Erosive Osteoarthritis
I have been trying to get answers for many years to find out why my OA in my hands is so painful and debilitating. It doesn't look as bad to the eye as many other people I have met that also have OA but have huge joint nodes but say it's not too painful. I had the traditional basal thumb surgery on left and right hands,left went well 10yrs ago but right which I had one yr later has never been pain free.. About 6 mths ago the pain in the back of my right wrist became so much worse at the same time a large lump appeared.I thought this was probably a Ganglion then a few weeks later a softer round lump appeared on the dip joint on the inside of my right little finger which as made the joint very swollen. Eventually got Xrays of both hands which have now been diagnosed as Erosive Osteoarthritis which I have never heard of. Prognosis doesn't look good with this type of OA. Has anyone else been diagnosed with this and do I ask to be referred to a Rheumatologist ? How do I deal with this ? Is there any meds I can take for pain and to slow down the progression ? Thank you
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Bones, Joints & Muscles Support Group.
Yes I have major back pain too and again the pain clinic just puts shot's in there and/or a an ablation on the nerves.
I'll start slowly for sure .I am a retired nurse so would always watch out for side effects Thank you
Thank you for those links! I ordered some boron online and will try it immediately. Anything that can help arthritis pain and my increasing osteopenia is worth a chance! I will start slowly and increase up to 20 mg. I think.
Yes I’ve done both and had no relief from the shots, only relief from the first ablation then nothing from the next two.
was the post surgery very painful ?
Yes, pretty intense for the first week, but I'm 4 weeks today, much better. So far I am very thankful I had the fusion. Slow and steady, just walking for therapy and hamstring stretching as my friend who is a PT told me that's very important. In a few weeks I expect they will tell me to get PT.
@anniebrook Erosive osteoarthritis is a subset that principally affects hands and fingers. It may be associated with general osteoarthritis, or occur by itself.
I have found that topical NSAID gel or cream (Voltaren or Diclofenac, for example) is helpful in easing pain without taking the meds internally over a long period of time. Other soothing treatments can include heat or ice - I like a paraffin hand bath when I ache. Steroid injections also work, but if you choose to have one, it may delay surgery because the presence of steroids inhibits healing, so there is a waiting period.
As to your question about who to consult, the Rheumatologist can evaluate your condition, but the hand surgeon (a specialty certification that can either be sought by a plastic surgeon or an ortho surgeon) can operate on it if warranted - you may wish to see each of them.
You do need to act sooner rather than later, though. The swelling on the back of the wrist may well be related to your erosive osteoarthritis - a condition my best friend and I both have. When my wrist became painful & swollen at age 50, my very wise mother sent me posthaste to the hand surgeon, who monitored if for a time, then performed a carpectomy, removing the worst eroded bones, and scraping others. Now, nearly 20 years later, the wrist is shorter than the other but pain free & functional. I have likewise had successful CMC repairs on both thumbs. My friend was afraid to have surgery, and put up with the condition, using splints and Kinesio tape for 10 years. By the time she sought help, wrist fusion was her only choice.
Good luck seeking treatment, and if you choose surgery, make sure to see a good hand therapist after to regain full use.
Sue
@lustarr Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You are looking to connect with people that have experience with trigger finger surgery.
It makes sense you are concerned about surgery, since trigger point surgery is a new concept to you. It is also a new concept to me.
Below I have linked a previous discussion related to trigger fingers. Members @stefspad @pjc820 @artscaping @tyort have previously discussed this topic. You may wish to scroll through the previous discussion and comments for information and/or connect.
- Extreme pain in hands https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/extreme-pain-in-hands/
You are also interested in connecting with members that have experience with degenerative knuckle osteoarthritis. Them above listed members may be able to support you and/or direct you to members/information that may be helpful.
May I ask what kind of a timeline do you have for surgery?
After reading your post on BORON my husband went straight out and got me some. I just took 1x3mg the 1st day to see how I felt then 3x3mgs a day.Not feeling any relief yet so I wondered how long you had taken it before your pain felt less ? Thankyou
@anniebrook Hi I'm not @parrotquern but have followed her recommdations as I have o.a.all over hands the worse I started of slow and increases to 2in am 2 p.m I noticed then how better I felt I'm doing 3 a.m. @3 p.m and feel none now in my back which for me was the worse outside of hands .So keep taking it been on it now about 2months Haven't taken any pain pills for awhile now She has a lot of knowledge