Have you ever struggled with hand pain that makes simple tasks—like buttoning a shirt, opening a jar, or shaking someone’s hand—feel frustrating or even impossible? If so, you’re not alone.
This type of pain might be more than just a small problem—it could be a sign of hand osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that affects the small joints in your hands and can make daily life difficult.
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease that causes pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving. When it affects the hands, it can seriously limit your ability to perform everyday activities.
By the age of 85, around half of all women and one in four men will develop hand OA, but symptoms can appear much earlier in life. Unfortunately, managing this type of pain has long been a challenge for doctors and patients alike.
Now, researchers from Monash University and Alfred Health have discovered a promising new use for an old, affordable medicine. The drug is called methotrexate, and it’s been used since the 1980s to treat inflammatory joint conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
A recent study led by Professor Flavia Cicuttini, a leading expert in joint health, tested whether methotrexate could also help people with hand OA.
In the study, patients with painful hand osteoarthritis were given a 20mg dose of methotrexate once a week for six months. Another group received a placebo—a harmless pill with no active ingredients.
By the end of the study, those taking methotrexate reported noticeably less pain and stiffness in their hands compared to the placebo group. Even better, the pain relief continued to improve over time, showing that methotrexate might not just offer quick relief, but lasting comfort.
This discovery is especially meaningful for women, who often start to experience hand OA around the time of menopause and may struggle for years with little relief. For them, and for many others, methotrexate could provide a much-needed option for managing pain without turning to more expensive or risky treatments.
Of course, this is only the beginning. Professor Cicuttini and her team plan to keep researching methotrexate’s role in treating hand OA. They want to know how long its benefits last, what the best dosage is, and whether the drug can also protect joints from long-term damage.
The answers to these questions could lead to even better care for the millions of people affected by this condition.
While more studies are needed, this research marks a hopeful step forward. If methotrexate proves to be a reliable and safe option for hand OA, it could change how we treat this painful condition—offering easier, more comfortable days for many people.
The findings were published in The Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, and they highlight how old drugs can find new purpose through innovative science. For anyone living with hand OA, this breakthrough is more than just medical news—it’s a sign that better treatment may be within reach.
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