OA - HELP / INFO / ADVISE

adelebw

Hello,

I have never posted on this site before and have just had a very recent diagnosis for OA. I am 39. had problems with my right knee and hip for many months and was told its probably muscular, anyway the pain and swelling eased off, then flared up again, then eased and its been like this on and off for about 6 months. This weekend was something else. I could not bend my knee, it is very very swollen and painful, sore, achey, went back to GP who has diagnosed OA and signed me off work for a week. Told me to rest knee to get the swelling and inflamation down and take regular doses or Ibuprofen. So what happens now?? Will my knee be swollen like this all the time, will the swelling go down. I can't put my underwear on without help, or socks, or shoes. I need someone to told onto whilst getting in the shower, pulling trosuers up, up and down stairs, is easier to go up on my bum and press down using my good leg. HELP, sorry I am scared

lindalegs

Hi Adele and welcome to the forum.

Sorry that you've have this diagnosis and that your knee is being a nuisance at the moment but I would think it's probably a flare-up and will settle down. Try not to be scared there are lots of people on here with OA and they will be able to advise you.

In the meantime whilst you're following doctor's orders and resting you could use an ice pack on your knee to help reduce the swelling. You can make your own ice pack by just using a bag of frozen peas. Wrap your knee in a damp towel, then put the bag of peas on top, wrap both in a polythene bag and cover with a blanket. Keep on for 20 minutes, remove and then gently exercise the knee joint. Refreeze the peas for next time BUT DON'T EAT THEM :shock: I mark mine so that I know not to serve them up for dinner Wheat bags are really good too and all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 80 seconds. These can be bought for about £3 from Wilkinsons. Or even a hot water bottle will give comfort to an aching joint.

Hope this helps for now. Any other questions please ask.

Luv Legs

elnafinn

Hi Adele

Welcome! I have oa of the knees, neck, back and shoulder, which started about your age. I am still here to tell the tale at 58

I must say that I have never had a flare as bad as yours where I cannot cope with stairs, shower, getting dressed etc. That sounds like some mega flare to me and you, no doubt!

Excellent advice from Linda regarding the heat and ice packs. Try to keep your leg elevated when resting.

I expect you will be returning to your gp if, after a week, there is no change. I should think then your gp will refer you to a consultant or rheumatologist who are more specialised in this field.

Hopefully you will be feeling much better in a few days. Keep us posted.

Look after yourself,

Luv
Elna x

woodbon

Hi, Sorry you've got such a lot of pain at the moment. I have oa in my spine hip and arms ect. I get times when it is a lot worse but a rest will ease it off. No need to think at the moment that you are going to be stuck like this for ever. Your gp will want maybe an xray and/or a second opionion if it goes on much longer and sometimes they offer a steriod injection to help with inflammation. I've had my wrists injected twice and my hip once. Sometimes oa will settle down on its own and stop giving you problems. Yours sounds very bad at the moment. I find heat is very comforting and I have a microwavable pad I got from the chemist, which is very good. The word 'Arthritis' can be frightening and picture all sorts in your mind, but lots of people have it and manage very well. My job made mine worse, I'm told. I am a care assistant, so its quite heavy and lots of walking . I hope you'll soon feel better, TRY not to worry, but do go back to your gp at the end of the week if its not better or you are worried. You may need a bit of physio therapy for some special exercises to help keep it strong. :roll: Love Sue.

adelebw

thanks to you all. I really appreciate your advice. Glad to hear I won't be stuck with this knee the way it is for ever. I work in a school so sit down most of the time, but I also work at Manchester City Football Club and Stockport County
as a Crowd Safety Supervisor, which means I have to stand up for at least 5 / 6 hours at a time. I guess now I will learn my limitations. Will go back to my GP at the end of the week if no better. This started on Saturday and its no better today Tuesday. Thanks once again.

colinone

adelebw wrote:

thanks to you all. I really appreciate your advice. Glad to hear I won't be stuck with this knee the way it is for ever. I work in a school so sit down most of the time, but I also work at Manchester City Football Club and Stockport County
as a Crowd Safety Supervisor, which means I have to stand up for at least 5 / 6 hours at a time. I guess now I will learn my limitations. Will go back to my GP at the end of the week if no better. This started on Saturday and its no better today Tuesday. Thanks once again.

