Hand Health & Recovery By Henry
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How can you get things better & have healthier hands? How to treat arthritis in hands? How easy it will be?

There are many parts to it & it’s excellent if you start asking those questions. It means you’re getting ready to make some significant changes to fix things up.

Well, a lot depends on you.. & if you want to make the difference in the long run, you can. First & foremost, you always want do your best to maintain positive attitude.

Dealing with arthritis is rather a process than seeking a sudden change overnight. Fortunately, there are multiple ways how you can boost your hand health.

How to Start Treating Arthritis – Stay Positive & Take Action

Arthritis Can Affect Any Joint in Body but.. How to Treat Arthritis in Hands?

Let’s Break it Down into 5 Stages:

  • 1st Step – Anti-inflammatory drugs – Using both OTC medicine & prescribed drugs if necessary – To get inflammation under control & reduce swelling in tendons, joints & soft tissue.
  • 2nd Step – Physical therapy – Exercise, exercise, exercise! Once pain is gone, being active helps & is excellent way to go. Muscle is cushion that supports & protects your joints = Less pain.
  • 3rd Step – Using splints – Doing everything you can to keep good posture & protect joints is a very smart move. It helps your joints to sit in correct position & prevents further injuries.
  • 4th Step – Corticosteroids – Both oral & injectable. IF previous steps won’t help well enough, this is a possible good option & one of the last resorts before surgery to get relief from pain.
  • 5th Step – Surgery – If nothing else helps, the injury & trauma is causing too much pain & is not responding to regular physical therapy, for various reasons, surgery can be a good option.

In this topic we will be focusing on #2 Physical Therapy
In other words: Things that you can do at Home to improve your hands health
Exercises & equipment that you can use to get better. Warm-up exercises & exercises with equipment.
All the useful moves that you can do at home, to be healthier & hopefully won’t have to pay too many visits to doctor.

Maintain a Positive Attitude – It’s Effective & Proven Way to Strengthen Your Entire Immune System

It’s already scientifically proven way to effectively strengthen your body, including your entire immune system against
arthritis. Having an upper hand is never a bad thing, isn’t it? Let’s leverage from it.

Having positive mindset not only helps you to stay on track, but gives you an extra boost in anything you do. Remember,
even more importantly, it’s essential to pair it up with physical training.

It’s important to take action! It’s important to set plans, stand up, get going, & keep yourself busy to make a difference.
Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely.
Ask any rheumatologist out there, & they would tell you that, what you need to do is rest, but not too much.

Go ahead, rest up & then it’s time for taking action. No excuses here.
It’s good in the long run to prevent further stiffness, fatigue & joint pain. Daily exercises are mandatory.

Doesn’t matter how severe your case is, or what type of arthritis you are facing, you’re not alone in this &
you can always do something for yourself & improve.

Leverage from More Muscle & Functional Strength

Muscle is Like a Cushion

What we want to achieve here is not getting you on Olympia stage, but to achieve more functional strength.
Every little bit you add goes a long way, to live a full, active life.

You can start with gentle flexibility exercises for warm-up & simple stretching. It’s good idea to go from there. Along the way it’s smart to accommodate your body accordingly, keep testing, what can you do & how can you do it.

Keep testing, what works for you & what doesn’t. It’s normal that everybody is a bit different & responds differently to different exercises – Let’s discover what works the best for you.

Once you feel better, don’t hesitate to add intensity – It’s time to step it up with strengthening exercises.

Let’s start with warm-up & stretching exercises:

Muscles are designed to protect & reinforce your body. Having more muscle, can result in less joint pain.
More muscle mass helps to take some of the unnecessary pressure off from joints – It acts like cushion for your joints.
Building stronger muscles around your joints can help to protect your tendons & contributes into overall well being.

Stronger & Bigger Muscles are Excellent – They’re Like Cushion that Helps to Protect Your Joints

There are plenty of simple, yet effective exercises – Something for every occasion & every taste.
I’ll also show you equipment how to strengthen your forearms & grip. Such as rubber-bands & wrist-rollers.
Let’s take a closer look at different forms of arthritis – The most common types & how can you recognize them..

Once you know what you’re dealing with,
it’s much easier to start asking questions & fix yourself up:

So, We Know it’s Arhtritis but.. How Many Different Forms of Arthritis Are There?

