kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 If you have been following my threads on my daughters hands, you will know that she has been having problems. 1) swan neck deformity in her fingers 2) had pain and tightness from her index finger through her wrist to her forearm (currently not hurting) 3) aches in between her thumb and index finger (this morning for the first time complained of joint pain in her thumb) considering arthritis as the problem. 2 friends of mine suggested chiropractic care.... my only expeirence with chiropractors has been less than good... 1) I went to a chiropractor for neck and back pain....went multiple times for an adjustment...never helped...stopped going...months later, pain went away after I changed pillows. 2) took the same daughter to a "all natural" chiropractor for a knee thing...she used lasers, and tinctures and heating lamps...didn't help, but when she told me that my daughter needs to be tested for diabetes, I was out of there...(that was 5 years ago...no diabetes) and when I took her to a children's hospital doctor, we were told that 4 months of staying off it would help...and it did. She was on crutches for that time and she is fine. So, I am a bit leery....but I am also becoming desperate. I don't want to put her on all sort of medicines for arthritis but I am also feeling a bit stuck. If anybody has used chiropractic care for something similar, please give me some guidance. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I don't know about treatments for hands, but my chiropractic experience has been nothing but positive. Both DH and I are under maintenance where our treatment is finished but we are still seen once a month. It does help. Maybe you just didn't have good doctors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 I don't know about treatments for hands, but my chiropractic experience has been nothing but positive. Both DH and I are under maintenance where our treatment is finished but we are still seen once a month. It does help. Maybe you just didn't have good doctors? That is what I want to think....I have heard others (in the past) say they like their chiropractors....but I never really paid much attention...so now I am not even sure who those "others" are...to ask for recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 I thought it might be RA, but when I found this, I realized that she doesn't have any of these symptoms in the way they are described...so now what??? RA SymptomsAlthough RA is a chronic—or persisting—disease, symptoms may come and go unpredictably. That’s because RA symptoms come in flares where there may be periods of increased disease activity and fade or disappear in periods of remission. During a flare, you may notice some or all of the following symptoms: Painful, swollen, warm joints Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 30 minutes in the morning or after a long rest Inflammation in hands (wrist and finger joints), neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, or feet Symmetrical pattern of inflammation, meaning both sides of the body are impacted at once Fatigue, occasional fever, and a general feeling of discomfort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I'm a great proponent for chiropractic care for what they do- adjusting the spine. They will not cure arthritis. If pain is from a pinched nerve or from bones being out of place, then they will help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 I'm a great proponent for chiropractic care for what they do- adjusting the spine. They will not cure arthritis. If pain is from a pinched nerve or from bones being out of place, then they will help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk how do we know if that is the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth 2 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 A good chiro will start with x-rays and a full neurological exam. The provider will then be able to see if the symptoms she is having could be caused by any subluxations and how to treat it. My chiropractor figured out some of mine and my husband's health issues five years before conventional medicine. We saw three other chiropractors in our married life and no one came close to Dr. M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 do you think that my daughter's hand issues can be caused by a spine issue? It doesn't hurt all of the time...but the duration is longer and longer with each episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 for starters: training for extremities is an extra, many chiros don't have it. (especially older ones.). if it is arthritis - that is a whole different ball of wax. there are other issues than can cause joint pain, have you looked into those? I had adrenal issues cause trouble with some muscle cramping - and until they were addressed - no amount of chiro, shiatsu, or PT were going to help for very long. while she was at college, 1dd did do something to her wrist (it was sudden - she was typing when she felt it "pop".) that made it next to impossible to write, and was a fair amount of pain. the clinic gave her pain rx, PT, she found a chiro at school who did nothing . . . she was coming home for spring break that year, dh insisted I take her to an Ortho. . . . "oh, wait three/four months and if it's not better maybe I can do something - now just give it time." - at that point, it had already been several weeks. nothing helped. dh finally consented to let me take her to the chiro I had just started seeing. he diagnosed her with a displaced wrist bone (there are 13). not the carpal tunnel, but the one next to it, compressing a nerve. he adjusted her neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist each day she was there (4x). she