To think this is NOT arthritis

[Fucksandflowers]

And DH must see a doctor immediately?

Now, I have severe anxiety disorder so I well appreciate I may be being ridiculous here.

But here goes.
Apologies for the length...

13 years ago DH was lifting heavy stuff at work (ex construction), shortly after he developed a bit of back pain.

Over the course of 13 years he has seen many physiotherapists and chiropractors with no good outcome.

He has been prescribed a number of painkillers like naproxen which don't work and co codamol which can take the edge off a little.

The pain starts in the morning with stiffness, gradually gets a bit better with moving around then worse again in the evening.
Much worse in cold weather when his knees and fingers will also go stiff.

He is very fatigued and doesn't sleep well at night and recently has started 'sticking' as in he will bend down then cannot get back up, he is 'frozen/locked' into position.

Now DH is resistant to go to the doctors because he thinks it is arthritis, and because they refuse to give him an MRI, just fob him off with physio/chiro and cocodamol but I was talking to a friend who told me about two of her relatives who had long term back pain and turned out to have spinal tumours and died and my lovely dad, shortly before he died it was discovered he had a massive inoperable back abscess that they thought he would have had for a long time. He was in pain with his back for many months.

So obviously I am driving myself crazy thinking it's something really serious?

It's far more likely to be arthritis than a spinal tumour, but I understand with your anxiety why you are worried. Much of what you have described is arthritis down to a tee.

He should see physio again though if he's getting "stuck". Where I live we can self refer tothem, and it's physio who would refer on for any necessary imaging.

Very much sounds like osteoarthritis.

It probably is arthritis, tbh, Sounds exactly like the pattern of pain and movement you'd expect.

But he should still see a doctor to confirm it.

That is reassuring thank you.

I don't know if he would accept physio.
He has been so many times before with no improvement.

They can't refuse if you have £560 and pay through bupa/spire. Get the bloody MRI fgs and go from there.

There's many types of arthritis, some are more destructive and damaging than others. Either way, he needs to get checked out. AFAIK spinal tumours are very rare, and include numbness in hands and legs. Paralysis too. Could also be spinal stenosis, where pressure is present on the spinal cord. Deffo doctors.

The chances of it being tumour or infection with no other symptoms are tiny. Red flags would include severe, unremitting pain, unrelated to exercise or activity. Pain would often be worse at night and causing massive disturbance to sleep. There would be systemic signs such as weight loss, temperature, etc.

Although severe low back pain is debilitating, it is most commonly caused by joints and muscles. The most effective treatment for this sort of chronic pain would be a combination of manual therapy, CBT and exercise rehabilitation. This is expensive and thus not easy to access via nhs. An MRI would be of little use because it would be very unlikely to change the treatment plan and they are really restricting their use now again because of expense.

have £560 and pay through bupa/spire

We don't have £560.

I have the same symptoms as your husband.

I had an x-ray some years ago which showed arthritis in the facet joints of my spine. It's very common, and bloody painful. About a year ago, my hands started to hurt really badly (and felt like they were on fire) and the GP prescribed gabapentin as well as co-codamol.

Spinal tumours are pretty rare, and it's much more likely to be arthritis. If you are really worried, it might be worth investigating how much it would be to see a doctor privately and pay for an x-ray, just to put your mind at rest.

I think if you didn't have anxiety you wouldn't be worried about this diagnosis at all.

i think if you didn't have anxiety you wouldn't be worried about this diagnosis at all

Probably.
I drive myself absolutely crackers!

I am really relieved though to see so many comments saying it does sound like osteoarthritis.

Neither did we, but we had to scrimp, borrow and save for it OP. I would've died otherwise as the NHS weren't listening to me at the time at all.

The stiffness in small joints, the reaction to cold weather as well as the other symptoms you describe sounds very like rheumatoid arthritis. The drugs for this are great nowadays but if this is what your DH is developing, he needs to see a Rheumatologist as soon as possible. Most GPs will do a blood test and not refer unless rheumatoid factor is present - but many types of this auto-immune disease are not RF positive. The 'very fatigued' is also indicative - its like having permanent flu. MY DDH had RA for many years.

I have arthritis and you have described my symptoms perfectly. It drives me mad how people dismiss "a bit of arthritis" as a mild illness, it is anything but.
You need to be sure though sk go back and speak again to the GP.

I don't think it is Rheumatoid arthritis apollinaire as I am fairly sure my DH had a blood test a while back to check for it and other inflammatory disease.

I am relieved that it does seem to sound as if its osteoarthritis and I'm just panicking as per usual.

That said, I will try and get him back to the GP

Sounds like osteoarthritis. It can develop over time with repetative movements/ broken or fractured bones. My brother got it in his knees when he was 20.

There's a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis called Sero-negative that appears normal on bloods.

I've just been diagnosed with a spinal tumor. Its taken 4 years to get here and nobody believed I had anything wrong. I asked after each appointment to have an MRI and was refused. I did all the physio suggested and paid for private things.

In the end I changed surgeries and the new doctor agreed to send me to a specialist who ordered an MRI. Could changing doctors be a solution?

A rheumatologist opinion is needed really

lifebeginsnow I am so sorry to hear this.
What were your symptoms if you don't mind me asking?

I have rheumatoid arthritis, specifically ankylosing spondylitis, I was diagnosed at 35 😥. The symptoms sound very much like RA. I am also negative on blood tests for it. But I am under an amazing rheumatoid arthritis team, and I'm now on biological monthly injections, whilst not perfect, and some side effects, the injection does work and help massively.

I was in denial for a couple of years about my diagnosis and very much "arthritis is an old person's" disease...... Mine was also triggered by an injury.

Get DH to the Dr and get a referral for a rheumatology specialist. Good luck

Another vote for Ankylosing Spondylitis . My husband has it, diagnosed after a real battle with GP and eventual referral to RNHRD in Bath. His also began with a strained back injury and then gradually became unbearable with sleepless nights and difficulty moving in morning. A blood test for the HLA-B27 gene was positive. this gene is present in nearly all sufferers and is the main diagnostic tool. Painkillers have gradually lost their effectiveness and the only thing that works for him is running on a treadmill, it seems to 'free up' his back. Read up about the condition and if you feel the symptoms fit go to GP armed with the info (this is what we did) and don't take no for an answer . Good luck, it can improve .

I have rheumatoid arthritis but the tests for it come up negative, so mine is labelled seronegative. But those symptoms would make me think of arthritis in general. He needs to see a doctor as his joints could be being damaged

I have Severe Psoriatic Arthritis, it’s horrendous.

Your DH needs to see his GP and be referred to a Rheumatologist, there is so much they can do to help if it is Arthritis.

As Serin said, it infuriates me when people try to minimise Arthritis as if it’s like having a cold or whatever, it’s a debilitating, depressing, horrid disease

I work in this field and it real