looking for advice, suggestions or such- not sympathy !!

nickynysmon08

htis s my first time on this forum. my arthritis started some time ago now mainly as a result f walking too far then finishing it by walking a step descent down a very very steep, long hill, twice i have did this , -crazy--- so, I wore away the cartilage in my knees. then the arthritis spread to the hips and so I have it in some measure in these four joints.

I have had and do get a lot of pain, it is osteoarthritis, and my first inclination was to talk to people more often strangers about it. one simplu wants to be understood, , this s not self pity.
the amazing fact is how many over fifty have this condition - I am 54- and how many have joint replacements. i will never go down this route I pray.

my main concern is, how the thing will progress over the next decades. they say the osteo form of the disease goes into abeyance over time, does any one know about this?

I do a lot of walking and often when there is some pain or inflammation I find a walk of four to six miles is wonderful therapy and often the pain is eased by it. I have found out that when we are most disinclined to exercise it is this that eases the pain. and often by walking the pain does vanish or the mind s taken off it.

lastly, can I expect the worse, over the years or will it simply stay as it is? i do get some very nasty pains sometimes and awaken at night, it's like broken glass in my knees. they can feel red hot, sometimes.
I would be interested to hear anyone's views etc. on this .
many thanks,

nick

frogmorton

Hi Nick
Welcome to the site.
My goodness you do sound determined to not let your OA stop you!
I presume you have had all the tests and have seen a consultant etc.
I also presume you have meds to take when you are in pain. There's not much worse than getting no sleep is there ? When my joints get hot I use ice packs to cool them down if that helps.
Also I excersise regularly when i can too - I think it is good for the mind AND body don't you? Sometimes the pain won't let me, but on this site there is info on exercises to do when you have seized up which are worth looking at.
Good to have you on board
Toni

nickynysmon08

frogmorton wrote:

Hi Nick
Welcome to the site.
My goodness you do sound determined to not let your OA stop you!
I presume you have had all the tests and have seen a consultant etc.
I also presume you have meds to take when you are in pain. There's not much worse than getting no sleep is there ? When my joints get hot I use ice packs to cool them down if that helps.
Also I excersise regularly when i can too - I think it is good for the mind AND body don't you? Sometimes the pain won't let me, but on this site there is info on exercises to do when you have seized up which are worth looking at.
Good to have you on board
Toni

reply;

I take glucosomate and condroitin, plus paracetamol, up to eight tablets a day, but have never been referred to a consultant. I almost saw the doctor some days ago, but the appointments at our surgery are disgraceful, in my opinion, so I left it. I seem simply to have been left to get on with things but all my research has shown there is no cure for this condition simply ways to manage it.
I finally decided the best way to cure it is to deal with it oneself which is why do my longish walks. a few months back in July, I went on my longest walk ever, sixteen miles, to maltraeth from llangefni and back. my feet had blisters the size of half crowns!!!! never again.
when I set out, for some reason i developed pains in my hips, and turned back, but suddenly it went so, I started again and did the distance. this is with an arthritic right knee. somehow there is great truth that we can never exercise too much , though I think we can, but it seems there is no real damage done by using our joints. I do believe the most serious damage we can and do is to think we should rest and take the weight off our limbs when in fact our joints are dying to be used, and I find often when I have any aches and pains a long walk does a lot to ease it. so, the best way seems to me self management. the less we rely on doctors the better.
may I say what a great help it is reading this website, most encouraging.

elnafinn

Hi Nick

Welcome to the site. I am not on here much at the moment as my mum has been critically ill and is slowly on the mend. This is the 7th week of her being in hospital. I occasionally look on here when I have time and read our message.

I have heard that oa/wear and tear can go into remission for a time but that has not happened to me!

I have wear and tear of the knees as well as other places and had a Total Knee Replacement this January and can now walk very fast and painfree. The other knee is not so good and I know, that to have quality of life, I shall have to have that one done as well but not for now.

OA is wear and tear and this to me is very self explanatory that the more you use it, the more it will wear and tear.

Good for you with all the walking as you obviously enjoy it so much and hopefully you will be able to continue your hobby for many years to come. Painkillers and anti inflammatories help when the pain and discomfort get too bad but then usually the decision making time arrives of whether to have surgery or not depending on what you wish to do in your life.

Enjoy life while you can!!

Luv
Elna x

woodbon

elnafinn wrote:

Hi Nick

Welcome to the site. I am not on here much at the moment as my mum has been critically ill and is slowly on the mend. This is the 7th week of her being in hospital. I occasionally look on here when I have time and read our message.

I have heard that oa/wear and tear can go into remission for a time but that has not happened to me!

I have wear and tear of the knees as well as other places and had a Total Knee Replacement this January and can now walk very fast and painfree. The other knee is not so good and I know, that to have quality of life, I shall have to have that one done as well but not for now.

OA is wear and tear and this to me is very self explanatory that the more you use it, the more it will wear and tear.

Good for you with all the walking as you obviously enjoy it so much and hopefully you will be able to continue your hobby for many years to come. Painkillers and anti inflammatories help when the pain and discomfort get too bad but then usually the decision making time arrives of whether to have surgery or not depending on what you wish to do in your life.

Enjoy life while you can!!

