I just turned 50 years old last weekend and arthritis is already taking its toll on me. As part of my remodeling job, I was doing some wiring recently and it was all I could do just to cut a piece of 12/2 romex with a pair of side cutters. Do any of you guys also have a problem with arthiritis and using hand tools? If so, how do you cope with it?
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I'm 53, and have noticed my hands ( among other parts) are stiff quite a lot.
When I've got free time, I just flex my hands, working them to help with the stiffness.
I also like to use a hand exerciser to keep the strength in my hands; I've noticed that they feel better if I keep it up on a regular basis.
Shep, you're right about the glucosamine. It does help rebuild worn out joints. But be careful with it if you have a cholesterol problem. It MAY raise those levels a bit.--Not all the time, but in a few of us it does."Roger Staubach for President"
I have the same problem - but beat you by about 5 yrs. I don't even like to shake hands anymore because of it.
Glucosamine, with chondroitin, helps somewhat. It does take about 6 weeks before you notice any improvement.
The other thing that has helped is continuous heat, particularly during cold weather. I have the 8 hr hand warmers in my gloves, on the back of my hand. Makes a huge difference.
"it was all I could do just to cut a piece of 12/2 romex with a pair of side cutters."
Don't know anything about arthritis, but - Try buying a set of cable cutters to cut romex. It only takes about 1/5 the effort.
More leverage helps; for example a larger pair of side cutters. Ditto for around the house. There are all kinds of nifty gadgets on the market to help open jars, pad handles on utinsels, etc., and many of these devices can make jobsite tools more comfortable to use.
Googling "arthritis", "hand tools", "ergonomics" will return all kinds of links to helpful websites.
Given time, pain from osteoarthritis caused by normal wear and tear on the joints due to aging can lessen as the joints spur.
Arthritis caused by autoimmune disease needs treatment ASAP. I'm 51 and have been dealing with this for fifteen years. Needless to say my days of physical labour are behind me ...
Joe Bartok
Edited 5/2/2007 1:51 pm ET by JoeBartok
You think arthritis is bad...be thankful it's not carpal tunnel
I've upped my standards...now up yours
I had the same wrist/hand problem also. Made a exerciser out of a 16" piece of 1" PVC with a 1/4" hole drilled through the center, a 3' piece of cord, and a 3lb. weight. Thread the cord through the PVC, wrap once, and tie, and tie the other end on the weight. The exercise is to roll the weight up and down, while dipping your hands up and down. Do it in the morning before you start about 5 times. Helps me, along with Celebrex I'm taking for another arm problem.
I'd trade the "golden years" for a little more gold...
Ibuprofen. Up to 2400 mg/day.
My gut hurts just from reading that!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I'm at 1600 mg a day as normal...more on bad days. No stomach problems as long as I eat before taking it.
Moving in the morning is the worst....and then once I get going I can't stop or I just sieze up again...
The good news is it mostly in my Shoulders, elbows and wrists....knees and back are still in good shape..........
As far as working with it I found a good pair of anti-virbration gloves helps alot while using power tools http://www.painreliever.com/Anti+Vibration+Gloves.html.
First found the gloves after an episode of Raynaud's Phenomenon. Doc said it was from using power tools!
Now I have to wrap my hands around another cup of hot coffee after all this typing..my knuckles are killing me!
I'll be 52 this year and I'll need a new hip one of these days - it's quite arthritic (from years of distance running) but doesn't slow me down at all (although I quit running). I got the hand issues too, but only if I'm banging nails for extended periods or using the framing nailer for extended periods, stuff like that. I periodically take a prescription anti-inflamatory called diclofenac sodium. It's tough on the stomach, though. Take the glucosamine/condroitin and I found that fish oil capsules have also helped my hip pain and inflamation.
