Best pain relief for arthritic knees

mikey1963

I use turmeric to good effect. I find naproxen and zapain make absolutely no difference.

rosemary49

If you can't get Capsaicin cream from your pharmacy, try Capsicum & Ginger Warming Cream from Victoria Health (online). I massage this in to my knee every night before bed, and find it helps if done regularly. It's also very good for my painful thumb joint.

Dpug1953

Hi its David here I find that Hemp cream helps alot and sometimes use knee cap straps as well they help support your knee caps there called Positvibe there a wrap around elasticated double band with supports on top and under your knee caps,

Sometimes when I get up from sitting i feel my knees creaking !! it's awful but also the muscles on the tops of my legs hurt like hell and the Hemp cream also helps i the cream from Amazon. I hope that helps with your arthritis .

Sandman33

Hi, bit late to the post but it resonates as I sit here on the sofa at 0344. I had a hip replacement 7 months ago and still get a lot of pain around the joint especially after work (I’m an forces veteran now doing painting and decorating). I still haven’t found the balance between doing too much or not enough physical work ie exercise.

I did think about going back to the doctor or surgeon to make sure everything is ok in the new hip as it seems wrong I should still be limping around some 7 months later. I didn’t do any rehab as such so don’t know if I just haven’t strengthened the muscles properly.

I also am on a waiting list for a knee replacement and possible elbow surgery where I have OA in both joints.

So I’m in a lot of daily pain and take cocodamol and also morphine sulphate. Strong painkillers I know and it doesn’t make me feel great but they both hit the spot when needed. The morphine particularly just seems to ease the worst of the pain from a severe to a lower level.

Nothing else has been offered and nothing else I’ve tried ie just brufen or paracetamol help the pain sufficiently. So I feel stuck with my regime. And now I think my body is dependent on the morphine in particular as when I run out I suffer badly through awful pains in both upper arms. This is actually happening now which is why I’m up as I can’t lie down and it’s a panicky feeling it gives you. The pain comes over in waves and nothing helps at all apart from the morphine.

A few weeks ago I was sitting here in the same situation having run out of coco and morphine and unable to sleep or do anything with myself until the new medication arrived the next day thankfully.

I spoke to the Doctor and suggested Im probably having some kind of withdrawal symptoms when my medication runs out. She had agreed to see me next week to discuss potential alternatives and ideas to get me off the morphine.

So not much help regarding pain relief ideas but a warning to be careful of morphine addiction (sulphate) despite the fact the Doctor prescribed it for me in the first place a year or so ago.

I certainly feel the pain of everyone out there and not the nights are long!

Best wishes with finding an answer that works. I will keep you posted.

MargheritaFierro31

I have started using a support bandage which I find very helpful and takes a lot of the pain away but I take it off in the evenings and at night as don’t want to become too reliant on it also I do a lot of walking gentle exercise but when I’ve had enough I get the bus!

Tom

Welcome to the forum, @MargheritaFierro31 . Thank you for the tip, a very sensible approach – do what you can, then rest.

You do not tell us about the condition you have. If you care to shar some more information, I am sure that there will be others who have relevant experiences to share.

Tom, Moderator.

Woo

Hi, I’m Wendy (51) and I also have bone on bone pain in both knees. Degenerative disc disease, scoliosis (mild) displaced pelvis (childbirth injury) fibromyalgia I’ve tried many, many medications over the years and I’m now way up there with the last medications available for home care. From what I can remember the lower range morphine patches were ok back then, however you build a tolerance to the dose and require it to be increased over time. A good pain specialist is essential. I used to use walking sticks and crutches but I found a Walker/rollator much better as you can take a seat when you need a break or your in a que.

Swanlen

What I found very helpful food easing my arthritis, was changing to camels milk instead of cows! I saw a documentary several years ago about Camels milk. It's the closest , chemically, to human milk that scientists have found. It boosts the immune system as well as having all the usual calcuim, vitamins, etc. It doesn't irritate the stomach, and far, far less allergens than cows or goats and as the cat molecules are smaller the body can process them easier. I couldn't put my hands palms together (Like saying prayers). But after just 2 or 3 weeks they were almost touching. It doesn't stop the arthritis; it doesn't cure it; it does help my joints to move. I make and sell birthday cards for charity. That keeps the fingers going too, which helps ease the pain a little. Also ask your GP for a prescription for parecetamol. Even if you only just them a month and have to go back and ask for something stronger, and then stronger again. No-one should have to live in pain!

Ellen

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/694191#Comment_694191

Hi @Woo Wendy I just wanted to quickly welcome you to the Online Community.

I always like it when someone's first post it to help someone else.

I see from your post that you have plenty of experience with multiple diagnoses of your own. Now that you have made your first post I very much hope you will decide to post more.

Best wishes

Ellen.

Dromgoole

I have had arthritic knee caps for three years now which are painful. I have been taking cod liver oil, Green Lipped Mussel, and CBD oil for a year or more and they helped a little. I have had visco supplement injections twice which did help, but then wore off; and acupuncture on my knee caps from a physio for the last few months which also helped to free up my muscle movement, but the pain was still there. Well, I have been taking Boswellia extract (also known as Indian Frankincense) now for two months as well as the above.

