Only 34-but ive got osteoarthritis...

[SpaceCadet]

been to the doctors today to get the results of a back x-ray i had done 3 weeks ago, he told me i have arthritis of the lumbar region, he said he was particularly bad between the 5th and 6th.
he cant offer me anything apart from pain management and perhaps physio...

Really sorry to hear that SC, you're soooo young .

Are you sure it is osteoarthritis? Have you been referred to a rheumatologist and do you have any other symptoms or pain elsewhere?

i know..im fed up..i used to be so fit, now i have a damged inner ear and now this, i knew something was up when the doctor phoned me and asked me to come in to discuss the results..im gutted.

3-littlegfrogs-its probably secondary to another spinal condition i have called osteocondrosis.

poor you - so sorry - it is such a painful thing to have.

thanks, ive been in agony for quite a few months, on some occassions my legs have buckled.

sorry to hear that .. are they sure its osteo-arthritis and not an inflammatory arthritis or spondilitis then? I assume you have a rheumatologist who is diagnosing and not relying on a GP who is not a specialist

I believe Glucosamine is potentially useful

twiglett.
no ive been seen on and off by a rheumotologist over the years and asked to be referred when i moved,i suffer from something called sheurmans kyphosis of the thoracic spine and shuermans desease of the lumbar spine, and i was warned that arthritis could occur as a result, especially as i did a lot of lifrting in my job wghich didnt help.

might try some glucosomine..cant hurt i suppose
holland and barratt have it on special offer according to their twee ads.

I have a patient who is taking a supplement derived from green-lipped mussels - she says it has helped - I am not an expert so don't really know if there is any evidence. I have another patient who swears by glucosamine - these things are expensive, but I believe some gps prescribe it

ahhh ... sorry to be doubtful .. DH has an arthritic condition and it is very usual for females suffering from the same to be mis-diagnosed for decades .. because it doesn't 'happen to women' (which is bollocks but rife amongst the medical profession)

there was also a study done which showed that men presenting with pain are treated more seriously than women and so get diagnosis quicker and more acurately .. go figure!"

sorry to hear about your back problems spacecadet, can i ask when your back problems started, i'm 24 and have had various problems with my back for over 7yrs since my ds was born, because i'm young they won't scan or x-ray me, they keep fobing me off with physio, i saw an orthopaedic physio last week who refused to refer me to the surgeon for a scan saying i have a small mechanical back problem, but when reserching the type of pain i have it comes up with all sorts from arthritis to spinal fluid leaking form a bulging disc!

apologies for being late in posting, i had trouble with my isp.
twiglett, id been in pain for months before i moved but a gp where i lived before dismissed it as "muscular"
kidstrack.
i started suffering when i was 18 whilst preg with dd, it was actually after being in a car accident at 22 that an x ray showed that as a teen id had osteo-condrosis, where the vertabrae develop with no cartlidge to cushion them, i was fobbed off by a consultant and told the desease had passed..but i discovered through my own research that i should have been in a back brace as a teen and that arthritis was not uncommon in later years as a secondary complication, howev er,although constantly plagued with back pain, it took more severe pain to warrant a visit to the doctor.
if you arent happy with what you are told, persist, ask for an xray to rule out anything suspicious

Hi Spacecadet....sorry to hear the problems you've been having,could I ask you or anyone else who knows abit about it what the symptoms are.
I'm 34 tomorrow and ever since this cold weather started by this time anight I don't know what to do with the joints in my feet,knees and my right wrist.When I get up in the morning there is a slight ache there but as the day wears on it gets worse till by the time I go to bed I don't know what to do with myself.I've been taking Ibruprofen for it which helps but don't like taking medicines if I can help it.My GP is on holiday till next Monday so hope to get an appointment then.But seeing this caught my eye.
I hate the thought of feeling like this all winter at 34 ,I feel like an old woman of 84 lol

hi theflumpsmum, there is a mile long list of things that can cause joint pain..one possibility is rhuematism..the only thing that i can suggest is that you do visit your gp who will be able to make a more accurate diagnosis.

sorry to hear that spacecadet. Have you got a good pain management clinic near you? It must be so hard to remain positive when you are given gloomy news like that, but as you know people who do somehow manage to remain positive ( I don't know how) cope best with chronic pain. All I can say, is that you seem to be that kind of special strong person from your posts on here.