Have you or someone you know ever felt a constant ache or stiffness in your hands—pain that makes everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt, opening a jar, or shaking hands uncomfortable or even impossible? This kind of pain may not just be a small issue—it could be caused by hand osteoarthritis, or hand OA.
Hand OA is a common condition that affects the joints in our hands. These joints are like hinges, helping us grip, hold, and move our fingers. Over time, they can wear down, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Simple movements become difficult, and even the smallest tasks can feel overwhelming.
This condition is surprisingly widespread. By age 85, about half of all women and one in four men will experience it. But it doesn’t just affect the elderly. Symptoms can start earlier in life, making it a long-term challenge for many.
For years, there’s been no reliable treatment to manage the pain and stiffness of hand OA. But a new study from Monash University and Alfred Health may offer fresh hope—using a well-known, affordable medicine in a brand-new way.
The drug is called methotrexate. It’s not new—it’s been around since the 1980s and is commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints. But now, researchers are exploring whether it could also help people with hand OA, which doesn’t involve the immune system in the same way.
Led by Professor Flavia Cicuttini, a respected expert in joint research, the study tested methotrexate on people suffering from painful hand OA. Participants were given a 20 mg dose of methotrexate once a week for six months. Another group took a placebo (a fake treatment with no active ingredient) for comparison.
The results were encouraging. People who took methotrexate reported much less pain and stiffness in their hands. In fact, they experienced twice the improvement in pain compared to those who took the placebo. And the benefits continued throughout the six-month study, suggesting that the drug’s effect wasn’t just temporary.
For many patients—especially women who often experience hand OA during or after menopause—this could be a game-changer. It means there may finally be a reliable, safe, and low-cost way to reduce pain and improve quality of life.
However, the researchers are quick to say that this is just the beginning. More studies are needed to find out how long methotrexate can be used, how it affects the joints over time, and whether it can actually slow down the damage caused by OA. But this first step is an exciting one.
What makes this discovery even more powerful is that it involves a drug that’s already widely available and well understood. It’s a reminder that sometimes, big breakthroughs can come from taking a new look at an old medicine.
For those living with the daily discomfort of hand OA, this study offers more than scientific progress—it offers hope. A future where managing hand pain is easier, more affordable, and more effective may not be so far away.
This research was published in The Lancet and marks an important step forward in the journey to better care for people with joint pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and eating yogurt linked to lower frailty in older people.
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