Death is just around the corner for us 50+ people so don't let anything slow you down or limit you if you can help it.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
I'm starting to fell"something" in my hammer hand. Not quit sure what it is???I am definatly losing strength and just when I wake up and before bedtime my middle finger starts to lock up when i bend it.Its also hard to make a fist without the middle finger over lapping each finger on either side.I may have middle finger road rage ''''lol Anyway I'm going on 36 and I'm sure there are younger guys yet
"and just when I wake up and before bedtime my middle finger starts to lock up when i bend it."My neighbor was talking about that and he called it a "trigger finger". I have the same thing from holding a mud pan when I repaired all of the cracks and put new metal corner bead in my place. I have big hands and by hooking my middle finger on one edge of the pan and my thumb on the other, I could hold it without getting a sore hand. Unfortunately, it locks up a bit in the AM but once I move it a bit, it's OK and doesn't hurt. It feels like a small cyst on the flexor tendon. I had one on my right thumb when I worked on cars doing 12V stuff and that one was really sensitive. Now that I don't do that, it's gone.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Death is just around the corner for us 50+ people
Awww man, did you really have to say that. At 61, my knees are shot, I have tendonitis in my left elbow, and my lower back sometimes likes to remind me that it's still there. Ibuprofen is my FRIEND!!
Until I read your statement, I was doing fine telling myself that it would be better in a few days. - lol
Death is just around the corner for us 50+ people
More so than, say, if we were still 21. Let's just say we have less to look forward to.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
Considering my general level of foolishness at 21, I suspect that I was much closer than I ever realized. I was just too damned dumb to recognize it.
My motto for the past few years has been........."If I knew I was gonna live this long, I would definitely have taken better care of myself!!" - lol
"If I knew I was gonna live this long, I would definitely have taken better care of myself!!"That's a lot like Joe Walsh's comment, that if he had known he would still be playing 'Rocky mountain Way' 30 years later, he would have written something else.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I'm surprised no one has mentioned cortisone injections yet. Not pleasant when you get them, but they can really help. I've had several, in various joints, and have been pleased with the long term effects every time. Last one was in the joint at the base of one thumb, next up are the knuckle at the base of each index finger.Ask your doctor about them. I'm just sorry I didn't learn about them until a few years ago.Remodeling contractor who once visited the Glass City.
I also get cortisone injections periodically. They do work great for a period of time.
If any of you are interested, here's a link to a web page where you can order a free copy of the 2007 Arthritis Drug Guide. I plan to order one myself. There are some helpful drugs on the market...and there are also some that do much more harm than good.
http://www.arthritis.org/AFStore/singleproduct.asp?idproduct=3819New knowledge is priceless.
Used knowledge is even more valuable.
Hey Jim, How long does the cortisone work? And, does it just treat specific areas? And, does it work on arthritis of all kinds? MIL has it bad in her hands, would some shots keep her quiet?<G>Now, I don't have arthritis, I don't think, but at about 40, my knees started killing me...swell up and burn. I started being a bit more careful about the way I kneeled, and I got kneepads, helped immensely, even if I do look extra dorky. Knees may ache a little after trimming a set of stairs, but only for that evening.I've been taking MSM http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl/it.A/id.813/.f in a powdered form with Ascorbic Acid, Glucosamine http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl?sc=2&search=Glucosamine WITHOUT Chondroitin (chiropractracter says it's an expensive hype), and fish oil daily, over a period of 4 years maybe. When I know I've done something to hurt myself, I'll take some stuff called Inflammatone http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl/it.A/id.808/.f . Works great. All that, and a chiro maintenance once a month...No signs of arthritis yet, but it sure is expensive to not be hurtin'<G> Outside of the gates the trucks were unloadin',
The weather was hot, a-nearly 90 degrees.
The man standin' next to me, his head was exploding,
Well, I was prayin' the pieces wouldn't fall on me.
