Some success with treating osteoarthritis

Thx for sharing your osteoporosis journey.
I’m 79 n had a surgical menopause at 42. Now I’ve advanced osteoporosis w numerous pathological fractures despite of supplements, exercise n nutritional diet.
I’ve seen some improvement after on n off (due to repeated fractures) power weight lifting program 👍👍.

A short answer won't be enough but I'll try. I had many false starts when my efforts went backwards because of other physical impediments including those caused by terrible physical therapy. I'm not a Pollyanna but trained myself to extract something from every experience positive or negative. And find a way to use them in the puzzle of existence to my advantage. My 77 BD is next month. Unfortunately everyone operates in their best interest. Even those whose profession is helping. Something remains submersed. Having a strong sense of self helps one steel their will to continue. Thinking out of the box is necessary use your imagination in concert with your knowledge. You know yourself better than anyone else. It works or I wouldn't be able to function. You can do it.

@mickeyb2 Hi this is lioness I have O.A all through me My Dr gave me Molexicam to take but said no nsaids with it. It really helps also for my hands I do exercises on YouTube which hurt in the begining but help Spine is arthritic heat helps heating pad and vibrator hot showers. I also use Ice when swollen then heat afterwards . Hope you get some relief

@lioness & all - I just thought I would clarify - Meloxicam is an NSAID, and unless under strict medical supervision, one should never take more than one NSAID at a time - too many associated risks. Some of us cannot take any NSAID medications, which makes managing arthritis a serious challenge. (I cannot use Tylenol either.) My doctor has me on a med similar to neurontin to block some of the pain signals, which helps a little.

To manage arthritis pain and stiffness, I keep moving - I walk every day no matter how much effort it takes to get out the door.

@lolaemma - I completely agree about the risks of bad PT - I had 2 courses at a back & neck pain clinic a few years ago that made me much worse - I finally sat the medical director down and explained that therapy is not a "one size fits all" proposition, and using the same equipment and regimen for every patient was ridiculous. Needless to say, I was reluctant to try PT again, but the pain doc convinced me to try.

Now I am undergoing a course of PT that is focused on regaining lost flexibility - a lot of sustained, gentle stretches. This is paired with specific physical manipulations by the therapist to release some locked joints and muscles on my spine and in my legs (he is trained in osteopathy and PT.) The results so far have been amazing, and he thinks this is just the beginning of the improvement I can expect over time. After my wrist/thumb recover from recent surgery, we will add resistance/weight training too.

Good thing I'm retired - between walking and 2 sets of therapy exercises, it takes 2 hours a day, and later this week I will add hand therapy twice a day as well. Thank goodness for Medicare & my health insurance - I am so fortunate to be completely covered for 50 therapy visits per year.

I guess the takeaway is that there are no cures, but there are treatments for arthritis. These are not a one-time thing, but a lifestyle commitment. Since my goal is to be able to stay active with my young grandsons, the effort is worth it for me.

Sue

@sueinmn Yes that's why Dr told me not to take a nsaids as it would be to much

@deborahfrick123 Yes that is what I do I have Amish Arthritis cream what do you use

I have had knee problems for years. But after some severe bouts in one knee or the other the pain would go away so I just went about my business. About a year ago the pain started to last longer and longer, Now I have two knees that are so painful I am suffering trying to do my normal work. Today I made my husband dinner, but I felt so exhausted by pain that I didn't eat. I just laid down for an hour. I don't take meds. I had a steroid injection in my left knee about 6 months ago. My knee felt great for 4 months. Then I noticed my right knee starting to twinge and then the left knee and now both are seriously painful. I am thinking of trying PRP. anyone have feedback on how this went for you? Did it help? Did it last for more than a short time ?

Hi there! I too have suffered with osteoarthritis for many many years and just put up with the pain. Recently, my right knee was so painful. It became black and blue when I walked for too long. I have bone on bone arthritis. I had a Cortizone shot which was unsuccessful. Last week I started with the hydroponic acid gel injections. The doctor said the first and second won’t work, but by the third, I will start to feel relief and I could have a fourth many people do well with this, and I am hopeful One friend had no success with it. The other friend has been fine for two years. I am praying that I have success but next will be a knee replacement which I dread.

Let us know if the injections bring you the relief you are hoping for when you can. I haven't heard of that type of injection. Going to dr. tomorrow to discuss PRP and ill try to ask about hydroponic acid. This dr does not do surgery so he many have more than one possible fix. I was just reading today about low thyroid and its rellationship to osteoarthritis. Having Hashinoto's thyroiditis myself I am wondering if anyone else here has both hypothyroidism and osteoarthritis.

This is the type of gel that is injected. I will have three rounds one each week. Below is the explanation. OMG I too have Hasimotos!