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Have osteoarthritis at 36- any advice ?

Cat72
Posts: 2,398 Forumite
Hi
After having knee pain for a few years -and admittingily ignoring it most of the time, it became chronic that I find it difficult to walk. Finally the doctor sent me for an xray last week an told me today I have osteoarthritis.
To be honest he never explained anything about it to me but gave me tablets and has referred me to a physio.
I am wondering if any of you can offer me any advice on how to maybe help with the pain, exercise a bit ( i cant swim ), and anything else you feel would be useful to share.
I have great difficulty walking and have found it has made my pain really bad- unfortunately I no longer have a car and have a 25 minute walk to the train station which I find agonising. So I dont believe walking is helping !
I also have huge difficulty kneeling and be great if people could suggest ways of aiding my mobility.
I must admit it feels like the futures looking a bit bleak and uncertain ,so I really welcome your suggestions.
Thanks all
:o
After having knee pain for a few years -and admittingily ignoring it most of the time, it became chronic that I find it difficult to walk. Finally the doctor sent me for an xray last week an told me today I have osteoarthritis.
To be honest he never explained anything about it to me but gave me tablets and has referred me to a physio.
I am wondering if any of you can offer me any advice on how to maybe help with the pain, exercise a bit ( i cant swim ), and anything else you feel would be useful to share.
I have great difficulty walking and have found it has made my pain really bad- unfortunately I no longer have a car and have a 25 minute walk to the train station which I find agonising. So I dont believe walking is helping !
I also have huge difficulty kneeling and be great if people could suggest ways of aiding my mobility.
I must admit it feels like the futures looking a bit bleak and uncertain ,so I really welcome your suggestions.
Thanks all

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Comments
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Pardon me for asking but are you sure the doctor said osteo arthritis and not rheumatoid arthritis. the reason I ask is that you are incredibly young to have OA whereas RA can strike at any time.
Has he referred you to a specialist?
What kind of medication are you on.
Anyway, you said you dont swim but you dont have to be able to swim.
Get in the water where it is deep enough to move your legs without touching the bottom and hang on to the side bar, excersize gently.
Im really not surprised you are in pain if you walk 25 minutes to the station, can
you not get a bus.
I started with my RA when i was 38 and have had it for 21 years now and
believe me it does damp down a bit. Please dont worry too much about the future.
I will pm you later when im not at work.make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
and we will never, ever return.0 -
I was diagnosed with OA in my big toe at 29
I have a constant limp and only 50% mobility in that joint. Only the ibuprofen stops the stabbing pains that I get when I don't take it. I've put on weight because I can't do any exercise classes anymore, or walk much, or play sports. I cycle everywhere - have you tried cycling?
I have pottered along taking ibuprofen and glucosamine. In March I had a cortisone injection to temporarily reduce inflammation - this has now worn off and I am now on the 2 month waiting list for an operation to ease the problem.
It really sucks, and your feel like you're falling to bitsWas it anti-inflammatory pills you were prescribed?
I would chat to the physio, see if the pills start helping, and then reassess how much pain you're still in and see how hard you want to push for more invasive procedures!My TV is broken!
Edit: refunded £515 for TV 1.5 years out of warranty - thank you Sale of Goods Act! :j0 -
I have had OA as a result of an accident in 1982.....ive had nearly all the anti inflamatories out lol, physio etc etc and probably the best thing Ive found - and its not cured it but it has had a noticable effect - is cider vinegar. Have no real idea what it does but it does something - I have a tablespoon in a glass of apple juice and thats it.....not saying it works for everyone but worth a try......'Normal' is a dryer setting.0
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Many thanks for your replies.
Thanks for your replies.
Frivous fay- this sounds really painful for you. It must be hard trying to keep weight off. I havent tried cycling- siounds an intereasting idea.
Fortunately I have always been thin so im really glad that I dont have to worry about my weight too- and hopefully wont.
Kiwifruit- interesting idea of the cider vinegar I have some in the house so will give it a try .
anniehanlon -Unfortunately it is definately OA -but he never explained what this was ,just also that I was very young to get this.Its great that you have found it manageable so im hoping i can too.
I started to get visable knee pain about 4 years ago but through aprtily my fault and the doctors it has taken till now to get diagnosied.
I have been given Acoxia anti-inflamonatries and referred to the phsio. He said next year he will prob discuss cleaning out my knees with keyhole.
To be honest he isnt the greatest doctor so I will prob go back and speak to another one as he was really matter of a fact & unhelpful !
Unfortunately I cant get a bus to the train station- I kind of live in the sticks and am stuck with having to walk everywhere.
However thanks for all your advice.0 -
OA was described to me as wear and tear on a joint.
They don't really know what brings it on in early cases, but it can be injury to the joint. I think mine was brought on either by dropping a bowl on my foot (washing up, dropped bowl, stopped it breaking by putting my foot out) or because I'm lazy and used to push doors open with my foot. It was when pushing doors that I noticed the pain.My TV is broken!
Edit: refunded £515 for TV 1.5 years out of warranty - thank you Sale of Goods Act! :j0 -
cycling is good as it is low impact as long as you dont overdo it.
Can you cycle to the station and leave your bike somewhere safe?
Good idea to see another doctor, the attitude of a different doctor can make a huge difference.
Keep us posted.
Sorry to hear about the other posters OA,make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
and we will never, ever return.0 -
anniehanlon wrote: »Pardon me for asking but are you sure the doctor said osteo arthritis and not rheumatoid arthritis. the reason I ask is that you are incredibly young to have OA whereas RA can strike at any time.
Has he referred you to a specialist?
What kind of medication are you on.
Anyway, you said you dont swim but you dont have to be able to swim.
Get in the water where it is deep enough to move your legs without touching the bottom and hang on to the side bar, excersize gently.
Im really not surprised you are in pain if you walk 25 minutes to the station, can
you not get a bus.
I started with my RA when i was 38 and have had it for 21 years now and
believe me it does damp down a bit. Please dont worry too much about the future.
I will pm you later when im not at work.
It's young but it's not "incredibly young". OA is SO common, that lots of people have it, especially in their knees.
RA is far less common, and tends to improve over the course of the day ie be stiffer in the morning.
It would also be very unusual to start in the knee joints.0 -
anniehanlon -Unfortunately it is definately OA -but he never explained what this was ,just also that I was very young to get this.Its great that you have found it manageable so im hoping i can too.
There's no unfortunately about it. Given the choice I would choose OA over RA any day.
That's not to say OA isn't painful, it's just not nearly as limiting as RA, in most cases.0 -
It's young but it's not "incredibly young". OA is SO common, that lots of people have it, especially in their knees.
RA is far less common, and tends to improve over the course of the day ie be stiffer in the morning.
It would also be very unusual to start in the knee joints.
it is incredibly young as OA tends to affect older people because of wear and tear, hence 60 70 years of wear and tear of just living or indeed the over use re athletes, gym etc so is obviously going to affect all ages.. whereas RA can affect from birth , it is a disease of the immune system where the body attacks itself. It is heartbreaking the amount of children i have seen, 6 years olds who have no movement in their joints, young girls who have no chance of a normal life, like i say, it makes me want to cry,
Both RA & OA are incredibly painfull and one is no worse than theother to the sufferer but a positive attitude can help.
Up and at em, that what i saymake the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
and we will never, ever return.0 -
arthritis care are a great organisation with advice re. just about everything from diet and exercise, coping with pain to benefits advice.
http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/PublicationsandResources
in our area they also run 'living with arthritis' groups which really help by meeting others in the same boat and helping set goals and talk about the issues that come with arthritis.0
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