Any arthritis sufferers?
Discussion
Any advice for living with arthritis please?
I'm 49 and after a few years with pain gradually increasing in my right knee, in March 2020 I eventually went to my GP and was referred for an X-ray. Covid Lockdown hit so my GP phoned me with the results - early signs of arthritis.
Nothing more was said really, other than avoid high impact activity, no NHS physio appointments available for obvious reasons.
Over a year later and the pain is now worse but have finally got my first NHS physio appointment approaching.
My symptoms are an almost constant ache in my right knee which can wake me at night.
Increased aching if I've kept my leg still for a while, such as sitting at a desk, I have to flex my leg..
Increased pain if I do anything strenuous like fast or long walks, lifting heavy stuff etc.
So what are the do's & don'ts? I guess jogging is out, or doing anything strenuous? Is easy leg exercise good?
Any supplements worth taking? I've read that glucosamine, condroitin, flack seed oil and Seatone can help?
I'm 49 and after a few years with pain gradually increasing in my right knee, in March 2020 I eventually went to my GP and was referred for an X-ray. Covid Lockdown hit so my GP phoned me with the results - early signs of arthritis.
Nothing more was said really, other than avoid high impact activity, no NHS physio appointments available for obvious reasons.
Over a year later and the pain is now worse but have finally got my first NHS physio appointment approaching.
My symptoms are an almost constant ache in my right knee which can wake me at night.
Increased aching if I've kept my leg still for a while, such as sitting at a desk, I have to flex my leg..
Increased pain if I do anything strenuous like fast or long walks, lifting heavy stuff etc.
So what are the do's & don'ts? I guess jogging is out, or doing anything strenuous? Is easy leg exercise good?
Any supplements worth taking? I've read that glucosamine, condroitin, flack seed oil and Seatone can help?
The correlation between cartilage wear and pain is pretty low. Lots of people have normal age-related wear and tear with no pain at all.
I had knee pain for years which gradually resolved through a combination of:
- graded exposure (gradually increasing the amount of exercise I did with my knee)
- working out what was going on (turned out that a nerve in my lower back was getting aggravated by the way I was lying in bed, and this was causing pain in my knee)
- stopping worrying about it (this made a big difference)
Seeing a physio for a diagnosis is a good idea. I'd suggest looking for one who had an understanding of neurodynamics. If the NHS one draws a blank it might be worth paying for one session with a good private physio.
GPs are generally not very good with this sort of stuff. One told me I had arthritis about 15 years ago and suggested neurogen. Nowadays I can exercise intensively with no problem.
I had knee pain for years which gradually resolved through a combination of:
- graded exposure (gradually increasing the amount of exercise I did with my knee)
- working out what was going on (turned out that a nerve in my lower back was getting aggravated by the way I was lying in bed, and this was causing pain in my knee)
- stopping worrying about it (this made a big difference)
Seeing a physio for a diagnosis is a good idea. I'd suggest looking for one who had an understanding of neurodynamics. If the NHS one draws a blank it might be worth paying for one session with a good private physio.
GPs are generally not very good with this sort of stuff. One told me I had arthritis about 15 years ago and suggested neurogen. Nowadays I can exercise intensively with no problem.
Edited by Slowboathome on Sunday 27th June 21:44
I'm also 49, and after more and more frequent pain and difficulty walking, I've managed to get into the medical system. One thing I'd suggest is getting a proper blood work-up, as "arthritis" can cover a lot of different things. If it's any kind of autoimmune issue, you need to know so you can manage it.
NNH said:
One thing I'd suggest is getting a proper blood work-up, as "arthritis" can cover a lot of different things.
You mean get a blood test?So should activities like running be avoided?
Whenever I've tried the pain gets too much, so I have to quickly stop.
I want to do what's right as I guess I will have to live with this for the rest of my life
Yes, left hip, needs replacing, seeing the orthopaedic surgeon tomorrow actually!
Can do lots of cycling and even some weight training, just don't ask me to get in and out of cars, the odd thing is my left knee hurts the most despite having nothing wrong with it.
Can do lots of cycling and even some weight training, just don't ask me to get in and out of cars, the odd thing is my left knee hurts the most despite having nothing wrong with it.
Edited by mcelliott on Sunday 27th June 23:02
LeadFarmer said:
NNH said:
One thing I'd suggest is getting a proper blood work-up, as "arthritis" can cover a lot of different things.
You mean get a blood test?So should activities like running be avoided?
Whenever I've tried the pain gets too much, so I have to quickly stop.
I want to do what's right as I guess I will have to live with this for the rest of my life
As for activities - I don't know yet. I'd signed up for a half marathon in October, but right now I can barely bend my leg to get in the car! If I can find a treatment regime that lets me remain active, I hope to do just enough training to make it round the 13 miles, even if it's not pretty or fast!
When I had an MRI last year (48 now) for a torn cartilage in my left knee, they found it. I suspected as much as for years I'd suffered from mis-aligned cartilage in both knees from when I shot up around the 14 year old mark. I'm still bitter that my parents didn't believe me as a kid that I was in pain. Within 10 years the specialist said I'll need a replacement knee cap 
, however I've joined a walking football team for the exercise, oddly enough it helps.
, however I've joined a walking football team for the exercise, oddly enough it helps.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff