ArthritisResearchCan

I was told little could be done for people with arthritis. I thought I could change that.

Thank you for your comment, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory like Aleve or Motrin. Like those drugs, turmeric can cause stomach ulcers. It does not alter outcomes like joint damage, but it does alter symptoms like pain and stiffness.

All weight bearing exercise - like weight lifting - strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis and hip fracture. Aerobic exercises like running increase the heart rate and reduce inflammation in individuals who have some arthritis.

For people who have failed the older treatments, the new biologic drugs can be dramatically effective. More than half say they are back to normal after taking them. One usually knows if they are going to work within 3-4 months so the risk of taking them is not high. Also, many of the side effects we feared early on are much less common and some are non-existent. I would consider trying them.

There is no evidence that stem cell treatment is beneficial at this time.

Inflammatory pain will cause weakness. So if the wrist and finger pain is due to inflammation, her medical team needs to tackle that. Once the inflammation is controlled, there are physiotherapists who focus on hand weakness and they can help. I was a gymnast and the pressure across the hand joints can be very high so progress may be slow.