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Osteoarthritis? Want some advice from Knowledgeable people in this field.

Darksidesam

Darksidesam

Bluelight Crew
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
6,130
Location
Uk, London
Hello, I am 19 years of age, turning 20 very shortly.

In the past 2 years i have been suffering from Upper back pain, which can range from moderate to severe pain, which i can resolve temporarily by stretching and making my back "crack" (Crepitus – sounds made by joints)

Now the pain is still in my upper back, which i have to "crack" every day, and has also spread into my right shoulder. I have to "crack" that too. Im in agony with it.

I actually trained to be a bench joiner when i was 17 to about 18 and a half but i had to stop doing it as i was in so much pain even on Meloxicam 15mg a day.
This pain is much worsened by cold weather.

You can easily hear the sounds when i crack my back and shoulder, i always get a frown and a "ooh that sounded sore" when i do it in front of people.

Its also in my wrist too and i am now noticing it in my ankles, as well as my joints seizing up and leaving me to writhe in pain for about 10 seconds.

My doctor is useless. They didnt even arrange physio for me, the first time i went my back cracked so much it was unbelievable.

Exercise wise, i walk my dog 2 miles every day and do weight lifting every few days (with proper form)

The doctors never gave me an answer of what is wrong, and they just simply said im young so i shouldnt have any problems and that my back and shoulder cracking like that is normal. Im in agony, is there anything i can do to help it? its ruining my life in a way, im limited to my work i can do too, i cant do joinery anymore thats way too heavy
 
Go to a different doctor and request a referral for an MRI - that will at least show if there is any permanent damage and wil then give you a better idea for treatment.

You can also just go to the physio yourself (at least in AUS you can) and tell them whats up and they should be able to run through some exercises with you.

I can't really offer much more than that except that you should go to a diff doctor and demand the tests be done. If you have done hardcore sports then its not that uncommon that you may have problems. Definitely better to find out whats up now than just keep going on and possibly do more damage.
 
I had an MRI scan done a year or so ago and nothing showed up.

I put this down to being made to work ridiculously hard, 12 - 14 hours a day... constantly lifting and lifting things that were too heavy for me.

But im reading into it now and it seems like the damage that is done is done, and its only going to get worse
 
The cracking of joints doesn't really have to do with the severity, although I know it can feel that way, I'm the same way with my back.

Sounds like maybe ankylosing spondylitis? Are you male? If so, you pretty much fit the criteria. One check is a blood test for HLA-B27, although it's not definitive. Also x-rays help, although I'm guessing if you had an MRI, you probably had that as well.

As far as treatment, you could try different NSAIDS. All the other treatments modify your immune system, so they're not good unless you're actually diagnosed.
 
not all those tested for AS can be done in blood work, my brother inlaw has AS (ankylosing spondylitis) Finally after years going for tests when they x-rayed his bones and found his spine was fusing as he had it for years, but AS is in the lower back and down towards the pelvis. If this in your case is upper and shoulders it is more likely that of arthritis rather than AS. You will also see people with a hump that is AS, or a type of arthritis similar to it. He ended up on various medications over the years and after stomach lining could no longer take them he was given ones that disolved in the mouth and pain relief was better for a while.

If your doctor is useless, ask for another one in the surgery first, print off a variety of facts sheets on arthritis and various tests that can be done to find out what you actually have wrong, this can be further x-rays, blood tests, other scans to see if cartlidge is wearing down as well, which is very common in people who have a physical job. You may hear a grinding noise when you move certain joints. If that is the case you can up certain things in your diet such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, the omega fatty 3 acids will help reduce inflammation in turn easing pain same goes with adding in vitamin D and things such as olive oil. Cut down on fatty meats, saturated foods, dairy and wheat. You can do this yourself to help reduce the pain while you are waiting to find out what you have.

Another point is get the manager of your practise involved and sent in a complaint they will push for testing when you do that. Also best use for pain relieving and inflammation reduction is to alternate between paracetemol and ibuprofen, they are on different branches so safe to take together.

Another one that has had a lot of attention to help those with arthritis and the varying forms is turmeric, increase that and it helps with reduce pain and inflammation. I have a site you can have a look at as well for that one. Hope some of this helps but get back to the doctor asap and start complaints if it is not dealt with.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061030071152.htm I do not know how to do those linky things sorry :(
 
^
i have a Seronegative spondyloarthropathy, AS and OS etc...
no marker on the Chromosone-19 or HLA-B27 marker.

i would just have knee pain and hip pain, and would go into he ER ever other year or something, and then my back started getting to me, but i figured it was because i am tall!
:-X - DOH


is it a sharp local pain?
a dull throbbing ache?
brittle week feeling bones?


it would be odd if you had this, and as mentioned the pain for AS typically is in the lower back, but as i just said, it went on until it was diagnosable through X-Ray, which is more of a sign of substantial 18+ of settled years progression. so anything showing up in imaging for AS is unlikely, for Osetoe i have UV bone-scans done to mark progression.

