Arthritis. Advice?

I would like to second the advice to switch guns. I find the Beretta 92FS and steel frame 5” 1911 to be VERY low recoil.

The PX4 is lighter and carries like your G19. The PX4 has the same grip angle as the big 92FS and a different recoil pulse that may be gentler on the wrist.

My 5” M&P has pretty low recoil too, if you want to stay with a striker fired pistol. The 380EZ is literally MADE for people with weak hands or bad wrists. I am seriously considering buying one for my wife.

Training with a .22 is an excellent choice. Shoot the HECK out of your trainer, qualify with your G19 once a year, keep it well oiled and carry with confidence. Now if the .22 trainer hurts, don’t give up! The steep Glock grip angle may be the problem. Switching to the 18-degree grip angle might be the ticket.

Good luck. Please report back with your results.

gillmeister692 said:

You might as well buy a bottle of Snake Oil.

Click to expand...

To each their own. You have not walked a mile in our shoes. You have not seen the cbd oil make it so she could discontinue doctor ordered opioids. You have not seen pain dissipate enough to sleep a night.

Perhaps you tried it and are stating this based on it not working for you. Perhaps you've never tried it and only assume in ignorance.

Perhaps you did not look at third party lab results to confirm purity and quality.

I would have and can continue on results that my wife and I have had. I did not as the OP said he has the medical side covered.

Thank you for your helpful discussion on the OP's topic

Going to suggest you look into the ketogenic diet. I switched about 4 years ago and all of my arthritis pain faded within 3 months. Back and both hands were aweful. Was taking drugs like candy haven't had to in years except when I really over do.

You saw an ortho hand specialist; good first move. Get a referral to a good HAND THERAPIST, usually an Occupational Therapist. I am such a person so I know of where I speak. Because of liability issues I will not be giving the OP or anyone else specific advice, but I do know the types of braces (we call them splints or orthotics) that will help you. To the poster who uses KT tape: KT is not supposed to be put on tightly. You are wasting your money on it by using it as a stabilizing athletic tape. A less expensive athletic tape would serve that purpose better. I know of such a product, but again I will not name it here. A good therapist will know what it is.

HEAVY METAL 1 said:

To the poster who uses KT tape: KT is not supposed to be put on tightly. You are wasting your money on it by using it as a stabilizing athletic tape. A less expensive athletic tape would serve that purpose better. I know of such a product, but again I will not name it here. A good therapist will know what it is.

Click to expand...

Never said it should be tight, never said it stabilized anything.
I use it for compression, not stabilization.
Regular athletic tape is not elastic, provides no compression.

Liability issues? Really?

PapaG said:

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.

Click to expand...

Tests ruled out RA and Lupus. More tests
to come. Can't grab a beer can with left hand. Can cradle shotgun forend so trap is still viable.

PapaG said:

Tests ruled out RA and Lupus. More tests
to come. Can't grab a beer can with left hand. Can cradle shotgun forend so trap is still viable.

Click to expand...

A question, do you have psoriasis? Roughly 30 percent of people with psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can mimic RA but the RA blood test is usually negative but you will get swelling, etc. but it is usually asymmetric (only affects one side and not the other while RA is generally symmetric in symptoms).

Grip strength can also be a sign of neuropathy that can be caused by a number of issues impinging on the nerves so you might just need a nerve conductance test which is about as pleasant as peeing on an electric fence.

PO2Hammer said:

Liability issues? Really?

Click to expand...

Quite an impolite, sarcastic remark for the High Road. If you had a state licence and national certification in today's sue happy climate you would be very careful what advice you give out to people who are not under your direct care. I was offering general helpful advice. Of course you are free to use KT tape however you see fit.

boom boom said:

A question, do you have psoriasis? Roughly 30 percent of people with psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can mimic RA but the RA blood test is usually negative but you will get swelling, etc. but it is usually asymmetric (only affects one side and not the other while RA is generally symmetric in symptoms).

