Osteoarthritis pain

SerenL

Hello Everyone.

I'm new to this community, hoping to meet people who like myself are struggling with pain due to Arthritis. I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my left knee a long time ago, and initially I was having frequent aspirations of fluid drawn from my knee joint. I am now 52 and last year I underwent a total knee replacement and am still struggling with stiffness and discomfort. I also have Osteoarthritis in my spine, and recently starting in my other knee. I can empathise with people who are feeling down in themselves due to pain and difficulty in doing everyday things.

I would love to hear how people in this community manage their pain through diet and exercise. I have cut out dairy, and limit sugar which has made a difference. Any tips would be most appreciated. Thanks Sam 😀

Poppyjane

Hello @SerenL welcome to the online community.

You have had a TKR and have OA in your spine and knee. You are keen to hear from members who manage their pain through diet and exercise. There are many of us who try to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime and I am sure there will be loads of posts offering you tips. Meanwhile I attach a few links for your interest.

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/diet/

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/54085/healthy-diet

Do let us know how you get on.

Best wishes

Poppyjane

jonr

Hello @SerenL and welcome.

Poppyjane's links are a very good read, as is all the content on this website in understanding one's condition and managing it.

I have severe OA in both knees and awaiting a double total knee replacement. In terms of diet, I try to eat green leafy veg, Omega-3 rich foods like Salmon and eggs (all of these have anti-inflammatory properties) and snack regularly on Olives which include a substance very similar to Ibuprofen.

For exercise, walking's the obvious one, and I do that outside as well as on a treadmill. Low impact sports such as swimming and cycling are also good and both will help improve joint strength as well as being healthy and good cardio. At the gym I use the static bike, skiing machine, stairs machine and weights.

Obviously, decent pain management is vital in enabling you to undertake anything remotely energetic and there's a lot of information on the website about prescribed and non-prescribed drugs, supplements and other aids.

Hope these might prove useful.

Jon

SerenL

Hi Jonr,

Thank you for your message, and warm welcome to the community.

I will navigate around the website, I'm sure it's full of valuable information and advice.

I'm sorry to hear that you have severe OA in both knees, you must be in a lot of pain.I hope that you aren't waiting too long for your surgery 🤞.

In terms of diet, I eat fish but am a fussy eater, which isn't great. I eat eggs and lots of vegetables. I wasn't aware of the substance in olives, I do eat them, so will note how I feel afterwards from now on, thanks.

I take my dog out walking but am struggling with my new knee joint, and my other knee is playing up, so walks are challenging. My plan is to start swimming again, and maybe with weight loss I will notice an improvement.

You should be proud of yourself for the fact that you are still working out in the gym, despite your current situation with both knees. I cant use my static bike as I don't have enough knee flexion after my surgery.

I agree with you, that adequate pain medication is vital. I am seeing my GP mid July to discuss this matter.

Thank you for your advice Jon.

Have a good day

Seren

jonr

Thanks for taking the time to message back @SerenL.

It must be so frustrating to have had a TKR and still find your agility and quality of life to be impacted, I really do empathise and there's loads of us here who will know exactly what you're going through.

Although my OsteoArthritis has been upgraded from moderate to severe (hence the referral for "the double"), I believe I am in less pain now and have a far better quality of life than I did this time last year when some mornings I could barely make it down the stairs for a cuppa and I was living one day at a time due to the unpredictability of this wretched condition.

Through reading up on pain management here and a lot of trial and error, I've now reached a point where I have far less episodes than I did before and when they happen, they're less severe.

In March I climbed to the summit of Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales which is something I'd never have believed possible this time last year so there's definitely ways of maintaining an active lifestyle if it's possible to stay on top of the pain.

One tip on the static bike I can pass on because I have limited knee flex too is to play around with the seat height. The higher it is, the less your legs need to bend. I use a gel called FlexiSeq which I find really helps with stiffness and lubrication so it makes sport easier to bear. It's available behind the counter and it's expensive but for me it's been a game-changer.

Cheers,

Jon

Cazzie

Hello everyone. Newby to group. I have OA in hips, small joints, back and neck. So far take paracetamol, creams. Not allowed NSAIDs. So looking for any advice to manage pain.. Also have been told not yet ready for hip op 😞.. Really scared what this could involve. 😳.. Can this be avoided. What are your experiences with hip op, do they work ? I hope it's OK to ask. Many thanks for pointers.. I hope I haven't written in the wrong box. All new to me.

Best wishes.

Cazzie

SerenL

Hello Cazzie

I am also new to the group, welcome!.

I am not able to offer you any helpful advice sorry, as I too am not able to take NSAID's because I take daily aspirin.

I take paracetamol everyday, but it only takes the edge off Osteoarthritis pain.I have OA in both knees, and my spine. I have used pain relief gels, and they can be fine short term, but finding the right pain relief can be a problem for so many people with arthritis.

Different strategies to minimise pain vary for everybody, but I've found that by eliminating dairy, and reducing fried foods and sugar has helped me.

I had a knee replacement last summer and I am still recovering. The surgery has taken away the constant arthritis pain, but I am left with a stiff knee, which impacts my mobility.When I was in hospital I was on a ward with four other women, two of them had hip replacements and they were fantastic!.

I hope that you receive the medical care you need asap, Good Luck.

Sam