IS IT ARTHRITIS OR NOT ?

stcolumcilles

i wonder could anybody offer clarification... my mother who has been fit all her life suddenly developed a dragging in her left leg about eighteen months ago..being old at 88 she was told that it was athrititis ..she tells me she has never felt pain in the leg once . she can touch her toes and seems to be very healthy apart from this leg problem. i wouldnt like to think she is being misdiagnosed because of her age...could it be a tendon or ligament problem rather than athritis..does it follow that there is pain with arthritis? she hears a clicking noise near her hip ...a noise like when you would pull your finger when young..anybody she speaks to who has arthritis has pain with it... i would be much obliged if anybody could offer advice or clarification....thanks...[/b]

colinone

Hi Stcolumcilles
Wow thats a hard one, I thought arthur and pain lived in the same street and where part and parcial of each other. I dont quite know what to say. You do have the choice of asking your GP to send mum to see the Rheumy or indeed ask for a second opinion. I would not want to advise anything because i'm not medically qualified. You may well get someone on the site who knows a little more about it or write to the professionals on the site for their advise. How is your mum with this and what does she think. sorry i can't be of more help take care
Colin

stcolumcilles

colinone wrote:

Hi Stcolumcilles
Wow thats a hard one, I thought arthur and pain lived in the same street and where part and parcial of each other. I dont quite know what to say. You do have the choice of asking your GP to send mum to see the Rheumy or indeed ask for a second opinion. I would not want to advise anything because i'm not medically qualified. You may well get someone on the site who knows a little more about it or write to the professionals on the site for their advise. How is your mum with this and what does she think. sorry i can't be of more help take care
Colin

thanks colin ... whats a rheumy? she likes her doctor but would go to a different doctor within the practice if necessary.. she went to a physio and also an osteopath privately .. the osteopath says to her thats your bone back in place as if there is a bone at the hip that keeps coming out . i think he just talks a good game and makes her feel better.. he is very reassurung during the visit but it doesnt seem to improve her leg ..its this thing about not having any pain that i cant figure out ...she's not got "arthritis " anywhere else hands kness ect..

eckstardeluxe

Hi, the clicking noise would certainly sound like OA. I'd find out what your Mum is like in the mornings, is she stiff and very sore for at least half an hour on waking and does the pain get worse as the day progresses? My OA was like a gradual build up, mines is in my spine and I had 21 years of progressing pain before I went to the Dr. By then I was at end stage. She sounds like a great lady, I can't touch my toes and I'm 33! I'd see if she can get further tests to see what's causing her symptoms, tell her good luck from me! x

stcolumcilles

eckstardeluxe wrote:

Hi, the clicking noise would certainly sound like OA. I'd find out what your Mum is like in the mornings, is she stiff and very sore for at least half an hour on waking and does the pain get worse as the day progresses? My OA was like a gradual build up, mines is in my spine and I had 21 years of progressing pain before I went to the Dr. By then I was at end stage. She sounds like a great lady, I can't touch my toes and I'm 33! I'd see if she can get further tests to see what's causing her symptoms, tell her good luck from me! x

she doesnt have pain... she's just after touching the floor never mind her toes .. without bending her knees... i,m trying to talk to her during ant and dec on the tv which is a problem.. thanks and good luck with your own problem .

vonski

Hi

I agree about the clicking being linked to arthritis. If it's early stages and your mum has a high pain threshold she might not feel any pain for years.

If you click on about arthritis at the top of the page it should take you to a page that tells you about arthritis. Might help answer your question better

Love
Vonski

elnafinn

My mum has had both knees and hip replaced but not complained of any pain as such. She is now 85 years old. This is oa not ra.

Perhaps it is us that are the wimps where pain in concerned. Who knows??!!I never could understand why she did not have any pain except sometimes discomfort at night and take the odd paracetamol.

When the last knee was done, it was a really difficult op apparently as the knee/leg was so badly inflamed and deformed.

Does your mum drag her whole leg ie that the leg does not bend or do you mean the foot perhaps?

Elna

stcolumcilles

vonski wrote:

Hi

I agree about the clicking being linked to arthritis. If it's early stages and your mum has a high pain threshold she might not feel any pain for years.

If you click on about arthritis at the top of the page it should take you to a page that tells you about arthritis. Might help answer your question better

Love
Vonski

thanks vonski, i'll try the page you mention

stcolumcilles

elnafinn wrote:

My mum has had both knees and hip replaced but not complained of any pain as such. She is now 85 years old. This is oa not ra.

Perhaps it is us that are the wimps where pain in concerned. Who knows??!!I never could understand why she did not have any pain except sometimes discomfort at night and take the odd paracetamol.

When the last knee was done, it was a really difficult op apparently as the knee/leg was so badly inflamed and deformed.

Does your mum drag her whole leg ie that the leg does not bend or do you mean the foot perhaps?

Elna

thanks for your reply,

my mother says the worse bit is when she is sitting and neads to stand up ..its the bit right at the hip bone. she says its a tightness
but the whole thing is very dibilitating ... she has lost weight ... i feel it could be a no win situation where you cant walk because you are not walking and because you are not walking your muscles are not exercised properly and so on... she wont take anti inflamitory tablets which might reduce imflamation somewhere even though it wasnt arthritis.. i would say its either tendon or ligament problem or arthritis.., she wont use a stick.. can you get a blood test for arthritis .. she bends both her knees when walking .its like somethig at her hip joint catching.. i was thinking a tendon or ligament..its the pain thing that annoys me ..i would hate to think she has been misdiognosed just because of her age...

elnafinn

oa will not show up in a blood test but ra may. Is it perhaps your mum's hip that is the problem?

Some xrays would seem a good idea, don't you think? See what is going on in the hip area. Do you think she may have had a tumble and keeping quiet about it? They do keep things from us, I well know that regarding my mum!

Anti inflammatories would definitely help aid recovery if there is inflammation or a pulled ligament is the problem.

Elna

vonski

Hi again

You can't get results for oa from a blood test. Another thought is you can post your question on Chat to our Helpline Team, they are brilliant and will be back on Monday.

Love
Vonski

stcolumcilles

vonski wrote:

Hi again

You can't get results for oa from a blood test. Another thought is you can post your question on Chat to our Helpline Team, they are brilliant and will be back on Monday.

Love
Vonski

cheers, will do

stcolumcilles

elnafinn wrote:

oa will not show up in a blood test but ra may. Is it perhaps your mum's hip that is the problem?

Some xrays would seem a good idea, don't you think? See what is going on in the hip area. Do you think she may have had a tumble and keeping quiet about it? They do keep things from us, I well know that regarding my mum!

Anti inflammatories would definitely help aid recovery if there is inflammation or a pulled ligament is the problem.

Elna

thanks elna, she tried anti inflamitries for about a month and said they didnt do anything... part of the problem if you can call it aproblem is that she hasnt really been to a doctor till the last two years..so pills ect is unusual for her.. she said she didnt fall which would be the truth.. i might phone the help line on monday ..thanks for your advice..its appreciated