1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Arthritis

Hate Pain

Posted , 2 users are following.

louiselost
louiselost

I found out I have arthritis in one foot, and went to the surgeon I had been seeing for treatment.  The initial treatment was foot manipulation and injections.  The injections last a mere three weeks of comfort and so after my trip to the states I went to him for a follow-up.  He examined my foot again by pressing on certain areas to see if they hurt which they did.

He did not recommend an operation which fuses the joints together, commenting that with so many bones, liagments, nerves, etc., it might not be wise.

So now I'm reduced to going to pain management and physio therapy treatments.  Does anyone else have this problem, and if so, how to keep arthritis at bay and not get worse.

I imagined I might have this painful ailment at 80 not 60.  I'm told walking is beneficial since it circulates the joints, but who wants to cripple walk?

This has made a major dent in my whole lifestyle because I used to walk for miles in enjoyment.

2 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Jan999
    Jan999 louiselost

    Posted

    Hello louise. I have osteoarthritis in my feet among other joints and my rheumatologist referred me to a podiatrist and I had inserts fitted which I can wear with my boots and some shoes. I've found they help considerably. Not sure if it would help you but it could be worth a try.
    • louiselost
      louiselost Jan999

      Posted

      Thanks Matron.  I've had those and didn't offer relief.
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 louiselost

    Posted

    Hi Louise!

    Osteoarthritis is EVIL!

    I, too, thought that it would probably hit in my 80s and NOT my 60s, but it arrived at 57 after I stepped off a curb and felt a POP in the back of my knee.

    Like you, I was a walker for years. LOVED walking around all the streets of my town, checking out landscapes, meeting and walking with other walkers, enjoying the spring flowers coming up...LOVELY TIMES!

    After the "pop" things got harder. Walks got shorter. A trip to my doctor informed me that "It probably is a torn meniscus, but a lot of people are walking around with a torn meniscus." My walks got even shorter.

    THEN my 99-year-old mother fell, was hospitalized then came to live with us. My husband and I did a stellar job caring for her for two years until she passed away 25 days shy of 101. We DID NOT, however, do such a great job of caring for OURSELVES! We each were beat. Very little sleep, dealing with Mom's personality changes following the Dementia that set in with a vengeance after her fall...IT WAS UBER STRESSFUL!

    Both my husband and I noticed our health issues PRIOR to this two -year caretaking starting to manifest in ever-bigger ways. His neuropathy due to diabetes became extremely painful. My beginnings of Osteoarthritis increased greatly.

    Fast-foward to now...

    Two TKRs in five months for me. Knees are GREAT, but Osteoarthritis is manifesting in my ankles, HIPS, lower back shoulders, elbows, and, OH JOY! most recently in my wrists and fingers!!!!

    Very long story short...Have you had any stressful events recently? My husband and I are CONVINCED that the trigger to the worsening of our prior medical issues was STRESS. My Osteoarthritis went from ANNOYING to downright PAINFUL, and it began to spread all over me like a blanket!!!

    I have good pain management with MOVING AROUND a lot, Yoga, LOTS of stretching throughout the day, Fish Oil (2000mg.) 2 1000 mg. gel caps each day, a multivitamin, and Ibuprofen as needed. I also keep hydrated. Becoming dehydrated seems to bring on worse pain and lots of aches.

    I don't know anything about joint fusing. Cortisone shots last four DAYS only on me, so they are NOT on my "Things that Help" list!

    Both sides of my family have Osteoarthritis. The only joints that DON'T HURT my Aunt Ruth are the ones she has had REPLACED! I suspect I will travel that same road!

    Weather plays a HUGE role in pain. Cold is hard, too, even when it is air-conditioning!

    Stay on here, and there probably will be others who can aid you with info about fusing. I hope my post will help you.

    Stay strong, and KEEP MOVING!

    • louiselost
      louiselost cheryl90571

      Posted

      You had a very insightful and informative reply, Cheryl.  You really have gone through some stressful times, but came out of it with a positive attitude.  You're a stronger person than I!

      Well, the only thing I can think of involving stress and frustration is my autoimmune disease of 4 years where the white blood cells attack the skin.  It's been a long process of finding the best medications, creams, etc., to control it.  But I would gladly struggle on with that (painless) condition instead of the arthritic foot.

      Yes, I agree with the short life of cortisone shots.  A  friend said she had a shot of that in her shoulder and it worked very well, but I think it's a different story entirely with the feet.

      My parents were bouncing around and playing tennis in their 60's and didn't seem to have any arthritic problems until they reached their 80's.

      My sister has Type 1 Diabetes and got it at the late age of 46 much to her chagrin so possibly(and this is what my surgeon said) my autoimmune disease may have triggered other areas such as the foot arthritis.  I tend to disagree because I'm on a skin forum where other people have this pityraisis chronica (sp?) and they never mentioned any other ailments except their skin problems.

       You can buy Australian arthritic pain relief cream for the grand price of $32 - I did try it and it of course was temporary abatement.

      Anyway, I'm going to do more research and possibly go to another surgeon for a second opinion, but I really appreciate your comments and advice.  I will keep moving!

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 louiselost

      Posted

      Hi Louise!

      Your autoimmune issues COULD have triggered the arthritis troubles. Arthritis is like a panther crouching and ready to POUNCE when conditions are right!

      I tried the Australian stuff. Did absolutely nothing for my pain! A friend of mine swears by it, though, so apparently we each are very different and achieve different results with different products.

