In regard to Derek's joint pains in his hands due to Lyme Disease, I was wondering if a consult with an orthopedic might be worth while?

Early in my treatment for Lyme Disease my orthopedic prescribed splints for both my hands due to the extreme pain I was experiencing.

These splints given to me by the orthopedic were better than what is available at drug stores. My splints actually have a metal bar within the splint that supports the bottom side of my wrist and palm of my hand. It virtually is like wearing a cast.

The purpose of the splints is to rest my hand joints when they are painful. Thus, I was told to wear them at bedtime each night. Should my hands become painful during the day, I was instructed to wear them on those days.

This really has helped tremendously. I rarely wear them during the day now. I have found that just wearing them a couple of hours during those days that were painful seemed to give me enough relief to go the rest of the day without them. Currently I do not need to wear them nightly, but tend to wear them just as the need arises. This took almost a year of wearing the splints nightly before I just needed them now and then.

Resting painful joints is commonly used approach with arithritic joints. However, the goal is to only rest the joint for brief periods of time, not to immobilize the joint which can lead to muscle weakenesses etc.

Best wishes - Debbie/RI

Her OT (specializing in hands)custom made it on the spot. She wrapped some sort of waxy stuff around the arm/wrist/hand and made a mold, I think, then baked something in that shape, so it fit perfectly.

Even as she got better, she still used the splint for writing, until she was totally recovered.

Of all the things we did during that period, the splint was perhaps the most helpful (besides antibiotics). Exercises helped too.

I forget if it was the orthopedics guy or the rheumatologist who referred her to the OT. I think it was a rheumatologist. A Lyme doctor could refer also...

My husband was sent by our orthopedic to have those very splints made for his hand. He actually did not like wearing it because it made him sweat more. We even lined it with a cotton, wide weave fabric. So he chose to wear a hand splint that he could loosen up but still get the support from.

Having splints for my hands really did and still does help when things flare up. It is worth trying since it is non-invasive and relatively inexpensive.

In my husband's case he is in need of a wrist fusion. However in my case, I am not in need of surgery but pain relief. Thus, the splints were of help. I am happy to hear that your daughter too received benefit from wearing a splint.

I truly can empathize with Derek's pain and I hope this thread and your's Lyddie might be of assistance for little Derek.

Please keep us updated Missy.

Best wishes-Debbie/RI

I was misdiagnosed with tendinitis and put in wrist braces for months. I had muscle atrophy because I was told to not use my hands and wrists, but to let them heal.

My pain was so much worse because of this. I lost the use of my hands for about a year.

Thanks for reiterating the importance of not immobilizing the hands for long periods of time.

HappyC.D. - I agree that the use of the splints, if recommended by the doctor, should be just for short periods of resting the joints. I guess when it comes to keeping the use/mobility/strength of joints the old saying goes something like this, you lose what you don't use, so keep it moving.

Debbie/RI

I worked with a feldenkrais specialist who says "when moving comfortably, muscles relax."

She used it almost all the time for a couple of weeks, and then just for activities like handwriting that required a lot of support. So she then sort of weaned off of it gradually. Even months later, she would use it if she had pain, just for a few hours.

It was also in a kid-friendly cool color, which she could choose!

BTW playing classical guitar has helped her hands a lot and kept them healthy, we think.

If only my typing would do the same for me...I had to retype this post due to all the typos and reversals!

Thanks for all the advice. Our appointment for today, was moved to tomorrow morning, so I will be sure to mention this to the OT, if she doesn't bring it up first.

She is talking about putting him on a 504 health plan and getting him a laptop computer to use in the classroom, instead of writing when his hands are in pain.

Derek is very skeptical about the laptop, as he said kids will pick on him and call him stupid as they will think he is too stupid to write.

It really stinks that kids can be so mean.

We plan on talking it over with the OT tomorrow and get her take on it.

I also have a meeting at the kids school tomorrow afternoon for Mikayla's health care plan for her diabetes..I have been so busy trying to get everything together..

Thanks again and I'll stop by tomorrow night and let you all know how it went.

This time of year is always stressful. I hope that you have a really good meeting about Mikayla today, one that makes you feel confident and safe on her behalf.

quote:

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Originally posted by Deb:
Aniek - I am unfamiliar with what a feldenkrais specialist is. Could you please explain?

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Feldenkrais is a method of learning how to use your body to reduce stress and pain. It never helped me, but I worked with a practitioner before the lyme diagnosis. In reality nothing helped reduce the pain until I started muscle relaxers, because the infection would cause so much inflammation of my shoulder and back muscles. That was the root cause of my hand pain.

There is a link to info below:
http://www.feldenkrais-resources.com/backgroundinfo.htm