Luv
Elna x

I also have oa in my hip and spine. I am a walker, but never the distances you to cover!
I hope you continue to do everything you wish, like everything we are all different and progress or not at different rates. I have good days and bad days. Exercise helps but too much and it takes a while to recover. I would try to see a doctor if I where you just to discuss the situation with a medic. All best wishes.

plmb48

hi nick
you must go to a dr to find out what is wrong dont guess they are there to help all of us with o/a and reumatoid all tryed to help ourselves but you need more help please dont worry about replacement joints lots on this forum will tell you life is better after when the pain has gone.
the thing is when we get these problems we have to live with it some of the most positive and happy people i know suffer every day of there lives .
one of my bugbears is i can never wear stilletoes again and i am awful glad i never learnt to play the piano that would have been a waste looking at my hands now hahaha pauline

nickynysmon08

plmb48 wrote:

hi nick
you must go to a dr to find out what is wrong dont guess they are there to help all of us with o/a and reumatoid all tryed to help ourselves but you need more help please don't worry about replacement joints lots on this forum will tell you life is better after when the pain has gone.
the thing is when we get these problems we have to live with it some of the most positive and happy people i know suffer every day of there lives .
one of my bugbears is i can never wear stilletoes again and i am awful glad i never learnt to play the piano that would have been a waste looking at my hands now hahaha pauline

reply;

one thing that has me very curious, is why this condition comes and goes. whilst I understand rheumatoid arthritis is to do with the white blood cells entering the joints and attacking the tissues thus causing inflammation, osteo is more to do with wear and tear. why then does it come and go? what are the mechanisms for it. ? I am told it may enter remission after so long when the joints become fused, in some way, yet also, many have joint replacements. this latter, is a course I will only take at the point of a gun!!

seriously, it is a strange thing that some days we feel we are going downhill yet others the condition seems to be negligible. Again i am a firm advocate of walking, three four, five mile walks , for me it is the best therapy, far more so than all the drugs the doctors can give you. that said there are 200 forms of the condition so one has to be case specific I suppose.

only after coming to this forum do I realize what the rest of you have to put up with and it gives me quite a degree of humility, I am sorry to hear how much pain some of you have to endure.

scattered

The term 'arthritis' is very misleading, as there are so many different arthritic diseases. OA is a wear and tear condition caused by injury or the aging process. Eventually the joint will become so damaged it will fuse, which is what I assume is meant by 'remission', and there will no longer be any pain in that area caused by the condition.

I have rheumatoid arthritis which is caused by the immune system thinking the synovial fluid around the joints is an infection and attacking it. This causes inflammation making the joint swell, feel hot and go red. RA also attacks the internal organs, tendons, causes extreme fatigue and other things. People with untreated or very aggressive RA get joint damage, which is similar to OA. Eventually the untreated disease will 'burn out', leaving all affected joints severely damaged.

The role of exercise in arthritis is tricky. I'm glad walking works for you. I've found exercise to be helpful when I'm not flaring but it has only been in the last 6 months that I've been well enough to exercise. Before I got RA I was an active normal 18 yr old. I'm now 21 and it has taken the last 2 years to get my disease controlled. Prior to now, exercise only made my condition worse. For me, the best exercise is swimming because it puts no pressure on the joints. I have RA everywhere except my shoulders and hips.

Have you tried topical rubs for your knees and hips? I find they can work well for some types of pain. Also heat and ice work wonders for reducing pain and swelling.

annalisa

scattered wrote:

The term 'arthritis' is very misleading, as there are so many different arthritic diseases. OA is a wear and tear condition caused by injury or the aging process. Eventually the joint will become so damaged it will fuse, which is what I assume is meant by 'remission', and there will no longer be any pain in that area caused by the condition.

I have rheumatoid arthritis which is caused by the immune system thinking the synovial fluid around the joints is an infection and attacking it. This causes inflammation making the joint swell, feel hot and go red. RA also attacks the internal organs, tendons, causes extreme fatigue and other things. People with untreated or very aggressive RA get joint damage, which is similar to OA. Eventually the untreated disease will 'burn out', leaving all affected joints severely damaged.

The role of exercise in arthritis is tricky. I'm glad walking works for you. I've found exercise to be helpful when I'm not flaring but it has only been in the last 6 months that I've been well enough to exercise. Before I got RA I was an active normal 18 yr old. I'm now 21 and it has taken the last 2 years to get my disease controlled. Prior to now, exercise only made my condition worse. For me, the best exercise is swimming because it puts no pressure on the joints. I have RA everywhere except my shoulders and hips.

Have you tried topical rubs for your knees and hips? I find they can work well for some types of pain. Also heat and ice work wonders for reducing pain and swelling.

nickynysmon08

annalisa wrote:

scattered wrote:

The term 'arthritis' is very misleading, as there are so many different arthritic diseases. OA is a wear and tear condition caused by injury or the aging process. Eventually the joint will become so damaged it will fuse, which is what I assume is meant by 'remission', and there will no longer be any pain in that area caused by the condition.

I have rheumatoid arthritis which is caused by the immune system thinking the synovial fluid around the joints is an infection and attacking it. This causes inflammation making the joint swell, feel hot and go red. RA also attacks the internal organs, tendons, causes extreme fatigue and other things. People with untreated or very aggressive RA get joint damage, which is similar to OA. Eventually the untreated disease will 'burn out', leaving all affected joints severely damaged.

The role of exercise in arthritis is tricky. I'm glad walking works for you. I've found exercise to be helpful when I'm not flaring but it has only been in the last 6 months that I've been well enough to exercise. Before I got RA I was an active normal 18 yr old. I'm now 21 and it has taken the last 2 years to get my disease controlled. Prior to now, exercise only made my condition worse. For me, the best exercise is swimming because it puts no pressure on the joints. I have RA everywhere except my shoulders and hips.

Have you tried topical rubs for your knees and hips? I find they can work well for some types of pain. Also heat and ice work wonders for reducing pain and swelling.



reply
it saddens me to see how many young people such as your self have this rheumatoid arthritis. there is very little i can say on this only to hope you manage your condition well and a cure will soon be found for it. forgive me if i have sounded presumptuous in any way. as they say, everyone's condition is unique to them.