Ok, here is the thing, I have had problems with my right hand since it was crushed back in 2003. This isn't that much of a problem, as I have always shot wrong handed. Now for the last month or so I have been having problems with my left as well, with swelling, pain, and loss of grip strength. I have an appointment with the MD coming up to figure out exactly what is going on, but I would like to get some pre-emptive suggestions on how to make things easier. Things like whether or not fatter grips on my wheelguns will be more comfortable and what not.
Arthritis and shooting questions...
- Thread starter .45Guy
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Claude Clay
Member
last 3 years has introduced me to make changes cause of arthritis
re-coil makes the defender hurtful; added 5 ounces with a Sig Ultra 1911
and all is well....for how long i don't know
i also took to my P7. nine rounds of +P's and 28 ounces is a good combo.
gave my 642 to my daughter and carry the 332 (32 H&R mag) now for back-up.
also the K-T p32 instead of the p380.
though im thinking of getting a sig p238 but for the price.
and its more a want than a need.
when the pain is 'off' i exercise.
when the hands hurt i baby them
good luck.
re-coil makes the defender hurtful; added 5 ounces with a Sig Ultra 1911
and all is well....for how long i don't know
i also took to my P7. nine rounds of +P's and 28 ounces is a good combo.
gave my 642 to my daughter and carry the 332 (32 H&R mag) now for back-up.
also the K-T p32 instead of the p380.
though im thinking of getting a sig p238 but for the price.
and its more a want than a need.
when the pain is 'off' i exercise.
when the hands hurt i baby them
good luck.
I feel your pain, literally I developed psoriatic arthritis 3 years ago and have only recently been able to get it somewhat under control with mild chemotherapy and a shot once a week.... My EDC was a P7 but found the cocking lever to be almost impossible to activate when i was in a flair up because of the way the PA would effect my fingers. I have no real solutions however I try and train when I'm in a flair to try and challenge myself and get used to manipulating my weapon in that state.
doc2rn
Member
HDCamel is correct, I use Hogue rubber wrap arround grips on my S&W mod 10s and on my D-frame Colts. There just isnt a comparison to how much better my wrist feels when using one. You may also want to try switching to an all steel semi-auto like a 1911 or a BHP durring flare ups. If your shooting magnums, try changing your load to powder puffs for range practice or get a matching .22lr to your wheelguns configuration. .22lr may not seem like much but at least you get to keep shooting. These are just some of the tricks that helped me.
Without knowing the history of your disability, I would not suggest anything at this time. See a specialist not just a general practitioner, get a second or even a third opinion, and be guided by their medical advice. Nerve and muscle damage can be exacerbated by self diagnosis.
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windjammer
Member
I wish I could help. I have the problem so bad I must use both my trigger fingers, right and left hand, one on top of the other in order to pull a trigger.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
Three things that help me:
- Wider or fatter stocks to spread recoil over a broader area of my hand.
- Lighter calibers.
- Taking aspirin before I leave for the range and again as needed after I'm done shooting.
If you're fingers are starting to bend, 'as you mentioned" let the doctor dignose what's going on, as having owned a gym, it's very easy to give advice, but it may be completely wrong. Possiblly an excersise routine will be required, i would be happy to help you with a full upper and lower body workout routine, but first see if this is what is indicated, as it may be wrong for your condition.
In general Ibuprofin and hot baths should help a lot. Then if he says you can exercise, there are a number of cable and machine exercises you may do. Don't use fee weights now, as you may drop them and further injure yourself. Let me know if I can be of any help, I had several personal trainers and nutritionists work for me, and trained a lot of atheletes, including Marlins Nfl players, and one Heavyweight world champ. I am retired now and can give you simple routines that take 15 minutes a few times a week.It sounds like your muscles are contracting and affecting your limbs. More than likelly some type of medication will be given to control the spasms causing this.
