I was away for a week and took a book to read. I have an e book that I used for taking to work. I cannot believe the pain that turning the pages and holding the book proper has happend. This is really bad hand pain and and fingers throbbing. Would this be from the Pred? Or related to PMR? Last time I took a real book I didn't have this issue a few months ago. It's like I'm going backwards with all this.
Hand pain: I was away for a week and took a book to... - PMRGCAuk
Hand pain
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powerwalk
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Before going away how were your hands with general daily living activities?
How are your wrists - do you use crutcues, sticks or nothing when walking outiside?
I am an avid reader and this has happened to me too. I love big fat biographies with photographs. My fingers were so feeble that I dropped a book on my face, in bed, ouch! So kindle it is.
My theory is muscle weakness due to having PMR and being on Pred for 3 years, along with a touch of arthritis. I think we can strengthen our fingers with a squeeze ball. A friend of mine swears by knitting for exercising her fingers. Like any other muscle, the fingers can be strengthened. I would rest your hurt fingers, my guess is, they will recover. The Flexiseq that Jinsasc ( sp?) recommended is nothing short of miraculous for painful muscles. It is a cream that comes in a tube, my OH and I are total fans.
Oh right. Yeah i love the feel of a real book. Will get the flexiseq. Gosh no end to the crap sometimes. Thank you.
Morning Jane
The fkexiseq sounds as if it may be beneficial to my OH. He has bad pain in his hand that keeps him awake. Do you get in on prescription or over the counter?
I sent for it on-line from Boots. It really seems to work unlike the anti- inflammatory stuff that has never helped. I hope it helps him.
Thanks Jane. Worth a try. X
You need to let it dry properly around the inflamed joint. Too coincidental that we were both helped. OH sent for a bumper pack. 😅
Thanks Jane. X
PMRproAmbassador
I find holding a real book quite hard - and the action of turning pages tiring compared with clicking the kindle. Does weather make a difference to your wrists? Mine have been awful recently with days of damp weather: Friday was awful while it rained all day. Saturday was dry and no pain, it is changing again and my wrists hurt...
So was the weather different too?
I’ve had to restrict my reading to light weight books. The long tomes will have to wait. You know I’ve even thought of splitting them down the spine into 2 or 3 manageable sections! But sacrilege! Can’t bring myself to do it.
I used to have a cushion on my knee and rest the book on that...
Yes be good for trying to hold it. Now if they could just invent something to turn the pages !!
....and peel the grapes 🍇 😉
For some people they are known as the OH! 🤣😂🤣
Oh don't blame you. I will try to stick to the kindle maybe. I finished work recently but i didnt expect this. I noticed doing some housework that they were reacting badly.
Was there something at work (typing, computing, s’thing else) that exercised your fingers and kept them supple, without you thinking of it as exercise? And now your hands are missing the workout?
Yes have bought flexiseq for OH. He thinks it’s helping his thumbs, not so sure about his knees yet.
I was typing though if i had a lot my hands went bad. They dont seem to be anle for a lot. But turning pages in a book really shocked me.
It’s that fine line again isn’t it? Too much exercise and it hurts, too little and it hurts. I expect reading and turning pages used different muscles to typing.
Time to take up the piano?
I doubt it is the actual page turning that is the problem - some other positioning maybe...
Keeping them in the same position for too long?
Depends how fast you read?
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
If you belong to local library you can get audio books free of charge same as you would proper books. It’s a world wide App - just check your local council web site or the library itself.
Download the Apps - one for audio books, one for ebooks. Insert your library card number and a code the library will issue you with, select the library appropriate to where you live - and off you go!
Once you’re in the system, you can use it anywhere - used mine in Europe and New Zealand as well as here in UK.
Your local tax covers it, so why not take advantage!
Oh never knew that. Tks.
I think the weight of some books is akin to doing exercise with a 5kg bag of spuds!! Especially the autobiographies I was given for Christmas …………
I think it was Purple Crow on here who suggested to me to use support as I was suffering from tendonitis. I now use a pillow on top of one of those trays that has a firm top but a sort of bean bag construction beneath it. Same with my iPad as although it’s not as heavy, the positioning of it can be hard work on the muscles and tendons. Sadly some of us do seem to have problems with hands and fingers alongside PMR. My GP says it is tendonitis, but at my next Rheumy appointment in July I plan to ask him about RS3PE as suggested by PMRpro. Hope it improves for you soon. My episodes usually take about 3 weeks to clear up.
I read a great deal and I find holding the book or e-reader gives me pain in my left biceps, shoulder and neck.
Although I prefer a proper book, I do find the e-reader better, on the whole.
Strange that I can tolerate this discomfort, whereas I find dusting excruciating!
Hi, I have PMR and get pain in my hands, wrists and fingers too, coupled with weakness .
My hands are permanently tingling and feel all rough as if I had been washing walls down with sugar soap although they are not rough. They go dead too especially if I am on phone. I have to bang them intoworking again doctor wasn’t at all worried so I just put up with discomfort ahhhh poor old soul my late husband would have suggested shorterphone calls.👋🤨
OH with arthritic hands finds a Gimble book holder very useful
mobilitysmart.co.uk/gimble-...
