My fingers are constantly aching and swelling, but one in particular is always swollen and now beginning to turn or twist inward. I'm considering looking into some type of brace that will keep it from becoming disfigured. I'm way too young for hands like this!!! Is anyone else experiencing this?
Hi Melody! So there are a few different thoughts. My first thought is wondering if your disease is well controlled. If you're having a lot of continuing inflammation, it likely isn't, as this is a sign of damage. So the only way to slow/stop the progression of damage is proper treatment.
If your fingers are rotating without bending to the side, there may not be a lot. Compression sleeves or gloves may be useful for pain control and warmth, but I don't think any splints work well for twisting. A number of my fingers have done this over the last few years.
On other issues, there are finger splints. The oval-8 finger splints are plastic, and relatively inexpensive. You can buy them online, and are a good way to try these out. Many people stick with these. I now wear a ring splint permanently and full-time on my index finger. It is developing a swan neck deformity, is painful, and locks. I wear a Siris Silver Ring Splint on the PIP joint, and love it. It's attractive, and does the job well. It's also more comfortable than the oval-8s. They're more expensive.
That same finger, and a number of others, the DIP joint has twisted. Not much I can do about it. The thumb that is bending, I may get a silver splint that can keep it from going further. The pinky fingers that both lock and click, I don't worry about, as they are only rarely painful, and don't appear disfigured.
If you want to talk more about it, feel free to friend me, and we can talk more.
Meloxicam can help but braces don’t. My finger damage happened during a 4 month flare. Meloxicam has prevented the severe swelling, dislocation, and deformation since. I attached a few pictures of my hands.
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Hi Melody, I have been having pain with limited swelling in my hands and wrists. My left baby finger has been painful off and on for the past 3 months and is showing a lump on the inside. I also have another lump on my pointer finger of my right hand and left wrist has a larger then normal lump. I have pain in various joints on and off however a few joints hurt daily. I'm 3.5 months on MTX, started because of the increase in flares. The flares(extreme pain) have not occurred in about 6 weeks however I am having less pain in several joints. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow and will talk to him more about this. Take care and I hope you feel better soon <3