In general Ibuprofin and hot baths should help a lot. Then if he says you can exercise, there are a number of cable and machine exercises you may do. Don't use fee weights now, as you may drop them and further injure yourself. Let me know if I can be of any help, I had several personal trainers and nutritionists work for me, and trained a lot of atheletes, including Marlins Nfl players, and one Heavyweight world champ. I am retired now and can give you simple routines that take 15 minutes a few times a week.It sounds like your muscles are contracting and affecting your limbs. More than likelly some type of medication will be given to control the spasms causing this.
writerinmo
Member
I'm currently changing from my SW40VE Sigma to a Ruger P95 for about the same reasons. Both wear Hogue rubber grips as I have problems keeping the pistol situated that way I like in my hand. While the trigger pull DA on the Ruger is a tad heavier than the Sigma, the SA pull after that first round is MUCH lighter. The small difference in the 9mm drop from .40 along with the slightly heavier pistol makes it much more manageable to me.
doubleh
Member
Why a prescription for naproxin? Aleve is naproxin sodium and is available over the counter. Walmart sells their Equate brand of naproxin sodium dirt cheap. I got that from my doctor when he told me to take enough aleve to equal the strength of what he would prescribe as naproxin. On a side note it's supposed to be the safest of the arthritis drugs for kidney problems.
LongTimeGone
Member
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I have had surgery, a few years ago, on my neck for nerve pinching causing my left arm to go numb. It sorta worked but it's getting harder and harder to hold up a medium or full frame shooting 9s or above for a hundred rounds.
Now I have been recently diagnosed with arthritis in my hips. The shot in the groin sorta works but after just a half hour of standing and shooting my hips are on fire.
I eat the maximum daily dosage of ibuprofen, 3600 mg my doc said, plus omeprazole for stomach issue mitigation. Neither naproxin or celebrex seem to work for me.
A new hip(s) is in my future. I'm 59 btw.
I now mostly go to the outdoor range further away and shoot a lot of .22 sitting down.
Now I have been recently diagnosed with arthritis in my hips. The shot in the groin sorta works but after just a half hour of standing and shooting my hips are on fire.
I eat the maximum daily dosage of ibuprofen, 3600 mg my doc said, plus omeprazole for stomach issue mitigation. Neither naproxin or celebrex seem to work for me.
A new hip(s) is in my future. I'm 59 btw.
I now mostly go to the outdoor range further away and shoot a lot of .22 sitting down.
mgmorden
Member
I too have actually had better results from plain Ibuprofen too vs Naproxin or Celebrex for my gout (which normally is seen in older guys, but I've had it since I was 19 years old
). Its a shame its off the market, but back when it WAS available what really, really would work wonders was Vioxx.
Luckily however gout based arthritis is a "come and go" sort of thing, so while when it does hit it almost takes me off my feet, when it goes it pretty much goes away completely. So far I've also not had a flair up any higher than my knees. I might have to hobble out to the range but I still can shoot
.earplug
Member
Change your handle to small primer
I still shoot a monthly match or two with my 45, but I've really cut back on my large primer center fire practice. A 38 WC load can still be fun.
Shooting is fun, but my body likes to go fish and play other games too.
I still shoot a monthly match or two with my 45, but I've really cut back on my large primer center fire practice. A 38 WC load can still be fun.
Shooting is fun, but my body likes to go fish and play other games too.
dagger dog
Member
.45Guy,
RA runs on both sides of my family, I lucked out and didn't receive the gene, but every injury in my careless youth is now giving me the fits as in osteo arthritis, both ankles left hip, my left hand is darn near usless, no grip.
Grips made a big difference shooting hard recoiling single action loads , I went with a smooth surface and wider than normal, I can't close either hand into a tight clinched fist, so the thicker grips fill the hand better, the smooth surface doesn't do the cheese grater thing to the palms either, if you shoot bare handed, I use thin goatskin driving gloves and they stick to the smooth surface of the grips like glue.
RA runs on both sides of my family, I lucked out and didn't receive the gene, but every injury in my careless youth is now giving me the fits as in osteo arthritis, both ankles left hip, my left hand is darn near usless, no grip.
Grips made a big difference shooting hard recoiling single action loads , I went with a smooth surface and wider than normal, I can't close either hand into a tight clinched fist, so the thicker grips fill the hand better, the smooth surface doesn't do the cheese grater thing to the palms either, if you shoot bare handed, I use thin goatskin driving gloves and they stick to the smooth surface of the grips like glue.
I hope the specialist offers help, but if he or she should arrive at a course of action that does not do well by you after giving it a good chance, go to your doctor and let 'em know so they can send you on to find the help you need.