There is a definite improvement, my knees are much less painful and walking is easier, but my knees still feel 'stiff'. I do regular stretching exercises each morning, walk the dogs, and am cycling again, all of which seems to help build up my muscle. I also attend a Yoga class each week. All this does seem to help keep my movement and keep the pain at bay and enable me to be active.

As they say, there is no cure, but it is finding a way to mitigate the pain and keep active with a routine that you find works for you.

Tom

Welcome to the forum, @Dromgoole . I see that you have arthritic kneecaps for three years and that you have managed your condition using largely exercise and alternative medicines I presume you have had a formal diagnosis of Arthritis. I hope your condition is being monitored by your GP as there may be treatments available from traditional medicine available to you.

Here are some exercises listed on our website, specifically aimed at the knee.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/april/top-tips-to-help-knee-pain/

Keep posting, please and let us know how you get on.

Tom, Moderator.

druids57

My doctor put me on dicoflenic tablets, and that seems to help

Tom

Welcome to the forum, @druids57 .

I understand that you have arthritis in both knees. Your GP’s prescription of diclofenic has proved useful.

If you care to share some more information on your experiences, it could help not just yourself, but other forum users.

Here are some links to our website that will hopefully help:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-oa-of-the-hip/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

Keep posting and let us know how you get on.

Dromgoole

I have had arthritic knee caps for three years now which are painful. I have been taking cod liver oil, Green Lipped Mussel, and CBD oil for a year or more and they helped a little. I have had visco supplement injections twice which did help, but then wore off; and acupuncture on my knee caps from a physio for the last few months which also helped to free up my muscle movement, but the pain was still there. Well, I have been taking Boswellia extract (also known as Indian Frankincense) now for two months as well as the above.

There is a definite improvement, my knees are much less painful and walking is easier, but my knees still feel 'stiff'. I do regular stretching exercises each morning, walk the dogs, and am cycling again, all of which seems to help build up my muscle. I also attend a Yoga class each week. All this does seem to help keep my movement and keep the pain at bay and enable me to be active.

As they say, there is no cure, but it is finding a way to mitigate the pain and keep active with a routine that you find works for you.

Dromgoole

Further to my post of the 22nd April I have been taking these supplements (cod liver oil, Green Lipped Muscle, Boswellia extract (also known as Indian Frankincense) daily as well as daily morning stretching exercises and monthly Physio/acupuncture treatment for my knees. I still found some stiffness min my knees and so decided as I had been taking these supplements daily for 3 months I would stop taking them and I did so on the 29th July. To my surprise for the first few days I found little difference in my knees while walking the dogs which I do daily. Then later I found my knees to be slightly freer!  I still now (18thAug) find my knees are good, not stiff. If I find them getting stiffer, or painful I may start taking one of the supplements at a time to see if they again help me. Perhaps I was talking to many together or daily doses were to frequent. We shall see. But for the moment with my daily exercises, weekly Yoga and monthly physio/acupuncture things seem good.

William50

I was on Codrydramol for months and it was helping with the pain , now the manufactures have taken it off the market and said they they not making any more , so Doctor prescribed 200 x Dihydrocodeine 30mg tablets and 200 x Paracetamol 500mg tablets, I take two Tablets every four hours , I also take two capsules 1 in the morning and 1 at night of pregablin, I am having to speak with my GP about these tablets especially the pregablin as I dont want to be on them for a while, but the tablets are not helping me with the pain, I do the excersises which the physio has given me, but the tablets, its like taking sweeties. Anyone on here recomend any other tablets.

Easylife

Hello everyone,

I’m 66 years old man with moderate orthotics in my left knee .. i have had knee pain which progressive got worse in the last 2 years

I dread total knee replacement !!

I have lost lb 31 with mild improvement in pain severity . I plan to lose another 30 !

Dies anyone have similar experience and does significant weight loss help ?

Regards

Michael

noddingtonpete

Hello @Easylife and welcome to the Community.

Good to see that you are losing weight, and yes it al helps. We have some exercise videos which might help, this is the link for the knee stretching. Have you sought medical advice at all? If not I would suggest you ask your GP and maybe get a referral. Also have a look at our information below from our website. It might help if you get asked about a replacement.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/knee-replacement-surgery/

Please let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

Peter

Snert

Hello, I have osteoarthritis in my knees, hip and hands. I take codeine and paracetamol to help with the pain. My problem is that I live alone and I can barely walk around the kitchen when I get up in the morning. I sometimes manage to take my little dog for walks in the afternoon, but then I use a stick, and have to sit down for ages after a 15 minute walk. Any suggestions for how to overcome this pain. I’m 73, and underweight.

jonr

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/698241#Comment_698241

Hi @Dromgoole - very interesting your observations about supplements.

I'm bone-on-bone OA in both knees and since my diagnosis 18 months ago I've embarked on a mission to master pain management and key to this has been to pretty much research and try every supplement under the sun.

As you wrote, I too found some either didn't work or my condition improved when not taking them. The worst offenders (for me) were Glucosamine, Choindratin, Green Lip Mussle Extract, Type 2 Collagen and Hyalluronic Acid all in capsule form. I found my legs got hotter, achier, started throbbing and with a couple of these I began to get these severe sharp stabbing pains which literally would stop me in my tracks, I even got more locks.

After doing a lot more research, I found that in the US some patients who had taken part in clinical trials for these reported their symptoms worsened so I guess it really is a case of trial and error. I guess taking supplements can on occasion be a painful and expensive experiment!