Daily Question is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided from an expert on JustAnswer.
Q: I am 37 years old, and I’ve had tendonitis in my right hand three times in the past year. First in the thumb, then the 4th finger, and now I have pain and swelling in the middle finger where it joins the hand. What can I do about it?
A: Tendonitis is generally caused by overuse or misuse of your fingers, hand, wrist, or arm. There is some evidence that Vitamin B6 can help decrease risk of tendonitis, but this is still unfounded.
Having had many a bout with tendonitis, I can tell you what works. Freeze some Dixie cups of water (12 or 16 oz.). When frozen, cut the ice from the cup and use these blocks of ice to press ice into the affected areas — 15 minutes on, and 15 minutes off. Repeat a few times. Dry well and apply Topricin cream, which is a wonderfully effective cream made specifically for tendonitis. (Available at health food stores or online.)
Try not to use your arm; or if you type, don’t do it for a few days. The tendon is inflamed, and it needs to calm down. By the way, heat is the worst thing you can do for tendonitis.
– Answer from CamilleRN, a nurse and expert on JustAnswer.
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