its hard to predict the future, but your hands may get better, mine did.
my inflammatory arthritis started in my upper back (rhomboid area) and hands, dq tendonitis.
dq tendonitis doesn't sound so bad, does it? but i almost lost total use of both hands. the left hand was totally useless, so much scare tissue that a slight movement of the thumb was setting up new scar tissue. due to allowing doctors to put it in a brace. no movement is bad for me, very very bad. somehow or another allows the inflammation to occur but doesn't allow my body to try to heal it or something like that is what i imagine to be going on. went to hand PT. as she was working with me, the right hand gave out from overuse (not using left) but i never let anyone put that hand in a brace so it never got as bad. so got a cortisone shot into the left wrist, a miraculous drug when needed. more hand PT on both hands. then about maybe 3-4 years total of only being able to use my hands for my work (i'm a teacher so way too much paper handling, and then there's the typing. i'd never have been able to be on a forum back then. i typed minimally for work. minimal emails. no computer games. no surfing the internet. no forums.) cooking - hubby had to do all the food prep (cutting and peeling) and i'd do the actual cooking. no one knows what its like to lose the functioning of a body part, til we do.
then miraculously, the spondy took up residence and left my hands largely alone except during some flares.
in the summer of 2006, tore a ligament in my left ulnar wrist. couldn't use the left hand for anything for about 2 years. cortisone again. this time on the opposite side to before. and 5 months of PT - mostly ultrasound and ionophoresis. hand surgeon evaluated. we decided together that since after the cortisone shot it was slowly getting better, so we'd let my body continue to work its magic. during that time i typed one handed (thus why even today i rarely capitalize, a real hand saver believe it or not, just try it!) so back to only minimal typing to save my right hand, back to hubby doing all the food prep for cooking, etc.
but as you can see, if my hands were even a bit bad, i wouldn't be able to be here as much as i am, typing as much as i do.
yes, for now, its moved on and left my hands alone. why? i have no idea, but i tend not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
so hoping it leaves your hands as well.
oddly, my hands started getting better (the first time) when the physiatrist put me on a muscle relaxant (zanaflex). maybe the muscles aren't constantly tugging, letting the tendons relax a bit as well. or maybe its coincidence, though i rarely believe in coincidences.
believe you me, i was quite doubtful back in 1998-2002 that my hands would ever see any relief.
in the meantime, while they were flaring for those 4 years, and then again from 2006-2008. lots of contrast baths, several a day,15- 20 minutes at a time, 1-2 minutes hot hot water, 1-2 minutes ice cold water, back and forth. in addition to resting the hands as much as i could. those contrast baths were a life saver, learned that in PT. when my hands flare more moderately, i'll just do a lot of dishes, the hot water alone seems to have some therapeutic benefits, though not as much as the contrast baths.
hope your hands feel better soon.
