morning all

bb61

hi,
im new here ive been browsing this morning as like a lot of people on here woken with pain and stiffness, there are such good ideas and advice on here, im from s/wales and recently been diagnosed with oa in neck/shoulder/fingers and more recently my hips are terribly painful. im on the surgery waiting list for my shoulder, and due to see a rheumatology doctor end of july,(any advice?)
im a lady in her 50,s and up until 4 years ago was very active in the gym etc, but my shoulder pain has stopped me doing a lot with weights, arm exercise's. etc, although I still like to walk about 3/4 miles a day to try and keep my joints mobile, any adviceon day to day things would be helpful. x bb

eminel

Heya Bb. Welcome to the forum.

I am new here too and also have OA in my neck and shoulder. I suffer excruciating headaches on my right side. I'm still coming to terms with having to slow myself right down. Take the bus more instead of walking. I struggle to go up flights of stairs. So I hunt for the lifts nowadays. There is a stickie full of helpful hints on the living with arthritis page which is worth having a read through. I've recently got a new orthopaedic cervical pillow which is lovely to lay on. It really supports my neck where it needs it the most.

Take care
Michele xxx

stickywicket

Hello bb61 and welcome from me too

You seem to be doing this arthritis business at a sprint if you've only recently been diagnosed yet are already on a surgical list Perhaps your fitness levels have kept the worst of the pain at bay so you weren't so aware of it.

Referral to a rheumatologist is good though, if your GP suspects this is all due to an auto-immune type of arthritis, it would have been better done before now. Several of us on here have acquired OA because our auto-immune arthritis was properly dealt with too late in the day. I hope yours is 'simply' OA

For hints on day to day living, as eminel has said, there is a 'sticky' thread (ie one which stays near the top) on the Living With Arthritis forum which many have found useful. There is also useful info on exercise here http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/LivingwithArthritis/Self-management/exercise-and-arthritis The basic rule of thumb is that exercise is essential but it must be done carefully and our bodies' needs may vary from day to day. You might find it helpful to consult a physiotherapist to find an exercise programme tailored to your needs.

Other than that it's just a question of ploughing on, listening to our bodies, not necessarily giving in to them but being aware of when we can and can't push them and also how far. It's an ongoing, ever-changing learning curve

Please join us on the other forums as more people look in there.

bb61

thanks for the replies.
not exactly new to arthritis, ive been waiting 3 years to see and get treatment for my shoulder. have had the blood tests and no ra showed up, so assuming oa, my fingers have been bad for approx. 3 years too. but kept on with my weight training only light weights tho, (as they say stay fit and exercise!!! ) its only the last few months my hips are getting really bad im still persevering to walk 3/4 miles a day on the treadmill. (was a runner ) but have had to slow it down now so taking twice as long, im worried that if I stop ill seize up not sure if that's right, ive been browsing the " living with arthritis" section theres some good advice on there. im trying to be as active as possible but it is wearing me down with the pain. after trying all sorts of pain meds, ive been prescribed buprenorphine 10mg and at this moment seems to be pretty good regarding side effects but not getting rid of the pain only 50%, so im topping up with paracetamol,(cannot take anti inflammatory). I need some advice on what to expect at my first clinic appointment with the rheumy. everyday living, caps on bottles etc, im finding writing very difficult as my thumb is twisted and swollen, . x bb

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I have an auto-immune arthritis and that in turn has led to OA in a number of useful joints. I am nineteen years in and sometimes struggle with how much my life has had to change to accommodate the disease but hey-ho, it is what it is and it will do what it will do. I remember my first appointment with a rheumatologist, he assured me I didn't have any form of auto-immune so I've proved him wrong. There are around 300 kinds of auto-immune arthritic conditions so an accurate diagnosis can take some time - OA is far more straightforward in what it does and how it does it. I hope you find the forum to be of interest - rest assured you are talking to the reluctantly initiated. I wish you well. DD

barbara12

Sorry I am late seeing this, I just want to welcmoe you to the forum, and hope you find it really helpfull...