Monday, January 22, 2024

Wrist pain preventing specific activities?

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I have severe arthritis in my wrists. I have a history of inflammation and other chronic pain as well as having been diagnosed with Raynauds. I have had wrist pain for over 30 years.

Doctors recommended that I should take ibuprofen. I still take it occasionally, but it caused a lot of digestive issues and I can't take it routinely any longer. 

Doctors recommended that I should wear wrist splints. I wear very sturdy wrist sprints every night during my sleep. And less restrictive wrist splints during the day. Some allow knitting, some don't.

Doctors recommended that I use Voltaren gel. It does help, to a degree. Enough that I can work. Not enough that I feel comfortable ALSO knitting as well as working. Since it's not a 'FIX' it seems like it reduces the pain enough that as long as I am not knitting, at least I have less pain at work. But, it wears off fairly quickly.

Doctors recommended that I try diclofenic patches (prescription-based). I use two half-patches on my wrists at night under my heavy-duty wrist sprints. The patches really don't work as well during the day, but work a lot better over night with the splints that keep them from getting stuck to my sheets.

  • Dosage Warning: I am VERY careful not to use diclofenic patches AND voltaren AND ibuprofen as they are all three forms of NSAID. Or if I do combine any two - I ensure that I am not exceeding dosages. So, my prescription supports up to four patches a day. I use two half patches per day, which means I can take either a few doses of Voltaren OR ibuprofen, but not both. Don't try this at home unless you talk to your doctors.
Doctors recommend fish oil... I've learned that there's a brand of Evening Primrose oil that can be considered helpful for women, especially peri-menopausal or menopausal women. I find they work just as well as any fish oil supplement, but even better - no fishy taste nor burps.  If I stop taking it for a few months, I can tell that things get a LOT worse, so it helps. But it takes several months before you see any improvements, and it's subtle. It's mostly noticeable when I stop taking it because then I can tell it gets much worse. It's not cheap. But if you have multiple joint pain and don't like fish oil supplements, you might want to find out if it's an alternative option that would work for you.

That said... I found an inexpensive pair of fingerless gloves that are heated by USB port. 




I hook them up to my laptop or power charger and can knit away. I wear them while working and knitting and they decrease my pain exponentially better than all of the above. And it was a one-time purchase UNDER $10. Seriously. I bought a pair for myself and another for my middle son who struggles with Raynaud's much more than I do. He's bought a battery pack so he can wear them out and about and not just when he's near his laptop or charger. I've worn mine nearly non-stop since Christmas. Here's hoping they last. 

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