Osteoarthritis

RobbD

Hi all, just found this site and I'm saying Hello, I'm Robb, I am 70 years young and been suffering with Osteoarthritis in my spine for the past 18 years, it affects the whole of my left side, was on loads of painkillers ( Tramadol) but gave them up about 2 years ago so now I just try and manage on my own. I live in Far West Cornwall and don't have any support, Doc's don't know what to do anymore nor do they care so don't go there anymore. I can't excersize cos of the pain and mobility but I do try and move as much as I can but difficult. Well, that's me, look forward to chattin to others, maybe some others down this end.

[Deleted User]

Hello Robb
Welcome to the forums. The members of the forum are very friendly, can offer you advice, answer your queries,they support each other and will emphasis with you. There are others on here who have arthritis of the spine and/or osteoarthritis and they will offer help and advice.

If you would like to speak to someone about your arthritis, Versus Arthritis has a very good helpline. It is a freephone no.
0800 520 052. They can help, answer any problems/queries and if they don't have the answer for you, they always know someone who does know and they will ring you back when they have the answer. Please remember though that they are not doctors or members of th health profession.

At the top of the page are buttons which will lead you varied information about arthritis and related conditions.

I am one of the moderation team and we all have one or more of the Arthritis "hangers on" or care for family with the same.
I look forward to reading your future posts.

Best wishes
ChrisK

dreamdaisy

Hello, I too have OA but mercifully not in my back, just elsewhere. My OA came about as a result of the joint damage caused by my other arthritis, an auto-immune kind called psoriatic (PsA) so I am doubly blessed with a creaky foot in both camps.

The saddest thing about OA is that unless it is in the right kinds of joints (i.e.ones that can be replaced) there is very little doctors can do apart from prescribing pain relief, maybe an anti-inflammatory medication and physio. It can take many painful years to reach the point of replacement but life afterwards can be so much better. In our cases that will not be an option so we have to put up and shut up. I try to avoid things that aggravate my OA such as over-doing things and not eating acidic foods but I cannot avoid the weather, this time of year is when it comes to the fore and don't I know it. The first arthritis began back in 1997 when I was 37 and the OA was diagnosed in 2011 so I've a good few years under my belt when it comes to dealing with it.

For pain dulling I use a small daily dose of 30/500 cocodamol, that removes enough of an edge to let me get on. I can go without but don't see the point in making a bad thing worse. When things worsen I can increase the docks and or supplement them with paracetamol but again I do not take much: the stronger the pain relief the more one is removed from the pain, I prefer to be in pain and alert. Whether other people do, however . . . .

You live in a lovely part of the world, are you near the coast? We know the area around Marazion well but live in East Anglia: a very different coastline with sludge-coloured sea. Yuk. DD

stickywicket

Hello Robb and welcome from me too.

I have RA and OA but, thankfully, my back is in quite good nick.

Like you, I manage on as few 'painkillers' (What a misnomer!) as possible though, right now, temporarily, I'm on a lot as a hip replacement has come loose. I've never got on with tramadol, though.

It's true that there's not a lot docs can do about OA and this means that some of them do give the impression they're not interested. Mostly, I think, it's about what we can do for ourselves – sensible diet and weight, not smoking, and trying to exercise as best we can. I'm a great believer in the latter as it keep muscles strong and therefore supportive which, in turn, makes the joints ache less. Backs are very awkward things though so you'd need to ensure you're doing the exercises very carefully as directed by a physiotherapist.

How do you manage in terms of housework, cooking etc.? As DD says, Cornwall is a beautiful part of the world but too easy to get around, I'd have thought.

RobbD

Thanks for the welcome, yes Cornwall is so beautiful, I try and get out as much as I can in the car but walking is OUT, we live just outside Camborne close to the ocean. Housework!! my Partner does that but I do all the cooking, except cakes that I can't eat haha, yea, the weather does play a part, the hotter and sunnier the better. I do try and potter on my cars, as I used to be a Mechanic, but not the heavy stuff anymore so I stick to older cars, less to go wrong. Anyway, thanks for messages, just wish there were some folk this end.

[Deleted User]

Robbd

Have you looked at this:

https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/in-your-area/england#branches

there may be people near you.

Best of luck

Ellen.

RobbD

Yea, over 75 miles away, no good for a coffee, I'm closer to St.Ives, look it up

dreamdaisy

None of my friends have arthritis and even when I meet those who do (such as people from here) we hardly talk about it. I suppose having a disease in common is a starting point, one of the consultants in rheumatology at my hospital runs a support group, but having met some of the people who go whilst waiting for my appointments, I am more than happy to give it a miss.

One of the advantages of the forum is that there is usually someone around to have a 'chat' with and we all get because we've got it. I think there's an VA group on FB which might be more active but I am not an FB-er. The forum is much quieter than it used to be but I wouldn't be without it. DD

stickywicket

RobbD wrote:

Anyway, thanks for messages, just wish there were some folk this end.

There might be. Not everyone with arthritis joins the forum(s). If you put a thread up on Living With Arthritis, entitled something like 'Anyone from near 'xxxx' you might get replies.

If you cook you're certainly moving round to some extent. I find a huge difference between walking on an absolutely flat surface (I love hospital corridors, saddo that I am) and walking on ordinary streets even if they appear flat. My joints know the difference