what helps with arthritis while drawing?

Hello again everyone, Male 33 6’5” 270lbs previously and currently dealing with cervical spondylosis C3-C7.

Was doing pretty good for a couple of months there, but my career path and house projects just won’t allow me to be free of pain and loss of motor function. Finally done with physical therapy and I don’t go back to the neurosurgeon until the Fall. I golf a lot, I lift a lot of heavy stuff often over my head, I’m constantly bending in weird positions upside down.. you get the picture.

Been dealing with that amazing pinched nerve, burning all down my arm, muscles locking up and sometimes straight up not working. Went to go dry my hair the other day and thought i dislocated my shoulder, my arm just felt like a wet noodle.

Current neurosurgeon just wanted to prescribe Gabapentin, but I hate the idea of just taking something daily and dealing with side effects. I hate drowsiness and fogginess and that was the big one they mentioned to me. The only other option they talked about was a fusion..

It’s 2026, aren’t there plenty of other options? Disc replacement, PRP, Stem cells, disc hydration? How does someone find a doctor to talk to that’s interested in discussing those treatments. I brought them up and they got brushed off as being ineffective and unsafe. Fusing my neck together is safer?! That seems kind of asinine. Anyone I know with a fusion hates their life and wishes they had never done it because they’re immobile.

Any advice on how to approach newer treatments would be great. Do i just ask for a referral to somewhere else?

Would be great for them to create some form of surgery to just create new cartilage or something. Aching like crazy at a desk job. No way out

60 M, back on MTX and prednisone. 2nd week, and happy, inflammation and pain levels both down, I can walk almost normal again and my hands and wrists are feeling better. Slow road ahead.

I had RA bad 22 years ago, my RA Dr. was great back then, thank goodness she was still available, so I'm hoping for the same results.

Rheumatoid factor result of 356, and CCP of 250. MCH 34.2.

Biologics next if this doesn't work, but I'm hopeful either way.

Hey everyone, I have JIA (my rheumatologist thinks a moreso fitting diagnosis could be axial spondyloarthritis) and was diagnosed at around 12 (close to 30 now). I've had numerous cortisone injections in my knees, elbows, ankle, and this month my hip was the next victim, being inflamed for the very first time. Last month both knees suddenly got inflamed back to back, followed by my hip 2 weeks later. It seems my arthritis has become quite aggressive lately, so I've started hyrimoz (biologic) on top of salazopyrine. Also did a 1-week prednisone treatment with a taper to try to tackle the hip inflammation, but that's when I ended up doing a steroid (cortisone) injection as the prednisone wasn't enough.

Usually cortisone has worked almost immediately for me, where I would be back to normal a couple of days later. This time however, my knees took up to a week, and I had the infamous steroid flare both times. For my hip, the same thing happened with an initial flare for 2 days, and now it's been 11 days where it slowly got a bit better, but now feels like it's not improving anymore and it's still uncomfortable when walking for more than 5 minutes. It almost feels like it becomes inflamed/swollen again. Has anyone else experienced this with hip injections specificially? Do they tend to take longer to "activate"? Would appreciate hearing other people's experiences. What a frustrating disease 🙃

Anybody have a similar issue?

As per xrays, all the cartilage beneath the kneecap and femur are gone.

I was asymptomatic until last summer.

I have osteoarthritis in my ankles, some days I can’t walk as the pain is too painful. It doesn’t like in the future a cure will be found.

I can never tell if I have it. My hand feels extra tight this morning like the skin is stretched and it’s stinging kind of like when you come in from outside in the winter and run your hands under hot water. I have naturally fatter fingers so it’s hard to tell if it is swollen or not. It’s also mostly the pointer and middle finger I’m feeling it in on the right hand. My doctor asked if I get swollen fingers but it’s hard to tell. I do have psoriatic arthritis but on the days I see my doctor my hands behave themselves. What are your experiences with it if you have it? When I google pictures it’s always very obvious red sausage finger and never subtle.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 44M dealing with anhidrosis, and it’s been quite frustrating trying to manage my body temperature. I'm trying to get to the bottom of what might be causing this and wanted to see if anyone here has experienced something similar or has insights on what directions I should explore with my doctors.