Hi firt of all i'm not going to be much help as i have RA and Pa and not OA however pain is pain and i'm sorry to hear your suffering. Yes it can be quite a shock to your system when your'e first told and send you into a state of panic and worry about many things. you must try not to worry to much , you will end up seeing the rhrumy but in the short term you have found a great site with some lovely people not just for info but support. Take Care and i hope things turn out ok for you.
Cliin

adelebw

I have been having a good look around the site at the differences between OA and RA - they both seem to have the same symptoms? but one difference i noticed was with RA the joint feels warm / hot to touch. This is what mine is like. Does this also happen with OA. My GP didn't mention going to hosp or having an x-ray. Should I go back and ask for one??

adelebw

lindalegs wrote:

Hi Adele and welcome to the forum.

Sorry that you've have this diagnosis and that your knee is being a nuisance at the moment but I would think it's probably a flare-up and will settle down. Try not to be scared there are lots of people on here with OA and they will be able to advise you.

In the meantime whilst you're following doctor's orders and resting you could use an ice pack on your knee to help reduce the swelling. You can make your own ice pack by just using a bag of frozen peas. Wrap your knee in a damp towel, then put the bag of peas on top, wrap both in a polythene bag and cover with a blanket. Keep on for 20 minutes, remove and then gently exercise the knee joint. Refreeze the peas for next time BUT DON'T EAT THEM :shock: I mark mine so that I know not to serve them up for dinner Wheat bags are really good too and all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 80 seconds. These can be bought for about £3 from Wilkinsons. Or even a hot water bottle will give comfort to an aching joint.

Hope this helps for now. Any other questions please ask.

Luv Legs

Thanks very much for replying and thanks for the advice. still trying to figure out how to use the site and post messages. I have been having a good look around the site at the differences between OA and RA - they both seem to have the same symptoms? but one difference i noticed was with RA the joint feels warm / hot to touch. This is what mine is like. Does this also happen with OA. My GP didn't mention going to hosp or having an x-ray. Should I go back and ask for one??

elnafinn

Hi Adele

One is generally sent off to have an x-ray. Perhaps your gp is thinking of sending you if you go back again. A blood test can be done to see if it is RA. The blood test would come back positive but this is not a true reflection because mine came back positive and on being referred to a rheumy I was told that I did not have the classic symptoms for RA so my diagnosis of OA still stands. Two years ago a knee consultant wished me to have the test as it is BOTH knees and hands that suffer and this is one symptom of RA. As to my joints being hot/warm to touch, I do not have this problem but we are all different.

Elna x

greyheron

adelebw wrote:

thanks to you all. I really appreciate your advice. Glad to hear I won't be stuck with this knee the way it is for ever. I work in a school so sit down most of the time, but I also work at Manchester City Football Club and Stockport County
as a Crowd Safety Supervisor, which means I have to stand up for at least 5 / 6 hours at a time. I guess now I will learn my limitations. Will go back to my GP at the end of the week if no better. This started on Saturday and its no better today Tuesday. Thanks once again.

Hi Adelbw.

I have OA in both knees. I had a bad fall when I was about 15, as a result I got something called 'osteochondritis' in my left knee, which is when the bone starts to crumble, I had a graft operation but the knee was never right from that day and I was told I would get OA in it and eventually need a replacement. Over the years it had its good times and its bad times - never quite as dramatic as yours but certainly very painful especially going up and down steps. My right knee also developed OA because I was 'favouring' my bad knee. I had a knee replacement op on my left knee in November, have had my 'ups and downs' since but basically on the mend and feeling the benefit.

Other people have given you some good advice already. I found that taking glucosamine and cod liver oil helped me, but we are all different and also you must be careful if you are already taking any other medication, sometimes things can interact with each other.

Try to take each day as it comes, try to do something positive each day and be as active as you can within your limitations would be my advice.

Let us know how you get on - we all do our best to help each other here!

Take care

Wendy

adelebw

greyheron wrote:

adelebw wrote:

thanks to you all. I really appreciate your advice. Glad to hear I won't be stuck with this knee the way it is for ever. I work in a school so sit down most of the time, but I also work at Manchester City Football Club and Stockport County
as a Crowd Safety Supervisor, which means I have to stand up for at least 5 / 6 hours at a time. I guess now I will learn my limitations. Will go back to my GP at the end of the week if no better. This started on Saturday and its no better today Tuesday. Thanks once again.

Hi Adelbw.

I have OA in both knees. I had a bad fall when I was about 15, as a result I got something called 'osteochondritis' in my left knee, which is when the bone starts to crumble, I had a graft operation but the knee was never right from that day and I was told I would get OA in it and eventually need a replacement. Over the years it had its good times and its bad times - never quite as dramatic as yours but certainly very painful especially going up and down steps. My right knee also developed OA because I was 'favouring' my bad knee. I had a knee replacement op on my left knee in November, have had my 'ups and downs' since but basically on the mend and feeling the benefit.

