RA/OA newbie

jbhughes
jbhughes Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:05 in Living with arthritis

hi everyone...i started with RA when I was 10 in my hands ...

1 mri revealed disc degeneration 5 years ago.

Im now 36 and I am suffering neck shoulder and hip issues which I believe to be OA ... constant grinding and sticking in my hips and lower back also sharp stabbing especially in left hip...i can't move around in bed as my bones seem to stick/fuse together...

Really sorry for the winge but im unsure what to do as with the current situation my doctor is unapproachable.

I have a standing job 4 hours a day in a kitchen

Again sorry for the waffle

Comments

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,591

    Hi @jbhughes Welcome to the Versus Arthritis Online Community.

    If I understand you rightly you had Rheumatoid Arthritis as a child, more recently disc generation in your spine and now you fear Osteoarthritis in your back and hip.

    You say your GP is unapproachable, but this isn't something you can manage on your own especially with your job which is clearly physical.

    By Dr I wonder whether you mean GP or Rheumatologist, (if you still see one)?

    This link is to some very useful information about Osteoarthritis:


    There is a section about diagnosis.

    Our members often recommend taking someone with them when they see a GP/Consultant for support. I know this may be more difficult at the moment with COVID 19 affecting face to face appointments.

    I will leave our members to share their experiences with you.

    Best wishes

    Ellen

  • jbhughes
    jbhughes Member Posts: 4

    Thanks for your reply.

    It is the covid situation that makes me feel like my issue are not important so dont know whether worth bothering a doc with...i haven't seen any specialist since the mri 5 years ago which only confirmed the degeneration and was told to manage it with Naproxen...

    Hips and back now are becoming a major issue and only being 36 I do worry that mobility will continue to suffer...

    Getting in/out of bed and on/off toilet throws up issues as its like my hips cant take the angle as I do the movement if u get what I mean...Also standing from sitting i have to walk my hands up from my knees to a standing position slowly...i often get out of bed stuck leaning to one side...


    I feel too young to have this stiff creaky body 😫

    Thanks again for reading x

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332

    Hi @jbhughes

    Whatever the situation with COVID you need to get some help.

    I also think you shouldn't see the Dr alone. If it's a telephone consultation these days it seems to be. Tell them your husband/sister/friend is with you so you don't forget to ask anything.

    Write it all down simply in bullet points so you can be clear and not waste time the Drs and yours! what happens when for how long etc. You have managed this for 5 years with naproxen and maybe things need looking at again? At least a referral to physio might be a start.

    By the way my sister in law was really struggling with her hips (she works at Amazon). She just changed, of all things, her footwear and it eased her hips off no end. She got some with real cushioned memory foam inside. Now I'm not saying it will help you, but worth mentioning I thought.

    Anyway welcome to the forum from me and please do let us know how you get on.

    Take care

  • Mike1
    Mike1 Member Posts: 1,992

    I agree with Frogmorton totally, you MUST get to see your GP. Don't be put off by an eager or protective Receptionist, push the point that you need to see your GP. The Government wrote to all GPs yesterday stating that they need to have face to face appointments with their patients.

  • jbhughes
    jbhughes Member Posts: 4

    Thanks all for replies...i just feel like it's time to have a full MOT as to the deterioration of my joints as the last look was 5 years ago n I certainly feel I new issues and/or old issues are worsening .

    I will look to see a doc in the school hols in oct as I am a school cook so only get school hols off x

    Thanks again everyone...it means so much to have an outlet x

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740

    If you were last assessed 5 years ago, then wow, you really are overdue a reassessment, particularly as you feel it has deteriorated so much and because it is now affecting your life so badly on a day to day basis. There are ways to manage your condition which you can discuss with your GO, but by the sound of it you may need to be referred to a musculoskeletal clinic or rheumatologist to properly assess you. Do NOT feel you are being bothersome, pandemic or no pandemic, other genuine conditions like yours still need treating. That’s what the NHS is there for.