Arthritis Archive

Ask the doctors

Q. I recently started experiencing a lot of pain in my hand from osteoarthritis. Can I reverse this condition?

A. You can't reverse osteoarthritis, but there are things you can do to manage your pain and improve your symptoms. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that acts as cushioning between your bones starts to fray and wear down over time. Eventually this enables the bones to rub together, which causes the pain you are experiencing as well as swelling and stiffness that makes it difficult to move your hand freely. Typically, when you have arthritis, the pain and symptoms will be worse at some times than at others. You may experience a flare-up one day and feel better the next. To help reduce the discomfort of a flare-up, talk to your doctor about medication to relieve pain. She or he may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever. Some people also get symptom relief using a topical pain reliever that is rubbed into the skin. Other strategies that can ease pain are splints or braces, heat or cold therapy, activity modification, and exercises or physical therapy to increase flexibility and strengthen your hand muscles.

Research we're watching

To manage the painful joint disease known as osteoarthritis, people often take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox). But these and related drugs — known as NSAIDs — may account for the higher rates of heart disease seen in people with osteoarthritis, a new study suggests.

Researchers matched 7,743 people with osteoarthritis with 23,229 healthy people who rarely or never took NSAIDs. People with osteoarthritis had a 42% higher risk of heart failure and a 17% higher risk of coronary artery disease compared with healthy people. After controlling for a range of factors that contribute to heart disease (including high body mass index, high blood pressure, and diabetes), they concluded that 41% of the increased risk of heart disease related to osteoarthritis was due to the use of NSAIDs.

Can you do anything about hand and finger joint pain?

Everyone experiences the occasional painful hands and sore fingers, but when osteoarthritis strikes, it can put a hold on many aspects of your life.

"As osteoarthritis progresses, you may lose some hand mobility, like the ability to grasp and hold objects," says Dr. Robert Shmerling, clinical chief of rheumatology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing. "Over time, osteoarthritis can make the joints deformed, so it's harder to open and close your hands."

If you suffer from joint pain, exercise may seem like the last thing you want to do, or need to do. But the right exercises performed properly can be a long-lasting way to subdue ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain. For some people, the right exercise routine can even help delay or sidestep surgery.

While exercise is great medicine, it only works if you carve out time to do it regularly. And sometimes the hardest part of a workout is getting started. Here are four ways to help you get your dose of physical activity:

Ask the doctors

Q. I have arthritis and my doctor recommended I start exercising, but I'm worried it will make my pain worse. Should I follow her advice?

A. Yes, your doctor is right. Although it may seem counterintuitive to move more when your joints hurt, studies have shown that exercise can reduce arthritis-related pain, fatigue, and stiffness. Exercise is also important for your overall health and can help reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Here's how to protect yourself from this growing tick-borne disease.

Summer is the ideal time to enjoy the outdoors, but while you're interacting with nature, you need to look out for ticks that carry Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease in the United States.

About 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, according to the CDC, and new research suggests that number will rise by 20% by mid-century.

After a drug is approved by the FDA, unexpected safety problems may be discovered. Depending on the level of concern, different safety warnings may be issued –– including a black box warning designed to call attention to serious or life-threatening side effects.

Arthritis, bunions, and gout can be disabling. Here are common fixes to stay mobile.

Aching hips, knees, and shoulders are common, and over time can lead to immobility. But so can an aching big toe. The joint at the base of the big toe — called the metatarsophalangeal or MTP joint — is the part of the toe that is affected.

What's the MTP joint?

The MTP joint connects the first long bone (metatarsal) in the forefoot to the first bone of the big toe (phalanx). The joint bends with every step you take, so that you can push off and let the other leg move forward. But the MTP joint takes a beating during that process: for a brief moment as you push off, the MTP joint supports half of your body weight.