Osteoarthritis

[Fangtasia]

Well....i had my xrays done today and got the results back this arvo...and yep i have osteoarthritis in my hips (knees and back too i think).. So now i'm sposed to lose weight (yeah right!), take more tablets and more or less learn to live with it (have been for 20 years already)

Anyone else have this condition? What do you find relieves the pain other than pain killers?

Any advice would be great

[Winston77]

Lose weight yeah right, well that's what I thought, but it's also what I did! Mines all over my back and hips fun fun. The losing weight part isn't really that hard. I had to change my eating habits but more then that I had to change my thinking from I can't do that to yes I can. The weight lose helps take the strain off the joints and everything else it puts a strain on. What I also do to help control it is stretching exercises sort of like yoga. It helps keep me movable on the days it really acts up, like when a low presure system comes moving through with all that moisture.
As for pain, I use very little medication unless it get really bad. My doctor had me on ibprophen but because it screws up some other organs in the doses I had to take she put me on something a little different. By doing the exersises the need for meds has gone way way down. Depending where yours is and how much have your doctor send you to a phsyical therypst. The exersises don't take me that long about 10 -15 min in the morning and as needed through out the day. check out some website. You have the choice to life in agony and slowly lose your mobility or face and attack it head on. I know for me I like the feeling of still being able to move around and without that much pain so the time stretching and exersising is worth the trade-off.

Good Luck with the attitude adjustment :hair:

[Fangtasia]

The losing weight part isn't really that hard. I had to change my eating habits but more then that I had to change my thinking from I can't do that to yes I can.
Well thats nice that you find it easy....i'd rather give up smoking 5 times over...for me that WAS easy

I've been trying to lose weight for around 20yrs...ya get tired of the lose some gain some seesaw. Mine is both weight and heireditory, my father has been battling it since he was 40 or so

My eating habits are doing just fine...i exercise when my hips and back allow....so if it happens it happens...if it doesnt...well shit happens

I only take painkillers if it's really really bad...but other than that i just take it as easy as i can and wait it out. Tried physio, doesn't really do much for me i'm afraid

*LOL*...Osteoarthritis does not go away...it cannot be cured...you can manage the problem, but 'slowly losing mobility' and pain is not something that you can escape

[scotzoidman]

For me, just living with "Arthur" has become full-blown degerative disc disease in my mid to upper back, which was the primary cause for me to start getting disability benefits...it does appear to be very much hereditary, both parents had some bone/joint probs... my mother had 7 different types of arthritis, plus lupus...my neurologist had me on Neurontin, off-label use since it's primarily an anti-seizure med, but had been discovered to have pain relief properties as well...that left me feeling loopy all the time (as anyone who was with me in Pixies Chat at the time could attest) & had a high-dollar co-pay at a time when I had $0 coming in, so I just went off it & use aspirin products like Excedrin (since I'm on aspirin regimin anyway for my heart) with occasional ibuprophen thrown in.

[Aqua]

Sorry I don't have any advice offer... but I can give you a big ((((((((hug)))))))))))

[Irish]

Well....i had my xrays done today and got the results back this arvo...and yep i have osteoarthritis in my hips (knees and back too i think).. So now i'm sposed to lose weight (yeah right!), take more tablets and more or less learn to live with it (have been for 20 years already)

Anyone else have this condition? What do you find relieves the pain other than pain killers?

Any advice would be great
Alasse---http://www.seacoastpain.com/patient_education/spinal_cord_stimulation_informed_consent_information.htm
I don't know if this will work for you!I had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted
years ago.At the time they didn't have rechargeable batterys.I just had my
battery changed to a rechareable one about two weeks ago.My other
battery had gone dead.It replaces pain waves with electrical waves.You have a separate voltage + or -.to increase or decrease the electrical waves.
It also helps with my Diabetic Neuropothy.I incuded the explainitary website,
because they can explain how it works,better than me.Look into it,I don't know if it works for your condition! Irish

[scotzoidman]

Having something like that implanted seems a little gruesome to me, :eek: but I have something called a TENS unit that's probably less drastic, & seems like does the same thing...only my unit attaches with sticky pad electrodes & a control unit that can be hung from a belt or such...came with 2 rechargable 9-volt batteries, & the controls can be set for about 20 different types of electrical stimuli, with separate levels of voltage for left & right...the only reason I don't use mine more is I can't reach the worst pain spot (right between the shouder blades) to apply the stickypads myself, but I did use it some earlier this year to work on my carpal tunnel (easy enough to reach)...it does seem to bring real relief, & no one seems to know why, but it works...my bone dr sent me to a rehab therapist, who let me test drive the unit, & I fell in love with it...& yes, my insurance eventually paid for it, after some wrangling :banghead: