Flare Up

Faballball

I seem to be on yet another flare up with my osteoarthritis! Ive had knee problems for years and this has slowly got worse, but i coped. However in last 3 years (since losing my husband) i seem to be getting so much worse. My mobility has really deteriorated to point i using rollator indoors as well as out. But the pain which is really nagging me is in my shoulders, wrists and now I'm getting lumps on my fingers. Is there anything i can do to alleviate this pain?

my lower legs get very swollen and GP referred me for scans knees and hips but consultant turned me down. The GP sent me for X-rays and i had got so bad i couldn't get there and had to cancel.

I've now requested help at home and applied for sheltered housing! But this procedure is so long winded I'm getting down, and isolated and in so much pain i no longer know what to do?

Anna

Hello @Faballball and welcome to the online community,

You've had osteoarthritis knee problems for several years, and since losing your husband three years ago, the arthritis has got worse and spread to other parts of your body, especially your shoulders and wrists. You'd like some suggestions for how to alleviate the pain. You have been referred for x-rays by your doctor but were unable to attend because of the pain, and you're now waiting to be considered for help at home and sheltered housing.

It's a shame that you have been unable to attend for x-rays and scans. Your health authority may offer transport to and from hospital for you, so it's worth asking your GP about this. At the same time, you could also ask for a review of your pain relief, or for a referral to a pain clinic where they look at different ways to help you, not just medication.

If you're feeling down, you might like to talk to our Helpline. They're free to call, open from 9am-6pm weekdays, and they will listen and give you personally tailored support and advice for your situation. Here are their contact details:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/get-help/helpline/

Although exercise might be the last thing you feel like doing, there are some very gentle movements on the Versus Arthritis website that you could try to help the pain in your shoulders. I've linked to them below:

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

Do keep in touch and let us know how you're getting on. All our members live with arthritis, so please don't feel that you're alone. Everyone here is friendly and supportive and if you take a look round the different forums you might find a conversation you want to join in with. You could start by looking through Recent Discussions to see what's being talked about at the moment.

Anna (Mod)