was significantly improved when she went back. when she was back for the summer, he worked on her some more and she had complete return of function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 The chiropractor can't do anything about the swan neck deformity, I don't think. Or the tightness - unless he recommends stretching and the problem is from normal tight muscles. Joint pain can be helped by a chiropractor if the problem is due to the joints being jammed together. They can't help if the problem is due to inflammation or other reasons. The pain between the thumb and index finger doesn't sound like something that they could help because I don't think that there are nerves there and there are no bones there. Note: this is my thoughts as a lay person. I go to a chiro weekly and have for twenty years now. He can't cure my fibro but he makes my life more bearable because my muscles are constantly pulling things out of alignment. He can't fix my muscles (and I don't expect him to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 Jean, I agree with everything you said. So, where do I go from here? I did take her to our local clinic and the doctor was as clueless as we are....we do have a hand specialist about 45 minutes from here...but he mainly treats injuries and does surgeries on injured hands...I do not think he would be helpful...she didn't injure herself... so we just try a different doctor? what would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Can you find a DNF (Directional Non-Force) chiropractor? They are less rough AND more thorough than regular ones. Mine has fixed hand and foot problems for me, remarkably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) Can you find a DNF (Directional Non-Force) chiropractor? They are less rough AND more thorough than regular ones. Mine has fixed hand and foot problems for me, remarkably. I have never heard of such a doctor, I will look...but since we live in rural NE, I doubt we will find one close enough. But it's worth a look. eta: nope...the closest (and only that I can see) is 3 hours away. Edited February 24, 2017 by NEprairiemom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Ask around for recommendations. While chiropractors often also encourage other non-traditional treatment approaches, the main focus should be on structural adjustments. The main focus should not be trying to sell you supplements, oils, or other alternative therapies, though they may make a recommendation or two. A chiro may not be able to correct a structural deformity, but might be able to alleviate some of the resulting pain and tension. I found an amazing chiropractor. The treatment started with a structural evaluation, which was then used as the basis for my treatment. I also started therapeutic massage through the same office--the massage therapist and chiropractor work together to complement one another's treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Jean, I agree with everything you said. So, where do I go from here? I did take her to our local clinic and the doctor was as clueless as we are....we do have a hand specialist about 45 minutes from here...but he mainly treats injuries and does surgeries on injured hands...I do not think he would be helpful...she didn't injure herself... so we just try a different doctor? what would you do? I don't think that I've seen you mentioning a rheumatologist. That is where I would go. If possible, a pediatric one but I realize that might not be possible in a rural area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 why would we go to a rheumatogist? I mean, it doesn't sound like rheumatoid arthritis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) why would we go to a rheumatogist? I mean, it doesn't sound like rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatologists treat and screen for a lot more than just rheumatoid arthritis. Anything having to do with possible inflammation esp. in the joints should start there, in my opinion. Edited to add that they also screen for a lot of auto-immune stuff. Edited February 24, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 why would we go to a rheumatogist? I mean, it doesn't sound like rheumatoid arthritis Because there are many, many more forms of arthritis than RA. Because many forms of arthritis definitely need treating medically because they are in fact systemic diseases that will start affecting other parts too. Because even if it is osteoarthritis (and yes, even teens can get osteoarthritis) the rheumatologist can prescribe therapies like Physical therapy and occupational therapy (they deal with hand) as needed. He or She can advise on whether a brace is something that would help. If it is one of the autoimmune forms of arthritis, you don't want to be fooling around with chiropractors. You need medication. Diseases like RA, Psoriatic Arthritis, Sjogren's Syndrome, Lupus, Raynauds, and many more all can cause problems with hands and they are all autoimmune issues which the standard of treatment for stopping disabilities is now hit the disease early and hard to stop it as much as possible. All the autoimmune diseases have increases in other organ difficulties such as heart problems, leukemia, kidney and liver problems, vasculitis, etc, etc. If it is osteoporosis, you want to start on treatments and therapy earlier rather than later to preserve function. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 wow...I am learning a lot. I have a phone call into a rheumologist hoping to hear back this afternoon (of course it has to be Friday, right?) ....we will get on this ASAP....thanks for the information...didn't know any of this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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