I don't know what they will give cortisone for, 'Snort. I started getting shots in my right shoulder and elbow a few years ago. The first one worked great for about 3 or 4 years, then I had another shot in each and have been fine for the past couple years. I'm not sure if it's the hand nailing the first 10 years, or the lifting of nail guns the past 20, or maybe the combination, but my right arm is definately in worse shape than my right.
Anyways, I finally broke down and got one in my thumb after having what felt like a sprained, or hyperextended thumb for a couple years. Cleared it right up, but my doctor did warn me about arthritis setting in. Both index fingers are next. What the helll, just trying to keep building as long as I can, ya know?
Came back to say that yes, the cortisone only works exactly where they inject it. In fact, that's one of the things they warned me about with the elbow, that it's very difficult for them to pinpoint the exact place to inject and it often takes a series of shots to calm the inflamation down initially. I got lucky though - or rather, my doctor is darned good with that needle. Fair warning though, it is NOT a pleasant experience - effective, but not pleasant
Remodeling contractor who once visited the Glass City.
Edited 5/18/2007 7:56 pm ET by jimblodgett
Cortizone , steriods, are only good temporarily.
The first shot in the in an area will last a year or better in most . 6 months in my knee and the same for an elbow . But I hurt the elbow the seccond time my self and got another shot . Doc said thats it for the elbow but I got another shot from another MD that didnt know about the first two. No big deal except it only lasted 3 months.
I leaned a little bit from my surgeon. He said it goes in the knees like the first one 6 months to a year . Then half what ever ya got the first time for the seccond and then half it again for the third. He said its a waste of money after three in the same area.
He explained it like a bridge cantilevered over a bluff . Youre going down either way but the shots will prolong it . Definately a timed option while you are looking for a different carreer or change up the way you are doing yours . Hands help a bunch if they are aware. Just tell them you dont do that anymore but do other things .
Im going to teach a new hand to spray paint because I only have one lung . Ill mix it and strain it , plus mask but that used to be the helps job.
Im going to rent one of those drywall lifts for the first time .
I bought a tractor to do yard work amoung other things and lift heavy objects. I dug up a tree tonight and carried it to the fire where I cut it up. I didnt lift anything like before I got a tractor. Its cheap help when you think about it that way.
Tim
The house I'm remodeling has a front porch that is about 30" off the ground. The steps were removed for awhile. It doesn't seem that long ago that I could have simply jumped the 30" to the ground...but not any more. My joints just can't handle that kind of stress any longer.
Makes me think of these words:
All lovely things will have an ending, All lovely things will fade and die; And youth, that's now so bravely spending, will beg a penny by and by.<!----><!----><!---->
-- Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)<!----><!---->
New knowledge is priceless.
Used knowledge is even more valuable.
I've always liked to jamb at work and still do on occasion but I find myself taking jobs that are less physically demanding. I try to get help with the demo. The pounding of a sledgehammer all day will make my hands sore to the bone and I worry what it will be like when I'm 80. I'm sure I'll still be working then. I'm definitely going for more finish jobs now although I like working outside.
All of this is making me squirm a bit. In my 50's as well and just had an MRI to look at my rotator cuff...think it's torn good, maybe not, just a feeling is all.
I think one of the great answers is to be constantly sipping pure water throughout the day. Just a little at a time so you don't have to pee constantly. Caffeine is bad because it's a diuretic and depletes the body of H2O and the joints don't get lubricated enough. I'm still gonna have my java though.
Jer,
I've had both my shoulders done, the last one 4 years ago. I feel for you!! I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Good luck.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
Thanks for that. Yeah, the MRI report came in today and I have a partial tear and arthritis along with tendonitis because of the extra stress on the tendons. I go into to the ortho next week hopefully to see if they have to cut or what's to be done. I'm going to turn down a soffit repair job because of the heavy lifting, rigging, and working overhead. I don't have time to run it, it's too small a job so I'll just give it away.
Ah well, I think those types of jobs are over for me. Never liked 'em anyhow.