Osteo arthritis typically effects larger-bone masses, like the pelvis or femur, shins etc. to have it in your spine would be rare ill assume, and very very bad. Osteo is marked by the way it creates holes in the bone, so popping joints would have nothing to do with it.

there are many arthritic conditions, i will often as many people do, develop Crystalline Arthritis; this can be stopped by eating less acidic foods and much more. i would read about Crystalline Arthritis, also known as gout. it feels just like that, a fucking tiny sharp Chrystal stuck in between joints...
 
I would not have thought it would have been gout as your back is very rarely affected if it is gout, that is more in the limbs, and normally the feet and legs. Normally it is with redish areas round the affected joint as well and will be warm to the touch. Although you can have your blood tested for the amount of uric acid and that would indicate the likelyhood of gout.
Arthritis can have both sharp and dull aching pains unfortunately it seems only to get worse and not better, so hope you have loads of good days and pain management is good for you pip. dss, get the docotrs onto it pronto, it could also be something like physio is required and you could be back on track, it does not all have to be negative :)

A little something you could also try over the area is called tiger balm, it really does help. One of the ingredients in it clove oil, which you can buy from a chemist, normally at 5% dilution, however if you buy a larger bottle of 100% then you will have to dilute that before applying to the area but that will knock out the pain for a while, hence the reason it is used in dentistry it is a brilliant pain reliever but very strong :)
 
thats true about Gout affecting the Limbs, i usually get it in my right hip.


lots of Meditation(probably is best), Turmeric, and Marijuana are my best friends...TNF pain-blockers, and Tiger-Balm, I unfortunately have rather adverse reactions to} = lol = sweet jesus have a sense of humor!

"we" can have bad skin conditions, or very sensitive skin also. when i would take Humira(!) after a few days my skin would be like a babys, but this wasnt worth the "price tag" etc.
:-x


what do you mean saying -
"it could also be something like physio is required and you could be back on track"
tiggerific?
 
I mean it may not be arthritis and it could be something else and physiotherapy, basically re-aligning joints could be all that is needed. That would obviously be better than arthritis. Not a nice condition to have and I do feel for you. My husband gets it when psoriasis appears, but thankfully not for a long time. We used a mixture of diet, including turmeric, fish, vitamin d and peppers which all helped a lot.
Not good you having bad reactions with some of those creams, have you tried an allergy test to see what it is you are allergic to? if so you may still be able to use the other ingredients such as clove oil for pain relief as well as such as black pepper, I am pretty sure you are well passed the lavender and chamomile stage of pain :s

having a smoke helps but that can be pretty pricey unless you grow your own, mind you that is great for different pains as well :)
 
interesting - my T6-7 and L4-5 feel like they are going to slip atm.
is what you are referring to the same idea, or practice as a Chiropractic Procedure?


lol - yes, Lavender and Chamomile are still nice though!
i have been drinking turmeric with black-pepper, and omega-3. i have had allegri tests run, at a few hospitals and they say i have none. but clove, teatree, tiger balm, spearmint, and the like i react to instantly, most shampoos and conditioners are out, i never wash my face with soap directly either as i will break out like a pizza eating 13 y/o if i do!

it is fascinating - i had very bad hypOglycemia for a few years(or longer), lost my mind or something for a few months, then all that went away...one fateful morning i bumped my tail bone and POW...my back has hurt since. before that i was also working on two retired Canadian naval vessels, "clearing stagnant sealed rooms" that had been closed for 20-30-40 years... and scraping rust off of anchor-room walls, was the most amazing job! but, who knows what i could of inhaled in those things(yes i wore a ventilator) .


oi fuck-sake...too late to speculate !
and Drs, well there are others in-line(or out)


~~ ~
Edit:
" Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha "
- what else can i say?!?
;-)
 
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not nice, do you use a lumbar roll?
even wearing a ventilator you can still get unsightly problems, 3 men my husband knew died a couple of years back doing something similar, it was the lack of oxygen and the cutting tools they were using and they all died.
did you get any physio for when you hit your tail bone as lessening one pain might help even a little.

if there was no speculation how on earth would we have rumours and all the gossips would be out of a job lol ;)
 
^
and were they all "independent contractors"?

seems people who take big risks, or are at a great risk, are the crap-shoots...
i wonder, and was educated about clearing rooms, and realize several things i have done to expose myself to, and ingest "things" that cause all sorts of cellular damage. i consider "re search chemicals" "LSD" etc. on the job possibilities, all sorts of foods we eat cheap junk food 'welfare and poor' food etc., numerous prescription drugs, location and where people parents and grandparents were born and raised....

i should be suing the manufacturers of Remicade, the "glands" in my torso have been toxic-feeling-crud since the start of that infusion. and Class Action Law Suits have in fact finally started, and will not be open for long...
 
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