[Viking2002]

Could be tendinitis. I'm fifty-ish - it's the same with my left and right ring and pinkie fingers. And squeezing the middle knuckle on my left ring finger hurts like hell, too. The soles of my feet sometimes hurt in the mornings on a cold floor during the winter. The doc diagnosed it as a little onset arthritis, and prescribed Mobic (meloxicam). Doesn't work 24/7, but it helps during the day. A couple of Advil usually help in the evening.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[MHGinTN]

Sheesh, you’ve run out the warranty and now you expect better living through chemistry? ... Hang in there, zork, it only gets worse with age.

[exDemMom]

There are many different forms of arthritis; I have osteoarthritis.

What I find helps is keeping the joints strong through exercise. Since the major affected joint is the sacroiliac (which I never heard of until I got arthritis in it), I do back exercises to strengthen the lower back muscles and support the joint.

I rarely take pain medications.

I think the exercise is best for osteoarthritis; other forms of arthritis may not be so easily managed. Also, the amount of exercise is important; too much makes the pain worse.