I have osteo and rheumatoid arthur in my hands (all over actually). Here's what I have done. I have 2 polycarbonite middle joints in two of my fingers and that has helped immensely. The surgery, while creepy isn't bad and the pain is gone after just a few weeks. I did a lot of physical therapy and that helped the healing too. I do all the exercises listed above and soak my hands in hot water or use a heating pad as needed. Also I've found that the very best needles for me to use are from the thimblelady (look up on the web). They are super thin and strong and don't require much pressure to get through the fabric. She has a great book on hand quilting without pain. I use fiskars scissors that have a spring so you don't have to do all the work cutting fabric. Also you don't have to worry about getting a swollen thumb through regular scissors. Naturally I have to go slow and know when to quit if the pain gets too bad. It's so frustrating, but the quality of my quilting does suffer and dealing with that is difficult. I try to be as patient with myself as I am with others. Good luck! We just have to keep adapting as we go along. Hope these tips help.