Arthritic pain. Any advice?

satyanand: Why the delayed response? March 7, 2016 was the last time someone posted on this thread. You know that, right?

consult with doctor.

I have rheumatoid Arthrtis. Those sticky patches someone was referring to are indeed prescription They have lidocaine in them and helps quite a bit for 12 hours at a time. You can use three at a time. Twelve hours on and twelve hours off. There are no side effects and give relief. There is nothing worse and my worse nightmare as I have no children is to grow old lay in pain with no one to assist me. V you have to be her advocate. You must v

Sophe: I don't see a response from a Carol

My cousin was technically Disabled due to arthritis before she got dementia. She had a lot of pain in her joints and back. She also suffered multiple fractures including a spine fracture. She went on Cymbalta and it REALLY helped with her pain.

The medication is technically for Depression, Anxiety, Arthritis and Muscular Pain, Nerve Pain and Back Pain. I would discuss this option with her doctor to see if she is a good candidate for this medication.

Wow, Carol really nailed it on this question. Arthritis is painful. It hurts like heck. It makes every step an experience in pain, 24/7. Your Mom can get better pain control. There are pain meds out there that really work.
Consider taking Mom to an anesthesiologist. They specialize in pain control. As Carol mentioned, there are small sticky patches that absorb through the skin and provide wonderful pain relief. Also consider a PT to evaluate gait, such as it is, and an appropriate walker instead of cane. If you have acupuncturists in the area, if you can find a really good one, that can help, too. Keep insisting on help.

Bobbi: Congrats on getting her the injections!

Thanks for all the suggestions. We went and had her injections and it's helping. Also a new recliner to keep her legs up. So far so good. Her doc didn't think the orthopedic shoes would be much help. She needs knee replacements, but of course is too old.

Corticosteroid injections

Niyah's comment about paraffin reminded me that years ago my aunt used paraffin for the arthritis in her hands. She had a small device that heated the paraffin to a specific temperature, then I believe she put her hands in it.

It sounds uncomfortable, but the wax was warm, not hot, and it really helped her.

Tumeric helped me with my joints. Also, I hear a parrafin wax bath is very helpful for hands and feet.

Try Coffee in the morning. It gets rid of body aches. I have it all over. I used to drink 2 cups, but quit weeks ago. My leg pain is awful. I have it everywhere degenerative disk disease. lumbar, found out thru cat scan. I am hoping it is some kind of coffee withdrawal. Pain can be a 10. I have RLS too and Dystonia in my neck. Coffee is a pain killer I believe.

I'm with you Rosbush, it really sucks!

I am so glad the STAYIN drugs were mentioned. I am on celexa for nerve pain and lyrica. I changed from Lipitor to Crestor but recently read about statin drugs, I intend to call my doc about this after the holidays because the 2 nerve blocks I just had did nothing! I also take percocet and muscle relaxants and Nsaid (i take so many Meds it is horrible. Chronic pain sucks the life out of you! Merry Christmas and happy new yesr to all 🎄🎉

Buster and JoAnn are onto something. When hubby had leg pain he was on 40mg of statin drugs. Cutting it back to 20mg got rid of the leg pain.
Orthotics are also a good idea and can be a tremendous help.
Finally, I would replace the Tylenol with a Triple buffered aspirin. Why? Because Tylenol has no anti-inflammatory action, and the magnesium buffer in the aspirin stops the spasms that spike the pain.

meant to say "SACRO-iliac" - darn computers!

I pronate and went to a specialty instep shop. They were very expensive, so I thought I'd just buy the shoes that are made for people who pronate. They are tennis shoes by Brooks. Excellent and do help me feel more stable. I have lower back pain and found I have a degenerative disk in the lumbar region as well as arthritis in my scar-iliac joint. The pain radiates to my hip, lower back, down my right leg, all the way to my feet. It's miserable when I've been on my feet for any length of time. My doctor put me on an anti depressant because it helps with nerve pain as well as depression (which I have, some of which is caused by not being able to do much). I would not suggest any anti depressant unless you rarely have trouble with side effects. I cannot take any without unpleasant side effects. I put up with the pain, but often use Sportscreme (odorless), Ibuprofen, or Salon Pas patches. Taking a hot shower or bath helps, but all these just cover up the pain. Surgery on the S/I joint seems drastic - not even mentioned by the doctor at this point. I am finding some exercises that seem to help, but I would definitely get advice on which ones to do. Anyway, I sympathize with everyone who has chronic pain. I guess we just keep trying, go to specialists. I will try the turmeric. I have not gone that route, but I will be trying natural remedies since I'm too sensitive for most "drugs." Thanks for all the comments and I hope the original woman gets help with arches, special shoes, anything! that will help her feel better. I wonder if there is a long acting anti inflammatory she could take? Aleve? I can't take it, but maybe she could.