She has 2 different sizes plus a folding one. Non-folding is better for heavier books. Plus a beanbag of some sort on a tray. Google around, can’t find the pack of 2 sizes at the moment. Require a bit of practice to get the knack.
It's could be any of the things already mentioned - my guess would be excessive use of your hands as you did more reading being on holiday - rest them and see if they improve - this cold weather doesn't help.
I've had hand and finger pain recently due, I believe, from reading and holding books for long periods of time whilst I'm off work. I ordered a book holder off Amazon. There's different ones... mine is a simple plastic device, the book rests in it with clips at the bottom to hold the pages. I can read handsfree now! I can also put my tablet on it.
I am in PT for several issues. For wrist, finger and hand pain she has me squeeze a gripper, pull something like clay and gives a massage...best part!
I started taking Celebrex for spinal stenosis and it helps hands, legs and everything else!
Hand massages are heaven!
When I developed all the symptoms that took me to the GP and then to the rheumy who diagnosed PMR, the most memorable one was hugely swollen, red, painful, oh so painful, hands. Ice packs sometimes helped me sleep. Coupled with the symptoms in other bits of my body, it made the exercise of getting up, showering/bathing/toilet/dressing a massive and exceedingly painful challenge. And daily life was a struggle - opening doors, holding anything, opening anything, driving, mostly impossible. It gradually disappeared, along with the other aches/pains/inability to move bits, in around 10 days on Pred.
Now, 6 months later, I occasionally get 'fizziness' at the end of my fingers.
Sounds like RS3PE syndrome in tandem/part of PMR ...
Thank you PMRpro but - Oh Lordy - not another thing to get my head round - I'm still barely coping with PMR while keeping an eye on GCA! I have looked up what RS3PE stands for, but as it's not a problem now, I think I'll just put it in the - 'I'll look at that later' file.
I have a little bean bag which rests on my lap. Brilliant for iPad or a book. Can get them on line. I have a kindle now, much easier to cart around.
But not so aesthetic as a real book . 🙁
I know but aesthetics go out of if the window when it’s a choice of arm pain or no pain. 😁😁
Brenda ( ClarkB) and I share a taste in particular books and you just don’t get them on kindle. Still it’s a boon on the plane once you’ve exhausted the movies. I’ll see if my physio can get my hands and arms strong again. 💪🏻
Severe burning pain, stiffness (like I am wearing a glove that is too small), numbness, weakness, spasms and a red swollen appearance in both of my hands and fingers were all symptoms I had prior to the other more classic symptoms of my PMR appearing.
My orthopedic spine surgeon and pain management specialist have always diagnosed it as "cervical radiculopathy" secondary to my past cervical spine surgery ( C3-C7 ) but now I am starting to wonder if it might really be part of my PMR.
Did anyone ever mention RS3PE syndrome?
You actually mentioned this to me in the past on another forum.
However, correct me if I'm wrong, it would be academic anyway since it is treated the same as PMR ?
[Please note I have all the other classic symptoms of PMR]
Yes, but RS3PE can be part of PMR, as can carpal tunnel syndrome. I was suggesting it as an alternative option as you are wondering about the "cervical radiculopathy" not being correct.
Unfortunately I think it is probably multifactorial and I likely have all of those things including carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment.
Immediately prior to being diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis and having cervical spine surgery, a neurologist suggested I have carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist and an ulnar nerve decompression on my left elbow. After having it done, it made things significantly worse in that arm. Needless to say I didn't return to have it done on the right side and although I have the same symptoms it is to a much lesser degree. I attribute the wrist and elbow surgery to exacerbating and worsening the symptoms in my left hand and forearm.
I often wonder how I would be today if I "only" had the necessary cervical spine surgery and didn't have, what I consider, the unnecessary wrist and elbow surgery.
Wouldn't be surprised. One of those occasions where maybe more pred would have achieved a lot more with fewer problems in the long run!
At that time I did not have PMR symptoms yet and I was not diagnosed with PMR and was not on prednisone.
Have you tried using a bean bag as a book rest? I got one on Amazon so I could relax while painting and creating various kinds of digital art on my iPad. I found it so comfortable I've now got three! It can be used as a book rest too. I cut and paste here a bit of the blurb from Amazon.
'...recommended ...for reducing the anterior neck posture which can strain the joints and the muscles of the neck and upper back when viewing electronic devices......The Cosy Holder Pumpkin Beanbag is stable on a wide range of surfaces so can be used on the floor, on a table or desk, in bed, on your sofa or simply on your lap or knee. Your device can be held at any viewing angle giving you maximum hands-free comfort.'
No. Didn't know I would even need something, it's a new thing not being able to hold a book. Must look into it. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that you are in pain.I use a triangular shaped cushion which is designed for I pads or other tablets for paperbacks or quite thin books .Otherwise I have a cushion which is rectangular shaped ,it has a band of elastic across the middle which is supposed to go on the back of a chair to hold it at neck level.I have the band in the front of the cushion and the cushion in front of me ,so the cushion keeps the book supported and the band controls the pages. You can easily add some elastic to a suitable cushion or they are readily available.
Good luck to you.
Thank you.
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