Osteo arthritis

[India4]

I was recently diagnosed with osteoarthris in hands & wrists…this was a tel diagnosis.
this came on very quickly & I have pain daily without respite.
is it possible my Dr was incorrect?

which painkillers will give relief?

how do I prevent its spread?

unable to obtain Drs appt as I don’t feel it’s an emergency & tbh I think the experiences of people on here are invaluable.

Personally, I didn't find any painkillers that gave relief. The injections did for a while, then they didn't. I had the trapezium bones removed, that did! You cant "prevent" spread. You can avoid things that will stress the joints, but it will still happen.

What scan were you given to confirm diagnosis?
Keep at a healthy weight, keep exercising and moving, some people say collagen supplements and other vitamins. Weather seems to affect mine, my aunt swears by the arthritis bracelets, heat and ice, I also like Tiger balm or deep heat but not sure if that is actually supposed to be helpful. The injections can help but I wouldn't go to them until really needed as can't have them often and they work for different lengths of times for different people.
You can ask for a referral to the pain clinic who can discuss options.

Thankyou for this response, you told me more in a few sentences than my Dr did!

I have been offered no scan it was a tel diagnosis, told to take paracetamol???

If you haven’t had a scan, X-ray, bloods or even an examination then you haven’t been given a diagnosis.

Insist on seeing an actual doctor and ask for a series of tests to ensure that it is osteo arthritis rather than rheumatoid arthritis. I was seen extremely quickly and eventually rheumatoid was ruled out but I had all of the above investigations ( requested by GP).

if osteo is the final diagnosis then request a referral to a hand therapist ( actually that took ages so request it sooner). Use your hands to maintain strength and as much flexibility as possible and seek advice on whether wrist supports might be useful.

My rheumatologist recommended a high dose of turmeric supplement and also a high dose of omega 3 daily. I try and avoid UPF and mostly eat a Mediterranean diet which is anti inflammatory.

Hands are really important so insist on being taken seriously. Mine developed very quickly but hasn’t progressed very much. Keeping my fingers crossed while I can!

I heard a radio programme about osteoarthritis recently. The doctor on there recommended strengthening your muscles around the joints. He mentioned how he did exercises to strengthen his hands. I think it was with a ball. I can't remember what programme it was but if I do remember, I'll put a link on here.

But by the sounds of it, a physio should be able to help with osteoarthritis.

I had an X-ray which confirmed I have osteoarthritis in my hip, physio and naproxen a s codeine . I’m on waiting list ti be seen by orthopaedics but it’s almost a 2 year wait

Thankyou for this advice which I will actually on.

That's not on, you should've been given an in person appointment and a scan, they can't diagnose it properly over the phone. Was this the NHS?

Thankyou

Sorry, yes NHS

you need an x-ray to confirm.. and you also need someone who knows what they're doing to look for it.

I have it in my hands and ankles for a while,. i've had it in my hips for years, undiagnosed, my pain ecently got a lot worse, and my Rheumatologist pulled an x-ray from 2019 where he can see it in my hips, but my GP missed it... Waiting on results of one i had in june to check how much more damage there is.

ATM, the only thing giving me any relief is Naproxen... so for you, ibuprofen might help. Paracetamol does very little for me!

I had X-rays to rule it out but unfortunately it showed up on my X-rays. I’ve been taking tumeric which 3 months on I am seeing a difference. Still awaiting a physio appointment though to get advice due to my job. When really bad naproxen helps.

That's awful they really should have given you a proper appointment, If I were you I would try and push for an in person appointment and an x-ray. 💐

It could be carpal tunnel or any number of other things that aren't osteo! I too would be insisting on bloods, xrays and a physical GP appointment. Some conditions can be eased or even reversed with adaptions (using a side way computer mouse being one) or potentially physio.

@India4 there are different types of arthritis, some require investigations and referral to a rheumatologist, but osteoarthritis is managed very differently to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. There's lot of misinformation about osteoarthritis in the post you've quoted here.

Please read the information linked below, I hope you find helpful. I use the exercises recommended and these reduce my hand pain/discomfort

https://versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis/

https://versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-hand-and-wrist/

https://versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-fingers-hands-and-wrists/

This info ids amazing, thankyou so much.

@India4 I agree with @BeautifulSongsofLove that site is fab. You need a face to face appointment and to be referred for an x Ray. The nodules can be felt on your finger joints when you're at the GP, I had my hands checked while I had an appointment for something else. I take Naproxen twice a day, sometimes a hand support helps me when its particularly painful and I need to do things, these are not recommended. There are various aids to assist you in the home with opening things etc, like jars or cooking. Apologies, this is a tad of a ramble I hope you get seen soon xx

I’d just like to reiterate that the information I mentioned was given to me by a rheumatologist when my arthritis was possibly RA.

It was later determined to be OA. Regardless of that her advice did seem to be sound and as I mentioned, my OA hasn’t progressed thankfully.

@India4 I hope you are able to access real medical advice soon.

I am 44 and have arthritis in my knees. One thing I’ve found really helpful is taking boswellia serrata (sp?) capsules. They are cheap and I’ve gone from the pain keeping me awake pretty much every night to just feeling slightly sore now and again. You can spend a fortune on arthritis supplements which may or may not do anything to help, but these really don’t break the bank so worth a try. And also I avoid doing things that will make it worse, eg running.

& quite possibly you had features which made a definitive diagnosis difficult, this isn't typical for osteoarthritis. Pleased that you were managed well and received a diagnosis

X-rays aren't always needed to make a diagnosis of OA. It's a conversation for @India4 and her GP

I have osteoarthritis in a lot of my joints. I have found the best way to manage this condition is to keep my joints moving as once they stop the movement does not come back. I never take pain killers as the side effects are not good in the long run. Pilates, yoga, tai chi, swimming, walking (up and down stairs as much as possible plus a little extra), cycling, only driving when essential, meeting people for coffee and a laugh, all helps. I have pain somewhere daily but keep as mobile as possible and exercise continuously to stop the pain becoming overwhelming. I take calcium and alendronic acid prescribed by my doctors, eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, natural cereals and seeds (I make my own bread in a machine).

I hope these tips help you.

Many thanks

Absolutely helpful thankyou