Hi Folks:I don't know if many people know,even though I mentioned it on several posts but I've developed arthritis in my hands.With Les Paul as my inspiration I continue to play daily regardless.I was jusy wondering if any other players are dealing with this or other afflictions that affect their playing and what meds or other coping mechanisms they've found that helps.I'm currently taking Celebrex,Methotrexate and applying Pennsaid solution to my left hand because unfortunately that's the worst affected.My rhumatologist is considering putting me on one of the new biological meds such as Embil,it's good but costs 15-18 thou. a year,well worth it if it can get me back to my old self playing as my skill level has dropped 80-90%. Anyway any advice or input would be appreciated.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hi guitslinger, I suffer a little from time to time.I usea product called Arthro its a muscle and joint massage oil from www.baar.com, extra virgin peanut oil also works , Both products have a warming soothing affect on my hands ,it may help good luck

+1 It helps me with my knees and shoulders! Also a product called Biofreeze works miracles too.

Marijuana.

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Cherry extract supplements in pill form work great for me. You need take them on a daily basis for at least a month to start getting relief.

I take tylenol or whatever is available, moderate weightlifting with the accompanying warm-ups and cool down seems to help ward off the acute pain attacks. Shake out your hands vigorously during practice to keep your fingers from cramping, it is a bit awkward doing that at a show because some in the audience might think you are having a spaz attack. Take care Bro.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Thanks folks,I haven't tried any of these except the one Ceallach recommended,I've been"trying"that for 40+ years that certainly helps believe or not.I know lots of people who suffer from chronic pain who swear by it,I'm an absolute advocate for it.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hematite bracelets help circulation to affected areas. Lets face it the extra body heat on athritic joints is always a help. Chrondrotin/glucosamine sulphate complex works great for me and a few other people I've recommended it to. Other than that Dit Dah Jow (a bruise medicine) from a chinese herbal doctor may help. The stuffs hard to come by as they slay all sorts of protected animals for the ingredients. Red flower oil is not as strong but does have its uses.
Massage of afflicted areas is always a good idea. Nothing beats the growth of soft tissues in the joints like the chrondrotin/glucosamine causes though. See your doctor before using it. It can react badly to some medicines, particularly high blood pressure med's.

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No no and no

My hands are not bad yet, knees are much worse.,
however I do have a case of "carp in da tunnel" :/ I'm trying to avoid getting operated on.

Find using a brace on the wrist helps, and exercise on a recumbent bike keeps the knees working for another day.

Daily quota of mysterious pills and potions I suspect are just crushed up lawn weeds keeps you rattling too.

Getting old is not all it is cracked up to be

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Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.

Gotta watch Tylenol. It's really bad for the liver and other organs if you take too much if it.

I don't know if this will help you for finger joints, but it's for joints in general. I have pain in my shoulders from years of doing bench presses. I mean, a lot of pain. Anyway..........I started taking daily supplement of Glucosamine and now I'm pain free (even while doing bench presses.......yes......I didn't quit). One thing...........it takes about 6 weeks before you notice a difference. But once you do.........it's a big difference. Also........my dog has hip dysplacia. I mix it into her dog food every day, and she's like any other dog, and has no pain. She runs everywhere, chasing squirrels. Remember..........give it about 6 weeks to kick in. Supposedly it lubricates the joints. And it's over the counter. I buy it at the local supermarket.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Syeklops.

Do you still take a capsule a day? I started taking it through sports injuries too. A dislocated elbow and a dislocated hip/pelvis/leg, broke all my knuckles. Also at work repeatedly hitting my fingers with hammers or cutting them left me in a lot of pain. Particularly in the cold weather. I took one a day for 6 months and dont feel any pain in any joints anymore. All I do is take one a day now for the last 2 weeks of september before the cold weather kicks in. That sees me through the winter fine and dandy.

A fella I used to know lost 3 inches of his leg in a motorbike accident. He'd payed out thousands on treatments. I put him onto glucosamine and 3 months later he said it was much better. They'd done more than anything else he'd paid for. He didnt grow the 3inches back though.

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No no and no

I take two capsules a day as per directions on the bottle. I asked my doctor about it and she told me there was no problem with taking it.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

My hands just cramp up after a long session. I don't think it's arthritis yet, but I've done a ton of weightlifting (though you'd never know it to look at me now), keyboarding since '85, and of course, guitar playing. It's only a matter of time.

There's a particular hand excercise you can do using something called "Baoding Balls", commonly known as "Chinese Health Balls". Check out some videos on youtube of people using them. Bear with me on this.

Although they might look a little rediculous, continued use (for maybe a few minutes a day) both loosens the muscles in your hand and improves overall hand dexterity.

I learned to do the excercise with two balls (spinning them in both directions with one hand without letting them touch each other), and I have to say playing the guitar isn't a problem anymore. I don't have arthritis, but I do have shaky hands, and it even helps with this.

Best of all, they're very inexpensive. I think my set put me back 10 dollars.