Do you suffer with pain and swelling in your hands due to arthritis? It's a pretty common challenge as we age, and can range from quite minor to issues that affect our ability to do normal tasks and hobbies. It can sadly be life-changing for some people and have significant impact on quality of life. I know my Grandma, who loved knitting and crochet, had to give up these hobbies she loved in later life and it was a real loss to her.

Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that comes in two forms and is experienced more by women than men, and primarily but not only those age 40+. It can start in childhood or mid-life, but is just more common among us later on.

Firstly, Osteoarthritis, the more common form, involves the damage over time of the cartilage that is between the joints and which helps them to work smoothly. As this degrades and inflammation creates swelling, the joints stiffen or cease up and we see them become less and less mobile. Bone spurs or small fragments of bone may also break off and cause pain. It may be just a knuckle or finger joint that is "stuck" or the whole hand can become hard to move and this can affect all body joints potentially. Secondly, Rheumatoid Arthritis, the less common form, involves the break down of the synovium, a soft tissue membrane which helps to protect joints and keep them in place, but which also helps to shift toxins, since it contains blood vessels. The joints lose their stability and can suffer significant damage in the short or long term, but Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect other parts of the body and organs too and may have a much broader impact on quality of life.

This is why it's so great to see information such as this provided by the Arthritis Foundation, outlining some of the scientific studies which have been done on the benefits of hand massage and Reiki for those suffering from arthritis. One piece of research, for example, compared the use of hand massage versus Reiki versus no treatment at all. The results clearly showed that having a hand massage or Reiki had a significant positive effect compared to no intervention. The massage helped to reduce pain and also anxiety, the latter being a common side-effect of the pain and debilitating effect of Arthritis on the hands. The Reiki was, interestingly, rated even higher for its benefits in reducing pain and fatigue. Furthermore, a range of studies have demonstrated how massage, with its emphasis on shifting fluids in the body and bringing in movement and energy, can help boost the immune system, which is going to help the body tackle the inflammation better. The stiffness of movement that accompanies Arthritis can be significantly improved by massage (https://www.livescience.com/does-massage-help-arthritis).

If you're interested to try this, I offer a signature treatment Reiki-infused massage, which covers the whole body and is tailored to suit specific challenges for each person (https://www.joyhopewellbeingstudio.co.uk/offerings/reiki-infused-massage-with-arwen-signature-treatment-75-mins). Or you can focus attention on hands with one of these special treatments:

Express Reiki-infused arm & hand massage - 30 minutes

https://www.joyhopewellbeingstudio.co.uk/offerings/express-reiki-infused-arm-hand-massage-30-minutes

Express Head, arm and hand massage - 30 minutes with Arwen:

https://www.joyhopewellbeingstudio.co.uk/offerings/express-head-arm-and-hand-massage-with-arwen-30-mins

Arthritis is not reversible, but it is manageable and can be significantly slowed for some people such as with medications, exercise and holistic therapies, as we've seen, such as:

Massage and Reiki (as above);

Acupuncture (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5925010/);

Heat and cold therapy (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/heat-or-ice-for-arthritis);

And eating to reduce inflammation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8706441/ and https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/the-ultimate-arthritis-diet).

If you feel you need more information or support on this topic, please do contact a body such as Arthritis Action in the UK to find out more: https://www.arthritisaction.org.uk/ Or seek a similar association in your country, if you are elsewhere.