Like an earlier question, was it from corkycat my hands and fingers get a lot of pain but just recently I have noticed that one of my little fingers is distancing apart from the others. I try to align it with my fingers but it just goes off again. Can anyone enlighten me?
Thank you
Hi Dandylad,
Think this might be simply due to RA, at least I am making the assumption - my little fingers can no longer lay alongside the ring fingers. I am certain my OH nurse told me this is typical of RA as the joints become eroded the fingers start splaying away from the thumb. She did give me some exercises to do but I am the worst person in the world as far as any kind of exercise, it involved moving my thumb inwards and having the fingers follow-not been able to do that. Maybe worth speaking with OH
Sending good vibes
Katie
What is an OH?
Excuse my ignorance Katie but what is an OH Nurse?
Occupational Health nurse is what KatieC means. My little fingers both splay out now and won't lie alongside my index fingers either. I had hand x-rays a while recently and was somewhat cheered when the radiographer told me that my hands didn't look like RA hands to her - being one who easily takes refuge in RA denial! And even more so when there was no sign of erosion found. But as my fingers nails are turning away from my thumbs and as my pinkies ache more and more I asked rheumy and GP what this could signify. "RA of course" was the answer! Like Katie the physio showed me that exercise which I've been doing daily but it hasn't brought my little fingers back to heel yet I'm afraid.
I am sure each region within the NHS up and down the country have different terms for different nurses etc. Thanks for the comments about the finger, I know the pain in it is RA but wasn't too sure. So far it is just one little pinkie finger but I have a feeling that if one goes the others might follow. My RA is very well distributed so it's no surprise that a finger has got it as well. I shall mention it to my RA con when I see her next.
Thanks again
Do try the exercises they might help you. Put your hand face down on a flat surface and walk your thumb in a few steps towards your other hand. Then walk each finger in towards the thumb as far as you can go. Its meant to counteract the drift outwards a bit and I must say that my little finger has been sticking right out for about 15 months now but the others have only been turning a tiny bit - not so's anyone else but me would notice. X
Thank you for the exercise, I shall most definitely use it. It has only been in the past year that my RA has gone ballistic and to be honest with you it scares me as I don't know where it will go and what is going to happen to me, my body. I am so please that this forum exists and for all of you wonderful people who are happy to solve all of my questions. So thank you again, I really appreciate every comment that I receive.
Thank you Tilda T
You're welcome! 
Good morning Tilda T,
On reflection and having tried to do your exercise, could you please let me know what you mean by walking a finger to a thumb? I can slide the fingers to the thumb, is that it?
Thank you for your clarification.
Hi DandyLad,
It does sound as if you are experiencing "ulnar drift" which, as I understand it, is when, due to erosion of the knuckle joints, the joints become unstable, allowing the fingers to drift outwards. All my knuckle joints are eroded but it's only the little fingers on both hands which have drifted noticeably. Their natural position is now sticking out at about a 40 degree angle and, although I can move them back into line, they just go back out again. It might be worth asking if you can see a physio or Occupational Therapist for some exercises and/or possibly some splints to keep your finger in place. The other thing I was told is to be aware of the possibility of this ulnar drifting and to make sure not to do anything which pushes downwards on the fingers - away from the thumbs. For example, be aware that holding a cup or mug in the "normal way" puts downward pressure on all the fingers. I seem to remember reading about a similar exercise to Katie, whereby I laid my hands flat on the table and "walked" each finger in turn towards the thumb.
I do think that, as you say, it would be well worth mentioning to your consultant next time.
Tillyx
My little fingers are the only ones that are still straight! I am waiting for an appointment with OH for splints to ease the pain at night but the rhummy nurse does not think that they would go back to being straight again. I just wish that I could wear a ring again, used to have them enlarged but the knuckles just keep on getting larger. Oh well maybe I should just put the ring though my nose.
My little finger does this and mine is due to the tendon slipping off the knuckle (somehow caused by the RA according toy consultant). It is easy to see if this is the problem. Make as tight a fist as you are able and look at the knuckle (where your fingers join your hand). On normal fingers you can see a ridge going over the centre of the joint. On my little finger this ridge has slipped to the side of the joint. I can bring my little finger in straight but it takes effort to hold it there.
I think ulnar drift usually makes your fingers move towards your thumb.
Becky
Sorry should have said 'to my consultant' not a 'toy consultant'!!!!
I am wrong about ulnar drift. Just googled it. Sorry.
I can't reply to your question further up on iPhone DandyLad so will do it here. By step or walk I mean a little step at a time towards the thumb and same for each finger. So first do this with your thumb while the rest of your hand sticks palm down to the flat surface and then walk each finger individually towards the thumb. Hope this is clear now! Tx
Thank you, and got it!
Dear Dandylad
Have u tried googling physio for hands as I have print outs with pictures , one of which is the exercise Tilda is explaining. However , it still hasn't stopped the drifting from happening, but at least I think that I'm doing something proactive. Saying that though, I don't do them that often anymore! To be honest the drift was already happening. The physio said doing the exercises was too strengthen tendons so when inflammation went down tendons would support everything back into rightful place. ( inflammation has never reduced!). Not sure if this helps, but hey, I gave it a go. All the best.
Thanks for all the suggestions and exercises. I have subsequently found a website which has a fairly extensive group of hand exercises.
mayoclinic.com/health/arthr...
So in conjunction with what you have given me I now have a veritable library of reference to turn to.
Thank you.
Ozzy, you made me smile, but that's quite fashionable you know! I can't wear rings, nor my wedding rung as my knuckles are bonkers and fingers swollen at the mo. I saw hand putty advertised somewhere online for strengthening hands and grip. Anyone used this? I am having wax hand baths at the mo at hospital and if that wax bath was bigger I would jump in it and wax my whole self relaxed and soothed! ;-). For now it's helping the fingers a lot. I always do that walking the fingers towards and away from the thumb and have good movement in them that way, but can't make a fist at present.
Wedding rung?? LOL
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