Yet another recently diagnosed!

Susquehanna

About 6 weeks ago, returned home after 20min car journey. On Attempting to get out of car found my legs completely stiff. This was my first inkling of a problem. More stiffness and aching knees followed. Visit to Gp confirmed it was osteoarthritis. I was surprised it had come on so suddenly in both legs without any prior symptoms, I am told this is not uncommon. 2 weeks later I developed pains in my arm muscles with no pain in shoulder joints. My GP is awaiting results of blood tests she ordered to see if there is anything else going on.

Has anyone else experienced similar progression?

Posted by Susquehanna

Ellen

Good morning @Susquehanna and welcome to the Versus Arthritis Online Community.

I understand from your post that you have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in both knees after a very sudden, (and no doubt shocking), onset of symptoms. I am presuming this was by examination not X-rays.

Since then you have experienced pain in other joints and now your GP has ordered blood tests to see what else might be going on.

While you wait for someone to come along and share their own experience with you,

I am going to attach a couple of links for you to read. On is about the different types of Arthritis and the other about tests which can help diagnose:

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/healthcare-professionals/training-and-education-resources/clinical-assessment-of-patients-with-musculoskeletal-conditions/investigations/

Now that you've introduced yourself maybe you'd like to have a look around the rest of the forum and join in wherever you feel comfortable. Living with Arthritis tends to be the most popular.

Best wishes

Ellen.

frogmorton

Hi @Susquehanna

I'm glad your GP is doing some bloods and not just accepting the likeliest diagnosis. It might be another kind of Arthritis especially with such a sudden onset (which can happen to people in fact happened to @Lilymary really suddenly if I remember rightly ) and the fact that it's symmetrical.

How are your legs now I wonder? Has your GP followed up with anything else to help you? Medication, physio for example.

I'm so pleased you've got a good GP and also that you've found us here😊

Keep posting

Toni xx

Lilymary

Hi @Susquehanna , I'm sorry to hear you've had this diagnosis out of the blue. Mine was more localised, ie my hip, and other than some general rather random pains in my leg, I had no idea what was going on in my joint till I had a fall and the pain went off the chart. They sent me for xray and found the hip was already so badly damaged that it needed replacement and they put me straight on the list for a new hip. (The xray showed some arhtiritis in my other hihp, but not as advanced and it's not giving me any trouble at the moment.) Even my physio, who had suspected "a bit of arthritis" when she'd been sorting out my pains over the years, was surprised that it had gone this far without anyone realising. However, I found out from two surgeons, and from another patient in our ward when I had my hip replaced, that this can happen sometimes, although they're not sure why. So we may be managing fairly well with quite advanced joint damage until something happens to trigger a flare up and further investigations find out what's really been going on.

I hope you can get a referral to a MSK clinic to further assess the damage. Osteoarthritis really needs an xray to see how bad it is and at what stage you might need surgery. (Blood tests are more useful for other forms of arthritis.) Meanwhile it's important to keep up with exercises that strengthen the muscles that support your knee, and you do need to persevere with them over several months to start seeing a difference, but it will help. It will also aid your recovery after surgery if your muscles are in good shape. You might find these links helpful.

To give you heart - my sister has two new knees (both before she was 60) and was back to fell walking, horse riding and teaching aerobics classes. it can be done 🙂

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/?gclid=CjwKCAiAyfybBhBKEiwAgtB7ftfefsVDvxWkKsl3yVLjGx1ZSuixPp2krgdhZO4wrrBmlNxZwPATaBoC2V0QAvD_BwE

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/knee-pain/?gclid=CjwKCAiAyfybBhBKEiwAgtB7fuB8nf7ulp9iUsD_-DUqTc5nxV-GsxcXGai9reAkMi_MVCGLIfpccRoCmjkQAvD_BwE