Hello, I recently noticed my middle finger has gone bent towards the pinky finger. I couldn't believe my eyes and did internet search. It happens to people with RA and Lupus. A bit shocking. I have been doing mild squeezing exercise daily to help increase my hand strength. I think it may be due to this. Now I have a bent finger instead! I am trying to laugh about this.
I wonder if this is common and if it can be corrected. I see that there are straighteners one could buy and wear...but does it work or is it a case not preventing further bending?
I would be grateful if any with this experience could share the stories and let me know. Thank you and happy new year!
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Paprika60
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hi Sarah, have you spoken to your GP/consultant? From what I can see, your middle finger looks as though it may have a ‘bump’ on it? Have you got arthritis? Or have you dislocated your pinky finger?
Hi, I think it would be good to establish what it is first. Did the bending of your finger happen naturally or caused by an accident? It would be good to get it diagnosed first. I found the info on internet but I was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis (very common to people with Lupus I hear) last year. I am going to get a physio consultation first and see if I can get the right sort of finger splint for mine to prevent further bending. I do not know if it can be straightened. I was hoping to hear from someone from this forum but so far nobody has commented on the recovery aspect. Good luck.
Hi. Just a thought... have you looked at Dupuytrens Disease. I had a movement of my little finger trying to bend awkwardly due to this issue. Itwas sorted with a minor op.
hi paprika, I’ve got osteoarthritis and lupus. I’ve been having physio and a splint made to help my hand joints. I was told it’s ‘wear and tear’ I don’t have any knobbly bits yet but some of my fingers are bending out of shape and I can’t hold things very well. I had a steroid injection recently which has helped with pain so I’m able to exercise the joints better. Before going to physio, I spent a fortune on hand splints and none worked simply because I didn’t know what type I needed. Physio helped show me which correct hand exercise to do ( I didn’t realise some are not suitable!) I’ve also been to physio for exercise on my spine too for correct movements 😄 I assume you can still move your middle finger and haven’t dislocated it?
Thank you very much for your detailed response. I don't have any swelling, pain nor growth. It isn't dislocated and it doesn't prevent me from doing my activity at all. But I find it bothersome knowing that it has gone wonky and I don't want it get worse. My fourth finger has two bits of extra calcium bumps on the end joint of the finger and this was x-rayed and diagnosed as osteoarthritis last year. At that time I was experiencing a bit of dull pain on my middle finger so I had to add oily fish and take omega 3 oil tablets daily. I am mainly vegetarian but had to do it and have noticed that the pain disappeared within a few weeks of eating fish. Very good to hear that physio therapy can help. I will look into this. How did you locate a good physio? Do you get regular session or do you learn the exercise from one or two sessions? I will hold off on ordering the support finger splint until I have a consultation first. I feel my fist strength exercise was the damaging factor. Thanks for sharing your experience. 🤗
I had an hrs session that involved seeing how much strength and movement without pain, then shown exercise that I should/shouldn’t do, mould made by shaping around thumb and base with a follow up a month later to see how I got on. When I explained the mould was great by imobolising the joints to rest, it didn’t help as soon as I took it off to exercise or anything else. That’s when I got sent to have a steroid injection.
When I went to physio for exercise for spine, the same happened, shown exercise with a follow up, this time exercises helped with no problems, so I was discharged and told if I needed further help to request again.
I live in Essex and either the GP/consultant can refer or I can self refer. I self referred for my spine and rheumatologist referred for my hand. Self referral appointment came through a lot quicker than consultants referral 😄
I hope physio helps point you in the right direction.
Great to have detailed info on this! Thank you very much! I don't think we have self referral for physio related matters in West London but will check with the gp surgery. It would be great if I could get some simple exercises and also splint to wear in sleep...but very few things go so simple. Will wait and see what happens. Thank you again!!🤗
Get it check by a doctor, rhumathologist because it can be an other form of arthritis and i think you can get treatment. You don't want to loose fonction in your fingers because it's when you can't use them that you gonna realise how important they are. I broke few of them. Had a working accident and the doctor misdiagnosed it so i had to change career because of it and have to learn to write with ths other hand and it's just a thumb. It's difficult to do things without a fonctionnal thumb. And few month ago i wake up with one of the few finger that was untouch all swollen and can't bend. Difficult to write with a stiff finger. I start treatment for spondyloarthritis but i'm pretty sure it never gonna came back like before. And it happen to me a few time finger bending in the other direction, curving. If you wait it can get worse. Good luck
Thank you for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear your experience and the current situation. Hope it gets better. I will definitely check with GP and go from there. Thanks!
The middle finger on both my hands started going like that about three years ago. They don’t hurt & neither have swollen or look too unsightly…just a bit bent.
I recently had a carpal tunnel decompression & the hand surgeon looked at them & I asked him how much further he thought they would bend,& when I told him it started three years ago, he said they’d probably gone as far as they will go.
Believe it or not, I went to a thumb therapist who helped with pain. There are also splints you can buy on the internet, but I wouldn't do anything until after consulting with a hand specialist. Good luck with this. You didn't say whether the condition is painful.
Thank you for your response. That's exactly my thought. I did spot various splints on Amazon site but am holding off buying until I see a therapist/specialist after consulting GP.
It is hardly painful. I do feel something around it but nothing serious. I am so used to having pain here and there so I would say the dull pain is 3 in scale of 1 to 10. Hopefully I will get a good and right advice and get it sorted. Many thanks for your wish. Happy New Year!
I have a little finger that started to contract a few years ago, now quite bent towards the palm. It is known as Dupuytren's contraction, fortunately, only in my left hand and painless so doesn’t affect everyday life too much.
Apparently, it is hereditary, affecting those of Northern European descent (sometimes called Viking’s Disease), and more usually male. There is often a genetic background of difficulty in absorbing vitamins B12 and vitamin D3 involved ( four in the family also have autoimmune problems (thyroid disease and Pernicious Anaemia).
My son is managing to ward off further development of Dupuytren’s in his right hand by regularly massaging the palm.
Lots of links on line re. injections, etc. but I suppose the first step is to see your GP.
Thank you very much for your response! How interesting! My sister had it and had a surgery when she turned 18 but it wasn't successful. I don't have any nodules on my palm though. I am in the middle of getting through my GP surgery (!!!) and hopefully get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile I have a referral for physio via Pain Clinic, not related to this. So I am thinking perhaps I could ask them too. I am just going to knock on all doors and see which door opens! At this point one has to try everything as nobody is going to be forthcoming. Many thanks for the detailed info. Will keep in mind.
And thank you for your good wishes, Happy New Year!
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