Grip strength can also be a sign of neuropathy that can be caused by a number of issues impinging on the nerves so you might just need a nerve conductance test which is about as pleasant as peeing on an electric fence.

Click to expand...

Thanks. No visible psoriasis and my pain and swelling is somewhat symmetrical though more pronounced on the left. See my GP this morning and will discuss what is next.

PapaG said:

Thanks. No visible psoriasis and my pain and swelling is somewhat symmetrical though more pronounced on the left. See my GP this morning and will discuss what is next.

Click to expand...

Hope it goes well and they find out what is happening.

A bum wrist is my worst problem. An stretchy, adjustable wrist brace helps a great deal. My wife's hands are in bad shape from arthritis and she wears compression gloves. Lots of choice for those on Amazon and in a large price range. We have both been to the bone man and it's pretty much just live with it in both our cases.

HEAVY METAL 1 said:

Quite an impolite, sarcastic remark for the High Road. If you had a state licence and national certification in today's sue happy climate you would be very careful what advice you give out to people who are not under your direct care. I was offering general helpful advice. Of course you are free to use KT tape however you see fit.

Click to expand...

I regret posting while having a bad day at work.

And I never made it clear how I used the elastic tape.
The bones in my wrist tend to get slightly dislocated during shooting. The further out of alignment they get, the more pain after each shot.
Having the compression on my wrist before, during and after shooting (or working) tends to keep the bones in my wrist aligned. It makes shooting my high bore axis, poly 45 auto (USP) far more comfortable. I was seriously thinking of trading it in on something else until I started using the elastic tape.

It doesn't stiffen your wrist like regular athletic tape, you barely know it's there. If you put it on too tightly, you'll feel the circulation reduce, just reset it with less tension.

I also have a couple bad knuckles, and a little compression from a wrap of the elastic tape really helps, even it you wear it for just an hour or so.

Last time I was at Walgreens, they had their own version of the elastic tape for about half the price of KT.

Sorry again, I'm out.

PO2Hammer said:

I regret posting while having a bad day at work.

And I never made it clear how I used the elastic tape.
The bones in my wrist tend to get slightly dislocated during shooting. The further out of alignment they get, the more pain after each shot.
Having the compression on my wrist before, during and after shooting (or working) tends to keep the bones in my wrist aligned. It makes shooting my high bore axis, poly 45 auto (USP) far more comfortable. I was seriously thinking of trading it in on something else until I started using the elastic tape.

It doesn't stiffen your wrist like regular athletic tape, you barely know it's there. If you put it on too tightly, you'll feel the circulation reduce, just reset it with less tension.

I also have a couple bad knuckles, and a little compression from a wrap of the elastic tape really helps, even it you wear it for just an hour or so.

Last time I was at Walgreens, they had their own version of the elastic tape for about half the price of KT.

Sorry again, I'm out.

Click to expand...

It is great you have found an answer to your situation. It can be very frustrating not to be able to do the thing one likes to.

A little tub of this might really get you pain-free: Maggie's Balm.

Made in Cave Creek, AZ.

Works for the wife, me, friends. Powerful stuff.

Conelrad

I've been having some trouble lately with sessions of .45ACP, and have found that weightlifter wrist braces help a lot. They're cheap and can be found on Amazon. My wrists are those of a sixth-grade girl (I wish she'd come take them back) and will frequently go weird on me. If I practice guitar too much or even shoot too many mild .38 Specials, typing is difficult for a couple of days, and forget about opening a jar.

boom boom said:

Hope it goes well and they find out what is happening.

Click to expand...

Dr is pretty confident it is advanced osteoarthritis. Did x-rays and will see what they show. Ortho clinic next step. Mowed two yards yesterday and left hand is on fire. Picking up a couple of exercise balls tomorrow.