Are you in decent shape, muscle wise? If you are, surgery will be sucessful. If not, I've heard it compared to trying to sew together two pats of butter, won't work.
As we are constantly lifting, etc. I was in good shape and the surgery worked just fine. Although it was painful as all get out, I recovered in time to do anything and everything I want to and some that I don't want to, like soffit jobs.
My problem was, I fell off of a ladder and landed square on my shoulder. My wife had a partial tear from a bone spur and constant repetitive work motion and she healed real quick after surgery.
Good luck.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
How long was the down time after the operation? Yes, I'm fairly toned muscle wise.
I think I was ready to work 5 months later, but didn't go back to work until 7 months later. Mind you, my injury was trauma caused by a fall, where your's may be more like my wife's, chronic injury developed over time. She was back to work in 2-3 months, although she is not a remodeling contractor!!! Shoulders are one very complicated and versatile joint. If you're physically fit, you'll be fine. A little weak at first but you'll get it all back and then some. Get plenty of Physical Therapy and do exactly what they say. Good luck.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
JKer,
I was diagnosed with a tear to one of the rotator cuff muscles a few years back .
It was either surgery or find another alternative.
I was lucky and had a massage therapist who worked on me twice a week for quite awhile and was able to work the scar tissue from around the original rear so that the original tear could heal properly.
From what I was told once there is a tear present then a scar forms and it becomes easier to tear the muscle olong the scar tissue constantly causing pain and then as the new tear heals with more scarring making things worse yet again.
A good massage therapist can literally work the scar tissue into breaking down and allow the muscle to regrow with out leaving the scarring.
My shoulder has never hurt again after the therapy and I had been in constant pain for about a year prior to the therapy.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Thanks for the info. I'm much more inclined towards alternative approaches when I feel they are appropriate.
View Image
here's the stuff that helps me. Amazon has it for $20/bottle. My wife don't like the "texture" ... so I buy her the pills .... pills give small burps ... this after taste is about the least of any fish oil pills she's taken.
Me ... I'll take the lemon-y oil and no after taste or burps.
I have what one Dr called "boxers knuckles" ... seperate incidents over the years ... but both pinky finger knuckles were crushed once or twice ... and at 40 yrs old ... they act up when my hands are over worked.
the cod liver oil doesn't make the pain go away ... but helps keep it from coming as often.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
You need a cordless dyke!
But I feel your pain. Arthritis, and tendonitis, makes it harder and harder to crimp and cut wires. Do use the cable cutters on romex, they cut like scissors, very easy.
"You need a cordless dyke!"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that!
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
At least get a dyke with long...
handles. High leverage Kleins are very good. I get tendonitis if I have to do a lot of crimping/cutting, it's very painfull.
Thats a sure sign of sin in your life,,,,,,, No No just kidding im 54 and just do what i can do and dont worry about it anymore, now when i come home i have a drink, just one ok maybe 2 and that helps, My buddys died last year, 54 and 49 and 51 so i figure im doing ok if i wake up
Join the Arthritis Foundation, it's a national organization and your city may have a local chapter. It has lots of great tips in its' monthly magazine along with free or low cost seminars.
Good luck,
Wayne
I just got home from a small job today and I still ache Im going to take some naproxin sodium tabs that should help .
Woof woofCarpentry and remodeling
Vic Vardamis
Bangor Me
Those little blue pills are my favorite over-the-counter meds. There are some days where I couldn't function without them
about every other day I take them before I even think of going to work.
they have saved my #### on many a day.
good luck , woof woofCarpentry and remodeling
Vic Vardamis
Bangor Me
http://www.ravengrove.com
Your website "ravengrove" link does not work.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
I ask my wife to rub my hands for me. Sometimes I can get her to rub my feet too. She's not real bright but I love her.
LOL
Dave
Dykes aren't really the tool for cutting that kind of thing. I agree about getting cable cutters but get a good one and never use them to cut anything other than copper wire. They don't live long when you cut copper plated steel.
