Advice on skiing with reactive arthritis

WillisG

Hi
I have developed a reactive arthritis from salmonella poisoning and have had joint issues for the last 2 and a half months. I have a skin holiday booked and am
Unsure of whether to go. My left knee gets stiff and tight after walking, taking stairs and generally exercising

Does anyone have any advice or experience with this?

Thanks

[Deleted User]

Welcome to Arthritis Care Forums, WillisG, from the moderation team.

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis of reactive arthritis after salmonella poisoning. A few members on here do have reactive arthritis, but I don’t remember anyone asking about skiing before. In your shoes I would be having a word with my GP/ Rheumatology nurse or Rheumatologist for fairly urgent advice.

This is information is about Reactive Arthritis and is certainly worth a read:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/reactive-arthritis/

If you think it might help do please give our helpline a call on 0808 520 0520


I look forward to seeing you posting on the boards.

Best wishes


Ellen

WillisG

Thank you Ellen - they haven’t really been able to advise me and have said it depends on how I feel. The trouble is when I am resting and just pottering My symptoms aren’t too bad But my knee and feet seem to get achy and sometimes a bit painful if I have been on my feet and walking around for several hours (during work) - they seem to play up that evening and the following morning and thensettle down.

frogmorton

Gosh that is a tricky one. I suppose it depends just how much you want to go....and who you might be letting down?

Skiing has to be really hard on ankles feet and knees... when do you go?

Would it be a silly idea just to have a session at one of those indoor skiing places to see what the consequences are??

Toni x

WillisG

Hi Toni,

Thanks for your message.

I did an hour at a dry ski slope and managed ok with no real problems or pain, but later that afternoon my knee stiffened up and the bottoms of my feet are quite sore - but I think thats from walking I did on Monday. I guess my concern is whether I will be able to manage several hours of skiing over several days.

Has anyone had any experience with skiing with arthritis in the knee - below the knee cap, I think it's the tendon that is affected.

Thanks

Gina

dreamdaisy

Skiing and arthritis anywhere in the legs are not natural bedfellows. Skiing places incredible stresses on the knee joint as it forces it to twist (and that joint is not a natural twister) and to act as a shock-absorber way beyond its natural design limits: all well and good if, like the better downhillers, you have thigh muscles the size of a semi-detached house but if you have the average weedy musculature of a normal human its not ideal.

Indoor skiing is nothing compared to the real thing. You may well find that one go down the slopes writes off the rest of your holiday, or you might be able to do more. Any form of auto-immune arthritis is predictable in its unpredictability. Personally I wouldn't do it but as I couldn't anyway (at the moment I can't even walk. ) that's immaterial. DD

WillisG

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

My head says you're right and that the sensible thing is not to go, but my heart wants to go!! We've had it booked a long time and haven't been for 4 years. My youngest daughter is also really keen to go, but I think we may just have to go next year when I am hopefully recovered from this reactive arthritis!

dreamdaisy

There's no reason why you shouldn't go for the social side, believe me after twenty one years of this I know all about sitting on the sidelines watching others do what I once could . . . . One of the 'benefits' of reactive arthritis is that can go away but that is not necessarily going to be soon so behaviours should be adapted, ambitions modified and compromises made to enable that to happen. It's not easy. DD

WillisG

Thanks DD

We were just going as a family of 4 and so there isn't really going to be much of a social side as such. It will also means that my husband could possibly be skiing on his own for a lot of the time if I am not up to doing much, which he isn't keen on. We are roughly the same ability so have previously done the slopes together and really enjoyed that side of it.

I think probably the sensible thing is to not go and hopefully go when I am better.

The most frustrating thing is not knowing how I would be if we did go and whether I would be able to manage it or not. Wish I had a crystal ball!

G

stickywicket

Ah, welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of arthritic unknowing :roll: It's not good but we do get used to it.

Yours is reactive so, with luck, you might be in a much better position next year. but, there are no guarantees. You might prefer to go this year and sit some of it out or, indeed, find interesting other activities for some of the time that they're skiing.

It's a tough one. I hope you feel, in the end, that you've made the right decision.

frogmorton

WillisG I think you have probably made the right decision sadly

I for one would be interested to hear how you get on. If you have time to post an update on your progress it would be really good.

Thanks

Toni xx

Airwave!

I shall be off soon, all booked up. To be honest its a lot easier ghan walking at the levrl I do it at, wait for the rush hour to finish all short blue runs, many breaks for hot chocs, coffees etc long lunch and early in the shower after a beer or two. It works for me.

But then I've lived with arther long enough to know my lkmitatons and when annd when not to do things.

Redfairy

I did skiing once after I had reactive arthritis. It did not hurt so much but I kept ice bag on my knee after skiing. In that time I was taking sulfasalazine but now I don’t use it.

noddingtonpete

Hello @Redfairy and welcome to the Community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience as well.

I understand that you have reactive arthritis and the ice bag for the knee is a great idea. Hot and cold can provide relief. Also have a look through the following article from our website. Hopefully it might provide some useful information.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/reactive-arthritis/

Please keep posting and let us know how you are getting on and I am sure that others will connect with you to share their thoughts and experiences as well.

With very best wishes

Peter (moderator)

Redfairy

I did skiing once after I had reactive arthritis. It did not hurt so much but I kept ice bag on my knee after skiing. In that time I was taking sulfasalazine but now I don’t use it.