Over 100 Different Forms of Arthritis

There are well over 100 different forms of arthritis & related diseases. The large number of variety means that each case likely shares similar qualities & at the same time can be quite unique. The Top 8 Most Common Types of Arthritis include:

How to treat arthritis in your hands
  1. Osteoarthritis (OA),
  2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA),
  3. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA),
  4. Fibromyalgia (Fibrositis)
  5. Gouty Arthritis (Gout)
  6. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  7. Back pain related arthritis
  8. Other Musculoskeletal Pain

About 25% people who are affected by these type of related diseases, say that it causes severe pain. Described on a 10 point scale it’s 7 or higher. Let’s also take a closer & more detailed look on most common types of arthritis:

What Are the Causes & Symptoms of Common Types of Arthritis?

#1 Osteoarthritis (OA)

#1 Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common medical condition that can be treated but not cured – Statistically, there are more than 3 million US cases per year. It mostly affects population over 40 years old, but can occur in any age regardless.

In OA flexible tissue at the ends of bones wears down – The protective cartilage inside of the joint breaks down.

Once that happens, it makes the natural movements of affected joints much more difficult & often painful.
If bones of the joint start directly rubbing against one another, it can lead to causing severe pain.

Pain can also occur from other parts of your joints than cartilage – Ligaments, syvonium & bone.
It varies from person to person how severe the pain is associated with Osteoarthritis – It can range from mild to severe.

  • What is Osteoarthritis?
    “Wear & Tear” arthritis – Also called degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis (OA) is statistically the most common chronoc condition of the joints. Osteoarthritis usually occurs if the cartilage between your joints breaks down. It leads to stiffness, as well as swelling & pain.
  • What are the symptoms of Osteoarthritis?
    The most common symptom in Osteoarthris case is stiffness – Something that usually occurs particulary after resting or waking up in the morning. It pairs up with pain & affected joints also may get swollen after extended periods of activity.
  • What causes Osteoarthritis?
    No direct, specific cause – It’s a combinations of multiple factors that lead to the developments of Osteoarthtis. Several factors are such as: 1. Excess bodyweight; 2. Repetitive motions leading to overuse; 3. Injuries & traumas; 4. Genes, skeletal structure anomaly
  • How to diagnose Osteoarthritis?
    Diagnosing Osteoarthritis starts with physical examination that includes your medical history. If necessary diagnostic test are applied: X-ray imaging to confirm diagnosis, or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for better imaging to spot abnormalities.
  • How to treat Osteoarthritis?
    There are several options to treat Osteoarthritis – Weight management, physical activity & stretching that you can do at home on your own. Physical therapy, as well as cold & hot therapy. Treatment includes pain & anti-inflammatory medications. As a last resort joint replacement surgery is also possibility.
#2 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

#2 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is considered as common medical condition that can be treated but not cured – There are more than 200,000 US cases per year. RA mostly affects population over 40 year old, but can affect younger population.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) usually symmetrical, autoimmune disease – If one knee or wrist is afffected, then the other one will be too. In Rheumatoid Arthritis case body’s immune system attacks its own tissue – Usually joints & in severe cases, it can attack internal organs as well.

In RA immune system becomes overactive – It’s an autoimmune disease, which means it can’t be cured. RA attacks healthy tissue & the immune system primarily affects lining of the joints which is called the synovium.

Over time, as Rheumatoid Arthritis progresses, the persistent inflammation breaks down the joints & damages them permanently. Pain occurs in synovium as well as in bones & ligaments.

  • What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
    RA is an autoimmune disease – Body immune system, which in normal situation protects its health, defends attacks from bacteria, viruses & foreign substances, becomes overactive. As a result it mistakenly attacks the joints.
  • What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?
    Abnormal response of the immune system is considered one of the leading roles of RA. Meanwhile, the exact cause of RA is not yet fully understood. Researches have shown that some people with specific genetic markers have a greater chance of developing Rheumatoid Arthritis. Yet not all people with these markers develop RA.
  • What are the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthrits?
    Common symtoms include: Joint inflammation & pain. These are paired with fatigue, fever & loss for appetite. Tenderness, stiffness & swelling. As a systemic disease, in severe cases it may also affect internal organs & body systems.
  • How to diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis?
    A rheumatologist has specific skills & training to diagnose as well as treat RA. Diagnosing RA starts with physical examination that includes your personal & family medical history. Diagnosing includes blood tests to determine inflammation & antibodies count in body. Diagnostic tests may follow such as X-ray imaging, ultrasound or magnetic resonance scan – These are helpful to look for possible joint damage.
  • How to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis?
    The main focus is on remission – The goal is to stop inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis. This condition can’t be cured. Main focus is on relieving symptoms, preventing joint & organ damage, meanwhile improving physical function & overall well-being to reduce possible long term complications. Mild cases of RA can be managed with anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID’s) & sever cases with antirheumatic drugs (DMARD’s)
#3 Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)

#3 Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)

Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is considered as a common disease that can be treated but not cured – More than 200,000 US cases per year. People affected most likely by Psoriatic Arthritis are in age between 30-60 years.

Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) an autoimmune inflammatory disease. If you think psoriasis is related to skin disease, you’re right. In this case these two are paired up. In Psoriatic Arthritis it occurs in both, skin & joints.

Joints, connective tissue between tendons, ligaments & bones are affected, causing arthritis & enthesitis. PsA also affects skin & is causing psoriasis.

Person can also have psoriasis & a specific form of arthritis at the same time which isn’t actually Psoriatic Arthritis.
There are 5 different types of Psoriatic Arthritis:

  1. Symmetric PsA – 50% cases: Affects joints on both sides of the body at the same time
  2. Asymmetric PsA – 35% cases: Affects joint on one sides of the body at the time
  3. Distal PsA – Causes stiffness & inflammation near the ends of toes & fingers
  4. Spondilytis – Causes stiffness in the neck & spine
  5. Arthritis Mutilans – 5% cases: The most severe case that causes deformalities in joints, fingers & toes
  • What is Psoriatic Arthritis?
    PsA is autoimmune inflammatory disease – Body immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, in PsA case joints & skin are affected.
  • What are the symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis?
    Most people affected with PsA have always skin symptomps before joint symptoms. PsA symptoms are skin rashes, eye problems. Also fatigue & tenderness. Swelling in fingers & feet that causes stiffness & joint pain.
  • What causes Psoriatic Arthritis?
    Psoriatic Arthritis cause is still unknown. Scientists believe some people can be predisposed to this autoimmune disease. Might be genetic. PsA can be dormant in the  body until triggered by outside influence – Throat infection & bacteria in skin. Also extreme stress or injury that makes body immune system to go overdrive.
  • How to diagnose Psoriatic Arthritis?
    Diagnosing PsA is difficult – It’s likely it frequently mimics other forms of arthritis – Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), also Gouty Arthritis. Diagnosing starts with physical exams followed by diagnostic tests such as X-ray imaging to see changes in joints & bones. Since PsA mimics other forms of arthritis, a big part of diagnosing is about ruling out other conditions.
  • How to treat Psoriatic Arthritis?
    PsA can’t be cured – Treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID’s) or antirheumatic drugs (DMARD’s). Several over-the-counter (OTC) & presciption medicines are used for PsA to target either skin problems, or joint issues. Treatment may include corticosteroids – Both oral & injectable. Topical medicines directly applied to skin. Also light therapy can be part of treatment – Exposing skin regularly to ultraviolet light.
#4 Fibromyalgia (Fibrositis)

#4 Fibromyalgia (Fibrositis)

Fibromyalgia (also called Fibrositis) is a very common disease that can be treated but not cured – More than 3 million US cases per year. Affects more females than males, in the age group of 40-75 years old.

Fibromyalgia is central pain syndrome – Widespread muscle pain & tenderness. It could last for years or it could be lifelong – Treatment helps but there is no cure to this condition.

Brain & spinal cord process pain signals differently.
Allodynia – Movements or touch that doesn’t cause pain for others may feel painful for you.
Hyperalgesia – Something that causes mild pain for someone without Fibromyalgia may feel even more painful for you.

Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain that can be constant or periodical – Including pain, Fybromyalgia has multiple other characteristics such as fatigue & sleep problems. Also mood swings & inability to concentrate.

  • What is Fibromyalgia?
    Fibromyalgia is not a single disease but group of symptoms – It’s widespread chronic pain – Fatigue, mood issues, sleep problems, memory problems. It’s not life threatening, & it won’t lead to muscle or joint damage.
  • What are the symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
    Fibromyalgia is group of symptoms affecting various body parts as well as body functions – Most common sympoms are muscle pain, that is paired with fatigue & sleep problems, mood & concentration issues. Also tension headaches & migrane.
  • What causes Fibromyalgia?
    Fibromyalgia causes are unknown – Studies show that infection, injury or trauma may affect central nervous system leading to Fibromyalgia. Researchers believe that traumas can lead to biomechinalical changes in muscles. That can affect central nervous system & hormonal changes that can trigger Fibromyalgia. It’s believed that lack of exercise & also overuse of muscle can lead to this condition. Also stress & sleep disturbance can lead to Fibromyalgia.
  • How to diagnose Fibromyalgia?
    Like in other forms of arthritis, diagnose starts with physical examination including your health history. There are no direct diagnostic test for Fibromyalgia, so the main focus is on ruling out other possible health conditions. One of those conditions could under-active thyroid (Hypothyroidism) that causes many of the same symptoms as Fibromyalgia. Diagnosis is usually based on symptom severity, duration & widespread pain index (WPI) score.
  • How to treat Fibromyalgia?
    There is no cure for Fibromyalgia – The main focus is on medical treatments & natural therapies to relieve pain & fatigue. Acupuncture may help. Physical exercises can be of great help but you should remember to start light. To manage symptoms, there are three FDA-approved drugs for Fibromyalgia – Pregabalin, duloxetine & milnacipran.
#5 Gouty Arthritis (Gout)

