Ok, so I'm not asking for a medical diagnosis, just your lay opinions... :)
Does this sould like osteoarthritis to you?
I have had pain in both shoulders for several years now. Not constant pain, but it is more often present than not. It can be achy, burning, stabbing, stiff, wakes me from sleep, helped minimally by anti-inflammatories. Now, for the past year or so, pain in both knees, right worse than left. Achy, burning, stabbing, and sometimes swollen and stiff. Recently have pain with extension in one elbow with stiffness. Also a couple fingers feel stiff and a little achy.
Historically speaking, I abused my body as a child and teen, doing ungodly things in acrobatics, contorting my body in ways it is most certainly not meant to contort (but LOVED every minute of it at the time), and was a cheerleader from 5th grade through college, with all the jumping, tumbling, etc. involved with that. Also, 3 years ago, I suffered with severe pain from one herniated cervical disc and one bulging cervical disc, but that went into remission (disc regenerated?), and I have thankfully been asymptomatic since then with that problem. I can only imagine that my body is now paying the price for what I did to it when I was young?
I had thought that my shoulder pain may be associated with my disc issues, but with the knee and elbow pain, and now the little finger achiness, I'm wondering if I may have osteoarthritis? I am only 37, but my poor grandmother is riddled with osteoarthritis, and I believe there is a genetic component, no?
UPDATE: I am not on any medications, and I have had no broken bones. Only had one sprained ankle, and that's not a place where I have pain, believe it or not. lol I do, however, sit at a computer for 30 hours a week...
I do have an appt. to see an orthopedic doctor, but just wondering what you all think...
L.,
I think you may be right. I've got 10 years on you and I've been avoiding those exact symptoms for QUITE some time now.
hello
you might have a severe case of tendonitis.. all those years of repetitive use..
it can be so painful that yes in fact you do feel A burning sensation (I believe that aspect if the nerves) often times being pinched in an area that is swollen... also, that stabbing pain can be tendonitis as well..
I've had it for years, it was at it's worse when I used to use a computer at work for 8 to 10 hours a day.... all those repetitive movements finally caught up with me... I too thought it was arthritis... but turned out, it wasn't... thing about tendons.. once they are worn down (in the same way you might use a rubberband) it's very easy to develop problems ... I find massage helps and of course NOT being on a computer for 8 to 10 hrs a day... also.. I've even had to curtail exercise so that I don't injure myself again.. basically, I've had to learn to work with the condition as it has never completely gone away... even with physical therapy. which I found useless..
best of luck to you
It's possible. One thing I can tell you is to take high amounts of calcium. Women do not get enough of that! Take pill in the morning and a pill in the evening, splitting it to better absorb in the body.
My triplet pregnancy has sucked all of my calcium reserve from my body and at my age I'm not producing any more. I was taking half of what I was suppose to of calcium and one day I started having a sore, weak right thumb. Thought it was from a previous injury years ago. A few years later my other thumb had the same problem. I went to the doc and they did a test that showed I did not have the worst kind of arthritis but did have arthritis. On my own I decided I should start taking the amount of calcium I was instructed 5 years earlier after my triplet pregnancy. I kid you not, within a matter of a few days the pain in my thumbs were gone. The pain had gotten so bad I couldn't use my thumbs and couldn't lift things. Couldn't lift and take things out of the oven. Had to call my husband in to do it. Couldn't twist open a bottle of pop, a jar lid, etc. But after raising my calcium amount it made a world of difference and now I have mainly no problems.
K. b
mom to 5 including triplets
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I hurt my shoulders while tubing a few years ago and it took months for them to finally heal up. But they are fine now.
I have some intermittent achiness in places where I broke bones while I was growing up. I find taking some glucosamine supplements keeps my joints fairly pain free.
Are you taking any cholesterol medication? I had to quit taking statins because it was destroying my joints. I never would have known had I not run out of my prescription and went a few weeks before the refill was finally mailed to me. I was limping badly and my hands, hips and ankles were hurting badly. I thought I was becoming arthritic. But it disappeared when I was off the medication. When it came in I started taking it again and the pain came back. My Dr didn't think the medication was the problem. I said all I know is if I take the drug, I hurt and if I stop taking the drug I don't hurt. It's an open and shut case as far as I'm concerned. Lowering the cholesterol was not worth being crippled before my time. So I stopped taking it altogether.
My hips and joints are great now! I walk a mile a day.
I don't know anything about osteoarthritis, but you sound young to have all those aches and pains. I've always been really active and athletic, and have never had anything like you describe, just a little bit lately, but I'm older than you. For me personally, if I sit too long and don't exercise, I DO start experiencing pain in random parts of my body, so are you currently exercising at all?
There's a cult out there that wants to call everything Lyme disease, and I'm not one of those people, but I'm just wondering if you've been checked for that. The swelling seems a little odd.
I can not really say I abused nor contorted my body when I was younger and I have been suffering from unexplainable pains for years now. I am currently in physical therapy and they are just as baffled as to what causes the pains but have found a few things that seem to be helping. Only time will tell.
One side of my family does have arthritis in their genes so I am paranoid that I will end up 'like them'. I'm to the point where I want to say novenas that I will take after my dad's side :-)
Sorry I don't have any answers but I thought it would help to know that there are others like you. I joke that I am going to be fitted for my bodycast now so it is ready when I hit 40.
Hi, L.:
Call Dr. James Stein: at ###-###-#### He gives free phone consultations.
Or check his web at: Dr. James Stein, Lifeline chiropractic
He is better able to tell you about your complaints.
Hope this helps. D.
Sounds like it's some type of arthritis... but there are several kinds and tons of new and improved treatments.... Don't stress until you get tot he Dr. Good luck.
The elbow pain might be tendinitis. I have it in my elbow as well, from years of volleyball and softball (way too much time spent in the batting cages.) What helps me is Alleve (sp?) but I can't use it while pregnant, so the pain has returned.
