I've had chronic joint pain for years, it presents kinda typically for arthritis but a rheumatologist told me that I don't have it, the thing that has always bugged me though was that she told me that because my pain has never responded to immuno suppressants (I'm on infliximab azapriathine and I have previously had high doses of steroids for ulcerative colitis) there is basically no point in trying any other treatments for my joints going down the immuno suppressants route and that I should instead just do physio because the dosage of steroids i have had is significantly higher than what they inject into joints, she also didn't really answer my question about why my hands swell up when they flare.

I'm going to the Drs about my hand pain today so it has just been on my mind because I have a family history of arthritis in the hands and I'm not sure what other treatment options there could even be for me if I've never responded to immuno suppressants.

(I probably haven't worded this the best I'm still kinda groggy from waking up lol, it's just bothered me for years because my joints always get worse in the cold and in the heat, although my pain is usually worse in the evenings)

Just looking for some advice. It's painful seeing him like this even. He is older and was helping out his local church which had him standing on it for long periods of time for 4 weekends in a row.

It seems it got worse, he finally managed to see a foot doctor. They took x rays and said it's ankle arthritis. Somehow though he now seems to of gotten worse after the doctor. They gave him a brace but said it's for use when he goes out.

He doesn't even want to go out because it's too painful to walk. So he's home ridden now. Any tips at all or is it just sucking it up now for a few weeks (doctor said he would feel better in a few weeks)

I ordered him a walker so he could hopefully get around easier in the home but that isn't arriving from amazon until Thursday. He usually walks around the home barefoot but sneakers seem to help more, so we have him wearing a new pair of sneakers that we just bought for him recently.

Thanks in advance, just a concerned son trying to help out his father

Hello, I would like some advice. At 32 yrs of age my right knee began to hurt. My PCP diagnosed me with arthritis...I laughed it off. I'm thinking who has arthritis @ 32 yrs old.

Fast forward 8 yrs later I was pregnant with my first child. In addition to my OBGYN I had to see a specialist. My doctor said I was high risk because of my age 😯

My fourth of pregnancy I had excruciating pain in my right leg and groin area. The specialist said it was to early for round ligament pain. Subsequently I was diagnosed with arthritis in my right leg.

I'm 51 years old and my career consists of mostly sitting at a desk. During the day I don't have any pain. When I wind down, eat, shower, and get in bed the pain is unbearable.

Thoughts on why this would happen when my body is relaxed?

Pain in my shoulder blade, upper back and chest

Been having shoulder + chest pain for over 2 months now. Hurts to breath, push/pull, and raise above my head

Used a pain map for reference. I also feel a slight pain in my chest whenever I take a deep inhale. It especially hurts when I sneeze or have a coughing fit. It hurts in my shoulder and chest to do any kind of pushing motion. The thought of doing a push up sounds excruciating.

I do work at a warehouse where I am lifting for 6-7 hours, 6 days a week. And for the holidays we are starting a 7 day work week. I fear that this will worsen this pain I’m having. Not sure if it’s my shoulder blade, scapula, rib, spine? Some combination of those?

I posted this in the chronic pain subreddit and some point pointed it out that it sounded similar to their arthritis symptoms?

So i was diagnosed with jia at 12 years old. I am now nearly 24 and stuck inside most days. I desperately want to go to work and get some normalcy in my life. All i do is exist. I get disability benefits and pay my mum some board and spend the rest. I feel i am just stuck and will be stuck for the rest of my life. Please tell me it gets better. I can't live like this forever, i just feel like an utter failure, dissapointment and a bum.

Around six months ago, I visited my primary doctor because of swelling and pain in several joints in my hands, wrists, and elbows. He diagnosed me with some form or inflammatory or rheumatoid arthritis, prescribed Celebrex, and referred me to a rheumatologist.

The appointment is coming up next month, but my job situation has changed and I'm currently between positions. Even if I get another job soon, the insurance likely won't kick in for 90 days. Is it worth it to risk going and trying to pay out of pocket, or should I try to postpone the appointment?

