Joint pain and stiffness and Exercise

I have joint pain and stiffness associated with Scleroderma.  I try to exercise in my hot tub, usually stretching exercises.  Can I use weights?  Any help would be certainly appreciated.

[needsomehelp1963]

I have terrible joint pain and stiffness and just got told that i may have scleroderma.  Can I ask you what tests your doctor did to confirm this?  I find that taking large amounts of Omega 3 and CLA have helped considerably.

[JainMD]

Hi,
Scleroderma is a multisystem disorder characterized by inflammatory, vascular, and fibrotic changes of skin and various internal organ systems (chiefly GI tract, lungs, heart, and kidney). Pathogenesis unclear; involves immunologic mechanisms leading to vascular endothelial damage and activation of fibroblasts.
Investigations to be done are ESR, ANA and specific antibodies may include anti-topoisomerase I (Scl-70) specific for scleroderma.
Doctor should be doing above mentioned investigation to diagnose the condition.
Hope this helps you.
Bye.