Upset that this won’t go away

Nodhamb

I am suddenly struggling to walk. I have suffered with aching knee for some time but in last 3 weeks my knee has been giving way, won’t straighten, I’m limping and it is painful to walk. Reading about it feels like I’m doomed to this and it will only get worse and that there isn’t much you can do but try swimming and pain killers which is sort of making me feel depressed. I have a good job and family and was enjoying life and now I’m feeling almost depressed and not wanting to get up because I know I will be limping and in pain (and I know that sounds defeatist which is not like me but Google does nothing to cheer you up). Doctors seem to not be able to offer much - volterol is best they have done and physios sent me home with exercises but it has got worse not better. So fed up I want to be ok again.

Poppyjane

Hello @Nodhamb welcome to the online community

You are having difficulty with your knee and feeling low . Your GP and physio have offered treatment but the exercises made it get worse not better. So you are feeling fed up and want to be ok again. So many of us when first diagnosed with arthritis ask the "Why me?" question and often take a while to adjust to the changes that have occurred in our bodies and as a consequence our lives.

My understanding is that you have not been diagnosed with arthritis at present so there is the potential for your knee pain and lack of mobility to be a short time condition. Whichever is the case the exercises especially swimming are a really important part of your recovery and I would suggest you try to stick with them, starting gently and building up your muscle and joint flexibility.

There is a really useful new stretching video , see attached link

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/october/new-stretching-videos-to-help-keep-moving-and-manage-your-arthritis/

There is a lot of information on the community and a wealth of comments from our members so I hope you will browse round when you get a chance.

Meanwhile I hope your mobility improves and the pain killers give you some relief. We look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Best wishes

Poppyjane

Nodhamb

Thank you sorry for not making it clear I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis some time ago but the pain was mild/tolerable but just in the last 3 weeks it’s stopped me doing daily normal activities. Thank you for the advice. I suppose I don’t want to moan I am generally a happy person and want to find people who are managing this better than I am currently.

jonr

Hi Nodhamb,

Very sorry to hear you're struggling, you'll find a lot of sympathy and empathy here, we're all in the same boat to different degrees.

I'm curious to know if you're taking any other supplements to help with pain management. There is also a LOT more your GP can do for you in terms of prescribing anti-inflammatories and pain killers. I would recommend you arrange an appointment or a call, tell your GP your quality of life is suffering, you are struggling to cope with everyday tasks and your mental health is also suffering. Ask them to prescribe anti-inflammatories (Naproxen is the usual one) and Omeprazole ( to protect the stomach lining) and Co-Codemol. If they won't prescribe the latter, you can get it from pharmacies.

Poppyjane's right -physio and exercise is the way forward, at least longer term, to strengthen the joint and aid stability but you need to get on top of the pain first, at least I did. I wear knee supports and find they boost my confidence as well as making it easier to walk and do exercise, most pharmacies sell a good range. You might like to get one with a cut out for the knee cap, velcro straps and side supports - the rigidity will help prevent collapse but it may still be painful to walk.

Good luck,

jon

dansmam

Hi Nodhamb,

I know exactly how you're feeling, I've recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knee and have been really struggling with the pain for the last 3mths.

I'm generally a happy, content person who loves her job but have found myself feeling a little low questioning if I'm constantly going to be in this much pain from now on and how it will impact on my life and ability to do my job.

I've been reassured today by MSK that the pain will ease but I need to build the strength in my knee muscles through exercises. I'm guessing it's gonna be painful at first as the muscles are weak but gonna persevere.

It's normal to feel down and start to question things in our situation so don't beat yourself up about it but do try to do the exercises.

I've found a heat pad particularly helpful at alleviating some of the symptoms.

Deal: Heating pad, Electric Heat Pad with Automatic Switch-Off and 6 Temperature Levels Heating pad for Back Neck Shoulder Belly Heating Technology - Machine Washable. (Silver Gray, 12" x 24") https://amzn.eu/d/3GgSAkr

Fran54

Hi @Nodhamb

sorry to hear that you are feeling so low and in considerable pain. All I can suggest is that you contact your Doctor again and write down everything that is affecting your physical as well as mental health being in a letter to him/her and request a face to face appointment ( this I did as I knew I would not be able to express everything over the phone ). Hopefully then your Doctor can sort out further pain management for you which when taken on a regular basis may help you to cope with your physio exercises. All this takes time so try and be patient and kind to yourself. I have found over time that some days are better than others regarding doing the physio exercises but they have helped me a lot.

There are a lot of very helpful people on here who are always ready to give support through the tough times.

Take care.🙂

Lisamac

Hi Nodhamb

Sorry you are feeling down, cheer up love, you are not alone and there is help.

I have suffered for many years with two types of arthritis, one being osteoarthritis.

I have learnt over the years that when dealing with doctors, you have to be very polite but very firm and clear about what you want.

Your doctor cannot feel what you feel, they can only go on what you tell them, so tell them about your very worst days.

Firstly, if you haven't had any recent x-rays, they need to be updated, sometimes bony spurs can form and are very painful, other times it's inflammation that's causing the pain. You need to know what is happening inside your knee before they can give you the right treatment.

Exercises are great but they shouldn't cause more pain, yes they make you huff and puff and are uncomfortable and a little painful at first.

Please go back to you doctor and say something like. Please could I have some up-to-date x-rays on my knees and please could you refer me to a Rheumatologist as the exercises the physio gave me are just making things worse. You could also try asking for steroid injections but I'm not sure about the rules on those now, it used to be that only a rheumatologist could prescribe them.

If you ask your doctor for something be it medication, an x-ray or a referral and they say no, they have to give you a good reason for their refusal. Doctors are very busy and don't always take the time to explain things, so you have to ask.

Hope this helps

Lisa