Arthritis. Advice?

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Best advice for anyone is "go see a doctor."
I've had arthritis in my hands and fingers for years (I'm 71). Tried the non-meat diet eating only salads, kale, salmon and it did nothing for the arthritis, but I sure did lose weight.:D I finally went to a specialist, x-rays were taken other diagnostic procedures were performed, and he diagnosed exercise, primarily exercise balls. So I started every AM, while drinking coffee and watching TV squeezing balls, and within a few weeks, I could flex my fingers, move my hands just like I did years before.
Even to this day, I start every AM with the exercise balls and I have had NO problem shooting anything, including my .44 mag lightweight revolver.

First of all, you need to see a specialist to find out exactly what the problem is and go from there to decide what to do.
 
FWIW, I can already shoot ambidextrously. If all else fails, I could just simply make the switch to right handed, and I may do that in the interim. Of course, my concern then would be sustaining an injury to my right hand and then I'd be right back to the current conundrum.
 
I too suffer from painful arthritis in my hands. What has worked for me is reviewing what I eat and if any of it contributes to my arthritis. I have found that minimizing or eliminating a few things from my diet has helped me...YMMV. I've also switched to different loads that minimize recoil. Hope you find an answer that works for you.
 
I recommend getting a good.22lr for shooting practice saves wear and tear on your joints. Anything you can do with a 9mm can be practiced with a.22

As above see the Doctor first! Many conditions are treatable. Even specialist make mistakes. Physical therapy may be the key.
 
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If you're a 1911 shooter, the mainspring housing can be an issue.
I've always been a fan of arched MSH, don't think a 1911 looks right without.
But now with the arthritis, arched MSH hurt my hands more than a flat MSH.
Even just gripping the pistols the flat MSH is more comfortable.
The arch seems to put pressure right where I don't want it.

With revolvers it's grip shape. Bisley style grips were killing me in recoil, but recoil with the Ruger NM Blackhawk felt fine (XR3Red grips I think).

I've also been really paying attention to my left hand, gripping strongly over my right hand and wedging the trigger guard up, forcing the right hand to grip tighter and rotate down. Keeps muzzle rise to a minimum.
 
Try vitamins, specifically Magnesium and Potassium. Success varies from person to person, but it's low cost, low risk, and it might just provide enough relief to your joints to put you back on the range, and in the hunt.
 
What has worked for me is reviewing what I eat and if any of it contributes to my arthritis. I have found that minimizing or eliminating a few things from my diet has helped me...YMMV. I've also switched to different loads that minimize recoil.
Perhaps sharing what items you minimized or eliminated from your diet, and to what loads you switched to minimize recoil may help the OP as a starting point for his search for relief.
 
Perhaps sharing what items you minimized or eliminated from your diet, and to what loads you switched to minimize recoil may help the OP as a starting point for his search for relief.

I can do that...but...what triggers it for me may not necessarily trigger it for you or the OP. HERE is a link. I didn't eliminate any of it, but I sure minimized my consumption. I guess the old adage "everything in moderation" applies here.

As far as lighter loads go...I switched to 38 SPCL ARX rounds in 77grain. They have greatly reduced recoil.
 
When mine flares up I treat it with DMSO for 3-4 days 3 times a day. Then I'm good to go for about 2 months.
 
For now, I switched over to right handed carry (I'm a Lefty).

Supplements, dietary tweaks and wrist excersises have made a considerable difference in the pain that has been my constant companion. Some days I hardly have any at all. Move it wrong, however....

That and wearing a wrist brace almost all the time. I have tried looking for one I can shoot with but have so far been unsuccessful. Every thing I see is like the one I wear at night: it has a metal support on the palm side. No good because I wouldn't be able to get a proper grip. What I wear during the day is a wrap that supports & stabilizes the wrist somewhat for most normal activities but I think not enough for shooting.

What I am looking for would have a stay on the thumb side of the wrist to prevent it from flexing. My issue is not grip strength. I have no issues with grip, trigger pull, racking a slide or anything like that. My issue is sudden sharp movement of my wrist causing acute pain. Hard enough and the severity will make me drop whatever is in my hand and leave me shaking for 15-20 minutes.

THE PURPOSE OF SUCH A BRACE WOULD NOT BE TO COMPENSATE FOR POOR TECHNIQUE. I am quite familiar with the basics of grip, trigger control & recoil management. However, I think the wrist WILL flex to some extent no matter what. I'd love to find out different.

I will run this by the doctor @ my next appointment & see if he knows of such.

Other things I am interested in trying out is switching to something that might have less felt recoil than my Glock 19. Since I carry much & shoot little (don't judge me!) I would greatly prefer something that is also "point gun, pull trigger " simple.

Recommendations welcome.

Also under consideration is a reduced recoil load.

I can already hear you internet commandos, so let me save you the trouble of typing:

"All 9mm loads are reduced recoil."

"Real men carry a .45. Why? Because no one makes a .46"

"Proper grip, blah, blah, blah. Yadda, yadda, yadda...."

Now, with that out of the way, does anyone have any experience with any of the reduced recoil loads? Recommendations?

I've seen some of the tests & stuff but all those charts & numbers make my head swim. I like bottom line, cut to the chase. Like, I choose the 124gr +P Gold Dot b/c NYPD shot a lot of people with it & were satisfied with the results. That one will probably be out of the running now.
 
I'll recommend the KT elastic tape strips one more time.

I've been using 1 wrap around my wrist 24/7 for the past week.

