Regardless of the source of the pain, my intent was to address the pain issue. Aside from Tramadol, I use Voltaren and arnica cream which are both helpful but can get expensive when you need to use it frequently. Tramadol is inexpensive.

I wish I had a magic answer for you; I know how exasperating and frustrating all this is. I can't walk much currently because I'm still recovering from spraining my ankle. I can't swim laps due to arthritis in my shoulders but I sit on a noodle and "bicycle" around as well as gentle "jogging" around the shallow end of the pool. I'm going to try chair yoga soon. I learned that refined sugar makes my pain worse so I've 97% eliminated it from my diet. I eat unsweetened yogurt and sweeten it with maple syrup. I've also eliminated dairy, red meat, fried foods and nightshade vegetables - basically an anti-inflammatory diet that works well.