A helping hand

Q: I've noticed recently that the backs of my hands are a bit puffy and swollen. Do you have any information as to what might be causing this?

JVW: While I can't say for sure without examining your hands (and you should consider having this done by a physician skilled in natural medicine), a Texas physician named John Ellis discovered years ago that many conditions involving the hands can be alleviated with vitamin B6.

The first thing to do is look for "Ellis signs" in your hands. Try holding your hands upright, keeping the joints joining your palms and fingers perfectly straight. Now try and bending the middle and end joints so that your fingertips touch your palms. If you can't do it, it's a positive "Ellis sign," which could indicate a need for extra vitamin B6.

You may want to consider taking 100 milligrams of vitamin B6 three times daily for up to six months, or until all the puffiness and the "Ellis sign" is gone, and your hands are more flexible. And, if you're interested, you can try to find an old copy of Dr. Ellis' book The Doctor Who Looked at Hands at the library or on the Internet.

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