Does anyone else have knee joint pain?
Posted , 16 users are following.
I was diagnosed about 8 months ago and I have pain in my shoulders, neck, back and hips.... Also in my knees. My rheumatologist says the knee joint pain must be some form of arthritis not PMR. Does anyone else have it in their knees? Anyone care to weigh in? I would sure appreciate it.
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MaggiGrace Guest
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karen28161 Guest
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kathy67492 Guest
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gillian_25383 Guest
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pauline36422 Guest
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lucy82013 pauline36422
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EileenH lucy82013
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Google "Tom Bowen Bowen therapy" and read about it for yourself.
There are a lot of people on the forums for whom it has made a massive difference. I haven't met anyone yet who didn't feel it was worth a try - and worth every penny for those for whom it did work. If it doesn't make a difference after 3 sessions you need not go back for that complaint - but you may need more than 3 sessions in the long term, especially for a chronic complaint.
constance.de Guest
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Now gout has set in, knees and ankles excruciating if crystals get stuck.😡 But the good thing about gout attacks is that they disappear after a few days. Wouldn't that be wonderful with PMR??
EileenH Guest
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Add to that, if you are walking badly it can put a lot of strain on your back and lead to all sorts of problems - which can result in pain into the thighs and even down to the knee.
And now comes my usual suggestion. Much of this back/knee pain can be caused by something called myofascial pain syndrome which is often found alongside PMR and forms trigger points on either side of the spine in the shoulders, at rib level and in the lower back. They can be felt as hard knots inthe muscles and are due to concentrations of cytokines, the same substances that cause the inflammation in PMR. They often improve a bit with higher doses of pred but return as the dose is reduced. They can be dealt with much better using targeted local steroid injections in addition to the oral pred and something called manual mobilisation which can be done by physios or sports massage therapists My pain specialist would also have a go with her thumbs when she had time! Since that therapy finished having sorted it pretty well I go for occasional sessions of Bowen therapy - and I'd really recommend you at least try it. If 3 sessions haven't made at least some difference it probably isn't for you - but even removing some of the pain can result in needing a far lower dose of oral pred.
I had been told my back and leg problems were due to wear and tear and I'd have to live with them - I couldn't stand for more than about 10 mins without having to look for a seat, walking for longer than 15mins was even worse, I felt sick with the pain. It wasn't due to bones or discs - it was all problems due to spasmed muscles. They ache, they can pinch nerves leading to referred pain - and it can be helped a lot when approached properly. Quite a few people on the forums have been helped by going for Bowen therapy - one or two haven't but even some relief is worth it. I like the session because it is as relaxing as a massage but so gentle that it is fine with PMR where massage is sometimes a bit risky.
EileenH
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Guest EileenH
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Doesn't it make a person feel old? But the more I excersize the worse I feel. Do you feel worse at night or in the morning?
gillian_25383 Guest
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EileenH Guest
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Too much exercise will make you feel worse - your muscles are intolerant of acute exercise - they are unable to tell you you are doing too much and will take much longer than normal to recover after. You have to pace yourself and rest intermittently WHILE exercising and then rest properly to recover afterwards. Then you will achieve far more overall. Do too much on one day and the next you will feel awful. Split that activity over the two days and you will probably be able to do more. But you are better not exercising on consecutive days.
Night/morning - everyone is different. The morning stiffness is because the cytokines that cause the inflammation are shed in the body every morning about 4.30am. Until that has been dealt with you will be stiff. The optimum time to take the ordinary white pred pills is 2am - that catches the cytokines as they emerge, no inflammatio is created. Otherwise, take it as early as possible and settle down for another couple of hours. But the stiffness can return during the day - either if you sit in one position for too long, it is called myogelosis (geled muscles) or if you do too much.
Google "The spoon theory by Christina Miseriando" and contemplate what she is saying to you. You have a new normal - and overdoing it will leave you in pain and feeling ill. Pred is just part of the management - you have to do your part too.
EileenH gillian_25383
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But there are many people under 60 who have it but not labelled with it - if you believe only over 70s get it (and many doctors do) then you won't look for it in a younger patient with the right symptoms will you? And younger patients also tend to be what they insist on calling "atypical" - not raised blood markers, slightly different symptoms. Though at what stage the number of "atypicals" becomes "typical" I'm not sure. By definition at least half of people could be said to be "atypical"...
Guest EileenH
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