elbows (when I show people how my elbows rotate they're shocked lol!). It's always just been one of those things for me but I'm now wondering if that's caused some of the problems I have now?

The jaw thing you mentioned flow4 does your jaw lock up sometimes when you yawn??

I have hypermobility syndrome, my jaw locks sometimes when I yawn and then clicks for a while (yuck!).
I thought I was double jointed until my wrist started hurting a few years ago. I can bend all my fingers back, my elbows rotate, my toes can be alarming.. Diagnosed hypermobility, but I think mine is quite mild? There is a scale you can check against - google the Brighton scale??
My consultant basically explained that I have no brakes on how far my joints twist, so they go further than normal. As a result I had eroded the cartilage in my right wrist, it was frayed at the ends. I had an op to tidy it up, which really helped (after steroids and 2 years in a splint).
Currently my elbow is knackered - can't pick things up especially at a stretch? But I'm putting off the drs apt as I keep hoping it'll get better.
Interestingly, they say I am guaranteed to get arthritis - which you seem to have first?
I have to try to consciously not over-extend my joints.

Hi pepperrabbit yea I've got psoriatic arthritis but I can remember as a kid being able to wrap me legs round my neck etc (I can't do this now lol!). Just before I was diagnosed last year my first rheumatologist just said in passing 'yea you're hypermobile', that was after a few checks on my joints. I'm assuming it's not severe or anything tho cos he never really said anything else.
I've had golfers elbow etc and I do think that's because my tendons have been over stretched basically.
I have to be careful in yoga cos a lot of positions I find easy and I've got to watch not to over stretch.
Definitely going to mention this at my next appt.

When I was younger and fitter if I did press ups I would have my fingers flat on the floor at a right angle to the rest of my hand - when I mentioned this the look of shock and horror on the consultants face was a sight to behold. He kind of stuttered, "please, please don't do that"
I'm actually wondering what exercise I can do that will get me fit again but without straining any of my joints at all - choices seem limited.

I've just looked at that Brighton scale pepperrabbit and have scored 3 without really trying and I used to be a lot more flexible! Think it's definitely a factor.
Both my elbows pretty much turn back on themselves and I can put my hands flat on the floor and I'm not even very flexible anymore! I used to be able to bend my fingers right back but now have arthritis in them so that's too painful.
God my body's shot to shit! Oh well, there's worse I suppose lol!

I have joint inflammation through lupus and generally clicky joints and sometimes my fingers just refuse to work/lock up. changing channels, chopping things, knitting and crocheting (my craft faves). I drop things on a regular basis too. Hate it.

daisy it's pants isn't it! My fingers seem to be locking more and more these days. It doesn't actually hurt but still scary

Sorry, I was out all day yesterday, so have just caught up! :)

Yes, my jaw does lock Icant. Sometimes when eating, sometimes when yawning, sometimes for no apparent reason. Several times a day.

There's an important difference between hypermobility and hypermobility syndrome (HMS). Lots of people are hypermobile - i.e. 'just bendy'. However, if you develop chronic pain plus certain other specific things like incontinence or varicose veins, you may be diagnosed with HMS. (I say 'may' because it's an under-recognised and under-diagnosed condition).

Here's a booket from Arthritis UK about HMS, which I think is well-written and useful. :)

I'd be interested to hear how you got your diagnosis of PsA, Icant, if you're happy to tell me more... Particularly the features/symptoms they used to diagnose, how much psoriasis you have and whether your blood tests show inflammatory factor? PsA was something docs considered and dismissed for me, and my diagnosis is HMS plus osteoarthritis... but sometimes I wonder, because my arthritis is widespread and pretty aggressive, and I'm still fairly young...

Hi flow4, yea I think I'm probably just hypermobile and it's the psa causing most the problems.
It took a while for my diagnosis as I've had problems with joints/tendons for years but it got slowly more aggressive over the last few years. I've had neck problems for years, golfers elbow, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, you name it I've had it! It was the Achilles tendonitis that got me eventually referred to see a rheumatologist as it lasted ages and I was struggling to walk. He diagnosed me with enthesopathy and he was the one that mentioned me being hypermobile.
Anyway, the next appt I had with him I mentioned my swollen fingers and toes and that was that. He diagnosed me with psa as apparently swollen fingers and toes are one of the main symptoms along with psoriasis and my other symptoms. I've been tested for rheumatoid a few times and it's been negative. My bloods when I was on methotrexate did show my inflammation markers going up when I was feeling bad. My knuckles are visibly swollen at the minute and I think that's what's causing my finger to lock.
Still waiting to be put on the right medication and I can feel a flare starting up so I'm trying to ignore it!

Thank you. So no psoriasis then? The doc seemed to dismiss the possibility of PsA with me because I don't have psoriasis - tho perhaps a couple of tiny patches...
I haven't had swollen fingers, but my toes have been sometimes, and both hands and feet are painful.

Yea I have psoriasis, I've had it for years and at the time the arthritis seemed to flare up my psoriasis was particularly bad. Thing is, you can still have psa with minimal psoriasis and sometimes none. Sometimes the arthritis comes first, tho this is less common.
Look up sausage digits, that's what my toes go like sometimes.

....my hands and feet are the worst tho, it can be debilitating at times and it's hard when you look fine to others but are in agony.

Yes, it certainly is!

flow I have a psa diagnosis and ten percent of patients get the arthritis first and the psoriasis only turns up later. I had what I thought was eczema on my nipples and patches of very dry skin on my legs.That was enough for my rheum as I had all the other flags, enthesitis, unhappy Achilles and in my case sacrolilliac issues.To be honest I didn't really believe it for a while but it's looking pretty textbook these days (apart from the lack of widespread psoriasis )

Well I'm sick as a chip, steroid jab has lasted just over two wks and I'm now starting to feel it all flare back up again. I'm exhausted too. I've no patience with dh and dc which then makes me feel bad.
......back to codeine

denial do you feel your psa flare up when you're on your period? Think that's what's kicked it all off again. I'm just hoping it eases off again.

I believe my ankylosing spondylitis(imflammatory arthritis) is worse leading up to my period x

I have a mirena haven't had a period in three years I think hormones do affect all this and I do wonder if the mirena is making me worse.

but it has literally made my endometriosis disappear so you win some you lose some i suppose. sorry you are suffering op

I don't trust myself to use an knife these days, my grip is really poor. Arthritis sucks balls!