to treat it as though I have arthritis?

[cjt110]

Background: I had a car accident in 2013. A car hid head on into my passenger side with such force, my passenger door was inside the car. I had bruised hips from the seatbelt doing it's job but unharmed.

I recall having a very sore back at hips immediately after and have had low level, but increasing pain in my lower back and hips for years.

It's now got to the stage where I function at a 6 out of 10 in pain most days. The pain resonated around my pelvis but goes from the bottom of my waist to about halfway down my thigh but mainly focussed in the pelvic and groin area.

I am having issues sleeping - getting cormntable is a real pain. Literally. And I have brokn sleep. I sleep with a pillow between my knees which goes some way to helping.

Ibuprofen and voltarol also help reduced the pain which by nighttime is approx 8 out of 10. This lowers it down to maybe a 5 or so.

I've been to see my GP who said she suspects it could be arthritis. She has prescribed some Naproxen (2 x 500mg daily), advcised some exercises and also suggested I get a seat cushion for at work to help as I do a deskjob and am sat for approx 7 hours a day.

She said it was pointless doing an xray to prove/disprove as the end treatment whether arthritis or not would be the same.

I'm only 33 and the idea of having this low level pain for the rest of my life sucks.

Appaprently a cortisone(?) injection could be done but it would target the bone areas as opposed to where i am suffering the pain.

So... do i treat it as Arthritis and read up on the same for treatment and assistance? Or just "hip pain" and hope it goes

YANBU - Treat as arthritis
YABU - Treat it as hip pain

What sort of arthritis are they suggesting? Early osteoarthritis brought on by the accident? I would absolutely push for a second opinion and referal. I hope they've also given you some lanzaprozol as long term naproxen can cause stomach issues

Also if you have ME you could have an autoimmune arthritis and the car accident was entirely coincidental

So long and short of it, the outcome would be pain relief and managing the condition?

An xray would diagnose athritis god knows what your Gp is on about,I would in your situation take the medication for a few weeks andif their is no improvement go back and ask to be referred to a rheomotologst or an orthapedic specialist the gp wouldmore than likely send you for an xray as well.

Yes there is no cure for athritic conditions people get joint replacements if need be but usually it is pain management.

A blood test shows rheumatoid arthritis in 60% rheumatoid patients - the other 40% are sero negative - I know this as I'm sero-negative and my Rheumatology consultant told me

• It took 8 years for me to get a diagnosis as it was a mild form that went into remission a few times. I was 34 when I first went to the GP.

I would see a different doctor and get x-rays etc.

I had a definite diagnosis after my knees swelled up like balloons, and the fluid tested positive for rheumatoid. Steroid injections helped, but now I'm on methotrexate etc.

She didn't really say....

I went, explained my pain and after speaking with a friend before thwe appointment I asked whether it could be arthritis. She said it could well be. I asked how do they diagnose and she said by x-ray but treatment would be the same either way.

I am already on omeprazole for GERD

Its so bloody annoying this pain. It just sits there... "Hello! I'm going to make you so uncomfortable and be there all the time but not be enough to be pain pain"

Am taking up swimming again from Friday... maybe this will help?

I have a disability that has caused osteo athritis in my hip and knee and yes the pain just sittin g their grinding away is bloody annoying. I do think for your peace of mind a proper diagnoses would benefit you

@MrsJayy Yes... just sitting and the throbbing/aching pain is so awful and annoying.

Get a recommendation for a good physiotherapist. They can make a huge difference and may disagree with your GP.

Yes - I would keep as much movement as you can. I had been in pain for a good long while before getting the right treatment - and at times couldn't walk to my car in the Asda car park (not fun with young kids).

I went back (again) to a different GP after a school mum friend (a doctor) said I really needed to keep pressing for help. I was on diclofenac, paracetemol and glucosamine - all of which helped a bit - but for me it's the methotrexate that really helps.

They might be able to refer you for physiotherapy also which could be helpful. My sympathies for you, as it's especially horrible if you have pain at night too.

Where i am you can self refer to physio they saw me at my health centre for a consultation then sent me to hospital, can you maybe donthat

That pain sounds like sciatica? I've suffered for about a year, similar symptoms, and I can confirm. I'm between 6 and 8 out of 10 pain constantly. Best to get checked by GP or specialist

@SnakeRattleRoll I have also wondered about that. I assume there is not much they can do for that either?

I feel like my body is fucked either way

The arthritis in my hip joint was fixed by an osteopath. I went to see him for neck pain and he discovered that my pelvis was slightly out of alignment and had been since giving birth years earlier.
Unfortunately he couldn't do anything for the rest of my joint pain as that is caused by genuine arthritis, but it goes to show how assumptions can be made and things misdiagnosed.
I would recommend getting at least a second opinion, and also checking that all your joints are exactly where they should be, arthritis or not.

Apparently I would need to be referred to musculoskeletal who would make a assessment then refer me to the appropriate area/treatment. No self referral here

I agree with getting a second opinion.

I've got arthritis myself, have had it since I was 37 (probably much longer but undiagnosed) and what has helped me tremendously is exercise. No heavy liftning, running, jumping etc but yoga, pilates, barre type of thing.

My pain was always worse in my arms/hands/shoulders but as long as I do 3-5 exercise classes a week I don't feel any pain. I used to not be able to sleep for weeks on end when the pain in my arms were at its worse. Now I only feel it if I've been on holiday for a week or two and not kept up with my routine.

My x ray didn't show arthritis in my knees

I couldn't weight bear so he sent me for an MRI- I have fluid in the kneecap, thin and broken cartilage and a Bakers cyst in the back. Diagnosis - osteo arthritis

@LaurieFairyCake I had a bakers cyst when i was about 13 in the leg I have trouble with. I couldnt weight bear for a while after it ruptured. I also get horrendous shin splints if I am walking.

The pain I have starts right in my bum cheek... like right inside. And radiates out to the hip down, to my knicker crease and down to about half of my thigh. It pulses.Most days it is maybe a 6 out of 10 but by the time Ive been seated at work for 6/ hours, it's about an 8 or so. I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees and even that only brings it back to a bareable 5/6.

Like now I am seated. I can feel the pain in my bum cheek. There is a shooting/throbbing pain. And I can feel pain on my inner thigh and my leg feels a little numb.

Neither. Find a good local osteopath and get them to assess you. You'll have to pay but their prices are usually pretty reasonable

@cjt110 the way you are describing the pain sounds like a torn/bruised muscle and/or hip displacement.

I have rheumatoid arthritis in my sacroiliac joint. The pain is constant, like a burning consistent sensation (as if someone has a red hot poker in the sacroiliac joint and the pain radiates all the way across by buttock/pelvis into my hip) but it doesn't pulse. Both my parents have the type of RA that I have and both agree that it is a constant burning pain.

I also am sero negative, and diagnosis was only confirmed by MRI.

Keep pushing for diagnosis.

I would go to an osteopath. They would generally be able to advise if it's muscular or skeletal.

Your pain sounds very like my sciatica (I've had this 3 times, I've had it now for 7 weeks - at times it's worse, like yours particularly at night.

There are five exercises recommended by my physio - (pretty much these ones plus she did some manipulation)

I've been doing them religiously every day.

www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/sciatic-stretches