      Icy Hot roll-on works well for my lower back. I get two hours of PAIN relief thanks to the phenomena of a "counter irritant" that tricks the body into ignoring pain and replacing it with HEAT SENSATION. It is a good trade-off and allows me to garden, trim and cut grass without my back killing me!

      I think I am more STUBBORN than actually STRONG, but I DO keep going!

      Thank you for the kind words!

      Keep in touch, OK?

    • louiselost
      louiselost cheryl90571

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl, I just put some of the Australian cream on evil foot and it was pain-free for a big 10 minutes!

      I agree with you on the Icy Hot and the heat sensation feels good on the foot.  

      My sister, a night psych nurse, has chronic back problems lifting and rolling the patients on their beds, and I told her to get a good massage once a month.  You too I hope.  Back pain is right up there with feet.

      I used to wonder why some elderly people always had a grumpy look on their faces.  Now I know having joined the crowd!

      Yes, let's keep in touch - it's a heartening antidote for what ails us!

      All the best, Louise

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 louiselost

      Posted

      You are SO RIGHT about the GRUMPY FACES! I decided that I wanted to rise above GRUMPY, so I TRY to just LAUGH about it. Honestly, the levity helps! I think it is ENDORPHINS, and they help the PAIN. Really!

      My friend started aqua therapy and also deep tissue massage. She has noticed a HUGE difference in how much better she feels.

      Would LOVE to keep in touch!

      Misery DOES love company, and company is very nice to have when you are aching!!

    • louiselost
      louiselost cheryl90571

      Posted

      The deep tissue massage sounds good.  I'll add that on my bucket list for the physio.

       I keep remembering the phrase "no pain no gain" and want to bury those words with a shovel for inappropriateness in all our cases!

      My misery would like your company - we'll have potluck...there I go again with pitiful pearl humor......keep smiling! 

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 louiselost

      Posted

      You are thinking positive! I bet you feel better ready! 😁

      Yes! I am ALWAYS ready for a Potluck!😊

      (I found these little do-dads the other day. FUN!)

      Yes, my physical therapist would stop ANYONE who said, "No pain, no gain" with a "There will be NO PAIN here!" ( She would ALWAYS come up with a different exercise that would work the area of the body well but WITHOUT pain. ) That girl has a GIFT! 💑

      Are you in the UK?

      I am in Ohio, USA.

  • Ellie1943
    Ellie1943 louiselost

    Posted

    Hi Louise. Sorry to hear you have OA. I too have it in most of my joints now including spine from neck to base. I'm 72 started in my late 40's, during menopause. Could be due to low oestrogen levels at this point. You can start with it at any age I've heard and can be related to jobs you have done in the past, wear and tear! Pain management and pain relief meds should help but no cure unfortunately. It's hard to get your head round it initially but pain management may help you. I'm also prescribed Amytriptilene which is supposed to help pain and depression which can kick in and make pain worse. Cold, damp or hot and humid weather is bad for OA so we have to be prepared for it. Keep warm in a warm house basically. I tend to stay indoors rather than venture out in bad weather. I've installed ceiling fans to try and keep cool when it's hot. I understand how you feel having lead a full and active life until it struck me. I've never had any surgery for the joints so far. I'm told that it's not always successful in the spine and can make pain worse so I've avoided that! Sorry I can't offer any more help and advice, it's a matter of learning how to live with it in any way you best for you as we're all different. Have you seen a rheumatologist yet? They usually advise, prescribe and then refer you back to GP. With feet, I find the most comfy pair of shoes or boots help me walk but inserts did not. They made my pain worse in fact as shoes felt so tight. I googled arthritis gloves and found some on Amazon which help with pain and circulation. OA does seem to run in families also. My father's family in my case but the experts said it usually comes down the mothers side! Even the experts aren't sure in other words. There's still a lot investigation going on still. Arthritis Care UK is a good site to try plus google away and try to get as much info as you can. Best wishes, Pollyanna UK
    • louiselost
      louiselost Ellie1943

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Pollyanna, and I really feel for you with your spinal pain and dealing with all that afflicts you.

       Learning to live with it is an excellent point - I guess it's in stages of emotion and then finally acceptance.  I will quit complaining to my husband about it for a start!

      I think it's been creeping up slowly for the past 4 years.  When I had an MRI 8 months ago, the diagnosis was early arthritis.  It didn't really alarm me because at the time it was only low pain.

      When I took a friend up to London, (3 years ago) we walked for miles and at the end of the day I asked her 'don't your feet feel like stumps?'  Hers didn't and she had on a pair of thin ballet slippers while I was in my sturdy thick soled heavy duty tennis shoes.  The light bulb should have dawned then.  Ha or ouch.....

      No I don't have rheumatoid arthritis and can only dread for others how that must feel.

      Once again, thank you for your support and Best Wishes to you,

      Louise

    • Ellie1943
      Ellie1943 louiselost

      Posted

      Good luck, you have the right attitude anyway. This ageing thing is a b****!

      Definitely keep moving though. I found hydro therapy good at my local hospital physio pool. A physio should be able to give you some foot exercise plus any others you need.

       Best wishes,

       Pollyanna UK

       

    • louiselost
      louiselost Ellie1943

      Posted

      Thanks Pollyanna.  My aging is a bitter blow, but I like your description better!  Yeah, I'll check out the physio. and I've been stretching calf muscles 4 times a day at home.

       Once indomitable and now creeping like a turtle.  Humor helps in the pain game!

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.