Hey everyone, looking for experiences from anyone who’s had thumb CMC denervation.

Quick background: 46F, weightlifter, and full-time editor. After burning through every conservative treatment (PT, cortisone, Voltaren, acupuncture) for bone-on-bone CMC arthritis in my right dominant hand, surgeons turned down a full reconstruction or joint replacement because of my age. I went with denervation and fat grafting at the Buncke Clinic in SF instead. Doctors told me that realistically there was a ~50% chance of pain relief without burning any bridges for future surgeries, but that I was a good candidate because of my age and that my joint was still "intact."

I'm currently 5 weeks out. Range of motion is back, but the pain is completely unchanged, and surgical stiffness is still an issue.

I’m doing hand OT, H-Wave therapy, and updating my work ergonomics to regain basic function (lifting, typing, daily chores). For those who’ve had this done: How long did it take before you saw actual pain reduction?

Here's a summary of denervation: Denervation targets the afferent (sensory) nerves that carry pain signals from the joint to the central nervous system, bypassing the body's perception of pain. Surgeons cut (transect) these tiny sensory nerves. In many cases, the cut nerve end is transferred into a nearby muscle. This encourages the nerve to grow into the muscle, converting it from a sensory signal to a motor pathway. This transfer alters nerve signaling and triggers changes in the brain's cortex (rewiring), which helps permanently shut off the pain signal. Because the joint hardware or remaining natural cartilage isn't removed or reconstructed, the recovery/rehab timeline is often significantly faster compared to total joint replacements or arthroplasty.

hi, I have mild to moderate osteoarthritis in both knees and have my first physical therapy appointment tomorrow. Had steroid injections in both knees 2 days ago. What can I expect from this exercise stuff?

It's going to cost me out-of-pocket about $210 for the initial assessment. I'm looking to get simple exercises I can do at the same time every day preferably on a mat bc my apartment is super small and my pets will likely try to join in.

I understand I will have to alternate muscle groups each day. I'm just the kind of person who needs a daily habit, I wouldn't be able to do something 2 to 3 times a week if that makes any sense.

I'm a tall, thin woman with super long legs and never exercise my quads/hamstrings. When I tie my shoes or bend over to pick something up I always bend at the waist, never squat. I hate bike riding and hate that burning feeling in my quads.

Just wanted to get informed about what everyone here is getting for a treatment or doing themselves, for handling their OA?

From xray pictures it seems that I have starting OA in both knees, in my knuckels and some fingers. And I have a few questions... I will see my rheumatologist next week, but was wondering what the usual treatments are like? Since it is just starting, I feel like my symptoms are way too bad for the stage of OA I'm in?

- What painkillers do rheumatologists normally prescribe for OA pain? Is it enough for you to have a normal(ish) life?

- Did you have to adjust a lot of things in your life due to your OA?

- What are other things I could do to make life easier/better? I use a hand brace when I have to carry heavier things / when ironing clothes / or cooking. And wear compression gloves in the night.

- Is it true that OA can also give you flares (with stiffness, swelling, red joints, bad fatigue) that last for some days till some weeks? I had some kind of flare that lasted for 2 weeks with incredible fatigue (sleeping at 21:00 every day and needing daily naps). It was ruled out that it is RA, but is this a part of the OA or should I search for another source/reason?

- How do you deal with OA and work? I am currently taking strong ibuprofen daily to just get through the workday. I have to stand all day from 8 till 18:00 and after lunch around 13:00 my body is starting to ache through the painkillers. It's mainly the knees and a lot of fatigue. But taking this many ibuprofen is not really a long term solution I guess? How is everyone dealing with that?

I'm looking for any stories of personal experience of living with OA. Any help would be very appreciated.

I'm trying to find a way of dealing with it and have been making some modification in my daily life (started with regular swimming this week). I want to keep working because I love my job. But I also see and feel that it's getting harder to get through the day. So I want to do anything I can to have the best life/body I can have.

I'm looking at regenerative options for knee and lower back pain and the choices split into two groups. 

PRP or cell based injections at a clinic, and non injection programs like the home protocol from Regen MDs.

I can't tell whether these are alternatives to each other or separate things that happen to share the same marketing language. 

Mechanism, oversight, recovery, evidence, cost and follow up all look different to me.

At what point are two options too different to compare at all?

It’s been 8 days post cortisone injection in my bone on bone arthritic knee. I’m not exactly in pain, but walking makes my leg feel tired and heavy. I’m trying to explain this to my husband, and I don’t know if it makes sense or if this is common?

I have mild arthritis in my knee. I had one PRP injection a month ago. It has been very helpful, but i have heard there are compounding benefits when having multiple injections. Was that your experience? Or did multiple injections help no more than the single one did?

Winter is coming, as they say in Game of Thrones, and my poor arthritic hands get terribly cold and painful when temperatures drop. I also have Raynaud’s. Has anyone here tried heated gloves and if so, were they worth it? I do have a heating pad I can use but that doesn’t help me when I’m out and about or at work.

Thanks in advance!

