Arthritis pain relief

[AlternativelyWired]

Can anybody help? My relative is on morphine patches, takes paracetamol and has ibuprofen gel as can't take oral NSAIDs. The arthritis is in their spine and they are struggling to walk even with a frame. Is there anything anyone has found to help? Glucosamine? Cod liver oil? Anyway they can help themselves alongside the medication? Thank you.

I also have severe spinal arthritis and can’t take NSAIDS

I take Nortriptyline 20mg as a pain blocking agent
Co-codamol 30/500 as required

I also find CBD oil a game changer that really has helped me get around

heat, stretching and regular physio are important to keep it moving too

My dad found lidocaine patches to be a game changer , rather than morphine

Thank you. They can't take codeine sadly. Please could you tell me more about the CBD oil and the lidocaine patches?

I don’t know what else there is to tell? Lidocaine patch applied to the problem area, although it was prescribed at consultant level and the GP took the arse about the cost and tried to discontinue the script. Arse was handed right back to him on a plate!

Is this osteo-arthritis of the spine, for clarification, OP?

(I have both that and inflammatory arthritis, lucky old me.)

Are they under a pain management service? If not, would ask for a referral.

What kind of arthritis? If it's inflammatory/RA etc they should be on a good biological for a start.

If its osteo them pain relief is the only option, coupled with gentle exercise such as pool movement.

A specialist can help decide best courses of treatment of course, but as someone who has arthritis almost 40 years, I can promise you that cbd, glucosamine, turmeric, copper bracelets and aloe Vera etc are placebos and are not effective treatments.

Your relative needs the good drugs, movement, ice/heat, a sympathetic consultant and a lot of patience until they find the right routine for them.

It's osteoarthritis causing narrowing of the spinal cord. Waiting for the pain clinic and to be seen again by spinal team. Steroid injection didn't help. In fact it's got worse since then.

And actually, maybe I am just an irritable old bag, but it is annoying when someone (well meaningless) says ‘oooh, have you tried glucosamine?’. There is no medical evidence for the effectiveness of these products & they don’t work.

Some people with spinal arthritis get pain relief from THC / medical cannabis but it's illegal in this country (England) so no-one will talk about it.

It sounds tough, can she give the pain clinic a call, see if anything can be done sooner?

That should have been well meaningly, not meaningless, bloody autocorrect!

Gabapentin hasn't helped and seems to make matters worse regarding mobility.