My son has not received his Dx, but the specialist put him on methatrexate anyway due to his pain swelling in the hands and ankles. He has lost mobility in his fingers. He can't close his hand into a fist or flatten it out on a table palm down. Where he works they have a hand sensor for clocking in, and he is unable to use it anymore. It seems like his tendons are inflamed. Is this typical for RA? Should he be doing exercises to try and improve his mobility?
7/ 3/08 4:28pm
Well...yeah! I don't know how typical it is, but that's pretty much how RA first got my attention! My hands would be weak and sore in the mornings and that would last for hours. I had a great deal of difficulty grasping things. Got to the point where my hubby had to poor milk in the kids' cereal bowls, and mine, cuz I couldn't do it! Thought I'd dump the entire gallon on the floor! It was the morning I was trying to make potatoes for the kid's breakfast that I finally decided to go to the doctor. Couldn't hold the sucker down to slice it and kept shooting it off the end of the cutting board!! Oh and I also got "trigger finger" in both hands. Man was that ever sexy looking!
Doc told me to give my hands a rest, as much as a person reasonably can. Warm wet heat before exercise and cold after. Helped a bit, but it wasn't until two more referrals and some serious meds that I finally got real relief. My mobility is almost fully returned and I'm even able to play piano again.
Sounds like your son is looking into it and doing the best he can. Good luck to both of you!
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By FuzzyQball— Last Modified: 11/02/10, First Published: 07/02/08
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