#5 Gouty Arthritis (Gout)

Gouty Arthritis is very common disease that is treatable by medical professional – More than 3 million US cases per year. The age groups that are most often affected are between 40-60 years. It appears more often in women & affects 4% US adult population & is believed to be genetic & inherited. Risk factors are obesity, alchohol, sodas, age, specific medications.

Gouty Arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis that requires a medical diagnosis, plus lab tests & imaging. The most common sign of gout is nighttime attack that is characterized by swelling, severe & sharp pain in joints, that includes redness, & tenderness. Especially in your big toe, or foot, anke, knees. Other joints can be affected as well.

Attacks can last few days or weeks before pain goes away. The next attack may not happen for weeks, months or years.

The difference in Gout is that it doesn’t cause body-wide inflammations like Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) or Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) does. The main problem with Gout is uric acid crystals – It can lead to Hyperuricemia, by building up too much uric acid in the blood. As a result, excess uric acid can from crystals in your joints & cause extremely painful inflammation.

Gouty Arthritis usually affects large joint of the big toe. It can also affect other joints.
It is known that, with a gout flare, you can go to sleep just fine & wake up in tremendous pain.

  • What is Gouty Arthritis (Gout) ?
    Gouty Arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis – It occurs due to high levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout is suspected to be inherited & associated with other common conditions such as obeseity, diabetes & high blood pressure. If uric acid level is not kept under control, it leads to repeat attacks of gouty arthritis.
  • What are the symptoms of Gouty Arthritis?
    Gout causes excruciating pain for many people. There is swelling & tenderness in the big toe. Gout can also affect ankle or knee. Gout usually affects one joint at a time, but it can affect multiple ones if left untreated. If left untreated disfiguring lumps of crystal are developing from uric acid under the skin around the joints.
    There are four (4) stages of Gouty Arthritis:
  1. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia – A period before first attack: There are no symptoms yet, but crystals are forming in joint due to high level of uric acid in the blood.
  2. Acute gout & a gout attack – Crystals are already formed in joint & for example, using excess alcohol, causes uric acid to spike & triggers an attack: Results in intense pain that intensifies over 12 hours. Symptoms diminish after few days, up to 10 days. 60% of people have next attack within a year. Overall 84% have another attack within 3 years.
  3. Interval gouty arthritis – This is the period between attacks – Swelling & low-level inflammation that remains may be damaging joints. Essentially, this is considered to be treatment phase where you take medication & start exercise routine to get better. Activity & lifestyle changes are important to prevent attacks in future.
  4. Chronic gouty arthritis – This stage develops in individuals who have already had high level of uric acids in their blood for years. Symptoms are same, but everything becomes more intense – More frequent attacks & pain may not go away after attack. It can lead to permanent joint damage as well as loss of mobility.
  • What causes Gouty Arthritis?
    Gout is an end result of a process that is been going on in the body for a while. Gouty Arthritis is a result of high uric acid in blood that is a condition called hyperuricemia. Uric acid normally forms when purines are break down – Uric acid is transported by blood into kidneys, & it’s eliminated from body in urine.
    There are usually 2 scenarios:
    1. Uric acid is being overproduced in body & eventually there will be high levels of uric acid in the blood.
    2. Uric acid levels are normal, but some peoples kidneys are not processing it effectively enough & excess amount of uric acid is being built up.
    Gout can be triggered by lifestyle changes, as well as medical & health conditions. Lifestyle factors such as obesity, consuming high-purine foods & excessive use of alcohol can trigger gouty arthritis.
  • How to diagnose Gouty Arthritis?
    Diagnosing gout start with physical examination that includes your medical history. To rule out any other type of arthritis, doctor looks at your medication list & asks about your diet. Doctor also asks the severity of pain, what joints are affected & how long & how frequently have attacks happened. Blood test will follow to measure the level of uric acid. Imaging may be required too, X-rays, CT scan & MRI to inspect soft tissue & joints.
    One way to make 100% sure it’s gout, is to remove fluid from affected joint & examine it under microscope. Finding uric acid in joint fluid is a sure way to know it’s gouty arthritis.
  • How to treat Gouty Arthritis?
    There are two stages to treat gout: 1. Treating an acute attack; 2. Maintaining low levels of uric acid in blood. The first step would be to get inflammation under control by taking anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Medications such as Corticosteroids (both oral & injectable) & Cochicine are used to treat gout.
    As step 2, lifestyle changes are important – Losing weight, drinking less alcohol & eating healthier are very important factors to recover from gout & prevent further complications.
#6 Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

#6 Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Lupus, also called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune inflammatory disease that can be treated but not cured – More than 200 000 case in US per year. Age groups that are usually affected fit between 30-60 years.

Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) can affect multiple bodyparts, including organs – Joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart & lungs. Lupus causes joint pain & fatigue, as well as hair loss & increases sensitivity to light. It also causes fever, rash & kidney problems.

Since there is no cure for lupus, main focus will be on treatments to improve quality of life through controlling symptoms & minimizing futher complications. Treating Lupus starts with lifestyle modifications, that includes diet & sun protection. These are paired up with anti-inflammatory medications.

  • What is Systematic Lupus Erythematosus?
    Lupus is autoimmune inflammatory disease – Body immune system attacks its own tissues. It affects various parts of body like joints, kidneys, skin, brain & it can’t be cured – Main focus is on treating symptoms.
  • What are the symptoms of Lupus?
    Lupus (SLE) symptoms appear very differently for each individual – They can be mild & slowly developing OR severe & life-threating that appear suddenly. Symptoms can also come & go, which is typical to auto-immune diseases. Symptoms include: joint pain & fatigue, blood disorders, rash & sensitivity to light, hair loss & mouth sores, memory & kidney problems.
  • What causes Lupus?
    The direct cause of lupus is unknown – Scientist believe that multiple various environmental factors can trigger Lupus in some individuals who are predisposed this condition. It’s believed that genetics also play a big role here – Meanwhile no single gene does trigger Lupus, it’s rather a combination of genes that triggers it.
  • How to diagnose Lupus?
    Diagnosinc Lupus is tricky, difficult & time consuming – Lupus symptoms frequently mimic other diseases. It makes it even more difficult to diagnose Lupus because symptoms increase & decrease. If your doctor suspects Lupus you’ll be referred to rheumatologist, who will ask questions about your symptoms – What symptoms you have & how long they’ve been. When they start & stop. This will be paired up with physical examination to check your joints, lungs & skin. Since Lupus mimics other diseases, the main focus is on laboraty tests that rule out other diseases that mimic Lupus
  •  How to treat Lupus?
    It’s about managing symptoms through combination of medications & lifestyle changes – These two are important to control & manage symptoms of Lupus.
    1. To manage swelling nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are part of treatment & to prevent progession. NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen & ibuprofen are effective & can be purchased over the counter (OTC)
    2. To slow joint damage disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are important to alter the course of this disease. Hydroxychloriquine is often prescribed & effective in preventing flares.
    3. In severe, advanced case of Lupus, immunosuppressive agents & chemotherapy is being used. These are designed to prevent organ damage, but have severe side effects & have to be closely monitored by doctor.
#7 Spondylarthropathies (back pain)

#7 Spondylarthropathies (back pain)

In other words Arthritis Related Back Pain.

Mostly, back pain is result of some type of injury that is related to lifting or bending in improper way.
It can be a trauma caused by accident or a sports injury.

Any part of the back can be affected, but the lower back is the most common site of arthritis back pain. The main reason for that is because it bears the most of your body’s weight & can get fatigued.

Being overweight greatly increases the risk & contributes into developing artritis related back pain.

  • What causes back pain?

Back pain is caused by sports injuries or simply accidents in every day life that has lead to traumas such as:

  • Sprains
  • Spasms
  • Hernitated discs
  • Ruptured discs
  • Vertebral fractures

However, back pain can be symptom of multiple forms of arthritis & related conditions:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Reactive Arthritis
  • Infectious Arthritis
  • Enteropathic Arthritis
  • Juvenile Spondyloarthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Gouty Arthritis

In addition, back pain can be also caused by other common problems such as:

  • Obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Kidney stones
  • Kidney infection
  • Endometriosis
  • Aorti aneurysms
  • Tumors
  • How to diagnose back pain?
    Diagnosing back pain starts with physical examination. Laboratory blood test helps to conlcude diagnosis. To see more internal structure of your spine, imaging tests such as X-ray, MRI or CAT scan is required. These are necessary to see your spine structure alignment as well as changes to the spine due to osteoarthritis. Although structural abnormality doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the source of pain. X-rays may help to determine underlying cause but won’t necessarily complete diagnosis – Many people with herniated or ruptured disc don’t have any back pain. However, this is rare & a case with only small percentage of people. Also bone scan & discogram are being used to determine spine bone structure, possible tumor or infection.
  • How to treat arthritis back pain?
    Medications, injections, alternative therapies as well as surgery can be options to treat back pain. To reduce swelling & inflammation symptoms nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used. Also, relevant prescribed Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can be applied to work slowly to modify the course of inflammatory disease. The most effective approach how to treat back pain can be taken accordingly after the underlying cause has been determined.
#8 Other Musculoskeletal Pain

#8 Other Musculoskeletal Pain

Arthritis can affect multiple bodyparts – Rheumatic conditions in soft tissue can cause pain. The result will be inflammation in tendonds, ligaments & bursae. Connective tissue & muscles become inflamed & painful.
Structures in your muscoloskeletal system can cause pain if you have arthritis.

  • Tendons – Due to overuse & arthritis it leads to condition called Tendinitis if tendons become inflamed.
  • Ligaments – Due to arthritis tough bands that are holding joints together can become torn, weakened or stretched.
  • Bursae – Arthritis as well as overuse can affect these fluid-filled sac pads on bones & tendons to become inflamed.
  • Muscles – Pain in muscles is primary symptom in many types of arthritis related conditions. Not only overuse but also lack of use of muscles could lead to pain if trying to support joints affected with arthritis.

Arthritis in upper body:

  1. Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow – painful conditions that are caused by inflammation in tendons around elbow.
  2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Damage & pressure to medial nerve in wrist, if you have arthritis in wrist.

Arthritis in lower body:

  1. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – It causes pain in ankle that courses through the bottom of the foot or toes.
  2. Sciatica – In this case pain is felt in back that goes down the leg.
  3. Plantar Fasciitis – Usually runners get this condition, which causes inflamed tissue on the bottom of the foot.

Depending on what’s your sport & area of expertise affected areas in your body may vary. The risk factors can be greatly increased due to the activities you perform daily.

Therefore, athletes can have different, yet specific kind of soft-tissue damage. There can also be neuropathic pain.
In other words nerve-related muscoskeletal pain when joint damage applies pressure on nerve that passes through.

Regardless of What Type of Arthritis You Have.. Being Active is Good..

Start Light & Go from There

Once you get inflammation under control – Exercise, exercise, exercise! This is the possible shortcut to stop arthritis from progressing. Here are some more warm-up exercises & stretches you can do at home, plus some hand training exercies that are paired up with specific grip training equipment, like rubber bands & wrist rollers, that are really easy to obtain.

Always remember, being active is the key to feel better – Start light & go from there.

Pair this up with positive attitude & once you’re familiar with the process, do not be afraid to up your game. At this point it will be good time to start looking for additional training equipment that you can pair up with your training routine.
You should always remember, overuse of muscles as well as lack of exercise are both important make or break factors.

What Training Equipment Should You Get to Treat Arthritis in Hands?

Warm-Up, Stretching & A bit Progression

First & Foremost, your training equipment to treat hand arthritis should cover basic warm-up exercises.. something that provides you with plenty of option for versatile & flexible workout. Meanwhile, it should be something that helps you with stretching as well as gives moderate workload to train your hand muscles along the way.

Your hand recovery training tools should also include several different resistance levels so you have a room for progression, or a way to go easier if the one you are using is too much for you. Better if it’s on easy side than just overwhelming. Having
a set of tools means having multiple options, so you can achieve your recovery goals quickly & effectively.

#1
Expand-Your-Hand Bands

Extend-Your-Hand bands set, by IronMind

#2
Gaiam Hand Therapy Kit 

Gaiam Restore Hand Therapy Exercise Ball Kit

#3
SideWinder ProXtreme 

Sidewinder ProXtreme adjustable wrist roller

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Simple Hand-bands are the best ones out there. You should own a pair no matter what.

No better way to build muscle balance & work your hand extensor muscles than using simple rubber hand-bands.

Using hand-bands requires no more than couple of minutes of your time per day.

They’re very easy to use, fun & have long term benefits if you’re using them on regular basis.

On top of that, rubber hand-bands are very easily portable – Put one around your wrist or throw it into your pocket.

In that way you’ll never miss your hand therapy session. You can do it wherever you want, whenever you need to do it.

Rubber Exercise Balls are excellent, universal & one of the most common approaches for hand therapy.

Be it arthritis, dislocated fingers, recovery from stroke or simply weak hands that need tuning up.

Using rubber exercise balls are big part of your regular hand therapy.

