Though I am already in remission for many years, but I still find my fingers and hands are not as strong. With that in mind, I continue the exercises that my occupational therapist taught me to do.
Some of you may have similar fingers problem and may like to strengthen your fingers like I do, so I would like to share my own experience hoping these exercises can help those who are in need.
Thanks Amy_Lee, that's really handy. x
Actually I have done up 4 very short videos to help out but I could not upload, not sure why so I combine the pictures hoping that they still help. If you are not sure how it works, just ask. Do it consistently, after sometimes, you will feel the effect.
I see what you did there ...... handy 😅
😂😂 Shucks, you noticed - I didn't even think about that 😂😂 no finger pointing now! Hahaha!
Yes, no fingers pointing now. Haha haha..
Good. I am so worried if the pictures will help instead of a video.
Amy Lee thank you for the exercise. I have read about your RA journeys. So glad to hear your in remission with your RA. Have you been able to come off all your medication since you've been in remission.
My Rheumy did discuss with me on taking off all the medicines. But she did warn that many who did that eventually with another attack and similar medicines might not work or needed even higher dosage.
Currently I am on very low dose of Mtx and leflunomide, Mtx from 20 mg to 7.5 mg and leflunomide from 20 mg to 10 mg. The process to reduce was slow though. My rheumy said might just stop either once and maintain one to ensure my RA remained in control. I am happy with what I am now so whether to reduce or not, I shall leave it to my rheumy to decide.
That's actually really good Mtx from 20mg to 7.5. You've done really well. So there is hope for me. Earlier this year in June I started on Mtx 15mg and was also given prednisolone to take to help whilst the Mtx started working. But due to stress, family problems the swelling and stiffness has increased so recently I've had to increase my Mtx to 20mg. I also take co-codamol for pain relief twice a day at lunch time and before I go to sleep. I've tried to delay in taking co-codamol but I feel like I get fever like symptoms and I feel very cold and achy and so I haven't been able to reduce the co-codamol dose yet. I think my RA is still very active. Did you take any kind of pain relief when you were diagnosed? Do you need to take any kind of pain relief now or are you able to cope without.
Thank you for your reply.
Dear Zara, there is always hope for all of us, do not give up though the process is painful and lengthy. I am a very good example for you to look up upon. Just message and ask if you need to please, I am very much willing to share my experience with any of you for I know how painful the disease can be.
I started with 15 mg of mtx, yes, my rheumy gave me other painkiller beside the leflunomide while waiting for mtx to kick in. Personally, I felt both prednisolone and painkillers did not help me much at all. I think may be the dosage was low, I think my rheumy was being very conservative to protect me from over dose of any drug.
Slowly after few months, mtx was increased to 20 mg. At that time, my liver indicators went up and down as high as 3 times the normal reading. After monitoring for few more months, my rheumy decided to reduced mtx back to 15 mg. Since my condition was very good, she continued to reduce it slowly to 7.5 mg since Aug 2017 until today.
As for leflunomide, I was on 20 mg and it was reduced to 10 mg since Dec 2019. Then my rheumy told me that she might stop either mtx or leflunomide in future if my condition continue to be good. She does not want to stop both to avoid any possible flare in future.
Same here. All exercise is good. I was also referred to OE for hot wax hand baths. They were fantastic.
Beside the hot sand and electric acupuncture, they used hot wax on both my hands too those days.
Unfortunately all these were just temporarily relief. I still needed to wait for Mtx to kick in to really help to calm my RA down.
Yes it was only temporary, just more of a relaxation therapy I think.
Yes, we therefore must not skip our medicines just because of the side effects. When I developed a lot of side effects from mtx, I complaint to my rheumy, she said that mtx would give me more benefits than these so she insisted I continued with it and she would monitor the internal organs for me.
I am glad that I just tolerated the side effects and worked closely with her. I did not have any side effect from leflunomide though.
Great reminder. I do regular yoga and Pilates but haven't done any finger exercises recently! I do try to knit and crochet most evenings to keep movement but strengthening needed too.
Everyday after my fingers and hands exercises, I will then do yoga. Yoga can exercise our whole body but it can’t help to build the strength of my fingers.
I am in remission too Amy. My Mtx has been tapered off from 20 mg to 12.5 mg over 2 years. I visit a local private chiropractor routinely at the moment for back pain which I found useful. I do some simple Chi Gong and Pilate afterwards but lately I found my lower back is very painful after the Pilate the day after. I think I am probably doing too much.
Cien, I am so happy to know that you are also in remission. I hope more RA patients can report it, that will give a lot of hopes to those who are still in pain and suffer.
Because of my liver problem, so my rheumy reduced the dose of mtx from 20 mg to 15 mg 6 months after my remission. My liver was back to normal after that. Then my rheumy again reduced the dosa of mtx from 15 mg to 7.5 mg 15 months later. I am not sure if she will stop mtx or leflunomide for me eventually. She did mention that will be the plan in future for me if my condition continue to be very good.
She advised me eat what I eat and do what I do to keep to the same condition. So I continue my daily exercises until today. Beside the fingers exercises above, I also do my hands exercise then yoga after that. It takes about 2 hours a day for me to complete the whole exercises. My physiotherapists said I can split the exercises into different session, but I pefer to complete in one so I will have time to plan for other things after that.
Wow. You do a lot of exercise. I thought I am doing 45-60 minutes in the morning and occasionally 30 minutes in the afternoon is too much. I also do 2 to 3 days of after school child care to my 3 grandkids. My grandkids love my cooking so I do spend a lot of time cooking my Indonesian native food for them which has taken up a lot of my time.
There is an App ‘Hand Therapy’ for hand exercise etc developed by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust, you may find it useful.
Thank you very much!!!
You are very much welcome. Just try the exercises and will you find your fingers will get stronger each day. Again exercise takes time to see and feel the result, so just be patient.
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