Other people have given you some good advice already. I found that taking glucosamine and cod liver oil helped me, but we are all different and also you must be careful if you are already taking any other medication, sometimes things can interact with each other.

Try to take each day as it comes, try to do something positive each day and be as active as you can within your limitations would be my advice.

Let us know how you get on - we all do our best to help each other here!

Take care

Wendy

Thanks . I have a bit more movement this morning so the rest has probably done me good. I will go back to the doc at the end of the week, don't think I could take another flare up like this again. best wishes

eckstardeluxe

Hi adele

Welcome to the site. I just joined last week after getting my diagnosis of OA advanced stage in my spine, I'm 32. I know how you are feeling just now, but trust me, you'll feel better with the people you'll meet on here. They really understand how upsetting and painful OA really is. My best advice is to get some frozen peas and wrap them in a towel or similar and hold it on your knee to try and bring the swelling down. Speak to your Dr, although ibuprofen is good, there are better drugs available to you which will manage the pain better. Avoid the stairs if you can. I tried the Thermacare wraps last week and they were wonderful, the only thing is they are single use. Heat works for me but my aunt has OA in her knees and thinks cold works better for her. Take care, Alex

lindalegs

adelebw wrote:

lindalegs wrote:

Hi Adele and welcome to the forum.

Sorry that ...............................seconds. These can be bought for about £3 from Wilkinsons. Or even a hot water bottle will give comfort to an aching joint.

Hope this helps for now. Any other questions please ask.

Luv Legs

Thanks very much for replying and thanks for the advice. still trying to figure out how to use the site and post messages. I have been having a good look around the site at the differences between OA and RA - they both seem to have the same symptoms? but one difference i noticed was with RA the joint feels warm / hot to touch. This is what mine is like. Does this also happen with OA. My GP didn't mention going to hosp or having an x-ray. Should I go back and ask for one??

Hi again Adele,

Your joint is warm/hot to the touch because of the fluid and imflammation and isn't just a symtom of RA.

The main difference between RA and OA is that in RA the pain and swellings are in the majority of the joints and are mirrored in both sides of the body - i.e. one hand wouldn't be affected it's always in both hands or both knees and, in fact, if you have two of them it'll be in both :shock: In OA it'll be in a knee, a shoulder, a wrist, if you see what I mean.

I know it's painful but it's always best to keep the joint moving because as the old saying goes 'if you don't use it you'll lose it'

Luv Legs

adelebw

lindalegs wrote:

adelebw wrote:

lindalegs wrote:

Hi Adele and welcome to the forum.

Sorry that ...............................seconds. These can be bought for about £3 from Wilkinsons. Or even a hot water bottle will give comfort to an aching joint.

Hope this helps for now. Any other questions please ask.

Luv Legs

Thanks very much for replying and thanks for the advice. still trying to figure out how to use the site and post messages. I have been having a good look around the site at the differences between OA and RA - they both seem to have the same symptoms? but one difference i noticed was with RA the joint feels warm / hot to touch. This is what mine is like. Does this also happen with OA. My GP didn't mention going to hosp or having an x-ray. Should I go back and ask for one??

Hi again Adele,

Your joint is warm/hot to the touch because of the fluid and imflammation and isn't just a symtom of RA.

The main difference between RA and OA is that in RA the pain and swellings are in the majority of the joints and are mirrored in both sides of the body - i.e. one hand wouldn't be affected it's always in both hands or both knees and, in fact, if you have two of them it'll be in both :shock: In OA it'll be in a knee, a shoulder, a wrist, if you see what I mean.

I know it's painful but it's always best to keep the joint moving because as the old saying goes 'if you don't use it you'll lose it'

Luv Legs

I see, that helps knowing that, there have been other things too don't know if its connected but if I make a fist I feel as though my grip isn't a good one and my fingers feel like
i have knobbly joints. Also my arms feel achey like I have been carrying heavy shopping bags, does that make sense??

lindalegs

adelebw wrote:

I see, that helps knowing that, there have been other things too don't know if its connected but if I make a fist I feel as though my grip isn't a good one and my fingers feel like i have knobbly joints. Also my arms feel achey like I have been carrying heavy shopping bags, does that make sense??

Yes, it all makes sense - increased fluid around any joint can make your limb feel heavy and achey and they don't function as well as they should - although I must add that I only speak from 23 years of RA experience and I have no medical background. :roll: If you're really worried about anything you should check with your GP.

Luv Legs