# Arthritis! Yowch! How do you treat yours? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713 "2012-03-24T21:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/1 "2012-03-24T21:23:17Z")
Aside from lopping off my thumb, what measures can I take to deal with the arthritis in it? I had a cortisone shot last October; the doc just gave me topical Pennsaid and some Vimovo (free office samples) a few days ago. Are there some natural remedies that might work? Something from my kitchen? ---
**Author:** ![living\_in\_hell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@living\_in\_hell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/living_in_hell)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/2 "2012-03-24T21:49:24Z")
Gin-soaked raisins. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/3 "2012-03-24T21:55:16Z")
I may have to ask for cortisone shots for my poor beleaguered thumbs also. Both basal joints hurt like a mother during the winter, or if I happen to twist things just the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/4 "2012-03-24T22:02:17Z")
I order herbs and make tea. devils claw feverfew white willow It helps with pain and inflammation. My SO swears by turmeric, ashwagandha, and primrose oil capsules ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/5 "2012-03-24T22:42:53Z")
I tried a one year course of Glucosamine and Chondroitin. That did absolutely nothing. The only thing that helps some is two naproxen sodium tablets a day. I had a hip replacement last September and that has so far provided complete relief of pain and restored my range of motion to what it was 20 years ago. The surgeon that did my hip replacement works with a surgeon that does thumb joint replacements. He says it works great most of the time. When mine get bad enough I think I will have them done. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/6 "2012-03-25T01:32:32Z")
I was just thinking about trying Glucosamine and Chondroitin. I have had people tell me it helps them, maybe they don’t actually have arthritis? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/7 "2012-03-25T02:27:16Z")
> [@Bloodless\_Turnip](#): > > I was just thinking about trying Glucosamine and Chondroitin. I have had people tell me it helps them, maybe they don’t actually have arthritis? This falls more or less under the homeopathic remedy umbrella. From what I’ve read, you would have to take a shitload of the stuff for many years for it to have any significant effect. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/8 "2012-03-25T16:00:56Z")
Well damn. I’m avoiding going to the doc for my arthritis (can’t afford him and can’t afford the prescription). To the OP: I’ve heard that the paraffin dips help with arthritic hands. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/9 "2012-03-25T16:10:26Z")
Naproxen sodium is the chemical name for Aleve and doesn’t require a prescription unless you need a very large dose. My doctor told me I could take as many as 4 a day of the over the counter strength tablets. It might be worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/10 "2012-03-25T16:38:01Z")
The latest medical literature really doesn’t show any benefit from glucosamine and/or chondroitin beyond that of the placebo effect. I no longer recommend those products for patients. NSAIDs like naproxen can help, but beware of the bleeding and cardiac risks associated with them. Acetaminophen (tylenol) helps some, as long as it’s not taken in excessive amounts. Opioids have been shown to cause more problems than they solve for most osteoarthritic patients. Mainly unanticipated death. Exercise, stretching, relaxation, hot soaks, cold packs, TENS units may all help more than they harm. If one has a truly degenerative process, not an inflammatory one, then steroid joint injections tend to not help much beyond a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/11 "2012-03-25T17:41:49Z")
I keep a big bottle of generic Aleve, and I do yoga. I guess I’m doing about all I can really. I loooove me a hot shower I can tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/12 "2012-03-25T17:45:19Z")
I take anything I can get, nothing seems to help for long. By long I mean more than an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/13 "2012-03-25T21:21:04Z")
Is this your mouse hand? Try switching to a trackball. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/14 "2012-03-25T22:10:42Z")
Icy Hot helps a lot. Rub it in and it feels so good. I keep a chill stick in my desk at work and a jar in my bedside table at home. I’ve used the patches on my back occasionally too. Icy Hot is the greatest for me. ymmv ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/15 "2012-03-26T03:08:51Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is this your mouse hand? Try switching to a trackball. It’s not. I’ve heard about the gin-soaked raisins before. Golden raisins, right? Does that work? I am willing to try anything. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/16 "2012-03-26T05:22:57Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I’ve heard about the gin-soaked raisins before. Golden raisins, right? > Does that work? I am willing to try anything. I’m sure it’d work if you ate them…well, even if the pain didn’t subside, you wouldn’t give a fuck about it anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/17 "2012-03-26T07:07:17Z")
Does paraffin do anything that isn’t just related to its heat? I would think putting your hands in a nice hot (but not scalding) sink full of water for 5-10 minutes would accomplish the same thing, for a lower cost and much less mess. I don’t have degenerative arthritis, so YMMV, but in the summertime my hands get cold and stiff after working on the computer all day in my office’s frigid air conditioning. It helps a lot to take an anti-inflammatory (I use ibuprofen) and soak them in warm water. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/18 "2012-03-26T15:23:02Z")
Magnesium supplements, preferably the kind with calcium and zinc included. I was having a lot of difficulty with finger arthritis – stiffness, locking up, pain – in one finger of my writing hand especially, but in other fingers of both hands as well. The acupuncturist I went to, besides recommending a change to the unusual way I held a pen, and after a few months of acupuncture and massage were only partially successful, had me start on such a supplement. Be damned if it didn’t work. Took a month or two to get the full effect, but the stiffness, locking up, and pain are gone. Now, I did not/do not have significant bony changes in my finger joints, which the OP may be suffering from, but who knows? It’s a can’t hurt/might help thing to try. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/19 "2012-03-26T16:38:08Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Aside from lopping off my thumb, what measures can I take to deal with the arthritis in it? I had a cortisone shot last October; the doc just gave me topical Pennsaid and some Vimovo (free office samples) a few days ago. > > Are there some natural remedies that might work? Something from my kitchen? Vimovo looks to be Naproxen + esomeprazole (like Prilosec which is omeprazole - maybe it’s the same variant as Nexium?). For what it’s worth, it is likely to be a LOT cheaper to get the naproxen and stomach-protector medications separately, especially if you went with actual Prilosec (or generic). My doctor prescribed Arthrotec, which is Voltaren (generic: diclofenac) + Cytotec (generic: misoprostol) - and costs many times what the two generics would cost if purchased separately. That said: a different NSAID might be amazingly helpful - if one isn’t working, another might do better for you. I had been taking ibuprofen for my knee and shoulder pain and it was barely touching it; that Arthrotec worked amazingly well. In fact it worked _too_ well - as I was leaving the orthopedist’s office, I was feeling pretty good, and walking at a brisk pace - when I turned my ankle and went down like a sack of potatoes. I told my doctor it was her fault I hurt myself :). ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713/20 "2012-03-26T17:50:02Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Vimovo looks to be Naproxen + esomeprazole (like Prilosec which is omeprazole - maybe it’s the same variant as Nexium?). For what it’s worth, it is likely to be a LOT cheaper to get the naproxen and stomach-protector medications separately, especially if you went with actual Prilosec (or generic). My doctor prescribed Arthrotec, which is Voltaren (generic: diclofenac) + Cytotec (generic: misoprostol) - and costs many times what the two generics would cost if purchased separately. > > That said: a different NSAID might be amazingly helpful - if one isn’t working, another might do better for you. I had been taking ibuprofen for my knee and shoulder pain and it was barely touching it; that Arthrotec worked amazingly well. In fact it worked _too_ well - as I was leaving the orthopedist’s office, I was feeling pretty good, and walking at a brisk pace - when I turned my ankle and went down like a sack of potatoes. I told my doctor it was her fault I hurt myself :). I’ll mention the cost factor if I end up staying with pills. Can’t take any ibuprofen–it gives me severe nosebleeds. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthritis-yowch-how-do-you-treat-yours/616713.md?page=2)