Really bad pain in my right knee every moring or after sitting

poetryman57

When I get in bed and go to sleep, I feel fine until I wake up to go to the loo, which at my age can be three times a night. I put my feet on the ground and know that my first step will be agony. My knee burns and I have to hold on to the furniture for a few steps before I can make my way to the bathroom. It has started happening more frequently after periods reading, watch telly of doing stuff on my computer. I had an x-ray recently that showed a lot of wear around my right knee-cap and I woundered if there was anyway of getting relief before my next appointment on February 8th as this is becoming unbearable now. It is impacting on my usual activities which include writing for a magazine and doing podcasts.

I can't take Non-steroidal stuff becasue of a history of stomach ulcers and paracetamol doesn't scatch the surface. I would be grateful for any ideas please.

jonr

Hello @poetryman57,

What you describe is typical for a lot of Arthritis sufferers - periods of inactivity can lead to stiffness which in turn can cause issues with stability. I can vouch for how dangerous that can be when getting up in the middle of the night to answer a call of nature because a few months ago my knee gave way causing my head to collide with the bathroom wall nose and forehead first.

I don't think there's a lot that can be done to minimise the danger other than to stretch and flex your legs whilst your sat down so stiffness is less likely to set in. As for pain relief, there are several natural supplements you can turn to with proven anti-inflammatory properties, such as Curcumin, Boswellia Serrata, Ceylon Cinnamon and Montmorency Cherry. If your knee is burning up then an ice pack is the obvious thing to reduce swelling and all the associated symptoms. For pain relief, the only one I can think of which isn't medication as such is CBD which can be bought in health food shops or online, it can also help with sleep. If you are able to get your pain under control then that may mean you can be more active which not only keeps stiffness at bay but any exercise such as walking, swimming, gymwork, etc will help strengthen the tissues and tendons surrounding your knees which will help them cope with the strain they're under and aid stability.

Hope this helps.

Jon

frogmorton

Hello @poetryman57

Have you considered walking aids for the loo at night? I mean it really doesn't sound safe to be potentially giving way like that.

There are medication - pain relief which your GP can prescribe, but you do need to be quite assertive and explain how much pain you're in. I think you can buy low does co-codamol over the counter too might be worth having a chat with a pharmacist.

I personally like ice sometimes, but heat too my microwavable wheatbags so help ease pain. If heat works I know you can get stick on heat patches which would be easier to get about with.

Best of luck

Toni