You can squeeze, clench as well as do adduction movements with all fingers, including your thumbs.

Rubber exercise balls can be used to build crush grip strength as well as use them to build pinch grip.

Its’ great way to tune up your thumb strength & rest of the fingers flexor muscles along the way.

Also highly recommended for warm-up before starting hand gripper training session.

Adjustable Wrist-Roller is very useful. Compared to regular wrist-rollers, adjustable one uses neither rope nor weight plates.

Excellent for rehab purposes. Why?

Because it’s designed in the way it moves in one motion, in smooth & safe way.

What does it mean for you? NO SUDDEN MOVES – 100% more safety for you, to prevent further injury.

If there’s anything you want to avoid doing with arthritis, it’s sudden moves. The more fluent your actions are, the better for your joints.

Adjustable roller resistance levels begin with virtually no resistance, making it great rehab tool in multiple cases.

All Three of These are Excellent Training Tools to Help You to Treat Hand Arthritis
The Key is to Keep Moving – Less Joint Pain, Less Stiffness, More Versatility

Remember to Use Braces, Sleeves & Splints – Excellent Way to Protect Your Joints

Protect Your Joints

Do not miss that one! It’s very beneficial to use one. A lot of folks tend to neglect this part for some reason. Don’t become
one of those folks. It’s already scientifically proven method to help you significantly speed up the recovery process.

1 Promotes Faster Healing – Helps to keep your joints in secure position that takes pressure off the joints, & as a result leads to less pain & faster healing.

Using sleeve or splint, wrist or elbow brace is like building an additional joint for your existing joints that protects your body & lets overused joints to rest.

Taking the load off from inflamed joint helps to get inflammation down & lets affected joint to heal faster.

2 Offers More Protection – Helps to keep your joints in secure position that prevents sudden moves & more demanding activities to cause further injuries.

If anything at all, avoiding further complications should be your top #1 priority. Avoiding additional traumas through protection is smart.

In addition to healing, using splint-like devices help you
to keep symptoms from progressing.



As each case is unique, you should go ahead & give it a try to several different products to see which one is working for you.
Brace or sleeve should be comfortable, tight enough to secure the position, but it also shouldn’t squeeze arm too much.

It’s important that you try to find the balance, to make it effective for you. Whether you go with brace, sleeve or splint..
It would be wise to invest into one of these devices & see which one accommodates your body in most beneficial way.

If Exercising.. Your #1 Priority Should Be On Muscle Balance

Many Folks, if not Vast Majority, Have Unbalanced Forearm Muscles.. Why?

Work Your Hand Extensors

Vast majority of folks NEVER work on their forearm extensor muscles – This is a recipe for disaster.
If we throw arthritis on top of it, it’s adding fuel to the fire so to speak.. in a very bad way. How to fix this problem?

The solution couldn’t be more simple – Exercise with simple rubber hand-bands. They’re inexpensive & easy to obtain.
If physical therapy is something you’re able to do, this can be a great way to go to reduce pain caused by arthritis.
Muscle Balance – This is the absolute #1 priority if we’re talking about getting stronger & healthier hands.

More balanced muscles in hands help to take pressure off the joints
Equalized muscle leads to less pain, because muscle acts like a cushion for your joints

Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you enjoyed reading this topic & learned something new about How to Treat Arthritis in Hands along the way.
Have you used any of these training methods AND equipment before? Whats your training experience alike?

I’d love to hear from you!
Feel free to ask for assistance & share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Cheers,
Henry

Greetings! I'm Henry & I'm a friendly fellow who started this website to help you to improve your strength game. I’m fascinated by calisthenics, strongman training & weightlifting – I’ve been a powerlifter & martial artist for more than decade. Being passionate about strength sports, I'd love to discuss about these topics.

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14 thoughts on “How to Treat Arthritis in Hands – What’s the Quickest Solution?”

  1. I’m finding it’s not just the elderly affected by this, there are a lot of young people getting arthritis too. I have a friend, middle-aged who has rheumatoid arthritis and she has amazing positive mental attitude. She does exercise, some days are not good so she’ll focus more on stretches. She actually uses the rubber exercise balls or similar and swears it’s the best ever.

    I try to do research for her and so I’ll be passing your post to her so she can learn more.

    Thanks for an awesome post!

    Reply

    1. Wonderful to hear that your friend is so positive
      & keeps working to get better. My hats off to that.

      There are a lot of related conditions & diseases, knowing even a little bit helps us to get on track.

      Arthritis is affecting millions of people around the globe every year.
      Unhealthy life-style & obesity seems to be huge factors to add fuel to the fire.

