Hello. I’m new

Radley

Hello.
I have osteoarthritis in my back due to a nursing injury years ago. Found out I had this in October 2017 when my back muscles went into spasm. The physio gave me exercises to do and recommended that I join a Pilates class. I’m finding things hard and am down most of the time as I can’t do all the things I used to do. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated

[Deleted User]

Hello and welcome Radley to Versus Arthritis Community Forum

Sorry to read of your problems with arthritis, we have many forum users who have osteoarthritis and they will be able to offer some good help, support and advice.

I have found you this link which may be of benefit to you:

https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/system/search-results.aspx?keywords=Osteoarthritis

Please feel free to call Versus Arthritis Helpline for any further help you may require, the telephone number is at the head of the page, Mon-Fri 9am-8pm.

Enjoy the forum

John

stickywicket

Hello and welcome from me too. I think a lot of nurses have ended up with bad backs. Now I think methods of moving patients are better but that will be of no consolation to you.

Physio really does help as it keeps supporting muscles strong but we are often playing catch-up with it. Some lost ground might be recovered but the main aim is to slow down the progress of the arthritis. I've had RA for nearly 60 years and OA for a few less and I can't imagine how I'd be now without my routine exercises.

It's not surprising that arthritis s often accompanied by depression. Many take anti-depressants. I never have but I do think it's essential to concentrate on what we can do not what we can't. I've always made a point of taking up something new for every enjoyed activity lost.

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. I am nearly at the beginning of my 23rd year of arthritis and have both kinds (an anti-inflammatory and OA), I began aged 37 and am now 60 - even if I was healthy I wouldn't be able to do what I used thanks to ageing. As I tell my friends old age holds no fears for me because I am already living it.

I am lucky because I have never known good health, for those who have this whole arthritis thing must be so much harder as suddenly one's body refuses to do what you want or need it to. It is a very common condition and I think this works against it: people think they know what it is but they have no idea. They associate it with the elderly (wrong) and think it comes in two kinds (wrong). Mine affects everywhere apart from my back, some joints have one, some the other and others both. When the osteo was diagnosed back in 2011 I plunged into depression and to this day I take a small, daily dose of Citalopram: if I am stronger mentally I can cope better physically. I keep my pain relief to the minimum but take it regularly, night and morning, it does nothing more than dull the sharper edges of the pain but that allows me to get on. I am a great believed in distraction techniques too; if I am not focusing on the pain I do not feel it as strongly. I exercise regularly but carefully, rest frequently and know that when the storms hit they will pass because they always do. I was self-employed and was able to carry on working for seventeen years until it all became too much: it was a double carpal tunnel op that finished me off on that front (I was a tutor for dyslexics and needed to do a lot of writing).

I hope you find the form to be of interest, we all get it because we've all got it. DD

Radley

Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. I am nearly at the beginning of my 23rd year of arthritis and have both kinds (an anti-inflammatory and OA), I began aged 37 and am now 60 - even if I was healthy I wouldn't be able to do what I used thanks to ageing. As I tell my friends old age holds no fears for me because I am already living it.

I am lucky because I have never known good health, for those who have this whole arthritis thing must be so much harder as suddenly one's body refuses to do what you want or need it to. It is a very common condition and I think this works against it: people think they know what it is but they have no idea. They associate it with the elderly (wrong) and think it comes in two kinds (wrong). Mine affects everywhere apart from my back, some joints have one, some the other and others both. When the osteo was diagnosed back in 2011 I plunged into depression and to this day I take a small, daily dose of Citalopram: if I am stronger mentally I can cope better physically. I keep my pain relief to the minimum but take it regularly, night and morning, it does nothing more than dull the sharper edges of the pain but that allows me to get on. I am a great believed in distraction techniques too; if I am not focusing on the pain I do not feel it as strongly. I exercise regularly but carefully, rest frequently and know that when the storms hit they will pass because they always do. I was self-employed and was able to carry on working for seventeen years until it all became too much: it was a double carpal tunnel op that finished me off on that front (I was a tutor for dyslexics and needed to do a lot of writing).

I hope you find the form to be of interest, we all get it because we've all got it. DD

Hello.
Thanks for commenting. What exercises do you do? I walk every day and have been told that Pilates will help. What pain relief do you take? Sorry for the questions, it’s nice to finally have somewhere to turn to for help.

Radley

Hello and welcome from me too. I think a lot of nurses have ended up with bad backs. Now I think methods of moving patients are better but that will be of no consolation to you.

Physio really does help as it keeps supporting muscles strong but we are often playing catch-up with it. Some lost ground might be recovered but the main aim is to slow down the progress of the arthritis. I've had RA for nearly 60 years and OA for a few less and I can't imagine how I'd be now without my routine exercises.

It's not surprising that arthritis s often accompanied by depression. Many take anti-depressants. I never have but I do think it's essential to concentrate on what we can do not what we can't. I've always made a point of taking up something new for every enjoyed activity lost.

Hello.
Thank you for commenting. What routine exercises do you do? I know I should focus on what I can do not what I can’t, but it’s hard when I want to enjoy all the things I used to do with my son

stickywicket

I just do basic quads for my legs. I have RA and OA and replaced hips and knees so need to keep them strong. Occasionally I've had other problems - a sciatic nerve once and a nasty back problem on another occasion - and the physio's exercises sorted both out. Time consuming but better than the alternative.

Talking of alternatives - my RA started at 15 so I was pretty bad when my sons arrived. I always found ways to play with them. Not necessarily how I wanted to but fun ways nonetheless. I could bowl a mean underarm leg break in the back garden. I could score for them and their friends at snooker. I could play all board games. I now do all those things with their children. My mantra is that the more inflexible the joints are the more flexible the mindset must be. We have to look forward and see the good things that await us.

stickywicket

Sorry. I meant to give you a link to the exercises on here. https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/exercise/ They ensure ALL muscles get a workout not just the ones we use routinely in everyday life.

frogmorton

I walk several times a week if that helps I also have back problems and had surgery many years ago on mine. If I don't go for 3-5 days my back 'plays up'. My walks aren't fast or strenuous and are on flat ground, but they really help me.

It's the stomach muscles which support the back (so the physio told me) so keeping a good core is very important. If you haven't seen a physio I would recommend getting some advice most of the exercise I was given to do were not at all strenuous and easily done lying down.

I also do some yoga myself at home via a DVD and take it only so far as is comfortable for me.

Best of luck

Toni x