Hello everyone
StephenGeo
Member Posts: 4
Just introduce myself, I'm Stephen, 46 years old from Oldham nr Manchester, and I've had really bad pain in both knees and lower right side back,so after 6 months of thinking the pain would go away I told my doctor who got me x-rayed and told me mild- moderate arthritis in both knees and moderate arthritis in lower back, so after looking at this site I need to know what type of arthritis I have as there is different types, anyway that's enough for now I think, talk soon. Stephen p
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Comments
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Hello Stephen and welcome to the forum.
There are many different types of autoimmune arthritis and also there is osteo which is what many people mean when they say 'arthritis'. You can read up on the different types here https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/what-is-arthritis/types-of-arthritis . It sounds as if yours is osteo as the GP seems satisfied from the X-rays and also knees and back are typical places for it to strike. This doesn't necessarily rule out an autoimmune kind but does make it less likely.
Another section of this website shows what you can do to help yourself, make things a bit easier and keep your muscles strong which results in less pain. https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/managing-arthritis You could ask your GP to refer you to a physiotherapist for exercises. Exercise might be the last thing you feel like doing but it does really help.
There is no such thing as 'painfree' with arthritis. Your GP can prescribe anti-inflammatories and pain relief but the term 'painkiller' is a bit of a misnomer. They don't. We just each have to find the level of pain we can deal with.
Please join us on the other forumsIf at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
Steven Wright0 -
Hello, it sounds to me as though you have OA (that is the one that GPs deal with and it is the most common form of arthritis). I too have it in my knees (and other places too) but not yet in my back which is a blessing. I also have an auto-immune kind, psoriatic arthritis, and it's the joint damage from that which has led to my OA.
There is not much to be done for OA apart from pain relief, maybe an anti-inflammatory medication and some physiotherapy. The exercises learned there should be done regularly because they help to keep the muscles surrounding the affected joint/s stronger so they better support the affected parts. Pain is our constant companion, I deal with it by taking four 30/500 cocodamol per day and my favourite coping strategy is distraction. Life became a deal easier for me once I had completely forgotten about being pain-free, many moons ago (I began in 1997) it was only my left knee but now it's everywhere!
Please look around the forum, especially the Living with Arthritis board on here, that is the place where we discuss meds, doctors, appointments, operations, clever ideas to help us on the domestic front etc., all the stuff we all deal with on a daily basis. I wish you well. DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0
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