New member

EllaRoch

Hi everyone

I'm Angie and new to this site, even though I have had long standing spinal osteoarthritis since my 20's. It all began when I was 25 (almost 50 years ago) when I started getting very severe early morning headaches that I was positive stemmed from my lower neck. They always eased off by mid-day. I had an x-ray and a brain scan, subsequent physio, neck traction, heat treatment, nothing helped and I was never told what the problem was. I tried every 'diet' imaginable thinking it might even be an allergy. Lower back pain was also a problem.

I am and always have been 7.5 stone always kept fit, played a lot of tennis, badminton, dog walks, aerobics, still the headaches came. I had another x-ray 12 years ago and was told by my doctor 'it was a bit of wear and tear'. In 2018 I visited an osteopath, who took one look at me and told me I had an S shape scoliosis. Medics never told me this. She requested notes from my surgery. Treatment definitely helped my headaches, they became less severe, although I do still have a permanent headache as in a dull ache up the back of my head. My whole spine in the last 20 years has become very painful, particularly towards early evening, and I have constant tingling in my feet, legs and palms of my hands. I have never had an MRI scan, I saw a Senior Physiotherapist a year ago who after all these years showed me my neck and spine x-rays, and I have bone on bone in my lower cervical spine, and lumbar spine. I have spondylosis all down my spine and facet joint degeneration. He told me I have to live with it, there is nothing they can do for me, apart from strong painkillers which I have refused, and steroid injections. I also have a weakened left arm. Apparently an MRI scan will just show that it has worsened and I should feel lucky that 'I have not got cancer'. He told me no matter what I do it will not help. I am carrying on with life, doing what I can, I do still work, but suffer badly early evenings and feel totally exhausted by then.

I feel that the medical profession had not taken me seriously or explained the situation to me, all these years of not knowing exactly what was wrong. At least now I know what I am up against, and am trying self help, gentle exercises, stretches, walking and back massages. I wondered if anyone else has had problems with the doctors almost dismissing them and not explaining the diagnosis.

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Chris_R

Hi Angie

Welcome to the forum so glad you are reaching out and talking about your experiences. What a lot you have been through in your life.i havent experienced all you have as regards to the medical misdiagnosis myself,but my daughter has and watching her go through different views on what she had and didnt have was really awful .She did at last find a a GP who did diagnose her with Rhumatoid arthritis and lots of complications. She has however overcome all these and is a trained Solicitor i am very proud of her achievments as like you she works through her disabilitys and finds ways of coping.Its good you are finding solutions too to deal with your problems, well done to you.

You will find that this forum is friendly kind and informative as people chat to you and share their experiences too.

Do keep on going and talk to others it often helps.

all the best Christine