Sleep with the wrap and a good brace. The braces are good, but they don't provide any compression like the elastic tape.

When I go to the range I add a second piece of tape.

Felt pretty darn good this week, shot my light poly 45 with no discomfort. First time in a while.

Haven't seen any reduced loads for 9mm. Prolly some smaller ammo makers might make it.

Reloading press?

Nutritionally, Gatorade is a bad one for me, I can feel my hands get 'thick' within 20 minutes of drinking Gatorade. Sugar, pasta, white bread are not good either.
 
As has been said - consult Dr.

In my case it, so far, has been simple resolution.

More water - much less carbonated drinks. Meaning zero.

Best of luck to OP.
 
My solution to a similar issue with ganglionic cyst in my wrist, was a S&W mod 10 or 60 with full wadcutters (3.1 grains of powder and bullet all in the brass) which are super soft shooters 685-725 ft / sec.
 
If staying with 9mm, I'd limit my ammo choices to standard pressure rounds. In addition, as I mentioned above, the G19 grip angle may not be doing you any favors. You may want to try some other pistols in 9mm that may be more comfortable.

In poly-guns, the S&W M&P, and the Beretta PX4 have reputations as soft shooters and the SIG P320 has quite a variety of grip modules available that may change the feel depending on the which module you choose. The Beretta APX is another you may want to look into.

The late Pat Rogers on "Putting down the Man Gun"

http://www.swatvault.com/weapons-training-and-tactics/putting-down-the-man-gun/
 
Yeah, it’s NOT a popular choice for most...and I was the biggest meat eater on the planet. But since eating an almost exclusively whole-food, plant based diet, most of the pains, all acid reflux, poor sleep, low T, and all of the labs that started taking over at 40 (17 years ago) are much improved.

Try eating a whole food-plant based diet for a week...see how you feel. I guarantee if you do it, you will be amazed.

In addition to arthritis, my daughter has lupus. Switching to vegetables and fish has helped her immensely. For exercise, she also rides a bicycle for miles regularly.
 
My wife has terrible problems with her wrists. They hurt all of the time. She can shoot 32 S&W long revolver rounds with no problems.

Shooting just a few 32 H&R magnum rounds doesn't bother her either, though she is hesitant to shoot more than a cylinder full during a shooting session. They don't hurt her, but she's worried that they might if she shoots a bunch of them (probably because they have "magnum" in the name).

This is always my suggestion for people who find recoil to be painful. Sorry to be repetitious on this subject, but it is confusing to me that 32 revolvers are so seldom mentioned in these conversations. They certainly have less recoil than any 9mm or 380acp I've ever shot, and are easily more effective than a 22.

This is the one she keeps by her bed if I am out of town.

This is my favorite 32 revolver out of many. It is a 32 H&R magnum and is nice for plinking or small game, but also effective against coyotes or two-legged predators if needed. Cocking it back and squeezing the trigger are both very easy. I mostly shoot 32 S&W long out of it. They don't feel much different than shooting 22lr from my other Single Six. My daughter still dislikes recoil (as a 6'2" teenager), but has been shooting it with no issues at all since she was nine years old. She can shoot the pink CA too, but says that its fixed sights "create a region of low pressure" (to paraphrase). :)
 
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are you sure you don't have gout? gout in your wrist will definitely cause pain with the slightest jolt.

exercise will help.

I've seen bowlers using a wrist brace. that might work.

luck,

murf
 
Here's another suggestion, for the OP or whomever might be reading this...

Surplus Beretta Model 81's are currently available from various online distributors for prices mostly in the low $200's. They are high-quality pistols chambered in 32acp. The pistol is medium-sized and intended for LEO or military holster carry. The 380acp version is the standard model, so the 32 version is somewhat large for its caliber. Due to its size and weight, I have found mine to be very mild to shoot. Racking the slide is easy (for me, anyway). I am guessing that the springs are not very heavy. The trigger is light and smooth.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for SD (though it would be way better than a 22), but if someone had problems with recoil and still wanted to plink or do range work with something more than a 22, it would certainly be a viable option.

I like mine a lot.

 
There's some good ideas here. Definitely worth considering & I hope someone else suffering the same or similar affliction will benefit as well.

Researchers are finding out that chronic inflammation is a key factor in more and more health issues. Not just arthritis in its various forms but everything from diabetes to IBS and even Alzheimer's. Also that diet can go a long way towards exacerbating or mitigating inflammation.

The typical American diet high in processed foods & sugar couldn't have been calculated any better to make people overweight & unhealthy. I have noticed that if I go off the rails & do something like destroy half a bag of jelly beans or something, I will suffer for a couple of days afterward.

Pretty much everything I have read points to what is referred to as the "Mediterranean diet " as being the best bet for fighting inflammation (And for maintaining healthy weight!) . What characterizes it is a focus on fresh vegetables to make up the majority of a meal coupled with whole grains and a small amount of lean meats and a limited amount of dairy

As far as hardware, I will try to hunt down some of y'alls suggestions to try out. Hopefully one or more local ranges has some of them on hand to rent. I particularly am fond of the idea of surplus arms in the mid- $200 range!

One of the upsides is that I have a good excuse to shop for guns!
 
My wrists are pretty good. My knuckles are getting worse by the day. Have a battery of tests coming up Monday. Knuckles, knee (left, new right one in June, and feet). Can't have NSAIDS and Tylenol is next to useless. CBD for me is like snake oil. Probably have to adopt a Portlandia diet.
 
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