I've had to wait nearly six months to be seen already, but I know specialists are probably wildly expensive and they will likely need to run costly tests besides. I have had a single major flare once so far, but since I've been able to get along mostly well with just the Celebrex, and I think I might be able to wait a while longer if it means avoiding lots of medical debt.

Any advice is appreciated.

I have been dealing with bilateral CMC arthritis for about 3 years. First bracing (didn’t help much and possibly made things worse with muscle atrophy from reduced usage). Then cortisone shots which worked very well for pain relief for several rounds, but the last ones didn’t even make a dent. Recent imaging showed mild-to-moderate grade arthritis and my specialist has seemed reluctant to line me up for surgery (since the cortisone shots were effective I guess). I’m due to see them again soon as a follow up and I’m keen to just get him in there and yank those trapeziums out but I have a feeling I’m going to be suffering through pain for a while before that happens.

Those who went down a similar path and ended up getting surgery (of any kind) for CMC: how long did you have to wait?

First, I’m amazed that 5 of the 6 posts I just read here related to issues I’m having!

The reason for my post is a silly question: why am I told that movement will help the arthritis pain in my knees, but bracing/immobilization is what’s good for the pain in my thumbs?

I tried a steroid shot and it only helped temporarily, it wore off and the pain came back stronger. I'm frustrated. I'm seeing the practitioner Monday but just looking for general advice of what worked for others.

Hello, I (46F) am having one of those days where positivity is taking a serious hit.. I got diagnosed with osteoarthritis - grade 4 cartilage wear and tear on my left knee and grade 3 meniscus wear and tear on my right knee.. I dont have pain on a daily basis but thats because my physical activity has been seriously limited due to the pain. But the pain can start any random time - one wrong step, or i land my foot with a slightly extra force or anything really small can trigger the pain at anytime. I would really like to avoid surgery if possible and try all the non invasive options. I have started to follow a very strict anti inflammatory diet and focusing on weight loss. The ones who have it equally bad aka bone on bone, can you all please tell me if exercises and physiotherapy helped you - which ones made the most difference. Did you try anything else e.g offloader braces, stem cell therapy, PRP, any other injections or medicines, any supplements, any modalities.. anything at all please!

So like it says. She used to draw and sketch a lot and, now that she's retired, she wants to take it up again. But holding the pencils in her hands hurts a lot after awhile so I'm looking for some exercises or pens/pencils that will make it easier for her. Thanks!

I cannot fall asleep on my back or stomach, only on my sides. Unfortunately, my shoulders are getting pretty bad and will wake me up multiple times a night. I've had some success sleeping on my back in a recliner, at least a better night's sleep than in a traditional bed. I've been considering an adjustable bed. Does anyone use one? Has it helped? If any side sleepers out there have recommendations not related to an adjustable, I'd love to hear those as well. Thank you!

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Hi everyone, I'm an 18-year-old girl diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia. I'm 160 cm tall and weigh around 80 kg.

My doctor has advised me not to go to the gym, and exercising can be difficult because of my chronic pain and fatigue.

I've been feeling really insecure about my weight lately, and it's affecting my confidence. I genuinely want to improve my health, but I don't know where to start. I'm scared of making my pain worse by doing the wrong exercises, and I don't want to follow an extreme diet either.

For those who have arthritis, fibromyalgia, or similar conditions:

- How did you manage your weight without going to the gym?

- What kind of gentle physical activity worked for you?

- How did you approach food and nutrition without starving yourself?

- Is it possible to make progress while dealing with chronic pain and fatigue?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who've been through something similar. Please be kind. I'm genuinely struggling with this, and I just want to find a way forward. ❤️

24f got diagnosed with HLA-B27 positive spondyloarthritis. Doctor was sort of dismissive and did not explain much. I was put on sulfasalazine and some kind of pain medication which seems to work for the most part. This is day 4.

