Soak raisins in cheap gin for two weeks.
Pop them in your mouth to relieve arthritis.
I don’t know if that old wives’ tale would work for my new ailment. A painful lump on my baby finger sent me to the doctor to find out what caused the deformity.
Could other bumps be avoided before folks started calling me Witchiepoo?
It’s no fun to hear a doctor decree arthritis. I have it in my finger and wrist.
Yuck.
They ache all the time.
So I attended a free arthritis seminar offered by Snohomish County’s Long Term Care and Aging Division. Everett Clinic spokeswoman April Zepeda said advance bookings were so hot, they changed from a smaller meeting location to a ballroom.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Codsi spoke to an audience that could have been seated for a Tuesday matinee of “The Sound of Music.”
They were average-looking fifty-somethings — and older. A few of the more than 100 visitors arrived on scooters.
A lady in front of me flexed her fingers throughout the 90-minute presentation, not cracking knuckles, keeping them mobile. A gentleman across the aisle performed his version of deep-tissue massage on what appeared to be a sore thigh.
Codsi confirmed after the class that arthritis is a debilitating disease for millions of people.
“It can be so bad that people get depressed and they no longer can enjoy the activities they love,” Codsi said. “Luckily we have treatments for most people in the form of prevention, therapy, drugs and even joint replacement.”
He was well prepared to teach. Codsi has published articles with other physicians bearing the titles including “Inter-rater Reliability of an Arthritic Glenoid Morphology Classification System” and “Latissimus Dorsi Tendon Transfer for Irreparable Posterosuperior Rotator Cuff Tears.”
I was all ears about osteoarthritis. Codsi, also the Everett AquaSox team doctor, was very kind to take time out of his busy day at The Everett Clinic to offer a free program.
“I think there are a lot of seniors in our county who need education about arthritis. Most people don’t know what it is and they don’t know that they can get help for their problems. Most people I see in the office are ready for joint replacement, so the seminar gives me a chance to see people before their arthritis gets so debilitating.”
He said arthritis is a disease of cartilage, the tissue that covers the end of long bones. Hands are most commonly affected, but folks get stiff, painful joints in their necks, backs, knees, hips and shoulders.
Of course, see your doctor if you have symptoms and follow advice about treatment. Codsi spoke low key, like Doc Baker on “Little House on the Prairie.”
I really appreciated his common sense.
Codsi said for joints affected by arthritis, exercise and stretch to keep mobile. You can’t restore motion but you might prevent further loss, he said.
Lose weight. Manage stress. Be sensible about overdoing house and garden work. Pace yourself.
Don’t carry around a heavy vacuum.
Yes, sir.
Though I would be flattered, please don’t rely on me for information about pain relief. What I gleaned at the seminar was that supplements, such as glucosamine, might help.
“Try it,” Codsi said. “See if it works.”
Every over-the-counter pain med has some side effect, so beware. Anti-inflammatories can cause a stomach ulcer. Some pain relievers might harm your heart.
Sleep helps arthritis. Take a nite-nite aid if needed.
Wrap hot or cold pads where joints ache.
Whatever helps.
Codsi spent time on topics such as physical therapy, surgery, injections that may give temporary relief and even joint replacements.
He said if he replaced a shoulder that was operating at 50 percent, the patient might come back to 75 percent function.
“You never go all the way back,” he said.
If alternative treatments such as acupuncture work, go for it, he added.
And about the idea to soak raisins in cheap gin? Codsi laughed when the proposal was mentioned by someone in the crowd.
He said that old wives’ tale might be all about the gin.
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
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