I am also feeling the pain of arthritis in the hands at age 73 Have taken some med's for it but nothing helps very much . When shooting my revolvers I mostly shoot single action because of the pain of the trigger pull on double action. Hope you can get some help for your problem
. When shooting my revolvers I mostly shoot single action because of the pain of the trigger pull on double action. Hope you can get some help for your problem
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Striker Fired
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I had done a lot of damage to my right wrist when I was a senior in high school(fell from the basketball hoop after getting my hand hung on the rim slam dunking),I landed on my wrist and bent it backward,never went to the doc.Now it hurts to shoot sharp recoiling round like 40S&W. I found forearm excercises helped a lot using resistance bands.
I also found that using certain powders ,like most VihtaVuori and Silhuoette,to be great for softening up felt recoil, I mean quite a bit softer.
Watch the steady diet of Ibuprofen,it is hard on the kidneys. I used to take 800mg horsepills-3 per day,and had to get my kidney function checked every six months.
I also found that using certain powders ,like most VihtaVuori and Silhuoette,to be great for softening up felt recoil, I mean quite a bit softer.
Watch the steady diet of Ibuprofen,it is hard on the kidneys. I used to take 800mg horsepills-3 per day,and had to get my kidney function checked every six months.
Beak50
Member
I have arthritis bad in my rt.wrist spreading to my hand also in my re-placed left shoulder and back My doctor just put me on Meloxicam 7.5mg 2x a day And it is working alot better than my Naproxen script did or anything else non narcotic for that matter.Ask your doc about it.
Certaindeaf
member
Dang, Sirs.. I've been hurt bad many a time and pretty much still am. Don't know what to say except I wish you the best. Don't know what else to say.
Certaindeaf
member
^
Between the normal million broken bones etc. that a normal man will accrue, I got something called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. An odd thing. You don't want that.. of course. Anyway.. hoping you the best with your grip.
Between the normal million broken bones etc. that a normal man will accrue, I got something called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. An odd thing. You don't want that.. of course. Anyway.. hoping you the best with your grip.
Interesting thread.
I have osteo arthritis and my working/shooting hand has been getting worse from years of carpentry work, not to mention a host of other issues that I won't even go into. I also recently have been experiencing carpel tunnel in the same hand from hammering and vibrating tools.
I found some gloves sold by Lee Valley that are fingerless and have padding on the palms. Very comfortable. They're mostly for things like using a palm sander but I suspect if you were to use them shooting, they would absorb a lot of the shock from recoil while still maintaining a good grip. Of course the pistol/revolver grip configeration might change, but that can be figured out. There are other anti-vibration gloves on the market that you could experiment with but I like the Lee Valley gloves the best. They are made by Horizon under the Vibra-Cushion name. I think its worth a try.
Good luck.
I have osteo arthritis and my working/shooting hand has been getting worse from years of carpentry work, not to mention a host of other issues that I won't even go into. I also recently have been experiencing carpel tunnel in the same hand from hammering and vibrating tools.
I found some gloves sold by Lee Valley that are fingerless and have padding on the palms. Very comfortable. They're mostly for things like using a palm sander but I suspect if you were to use them shooting, they would absorb a lot of the shock from recoil while still maintaining a good grip. Of course the pistol/revolver grip configeration might change, but that can be figured out. There are other anti-vibration gloves on the market that you could experiment with but I like the Lee Valley gloves the best. They are made by Horizon under the Vibra-Cushion name. I think its worth a try.
Good luck.
alaskanativeson
Member
.45Guy, in addition to the GP and specialists you see (please note that I said in ADDITION to, not instead of) you migiht want to consider some naturopath remedies. Accupuncture did wonders for my sister with her arthritis before she got new plastic joints. First hands, now feet. I'm not an over-the-top homeopathic guy, as a matter of fact I consider not going to doctors when needed irresponsible. However, before Western medicine there was still a lot of healing going on. Our reliance on modern meds eliminated most of that, but they're starting to re-discover there are benefits to some alternative treatments.
As for your shooting woes, consider a wheelgun in a lighter caliber. For defensive purposes I'd feel fairly well protected if all I could carry was my Taurus 941 in .22 Magnum.
As for your shooting woes, consider a wheelgun in a lighter caliber. For defensive purposes I'd feel fairly well protected if all I could carry was my Taurus 941 in .22 Magnum.
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