The appointment was very brief and I am not sure what kind of spondyloarthritis he mentioned, since it’s not written on my record yet. Had a MRI of SI joint before the diagnosis and they found mild levoscolliosis of lumbar area or something. No mention of significant edema or anything else. I haven’t been scanned anywhere else yet.

So the thing is, what kind of arthritis is this exactly? My rheumatoid factor is negative. Same with every other panel. Only HLA-B27 and inflammation markers are super positive.

No visible swelling. But really bad stiffness and pain in most joints (knees, elbows, ankles, lower back, neck, back of shoulder, wrists). A looot of crepitus too. Eye dryness that has been there for months. GI issues. My back is kinda stiff. Same with my fingers and knees. It feels like there’s hard elastic bands holding my joints. I can feel some kind of resistance when I try to stretch my legs and hands. The stiffness SUCKS and my joints get achey if I stay still for more than 15 minutes.

My energy has disappeared entirely ever since this flared up and I am finding it difficult to retain information too. No energy even with pain and the arthritis meds. The pain meds have helped a LOT (way better than ibuprofen) but the pain and stiffness still comes up and my energy is absolutely dead. I mentioned this to the doctor but he didn’t seem to believe me.

I am struggling to do anything. I feel totally exhausted after 2 hours of studying (even with breaks in between).

I haven’t been to a rheumatologist yet. I asked my current doctor if there was anything that could improve my symptoms quicker in short term (I have finals coming up and I am not doing well) and he dismissed me. I don’t feel great about anything and all this has taken a massive toll on my academic performance. I looked up sulfasalazine and it says that it takes 4 months for it to help. In that case, I am rather cooked because I feel horrible and can’t even get through my basic tasks these days. I am trying to consult a rheum soon to see if they have any options for short term symptom management.

I had been struggling with progressing joint issues for months (I did not notice the gradual increase) until last month when things just blew up all over the place suddenly. I couldn’t get out of bed for a couple of weeks and even double ibuprofen seemed to do nothing. Found out about the spondyloarthritis after that.

I did do some reading but I am really confused because my symptoms don’t fit anywhere properly. I don’t have spinal damage in the sacroiliac area but my fucking back hurts way more than the normal amount. My joints aren’t swollen but they hurt terribly too, especially my knees, wrists and ankles. My joints can be HEARD (if I move my neck or wrist I can sort of hear it), although I also have hypermobility so maybe that’s why.

What kind of spondyloarthritis is this? I am pretty upset because my doctor sort of dismissed me throughout the appointment and I wasn’t able to tell him about some other symptoms I had. I was told that I needed to do an endoscopy and colonoscopy later and I am not looking forward to that either.

I also want to know: what is my life going to be like from now? I liked skateboarding, climbing, roller coasters and all that. I don’t know if that’s possible anymore.

Any advice is welcome!

As the title says - this is a question for people who suffer from arthritis, and know anything regarding this?

I’m from wales, UK. My grandmother suffers severely with arthritis in her ankles, knees, fingers and wrists from decades worth of hard labour working.

A sudden thought came to mind last night while I was thinking of ways that could potentially help. I know already that Botox is used in many ways to relieve muscle spasms and helps with inflammatory muscles - which begged the question, if Botox was injected close to or in the hand muscles or tissue near the knees, could it give some form of relief for those who suffer from arthritis?

And, i was correct. There are multiple studies showing that Botox genuinely helps with the pain, and pain relief can last near a year. They do it in America - but of course it’s not FDA approved, but you can still get it. and neither is it an approved procedure here in the UK, and you cannot get it here.

My question is - if the studies show patients are no longer in pain, why is this not a standard procedure? Why has this never been something people thought about?

I understand that it doesn’t ‘fix’ the problem, but if people aren’t in pain anymore - surely that has to be better than the alternative…

Has anybody had this procedure done? Has anyone looked into it?