Lexicon12 Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Okay, so I'm 23 and in good physical condition. I go to the gym four or five days a week. I run, kickbox, lift weights, and do body-weight workouts. I also have worsening arthritis in my hands. I'm a chef, so I work with my hands all day which has led to some damage in the joints, I guess. I visited my GP, and they ran some cursory tests - I have carpal tunnel, apparently, but not RA (which is good news!). I was also told that I'm too young to have much pain from arthritis, so I should just take an ibuprofen and suck it up. The pain, I can handle. I am having a hard time with it affecting my workouts, though - I can't grip a dumbbell or bar well enough to be comfortable lifting it over my head; and when I work out in the mornings (which is most of the time), my hands are perma-stuck in a claw-like position, which is great for intimidating your enemies or cosplaying a banshee, but not really for doing pull-ups (or anything that requires hand strength). Does anyone else with arthritis have suggestions for mitigation or changes I can make to make working out easier? Or, does anyone have suggestions for workouts that will allow me to continue to challenge my body, without me needing to use my hands so much? Quote Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Have you tried changing your diet at all? When I cut out wheat and cut back on sugar, the joint pain I had in my hands and ankles got significantly less. Eliminating gluten isn't a cure- all, but if you are sensitive to it, cutting it out of your diet can help. 1 Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
Mad Hatter Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 10 hours ago, Lexicon12 said: I visited my GP, and they ran some cursory tests - I have carpal tunnel, apparently, but not RA (which is good news!). I was also told that I'm too young to have much pain from arthritis, so I should just take an ibuprofen and suck it up This is completely unacceptable advice from your GP. Sucking it up should never be the answer, and especially not when you're 23 and fit and healthy. I would file a complaint and demand to see someone else. A good physio will be able to give you exercises and stretches to help with your carpal tunnel and brainstorm on ideas for how to adjust your movement at work to reduce the impact on your joints. It might be difficult to fix completely because of your profession, but there are absolutely ways to make it better that don't include pain killers or avoiding movement! 2 Quote Link to comment
IslandGirl_Becks Posted November 1, 2017 Report Share Posted November 1, 2017 On 10/30/2017 at 2:30 PM, Elastigirl said: Have you tried changing your diet at all? When I cut out wheat and cut back on sugar, the joint pain I had in my hands and ankles got significantly less. Eliminating gluten isn't a cure- all, but if you are sensitive to it, cutting it out of your diet can help. Sugar, also. My grandmother has really bad arthritis, and removing sugars and nearly-sugars (refined carbs) made a huge difference for her! Quote We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15) Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs Link to comment
RedStone Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 Do you have access to cable stack machines? I often cradle a handle between my thumb and index finger without gripping, same thing goes for isolation press machine varieties, maybe pec flyes etc. Smith is a reasonable option for suicide grip bench, tho the fixed ROM can be a problem for some people. Might be worth a try there. Have you ever used lifting straps? I would think they would help with dumbbell type and bar stuff Tho I would be wary of over head there too. Cable stuff is safer in that case... Meanwhile, so second re: doctor being unhelpful an occupational therapist should be able to help you navigate your day to day movements. Quote ~Peace Be The Journey~ one - two - three - four - five - six - seven- eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - twenty six - twenty seven - twenty eight - twenty nine - thirty - thirty one - thirty two - thirty three - thirty four - thirty five - thirty six Link to comment
Lexicon12 Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 Thanks for the advice, all! I eat very little sugar/things the body processes as sugar, so maybe I'll just cut the rest of it out of my diet. I'll definitely be trying the cable stack machines! Quote Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 23 minutes ago, Lexicon12 said: Thanks for the advice, all! I eat very little sugar/things the body processes as sugar, so maybe I'll just cut the rest of it out of my diet. I'll definitely be trying the cable stack machines! Just to clarify my advice: I was suggesting cutting out sugar. I'm not suggesting that you go on a super low carb diet and try weight lifting. Not sure if that is what you mean to try or not, but that would not be my recommendation Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
The Battle Chef Posted January 16, 2018 Report Share Posted January 16, 2018 Fellow chef with carpal tunnel here. Find a new doctor. If he's not willing to consider a problem based on your age he is useless to you. I had to fight tooth and nail to get my doctor to test me for gout (which I have), and I waited 4 years just to get tested for carpal tunnel. It has made barbell training hard and I had to really scale back what I'm doing. Fortunately I'm getting surgery in both my hands this July and that will take care of that. Do you wear wrist braces when you sleep? I find that helps. As far as exercise goes, I strongly recommend swimming! Always swimming. Quote The Battle Chef's Log Link to comment
Dilnad Posted January 16, 2018 Report Share Posted January 16, 2018 The big problem I keep see here is "GP". General practitioners aren't really the best option for musculoskeletal problems. They are great if you're sick or need general care but for a specific problem, you're always best to see someone more suited to dealing with it. I'd try looking more in the direction of an orthopedist or a Rheumatologist. EDIT: Fixed poor spelling/typing 1 Quote Hey. I've got a blog!! ----> The Dilnad Can! This is how I did it. This is how you too can do it! ----> http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2015/09/28/learn-how-an-office-worker-lost-100-lbs-saved-his-own-life-and-became-a-superhero/ Link to comment
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