Just saw this thread and wanted to share a couple of suggestions. I have been what some might call a supplement junkie since getting into serious weightlifting back in the late '80's (anyone remember gamma oryzanol or beta sitosterol? lol). There are very few that I've taken and seen verifiable results. Curcumin (with bioperine aka black pepper extract) is one of them. About 5 years ago, I started to develop serious Rice Krispie knees when squatting or going up stairs. It wasn't painful except to hear so I wasn't too concerned. Then, about 3 years ago, I developed a tightness/soreness in my right thumb. Thought it was a strain until it didn't go away after several months. Had it checked out and was told that it was likely very early signs of arthritis so I started doing research. Various sources noted that curcumin was good for that, as well as many other ailments. Started taking it consistently and have not had any issues with my thumb and my knees, while not completely quiet, are noticeably less "crunchy".

I have found this site - https://examine.com/supplements/ - invaluable to my supplement use and it has saved me a bit of money on things I would likely have bought on based on anecdotal evidence or bro science...

PapaG said:

Dr is pretty confident it is advanced osteoarthritis. Did x-rays and will see what they show. Ortho clinic next step. Mowed two yards yesterday and left hand is on fire. Picking up a couple of exercise balls tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Sorry about that diagnosis. Osteo can also lead to tendinitis which can make thing worse.

Warm, moist heat does help as it expands the blood vessels and helps bloodflow increase to reduce inflammation. I agree with Doc Samson that a lot of medical reports indicate Tumeric aka curcumin can help with inflammation. According to a pharmacist in the family, Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplements also help rebuild joints but it can have gastro intestinal impact (hard for some folks to digest).

Unfortunately, you cannot really patent natural herbal treatments so peer reviewed studies on effectiveness and problems with other medications are not researched.

bdickens said:

I have developed severe osteoarthritis in the wrist of my dominant hand (left). My primary shooting interest is self-defense and my longtime carry gun has been a Glock 19.

I probably will have to switch hands but before I go re-buy holsters or other things I wonder if anyone has any ideas about how it might be possible to keep using my left hand. Wrist braces? Different pistol (preferably a reliable caliber & not a peashooter)? Something I haven't thought of?

Click to expand...

I would try some locked breech .380s, like the Walther PK380 or a .380 1911. You can probably find some rentals at the range to get a try. Or add another heavier 9mm pistol to tame the recoil. Rotating barrel pistols like the Beretta Px4 are also known for having a very soft recoil.

bdickens,

I have gone through this with my wife and myself to a limited degree. I am an LEO and carry my issue H&K P2000 n .40 S&W and still qualify with it. Off duty, I avoid the .40 S&W and shoot 9m.m. or .38 Special for pleasure. I sold off my .41 and .44 magnums as I will not be shooting anything that heavy anymore.

If recoil is a problem, a medium to large 9m.m. like the BERETTA 92 or even the compact version of the 92 using low recoil ammo might be the answer. HORNADY makes an FTX load using a 100 grain FTX bullet in their Critical Defense line for light recoil shooting.
If not, try a medium frame .38 Special. My S&W model 15 and 19 plus my RUGER Security Sixes are very easy to shoot with the 130 grain fmj Air Force load sold by WINCHESTER and others.
For my alloy frame .38 Specials, I use the HORNADY 110 grain "standard pressure" load as it should expand, while most other standard pressure loads will not.
I did try the WINCHESTER Train & Defend 130 hollow point, which should have been ideal for a standard pressure .38 Special defense load, but WINCHESTER ammo is not reliable in my S&W or CHARTER ARMS revolves.

My wife has arthritis in her wrists and cannot shoot most handguns. They have to be light enough for her to hold, be able to be made ready or loaded with little strength available and have controllable recoil. For a while, she used my BERETTA 3032 Tomcat, but has now switched to a GLOCK 42. She found the GLOCK easy enough to control and the slide was not too difficult to rack.
The BERETTA had an advantage. It was easy to shoot for a .32ACP and you do not need to rack the slide. You press the barrel release lever and the barrel pops up so that you can load or unload without have to rack the slide.

Jim