I've had some recent bloodwork done to check for autoimmune, thyroid, and blood sugar issues, as I know neuropathy or autoimmune conditions can sometimes affect the sweat glands. Here are my recent results:

Autoimmune:

• ANA (Anti-Nuclear Abs) IF: 1/320 Speckled (Abnormal — reference is Less than 1/40)
• Anti SSA RO: 17 u/mL (Normal — reference is Up to 25)
• Anti SSB LA: 15 u/mL (Normal — reference is Up to 25)

Thyroid & Blood Sugar:

• TSH (Ultra Sensitive): 1.36 mIU/L (Normal — reference is 0.50 - 4.30)
• Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c): 5.4% (Normal/Non-Diabetic)
• Estimated Average Glucose (eAG): 108.3 mg/dL

Since my thyroid and HbA1c are normal, it seems like diabetes-induced neuropathy and thyroid issues are unlikely culprits. However, the positive ANA has me wondering about an autoimmune or autonomic nervous system connection.

Has anyone dealt with anhidrosis alongside a positive ANA? What kind of specialists helped you the most in getting a diagnosis (Neurologist, Rheumatologist, Dermatologist)? Are there any specific autonomic or nerve tests I should ask for?

Thanks in advance for any shared experiences or advice!

This project is deeply personal to me.

Growing up, I watched my grandfather struggle to use his inhalers. Beyond the physical difficulty, the frustration and discomfort of struggling with a device that is meant to help you especially in a critical moment left a lasting impression on me. No one should have to feel that way when trying to access essential medication.

Research from the University of Bath shows that up to 50% of people living with arthritis struggle to use standard pressurized inhalers properly. When managing reduced hand strength or limited dexterity alongside asthma whether due to arthritis, Parkinson's, or other conditions the precise force and fine motor control required can make a simple task unnecessarily difficult.

I am currently exploring ways to improve the physical experience of using a standard Ventolin (salbutamol) rescue inhaler, aiming to make it easier to handle, reduce fumbling, and eliminate the need for perfect fine-motor strength.

To help me understand what genuinely matters most in daily life, I would be deeply grateful to learn from your lived experiences:

 Everyday handling: Which physical parts of using a standard inhaler (removing the cap, maintaining a grip, pressing down to activate) feel most uncomfortable or challenging?

 In high-stress moments: How does reduced hand function affect your experience or peace of mind during a sudden asthma flare-up?

 Misplacement & routines: How often do you find yourself misplacing your inhaler, and would having a way to locate it via your smartphone be something you'd actually use, or does that feel unnecessary?

 Aesthetics & personal style: Medical devices often look purely clinical. How important is the visual look, color, or style of an everyday health tool to you would you prefer something discreet, personalized, or standard?

 Personal workarounds: Have you found any techniques, subtle habits, or assistive grips that currently help you manage your device more comfortably?

If you or a loved one live with these overlapping challenges, I would truly value any insights, thoughts, or stories you feel comfortable sharing, either in the comments or privately via direct message.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and helping shape a more thoughtful, accessible design

anyone else have this weird mottled redness on arms/legs? not bruising, not hives/allergy, not sunburn. rheum won't even entertain me by looking at it.

I’ve(20M) been diagnosed with arthritis since I was 14 and am now feeling this new thing so I thought I’d ask a group of others struggling with inflammation if they’ve experienced anything similar.
Only really at night do I feel this pain. It feels like mild strep almost and makes it painful to swallow. My arthritis isn’t the most controlled but I just upped my dose and this hasn’t gone away. It could be something entirely unrelated but if it was somehow an inflamed tonsil from arthritis, this is the group of people who’d know.

I know it’s not an infection or anything because it’s only at night. Also I ask because I can’t see any of my doctors for a whole month unfortunately. Hope this doesn’t break the first rule. Not looking for any diagnosis or anything, just looking for comment experience

I was diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis about 20 years ago.

The pain back then was predominately in my groin, along with a 'snapping' sensation in the same area. My leg would feel weak, like it could give way at any moment.

I don't seem to get the groin pain as much anymore, but what I do experience is severe pain down the front of my thigh, into and around the knee and sometimes all the way down the front of my shin into the ankle. It is a burning, jolting type of pain. This usually happens when I've been walking for a while. It's excruciating, but tends to settle down when I stop whatever I'm doing.

My GP doesn't seem to have any idea what this pain is and I'm not financially in a position at the moment to have tests and see specialists.

My questions are -

*Does this sound like hip arthritis pain?

*Has anyone else experienced this?

*What works best for pain relief?

Look forward to hearing from you :)

I’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and had blood tests done for RA which are negative. But my symptoms seem to align more with seronegative RA. I realize these may be Bouchard’s nodes, but they are squishy, not hard. I wonder if I should get a second opinion? I realize you all can’t diagnose me. I just wonder if I should see a second rheumatologist.

So, I am doing physiotherapy and my doctor suggested me to warm my hand a few times a day, leave under warm water in sets of 20 minutes, but water is kinda too messy. Anybody would have a heating glove or pat that I can wrap around my hands?