is my diagnosis right

manni
manni Member Posts: 3
in Chat to our Helpline Team

Hello I have been treated for Osteoarthritis for the last 8 years , last week I had a chiro appraisal and was told I do not have Osteoarthritis as my joints are way to supple they suggest it is either rheumatoid or another type of inflammatory disorder, im feeling very confused

Comments

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,750

    Has your diagnosis been confirmed by X-ray? Sometimes that’s the best way to find out what’s going on. My OA had been lurking for around 18 years without anyone realising (and with me leading a very active outdoor lifestyle) before it turned really nasty suddenly. Even in the latter stages before diagnosis I was still going to pilates and yoga, and noticed only very slight loss of mobility in my hip. My physio thought some of the random pains in my leg might be due to “a bit of arthritis”, but then after a fall all hell broke loose in my hip so they finally xrayed me, and they found the damage was so bad I was already at the stage where I needed a new hip. So what I’m saying is that OA can do a lot of damage without it being particularly evident in your joint mobility or pain levels. My surgeon said they do see this happen in some patients, including the woman in the next ward to me when we each had our hips replaced.

  • sunnyside2
    sunnyside2 Member Posts: 131

    supple does not mean not osteo. I am hypermobile and my badly arthritic knee is VERY flexible-can bend in many directions but it is still wrecked, painful and full of arthritis which has been confirmed by xray/mri

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,782

    Hi Manni,

    Thank you for posting on our helpline forum, you say for the last eight years that you have been treated for Osteoarthritis (OA) but now you have been told that you could have Rheumatoid arthritis I am sorry to hear that this is so confusing for you as it is so important to get a confirmed diagnosis so that it can be managed correctly as not all forms of arthritis are treated the same. How was your condition originally diagnosed, below I have explained about Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis and how to get a diagnosis for both.

    OA is a condition that affects our joints, it starts when the cartilage within the joints start to wear thin and roughens, joints become weak and less supportive and can affect several areas including Hips, feet, hands knees shoulders. We call it wear and repair, this is when the body is trying to repair itself. To get a diagnosis for this your doctor will often be able to diagnose from your symptoms along with a physical examination. Occasionally, they may suggest tests or a scan to help confirm a diagnosis.

    RA is known as an auto-immune condition, in which your natural self-defence system gets confused and starts to attack your bodies healthy tissues, the main way it does this is with inflammation in your joints. It can cause pain, swelling and stiffness, warmth, and redness. It can affect several areas including hands, feet, wrists etc. To get a diagnosis for this, it would be a blood test to check your inflammatory marker levels and the results of an x-ray or scan. If it is RA, then you are normally referred to see a rheumatologist consultant for treatment.

    We would suggest that you contact you doctor and ask if you are able to have a blood test or even possible an MRI scan.


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

    If at any point it would help you to talk things through informally and in confidence to one of our Helpline advisors about how you are feeling you are more than welcome to call our Free Helpline on 0800 5200 520 weekdays 9am – 6pm.

    Best wishes

    Chris

    Helpline Advisor

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