Arthritis in My Feet and Hands: Mr Jones's Story | Advance7

Mr Jones from Peterborough spent years putting up with arthritis in his feet and hands. He took painkillers on the bad days and assumed it was simply part of getting older, until he found something that helped. He tells us how he stopped just accepting it.

Mr Jones, tell us a little about yourself.

I'm in my seventies now, and I've had arthritis creeping up on me for a good few years. It went for my feet first, then my hands. I'd always been one for pottering about, in the garden and out and about, so it was a real nuisance. But I'd got to the point where I honestly thought that was just how things were going to be from now on.

How did it start?

It started in the tops of my feet, oddly enough. A dull ache across the top, then a stiffness that wouldn't shift. To be honest I didn't even know you could get arthritis in your feet. I thought it was just something that happened to your hands and your knees. But the first signs of arthritis in my feet were there, I just didn't recognise them at the time.

What were the symptoms like day to day?

The symptoms crept up slowly. Stiffness in the mornings, a soreness across the top of the foot, and it got harder to get my shoes on. My hands weren't far behind, that same ache and stiffness when I was gripping things. Some days just getting going was a real struggle.

What did you do about it to begin with?

For a long time I just felt I had to accept it. That's what you do, isn't it, you get on with things. On the bad days I'd take painkillers, but I never really got on with the tablets I'd been given. They didn't agree with me, and I didn't much like the idea of taking them day in, day out. I looked into how to treat arthritis in feet, and a lot of it seemed to be either tablets or simply putting up with it.

How did you come across Advance7?

I started out with the Advance7 Gel, and I used it on both my feet and my hands. It's very good, and it did help, but I found it could be a little bit sticky, especially on the hands when you want to get on with something straight after.

What changed when Advance7 for Feet came out?

I switched over to it, thinking it was just for the feet, but I tried a bit on my hands as well and found it worked just as nicely there. It absorbs so quickly, and my hands feel lovely and smooth afterwards. My wife even says they look younger, which gave us both a laugh. Someone told me it was one of the best treatments for arthritic hands they had tried, and I can see why.

You mentioned you'd also tried toe separators?

I did, yes. The arthritis had started pushing my toes together and it was uncomfortable, so I bought some toe separators to help. They did help at first, but after a while I couldn't keep them in for one more second, they'd become so painful. Since I've been using Advance7 for Feet morning and night, my feet have eased off enough that I don't need the separators at all now.

What difference has it made overall?

I use Advance7 for Feet on both my feet and my hands, morning and night, and it's made a very big difference to my life. I'll be honest, I still suffer a bit. It's not a magic wand. But I'm far more comfortable, I get proper pain relief when I need it, and I'm a good deal happier for it. I wouldn't be without it now.

What would you say to someone going through the same thing?

Don't just put up with it and let it slow you down. If you've got aching, stiff feet, get it looked at and find out what it is, because I'd never have guessed it was arthritis in my feet. Find something that works for you and give it a proper go. For me it was Advance7 for Feet, on my hands as much as my feet, and I'd say it's well worth a try. You don't have to simply accept these things. I'm proof of that.