Query symptoms

Jen

I've been almost 3 months with a walking problem due to initially pain right foot, this moved to left foot and pain travels around the foot, first heal, then outer edge, upper foot, tendon stiff, ankle stiff, pain moved from foot to behind knee (podiatry said due to not walking properly on the foot for so long, also stiff calf muscles), a period where couldn't crouch at all, pain in calf muscle, I could couch before this.

I've noticed, pain twinges in other parts of the body, hips, shoulder blades, neck, wrist, arm, thigh muscle.

The left knee / leg bigger than right, the right foot bigger than left.

At the moment walk is improving, little pain but aware still stiff in calf muscles and still have ache in arms muscles.

Initially I thought was arthritis, but after going through all the changes and the different locations of pain and discomfort I am not so sure.

It felt like joint pain and stiffness in feet, stiff ankles and muscle pain also varicose vein type aches.

Any one else experienced something similar where pain moves around and changes over a 3 months period or more?

I'm not sure what may be going on.

stickywicket

It sounds perfectly reasonable for arthritis to me, Jen. The more muscular problems are probably because you're walking 'wrongly' to compensate for the joint pains.

emmaadams

hi Jen my O.A is a lot like this .. it started in my right knee and now affects all my lower back and everything form the waist down , it keeps shifting, and i cant pinpoint where exactly it is .. i have nerve damage as well as collapsed arches in both feet..so i feel your pain


keep going back to your GP hopefully they might be able to help you . Physiotherapy may help also with the walking oddly they might give you some exercises to do to stretch your stiff muscles

hope this helps

Emma x

dreamdaisy

Sounds normal to me too, it is human nature to subtly alter how we stand, sit, lie and move in an effort to reduce the hurt in one place and so we encourage it in others - as arthritics we are caught between rocks and very hard places. I haven't walked without pain for nineteen years and never will, I admit I don't track it any more because it's widespread and I find that thinking about it makes it worse. I was referred to a physio because I have Achilles tendonitis in both ankles, I learned from her that it's very easy for our tendons to contract and stiffen if we are not as mobile as we once were. I have found the exercises to be of benefit and aim to keep doing them - they will not reduce the pain but if my tendons are longer and more flexible that can only be a good thing. DD

Jen

Thanks again Stickywicket, Emma and Daisy.

I didn't realise osteoarthritis can move around so much from day to day, the Assitant rheumatologist said same.

I think the muscle thing is probably as you say SW tensing to cope with pain.

Oh Emma and Daisy that is awful you experience so much pain.

Emma I have been waiting to see a physiotherapist for over 4 months, I've chased it up 3 times already, still no word, I shall speak to my doctor again about it.

Podiatry gave me some muscle stretches for the calf muscles but I found these stressed the muscle even more so I ended up just doing short walks and resting and doing more short walks and resting again with some ankle rotations, point and flex, side to side foot movements, when sitting with feet up. From Podiatry I also got some othotics called slim flex which I found and still find very helpful.

I also found the heat pad helped a lot for the calf muscles.

I do the qi gong exercises each day (like tai chi) I think this helps to keep everything moving for sure. Its good can do it and doesn't hurt as much as walking and some of the movements are soothing.

I hope you all find easier pain days happening more frequently.

:hammock:

Jen x x x

dreamdaisy

Thank you for acknowledging that things are not that easy for me and others on here, that often goes un-noticed. I don't think OA 'moves' as such but due to physical stress we note when things twang where we think they shouldn't. Physio helps but is not the complete answer - all we can do is the exercises to maintain what we have before we lose it.

My rheumatologist ignores my OA because that is not her remit, likewise my GP about the PsA. I drew the short straw and live with both kinds but currently not that well.

I hope your appointment is better than my first, please let us know how you get on. DD