PARAFFIN TREATMENT FOR SD CONTRACTURES

[MINOCINMAN]

Has anyone had go results with Parrafin wax treatment for hand contractures? If so, please provide regimen, as far as frequency, time of treatment, temperture, solution, etc?

[richie]

Hi–When I went for occupational therapy about 12 years ago –after excercises I was given paraffin on both hands —it only provided very short term relief -like for about two hours or so after –I found much much more relief from electric mittens -which provided much more relief —
richie

[MINOCINMAN]

@richie wrote:

Hi–When I went for occupational therapy about 12 years ago –after excercises I was given paraffin on both hands —it only provided very short term relief -like for about two hours or so after –I found much much more relief from electric mittens -which provided much more relief —
richie

Do you think it helped with the contractures?

[richie]

Hi–I dont think it helped with the contractures –both the wax and the mittens were primarily for pain relief –The contractures were helped by excercising the fingers almost constantly –if you cant get to a therapist there are many things you can do on your own

---

Two things that rapidly come to mind are therapeutic putty –which I constantly squeezed and an inxpensive gadget where you place your fingers in holes that are in a rubber sheet stretched on a frame and then squeeze it —It took a few years of hard work and progress is very slow but it can be reversed once swelling in fingers go down —
richie

[Maz]

Hi MM,

I bought the following hot paraffin bath from Walmart and it was great for pain relief when my hands were like contractured claws from very severe RA. It’s inexpensive and easy to do at home:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr.-Scholl-s-Paraffin-Bath-with-Temp-Control/13374541

I also went to a hand therapist who used the hot paraffin bath before getting me to do hand exercises. I don’t think I could have done the hand therapy without this as the pain was so bad. I’d dip my hands in, she’d cover them in cling film, and then put a towel on my lap where I’d place my hands. Then, she’d place a heating pad on top of another towel she laid across my hands. I’d just sit like that for 10 or 20 mins until she’d peel off the wax and then we could start the hand therapy. I loved the pain relief so much and the cost of the home hand bath was so inexpensive that I felt it was worth buying one.

As Richie said, it was more the exercises and being on AP that released my hand contractures with the hot paraffin wax being purely palliative, loosening things up enough to do the exercises. The theraputty was a god-send and I bought some from my physical therapy place at the reception. If you have a PT place near-by, you may be able to just walk in and buy some at their front desk if you’re not already seeing a hand therapist.

[Krys]

I heard of some positive results. I can’t help you with the details. You should be able to find them through Google.

I had only one treatment and it somewhat helped for a few hours. As it was quite expensive and my GP did not think it would solve the problem, I did not repeat it. I did not do any on my own. Instead, I took a couple of homeopathic injections in the joints.
One treatment is never enough to reverse anything, so don’t get discouraged by my lack of the lasting improvement. Combining various treatments and doing them regularly may work best.
My LLMD suggested Teasel extract, Xu Duan, for the tendons, and it worked worked quite well for me. I was also on intense AP for Lyme and was taking Systemic enzymes and lots of anti-inflammatories. There’s one problem with Teasel extract: it stains the teeth. Brushing teeth with H2O2 poured on the toothpaste right after Teasel intake might prevent it.
The contracture is gone, I have full range of movement (it was just my thumb, both joints affected) but residual inflammation has persisted and is still there. If I eat any starches, it is more obvious.
Krys

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