How to postpone %^&*($# CLAW HAND

[BetsyB]

My hands are atrophying and curling up.
This makes it harder and harder to type, to touch people, to eat, etc.
Of course this is only the beginning of myriad worse symptoms.
But I would welcome advice from anyone who has tried (and failed or succeeded) in delaying this process.
Exercise grips? squeezing soft ball? hand braces? what works?
love and thanks to all
betsy

 

[chally]

Hey Betsy, my fingers are bound up tight also. I try to stretch them on the front of my arm rest on the pwc. I have someone massage my hands& arms. I have used all kinds of gripes ,braces etc nothing really worked for me. I make sure someone trims my finger nails and the weird thing is they grow really fast. Very hard to do anything. I use a stylus jammed between finger& thumb to type, use remotes& phone calls. I get stylus from wal mart. Not fun but IIWII good luck chally

 

[Nuts]

Betsy, massage to relax the muscles (curling and clawing is the result of flexor muscles being weaker than those that extend your fingers and hand). Also, lay it flat as often as you can. If you are past that stage, a rolled up towel may keep it from curling tighter.

Nothing is easy with this disease...

 

[patrick123]

I have a brace that keeps my hands from curling. I went to ALS clinic and the physical therapist had my hands fitted.

Patrick

 

[azgirl]

Lots and lots of ROM and massage for arms and fingers.
My doctor ordered a couple of hand braces, but they are not very comfortable, but they do help.
Mostly, everyone around me knows to straighten out my fingers when they walk by.

 

[BetsyB]

one thing that this curled hand is good for...I hesitate to say but my surrogate (please see my thread "sex and als") appreciates it. nuf said. but that does not make up for the helpless feeling of watching these hands curl up.

 

[Margesmn]

Thanks for the post Betsy, and everyone who responded.
I have one finger that is starting to curl. It's good to have a heads up
On some things I can do.

 

[Ells]

Not much can be done to prevent fingers hands clawing but now is the time to preserve the ROM flexibility of fingers, thumbs, wrist & lower forearms.

Use advice above re massage and if you start now wearing a hand splint when sleeping, your tendons & ligaments will keep on able to tolerate the stretch, even if hand is clawed. Night splints make my nights heaps better, as I don't make tight, crampy fists!

I wear DeRoyal splints on my hands at night and used to wear a finger support to jab the keyboard! though I no longer can do it. They are worth checking out.

Betsy, do you have an OT who can help & advise?

 

[BetsyB]

my local OT and PT r not experienced with ALS, Ells, but I think they will be responsive if I tell them that I need hand splints and finger supports. Can u give me a little more detail about finger supports? what brand, etc?
keyboarding is getting to be so painful, i will try anything!

 

[Ells]

I had an "Oval 8" and a "Baseball Finger" splint.

The OT/PT should be able to suggest something appropriate - Good luck!

 

[BetsyB]

Thanks so much!

 

[affected]

You've been pretty much answered completely by all the great replies

Yes you can postpone, or slow down, and then maintain once the hand claws completely.

I did this video and our care workers would play it on Chris's ipad and follow along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMGhxvZD8g4&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=maremmagirl

 

[KimT]

Amazing, Tillie.

 

[affected]

When Chris would allow me, after that massage in the video I would then put splints on his hands to hold them out for a while.

 

[BetsyB]

Tillie thank u so much.
i found some dynamic finger splints for sale by a german company named Ruck MedicalTec. has anyone used these?
betsy