Silver Ring Splints - A Patient's Perspective

   
20/01/06 : Gill Chambers, Patient of Christina Macleod

My name is Gill Chambers and I am 38 years old. I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 17 years, starting at the age of 21.

It started in my right thumb joint and spread throughout my hands and wrists. Both shoulders are affected as are both feet. My knees and other joints are beginning to show signs of RA but do not give me too much trouble at the present time. In 1997 I had both of my wrists replaced. Although I do not have much movement in them, the replacement has eased the pain enormously.

Over the past 3 or 4 years my fingers have started to drift and I have to wear splints to help stop the drifting.

Two years ago, at my yearly joint assessment, it was noticed that some of my fingers were showing early signs of swanning. I was referred to my Occupational Therapist Christina, to make me splints to stop this happening. The finger splints were made of plastic and she had to make 3 of these for my right middle, left middle and ring fingers.

These splints were very ugly and looked like pieces of chewing gum. I must admit when I got home I was very upset at the look of them and threw them across the room! I couldn’t wear them out as they drew attention to my hands and it upset me when people stared.

I now enjoy wearing my silver splints. I now have four, two on each hand, and wear them 24/7. They not only do the job intended, (to help with the swanning) but they look like jewelry rather than medical splint. I am often told ‘how nice your rings are’ and get great pleasure in telling people that they are made especially for me!
 

I would encourage other RA sufferers with swanning problems to wear these splints. My last point is that these silver splints will encourage younger RA sufferers to wear their splints and so help stop deformity in later life.