To make it easier, instead of just using your hand strength, grasp the handle with your hand and press into your thigh or use two hands. If anyone says anything, beat them with it.
I take the Walgreen's or Osco version of Alleve and it's the best I have found. I tried glucosamine/condroitin but it made my knee hurt. I may try it again at some point but the only thing that hurts more or less consistently is my back and even that's not usually too bad. Lately. If you have high blood pressure, ask your DR about it- it has sodium in it (Naproxen Sodium, also sold by prescription as Naprosen)
I tried glucosamine/condroitin but it made my knee hurt.
Would you mind elaborating on that a bit for me? I started glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM about four weeks ago... specifically for knee joint pain and I'm not sure, but I swear it actually feels worse this past week or so. I can't tell for sure what's up.... we had a real banger of a week, but by yesterday my knees were hurting just walking around. I'm relatively young (34) but I figured with the onset of the knee problems it would be a good idea to get on the glu/chon now to hopefully get some more mileage out of my joints. My old man has really bad athritis in his hands and that scares me.
But your statement there really made my ears perk up.View Image
My dad had a '56 T-Bird and I used to crease my left kneecap just about every time I got in it and it seems to rub on the joint at times, like climbing stairs, which I do a lot, every day at home and for work. Once it seemed that it was going to keep hurting, I stopped and haven't taken any since but Alleve and the generic equivalents work well enough for me to not see it as a "gotta do it now!" kind of thing. I know someone with hereditary degenerative disc disease and he takes G&C with good results, so I'm not going to say that it can't and doesn't work, it just didn't seem to do anything good for me. I also had Osgood-Schlatter's in my freshman year of HS and that may be a contributing factor.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I work as an Auto Bodyman and do a lot of Hammer and Dolly work. I get a lot of impact on my hands and elbows. About 2 years ago I developed Tendonitis in my right hand(btw I am right handed). The Doc told me to take Ibuprofen so I took 6 Advil every day for about 3 month. I didn't do me any good. The pain were still there and it affected my mind: I was on the edge every day. I was under a lot of stress and was about to explode. This made me a very unhappy person, I was mad at the hole world. I stopped taking Ibuprofen and after 2 weeks my mind was back to normal, all the stress was gone.
Then I got cortisone shots in my right hand that eased the pain after about 5 days. It took another 2 weeks and all the symptoms were gone, I had no pain anymore. 3 month after the cortisone shot the pain reappeared in my right hand. So I started my research on cortisone: Pretty much everybody reported the same result. It helped for a while but then the pain and inflammation came back. A few people had very bad experience with the cortisone: they had 3-4 cortisone injections in the same area over a 18 month period and some of their tenons raptured. Your tenons are getting brittle after the injections.
So I went the natural way. I went to a herbalist who recommended to take "Traumeel" pills and use "Traumeel" creme in the affected area. It took about 4 weeks for the results to come in, after 8 weeks I was pain free. Ever since I had no trouble with my right hand/wrist anymore.Martin
"Traumeel"? Thanks. I'll check it out. Remodeling contractor who once visited the Glass City.
High leverage Kleins cable cutters are very good.
You probably missed my thread about not doing things we used to do. Picking our jobs and beating around the bush to get the jobs done . Choosing different jobs to last the distance .
We are in this one together and we have many more here as well.
In addition I use a cordless grinder with a thin bell shaped cutting wheel a lot these days . Seems pulling nails are a big job for arthritic hands . If the nail doesnt have to be actually pulled then why pull it ? Just cut them flush. Ive also got a cordless sawsall that changes blades in an instant . Either one of those tools will slice through entrance cable like butter . I cut all my pvc with the sawsall in 2,3, and 4 inch diameters . Saves the hands and the arms. Rusty bolts and nuts I used to labor through getting them out . Now when I see them my first instinct is to cut them and replace them.
Its a new life of different thinking.
Tim