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Osteoarthritis in finger joints

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 Ean T 25 Oct 2014
Unfortunately I have osteoarthritis in the DIP joint of the middle finger of my right hand. I have had it for about 6 months and as well as the stiffness, inflammation and dull pain, I also had a lot of sharp nerve pain when it first appeared, though thankfully that's almost disappeared. I've found I can still climb around it as long as I avoid crimping and keep the intensity and volume low enough. There is obviously no cure and it's just about managing the symptoms.

I'm curious if there's any other sufferers on here?
 ripper 25 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

yep, me - got it in the three main fingers of each hand, in the knuckle nearest the tip. GP told me "you could try taking glucosamine and chondroitin, there's no scientific evidence for it but some people find it helps", then smiled sympathetically. Oh, and also suggested I stop climbing, and stop working on a computer keyboard, neither of which are options. So, like a typical straw-clutcher I started on the G&C and also take organic 'raw' cider vinegar (or honeygar, depending on where i get it from) - this sounds like a load of nonsense to me too but Sir Ranulph Fiennes swears it cured his symptoms so I thought what the hell I'll give it a go. the swelling and occasional soreness is still there but hasn't got any worse in the last couple of years - might even be a bit better, but that could just be my imagination. Also of course I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn't taken anything. So, not much help really - soz...
 flopsicle 25 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

Index and middle finger (middle finger just starting to shift over) top joint on left, index on right.
my plan is to work on climbing with a more open handed style and using it as incentive to get to grips with slopers!

I'm going to continue to ignore it as it only hurts afterwards and I like ignoring things...
 Simon2005 25 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

I've got OA in loads of joints, my big toe being the worst effected. Keeping active helps me best and a bit of Ibruprofen if it's very troublesome. Don't let it stop you doing anything.
 mattrm 26 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

Be vaguely interested to know how old you all are. I can see Simon's age on his profile, but the rest of you? FWIW, I'm 32 and I'm at roughly the same place as Ean is. Over the last few months, I've developed pain in my PIP joint on the middle finger of my left hand (I'm left handed). Ean, I assume you're right handed?

I've not really changed anything I do. I suspect that the GP will just go 'that's life, try glucosamine and stop climbing/typing' so haven't bothered going. I work in IT and suspect that has more to do with things than my climbing. Which is once or twice a week at best. It has made me wonder if I'll be out of IT in my 50s or so cause I can't type any more. Guess that's a good motivator to pay off my mortgage as soon as possible. I am making an effort to spend less time on the PC in general, as I do spend too much time on it, can't be healthy, 8 hours at work then 3/4 hours in an evening.
 Skyhook 26 Oct 2014
In reply to Simon2005:

> Keeping active helps me best and a bit of Ibruprofen if it's very troublesome.

This is what works for me too.

 hokkyokusei 26 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

All the minor joints on the fingers of both hands, to one extent or another. It first started when I was 40, in the joint of one little finger. The other finger followed the year after and it has progressed at a similar rate. The symptoms are much the same as others have reported above. Dull ache, stiffness and the odd excruciating sharp pain.
 mike barnard 26 Oct 2014
In reply to mattrm:

Matt, I am 28 and have problems with the PIP joint of middle and ring fingers of right hand. I think the cause is chainsaw use (trigger hand) so it's basically a form of RSI.

At one stage (a couple of years ago) I couldn't bend them all the way in or straighten them without the aid of the other hand. Through physio exercises over about 6 weeks this stiffness got a fair bit better to the stage they have been since (some stiffness and very slight pain but only sometimes for both). I'd agree with what others have said about crimping making them sore and I've pretty much stopped going to the indoor wall now (more intense than outdoor climbing).
OP Ean T 26 Oct 2014
In reply to mattrm:

I'm 50 and yes I'm right handed. I'm sure I remember reading a study that concluded that climbers were no more at risk of developing osteoarthritis in their fingers than anyone else. But if it's just RSI with a bit of genetic predisposition you'd think they would. Both my parents have it but they never climbed. My finger has quite a bit of deformation and one of those boney (Heberden's) nodes.

I've found voltarol gel to be helpful, but stretching made it worse. I'm deeply cynical about the 2 billion dollar glucosamine industry. Well conducted trials have shown it to be little better than placebo.
 flopsicle 26 Oct 2014
In reply to mattrm:

"Be vaguely interested to know how old you all are."

43 here. I'm female but I'm not sure there's any gender difference with arthritis.
 ripper 27 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

48 here, right-handed. Mother and maternal grandmother also both suffered and neither climbed (or worked on a keyboard either, for that matter).
 mattrm 30 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

Thanks to all for volunteering the extra info. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one suffering from it.

mike - here was me thinking it was bad to get it at 32... Care to share the physio exercises?
OP Ean T 31 Oct 2014
In reply to Ean T:

This study suggests that climbers are not more at risk of developing OA than non-climbers http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17062018
But this study suggests otherwise http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21904290

There's a thread here that fellow sufferers may find interesting http://www.mountainproject.com/v/osteoarthritis/108001081__1
 Morgan P 02 Nov 2014
In reply to Ean T:

I'm 21 and think I'm suffering from a similar thing. Common on my mothers side and a medic friend has confirmed what I have seems to be arthritic pain. Planning to go to the doctors soon to get it checked out..

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