Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
How Can Osteoarthritis In The Hands Be Treated?
Question: I have osteoarthritis in my hands, which for years has been bearable, however in the past year , my hands have gotten much worse. my knuckles , the part on my hands have gotten real big and swollen. And painful. I've been to my rheumatologist. he said that was indicative of rheumatoid arthritis but my bloodworm shows no markers.so he put me on a short round of prednisone which I do not like taking. He wants to see if I feel better on that, and then worse when I come off it. I guess to prove inflammation because he said insurance no longer will pay for an ultrasound to determine that. what do you think I should do? I will never take anything like Humira or anything that supresses the immune system.this is quickly becoming debilitating as I have lost a lot of strength and dexterity. what about stem cells or do they replace joints in fingers like they do with knees and hips? seems like it should be pretty simple.
Brief Answer:
Medication vs surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hi there
Thanks for the query
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks it's own parts like the cartilage and synovial lining of the joints.
This is the reason immunosuppresants work. Steroids, Methotrexate, although new DMARDs like Humira or Adalimumab and Infliximab are not immunosuppresants in the strict sense because they preferentially target the chemical receptors involved in the disease.
Stem cell therapy has still not been validated in Rheumatoid arthritis.
Joint replacement is quite common and can be performed by trained hand surgeons for the small joints of the hands.
It would be helpful to consult someone with that experience in your area.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr.Aashish Raghu
Medication vs surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hi there
Thanks for the query
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks it's own parts like the cartilage and synovial lining of the joints.
This is the reason immunosuppresants work. Steroids, Methotrexate, although new DMARDs like Humira or Adalimumab and Infliximab are not immunosuppresants in the strict sense because they preferentially target the chemical receptors involved in the disease.
Stem cell therapy has still not been validated in Rheumatoid arthritis.
Joint replacement is quite common and can be performed by trained hand surgeons for the small joints of the hands.
It would be helpful to consult someone with that experience in your area.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr.Aashish Raghu
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