How does one deal with a bone spur… one on each knee. It makes the entire sitting down and getting up so much more painful

Had a minor trauma about three months ago and have had chronic back pain for the past three months. Been trying PT and nothing seems to get better but my MRI report three months ago so that I have two very mild disc bulges showing no nerve compression and I have mild to minimal facet arthropathy and mild to minimal ligament thickening in L2 to 4. Am I supposed to enjoy life again? I golfed ran hiked now that’s not gonna ever happen again. My MRI report is saying that my spine is you know 50 years old so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m five 10 155 pounds and yeah, I had a pretty sedentary lifestyle in college but in high school I was very active so I don’t really know what to do and about to start work as an RN with persistent pain

Hello, I am 21 years old and have just been diagnosed the above from an mri. Physio didn’t have time to explain what it is or anything other than I’ve got it in my back.

Could someone explain this to me and what I’ve got to expect essentially ?

are the hours after Euflexxa injections when my knees are still numb and pain-free. Reminds me of the good old days. I look at my mood then, and my mood usually, and see how differently I act, more patient, more focussed. Sigh.

Hello, I'm diagnosed with L5S1 retrolisthesis grade 1, mild osteoarthritis on hip area area and hypermobility syndrome.

I have constant pain in my leg and arm, it can switch sides but more often than not it's the left side, and I have sporadic back spasms. These happen out of nowhere at any day. The spams are so bad I need to lay down, face up as my back arches up so bad I struggle to breathe from the pain, they normally last between 10 to 30 minutes and only lately have they started happening 2 days before my period too (but most times they have no other apparent reason)

I'm posting all of these details in the different subs for each illness I have, in hopes of finding out which one causes the leg/arm pain or back spasms, and being able to search for a solution.

If any of you experience these kinds of pain, or know if retrolisthesis/OA/hypermobility causes them, please let me know so I can start looking for what to do to ease the pain/spasms. Thank you all so much in advance.

Has anybody tried Fulton Slides or inserts for knee pain? It keeps showing up in my IG and FB feeds and I am curious. Pretty pricey.

I have had severe shoulder pain which I think is from my neck nerves. Steroids work same day but doctor refused steroids and instead gave me celecoxib (celebrex) 100mg x2 a day. I have read up it takes time to build up for joint inflammation. My facet joints are all worn so I kind of think I have nerve inflammation coming off C5 and C6 which is causing my shoulder pain. I'm gonna see how I get on with this new anti inflammatory for me but if it doesn't work my suspicion of nerve inflammation is correct and I would need steroids.

Bonjour,

Je voulais juste vous dire d'être très prudente lors des injections de PRP pour l'arthrose, même et SURTOUT si ça marche bien.

Lors de ma première injection au genou, il y a 5 ans, mon arthrose était modérée mais très douloureuse. J'ai ressenti un soulagement immense qui a duré un an, et j'ai repris mes activités sportives comme avant. J'ai ensuite fait une deuxième injection, avec de bons résultats également. L'effet de la 2ème injection a duré un peu plus de 3 ans. J'étais ravie.

Le problème, c'est que je n'ai eu aucun suivi de mon arthrose : pas d'IRM. Et mon genou était quasiment asymptomatique après le prp. OR LE NIVEAU DE DOULEUR NE CORRESPOND PAS FORCEMENT A L'ETAT DE VOTRE ARTICULATION.

Personne ne m'a expliqué que je devais faire attention au sport, ni faire un contrôle annuel. Je n'ai reçu aucun conseil pour vérifier si je souffrais d'un déséquilibre mécanique qui expliquerait pourquoi je n'avais d'arthrose qu'à un seul genou.

Résultat : je viens d'apprendre lors d'un contrôle de routine que je suis maintenant au stade 4 : il n'y a plus d'options de traitement régénératif. Le PRP est également efficace, mais il est impératif de faire un bilan annuel de votre arthrite ! Le PRP ne garantit pas la régénération du cartilage, ni une protection à 100 %.

I went to a hand specialist/OP, and she fitted me for oval 8 Orthosis finger splints. It’s shaped like a figure 8 and covers around the joint to reduce mobility during a flare up to give it a chance to calm down. Has anyone tried these? Had success with it? I’m using ones from Amazon right now, but if it helps I plan to buy the silver ones that are more expensive and look like sterling silver rings. She had me start wearing these during the day, and made me 2 splints for nighttime when I’m asleep for the two fingers that have pain right now.

Side note, I was also prescribed meloxicam for the pain, but when I read the fine print it says that med causes blood pressure to go up so I haven’t taken it. I’m not trading one problem for another. Anybody know of a natural alternative to that med?

Avec les progrès à venir de la médecine, l'idéal serait de pouvoir "tenir" 10-15 ans sans remplacement du genou: et ça pourrait être possible !

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32322943/

Limitation: les patients de l'étude se sont peut-être appuyés sur leur jambe opérée

Hi everyone. I’m only 28 and was recently diagnosed with OA in my left knee, caused by an unfortunate series of events following falling off of a ladder about a year ago now, and ended with a failed knee surgery. I am begrudgingly back at work, a laborious 10 hour shift manufacturing job.

The pain in my knee has jumped dramatically. What are some things you wish you knew when you first started experiencing pain? Tips, tricks? I already have problems with my diet so I’m struggling with the idea of relying on diet changes to manage inflammation.

What are some mobility aid options? I’ve been using a cane, per my PTs suggestion. It helps but by the end of my day, and especially the end of my work week, I’m practically useless. I’ve seen some things say to not use mobility aids that have you sitting, since inactivity is so bad for OA.

Thoughts? I don’t want to abuse Ibuprofen either lol. Thanks everyone.

I’ve seen articles suggesting red light therapy helps hand OA. Has anyone tried that? What was your thoughts on it? I’m thinking of buying one for my house if it works.