Help with pain

suzie2308

Hi. I’m Sue. 57 years old. Lifetime of exercise. Last few years increasing-pain on inside of both knees. Started walking with a sort of limp!! I’ve started getting pains developing in my ankles and elbows. My GP wasn’t much help. Sent me to specialist who said I was too young for an op and basically live with it. I take brufen daily and occasionally paracetamol. Any help or advice to make my life any easier would be much appreciated. I am currently a stone over weight too.

Sharon_K

Hi @suzie2308

welcome to the community. Sorry that your GP wasn't much help, do you know what kind of specialist your GP sent you to? It sounds like it might have been an orthopeadic surgeon? Did you GP give you a diagnosis? There are certainly other things you can do to help but knowing what kind of arthritis might help.

Here is some guidance on knee pain

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

On elbow pain

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

and also something of elbow exercises

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-elbows/

It might be an idea to ask your GP to send you to see a rheumatologist if he hasn't been able to diagnose your arthritis. Meanwhile please ask lots of questions and I am sure our wonderful members will be able to share their experiences with you

Best Wishes

Sharon

alexander1

Ignore the too young for an OP I was told that at 50 and told to manage on opiodes and anti-inflamatories. Finally couldn’t take pain any more and got sent around houses for ages. When I saw ortho surgeon he asked me why I waited as I must be on so much pain.

frogmorton

Hi @suzie2308

We're always too young for surgery it seems🙄Then be careful when you are finally old enough your BMI might hold it up or if you smoke.

If you look at the exercises @Sharon_K gave you they might help a bit with the pain believe it or not and at the very least keep everything working as well as possible so you are as good as possible for future surgery.

If you want to look at losing that extra stone this is definitely worth a read.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/september/top-tips-to-manage-your-weight/

Take care

Toni x

Lilymary

I don't think GPs can make that judgement until they've seen the xrays, but they're reluctant to send everyone with painful joints for xrays because of the cost. Similarly, they don't like replacing joints "too early" as they tend to wear out eventually and you can only replace them again once. Having said that, my sister had both knees replaced before she was 60, and a friend has also just had hip replacement before 60.

I had general pains and reduced mobility in my hip for some time and my lovely GP said no point xraying, and there's nothing they could do even if it was arthritis. As I was still reasonably mobile I stuck it out. When the pain levels went through the roof after a fall about a year later she agreed to xray (presumably on the basis that I might have broken something) they found no fractures but such severe arthritis I went straight on the list for a new one, age 60. I had it fitted just over a year later after 12 months of agony and heavy reliance on a stick and handfuls of prescription pain killers, which only just dulled the pain. I know of several others who had new joints in their early 60s, although pain levels and mobility varied pre-op.

I think the feeling is the longer you can stick it out the better, but maybe review your pain meds, look into the exercises Sharon has suggested, and perhaps find a good physio to work out a regime of exercise best suited to your condition(s). But if the pain levels really ramp up, do go back to your GP for a review, as these conditions do deteriorate over time.