Swollen knuckles

I love rings and have collected quite a few over the years but keep having to change them onto different fingers as my fingers swell [with arthritis, I would imagine]. Eventually they reach the end of the line where they don't fit anywhere . They often swell quite badly when it's hot. Just a thought but maybe all of your fingers did swell with the heat, but you noticed it more on the finger that had the ring on?

I have rings on two other fingers but they were unaffected. But you are right about the heat, then all my fingers appear a little swollen and yes - good old arthritis!

I've only ever had one vanity and that was my hands . What with all the knuckles looking nobbly and my nails now splitting I try not to look at them [not easy]. The slippery slope started when, a few years ago, a friend of the S.O's came back for a coffe and remarked that my hands looked like his mum's 'she has arthritis as well'. And that was the end of my one and only vanity [sob]...

It seems that us women are prone to get a lot of arthritis in hands and fingers. I have several friends in their early 70s who all have very bent finger joints. Its scrubbing all those floors!

At present only the joints at the base of my thumbs are getting out of shape and aching badly.

I've just started a course of acupuncture to help with the pain of my thumb joint.
First treatment did help for 24 hours but I'll see how it goes.

Funnily enough the only hand joint I ever had trouble with was at the base of my right thumb which became noticeable when I tried to knead bread dough. Eventually, after the thing had me almost weeping with the pain at night, a brilliant surgeon performed a trapeziectomy which involved its being wrapped up in a huge bandage for six weeks and pinned to stabilize it. Then when the wrapping came off and the pins came out, there was a hairline scar, now barely visible without a magnifying glass and, after several weeks of intensive physio, I never had a moment's pain. I was so lucky to have that surgeon. Other fingers are fine, so I assume that the arthritic joint was originally caused by either injury or wear and tear from the tennis and squash I used to play.

Both my thumb joints are quite swollen and can be painful, but my fingers are OK. Although the joint on my forefinger nearest my nail is swollen but not painful.

anno; I'm sure my dodgy knees are the result of so much walking over the years. In another life I'm going to come back as a couch potato.

It's never too late to be a couch potato, Tegan.

Oh Tegan - goodbye vanity!!

I do not have swollen joints, but my finger joints are very painful in the mornings, then ease up quite quickly.

I thought that the lump that suddenly appeared on my thumb joint was arthritis, as I do get achey hands and fingers. GP diagnosed it as a ganglion . After having tried to think about why it had appeared where it has done (knitting, sewing, writing etc), it dawned on me that it was very likely texting that had caused it! Before I bought my current phone with a touch screen, I was quite adept at texting very fast.....hence the b....y great lump on my right thumb now!

Hi All I am new to this so I AM going to reanimate this thread. If nothing happens I will read the guide. My husband has 'nerve' problems with his hands. He cannot now unbend his fingers which makes getting gloves on well nigh impossible. Can't find anything as I google away so wondered if anyone out there had any thoughts? His fingers are curled up and it is difficult to try and straighten them AND put gloves on.

Is it Dupaytrens? I think I have that a friend looked at my hand last year and said that she thought I had it; so, not only do people ask me if I have arthritis but they ask if I have Dupaytrens as well ].

Dupuytrens Contracture - there is treatment for it (injections etc) and it can be cured by surgery I believe, a friend had the operation. People with Viking ancestry are more prone to it (eg Margaret Thatcher).

I have just noticed that one of my knuckles is swollen. My thumbs are often painful.

I occasionally have a swollen joint on my index finger, the top one, and it is tender when I push on it. In my case I think it has to do with diet and uric acid because it settles down when I cut back on red meat and tomatoes!

teamsgran Dupuytrens Contracture mainly affects the little and ring fingers. The middle finger maybe, if the disease is advanced. It rarely affects the the thumb and first finger. The fascia in the hand thickens, the tendons shorten hence the curling. It is painless but such a nuisance.

Only have a hand surgeon operate, not any orthopaedic surgeon, if that is what he has but it does not sound like it as it would appear that all of his fingers are affected.

My ex had it, very hard for him as he was a guitarist. Yes, down to Viking heritage. It was just a day job at a hospital, although he was in some pain afterwards and had his hand bandaged up for a while. Later on he also had ganglions growing on the tendons and had to have them removed as well, but can still play his guitar. My daughters says that now his hands are both starting to contract.

I have huge swollen knuckles on all my fingers and they have started to pint in the wrong direction. I have Lupus which has attacked the tendons and ligaments and the OA on top. If anyone has any suggestions for relief of pain I would be grateful. I can no longer wear my nice rings (had them made larger twice now). My mother had RA and swollen painful hands but she let them stop her doing anything much really except moaning. I determined not to let this get me. My catch phrase when asked about them is 'it could be worse' and if I think like that it makes it easier. We have a saying in golf ' were above the grass and that's what matters'.

Both my grandfather, mother and sister suffered from Dupuytrens Contracture. Touch wood, so far I don't appear to have it.

However, the base of my thumbs, especially the right one, are swollen and at times, quite painful. The joint on my right index finger is very 'knobbly' but not in the least painful. My right ring finger gives me problems. Sometime it's perfectly normal and other times the middle joint is quite swollen and I have difficulty putting on my rings. My other fingers are OK for now!!

Getting old is such a nuisance!!

Golly what a lot of responses. Just been away on holiday so only just looked at them! Many thanks. Unfortunately we do know what's wrong and there isn't a lot (apparently) that can be done. It's connected with the myelin sheath round the nerves. He has had it for years. One problem is trying to put gloves on. Does anyone know of gloves that are easy to put on when you have bent fingers?

Could he wear mittens? A nice pair of warm sheepskin ones?