      Reply

  2. Wow this is great, my mother has severe arthritis in her hands, so this is really interesting for me to read about. I knew about the 5 steps you mentioned, but being positive strengthens the immune system is really new information to me. Is that an actual fact or is it based on theory?

    Eitherway I’m definitely passing this on to my mum’s I know she will find support in this article.

    Thanks alot!

    Reply

    1. Absolutely Marley, it’s actual fact. Being positive makes you so much stronger.
      The opposite of being positive is negative – Negative easily associates with stress.

      Stress can lead to multiple very common undesirable health conditions.. such as anxiety attacks & depression.
      Being positive greatly prevents all of that.

      Blessings to you & your mum!

      Reply

  3. My partner has just been diagnosed with R.Arthritis in her hands and is on medication. It’s the pain killers which worry me. Don’t want her to get hooked. She is in her sixties and is very fit. Runs 3X a week at least, practises pilates and walks briskly for 45 mins every single day. Is also very careful about what she eats. So she is managing the r.arthritis extremely well. I am a little concerned about the painkillers but she is very good and takes them only when she feels it’s necessary.
    Thank you for a highly informative website. Made extremely interesting reading.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for such a positive feedback!
      It’s wonderful to hear your partner is active & very fit. This is what we call having an upper hand.

      In Rheumatoid Arthritis case doctors usually prefer a very aggressive approach..
      ..& try to put breaks on RA as soon as possible to stop it from progressing.

      You’re absolutely right Roy, & you worry about the right details.
      It’s important to monitor early on the possible side effects from RA related medicine.
      In this way, we’re able to determine the ways how to counter negative effects & keep things under control.

      Reply

  4. wonderful post. great video’s I have arthritis in my hands, I tried the videos and it did loosen my hands up Thank you for that. 🙂 The articles themselves are also written very well. Nice job! People don’t understand how painful arthritis can get unless they have it unfortunately and having it in your hands is horribly painful.

    Reply

    1. That’s so good to hear you’ve found some practical value here.
      Every little bit helps.
      Achieving more flexibility through stretches can go a long way.
      I hope everything goes well for you
      & I’d love to hear more about your training experience in future!

      Reply

  5. Hi Henry,
    Great article, I’ve found it very useful!
    Since I work a lot with my computer, my fingers hurt a lot, which makes it often difficult to write. I’ve tried almost everything. I bought ergonomic mouse and keyboard. I eat healthily and walk fast at least 50 minutes every day. It helped me a bit, but I still have pains in my fingers.
    I’ve never gone to a Doctor to diagnostic the problem because I am afraid to hear the result:) I will try these exercises shown on the video. I’ve been told that wrist support will help. What do you think about wearing them on both hands while working on my computer? Will it help?
    Thank you in advance!

    Reply

    1. Re-designing & modifying your work space is a huge one.
      In other words, it’s about maintaining good posture.
      The better your posture, the less there’s risk for further injury & symptoms.
      It helps your hands to heal faster.

      In a long term, it can be make or break moment for you.

      Wrist braces, along with your ergonomic mouse & keyboard, are excellent to maintain better posture..
      ..& are going to keep your wrists straight as much as possible.
      If your condition is symmetrical, meaning both of your wrists are affected, then it’s smart idea to use wrist support for both & see how it goes.

      To relieve pain in your fingers, I’d give a try to rubber hand-bands.
      You can do finger extending even without those bands – Simply keep extending fingers, in a smooth way.
      Do couple of sets of 15, & your hands should start feeling a bit warm.

      Counter movements really help to stretch & loosen up muscles you use on computer all day long.
      I personally like doing these stretches to warm up my fingers whether I start serious work-out or sitting behind a desk.

      I’d love to hear how it works for you

      Reply

  6. Henry, I watched the first video and then did those exercises while reading the rest of your article. I had to do similar exercises after I broke my wrist.

    I am going to come back and try the other videos very soon.

    Reply

  7. Honestly, if it is rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune problem causing the joint pain, you really need to straighten the immune response problem out so that the body is not attacking itself anymore.
    Anti-inflammatory drugs merely mask the problem.
    There is an immune supplement that will get the system working properly in about 8 weeks for most sufferers of autoimmune symptoms, and I hope you would share it with your readers.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. That would be the ultimate solution indeed. If it only was that simple.
      Autoimmune disease is not directly mechanical problem but rather a blood pathogen that needs to be addressed.

      Meanwhile we seek long term solution,
      it’s also important to focus on & understand the necessity of temporary fixes.
      The difference is, if masking the problem is used to potentially buy time to treat underlying conditions.

      I’d also love to hear more about the immune supplement you speak of to give even more insight to readers.

      Reply

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