Yes, u may want to consider cholesterol meds. Lipator is known for causing problems. If Mom is having problems with both legs consider a walker. A cane is only good if one leg is a problem. When usung a cane the good leg takes a lot of abuse. A walker will even things out and she will be more stable. Have a professional adjust the height. Mom has been using the same walker for a couple of years and thru OT with it. Just started OT again and this therapist adjusted it higher.

I have arthritis too, and one important thing to remember is a healthy diet as well as light exercise. My arthritis is in different spots of my body including my low back and knees. I use a wheelchair as needed because with the back arthritis I just can't be on my feet long without excruciating pain. One thing you can use is either hot or cold packs. In my case I must use cold packs to keep swelling at bay. Arthritis often produces swelling, and you may want to have your loved one try those reusable flexible cold packs that actually stay flexible when frozen. They are a huge help because they actually conform to whatever area is being treated. Another thing to remember is to make sure she's drinking plenty of water, because the joints definitely need plenty of water, and I'll explain why.

Drinking plenty of water helps the whole body, including helping to keep joints well lubricated and operating smoothly. Think of it as dry bearings with no grease, and before long you'll have ruined bearings. Keeping bearings greased keeps them running smoothly, and proper water intake does the same for your joints as long as you also consume proper foods to contribute to joint health. If you neglect the inside of your body long enough, it will start manifesting in some very nasty ways because it will definitely start to show. It's well-known that there's no cure for arthritis once you get it no matter your best efforts, even I found that out because I've had arthritis for quite a long time and I was even very active. I must now I'll stay within my limits because I found out almost the hard way where those limits are. I strongly agree about arthritis pain being very excruciating, because when the pain strikes, it can strike pretty hard, especially in the low back. There's no amount of pushing it to make that joint normal because it will only do more damage and will hurt more than help, because you can actually do more harm to that joint. I should know because I got several wake up calls me telling me that things really need to change before I ultimately destroy those joints and disable myself more than I already am. When you get arthritis, it's especially vital to take care of what's left and not overly depend on pain pills because even they can destroy your joints. I very rarely if ever even take a pain pill because I seek out natural alternatives, which has really paid off. Don't try to make your self do something if you simply cannot, and definitely don't make yourself do more then you're able. This is the rule that I operate by and I stick to it, and staying well within my physical limits is what's paying off besides taking other steps to address the problem. In fact, staying within my physical limits helps me to not experience near as much pain as I would if I just ignored it and kept on going. This is a terrible mistake because one day you'll end up collapsing when that joint completely gives out. Joints actually last much longer by actually listening to our bodies and not ignoring arthritis pain that could lead to totally ruining joints later. I don't want to listen to the crowd that says "suck it up", I know one such person who landed titanium knees because of sucking it up. This is exactly what I'm talking about regarding staying within your physical limits because the consequences can actually be very costly if you don't.

My dad has a lot of arthritis and his knees are bone in bone. Leg braces do help him. Although he has ones from theVA that velco on and the sides have harder type of material, he prefers the soft ones that are stretchy that you can buy anywhere. We found them at Walmart and CVS stores. My dad was given a very low dose of percocet for his back surgery but found that to work much better on the knee pain. I also had the same conversation with the ortho doc about addiction. I finally said I don't care if he is addicted, he is 85 yrs old, let him enjoy life with minimal pain. I always bought my mom maryjane type shoes that were very light in weight. She did not like insoles and walked better without them. I would just keep trying till you found a combination that worked. Good luck and Merry Christmas 🎄

Glad to see some natural solutions offered! My father and friends his age for years took a blend of honey and cider vinegar (definitely not the white vinegar) - he swore it kept his arthritis at bay. I believe tablets are also available if you don't want to use the liquids.

You have been given some great suggestions, so I'm taking another track which may or may not help... we're all a bit different chemically. I'm not a health professional, but have experience of many years. (age 76 and have had 3 joint replacements.) I also had lower back and neck pain from degenerated discs, but back surgery is more complex so I put up with the pain because it wasn't constant, but associated with moving those parts. Adding turmeric to my diet was the biggest help. It can cause gas so has to be introduced slowly, starting with a pea-size bit. I now take a heaping teaspoon in my morning oatmeal. For someone in their nineties, taking a pill with turmeric EXTRACT might be a better route; do some Internet research. I also use "Ceylon cinnamon" - the cheap types are NOT good for your liver if taken daily; in fact they are not real cinnamon. What cured the lower back and neck pain was a surprise to me because I'd always (silently) pooh-poohed people's praise of going gluten-free. However I found myself in a gluten-free household two years ago and politely ate what they ate for ten days. It was only after I got home that it registered that my pains were gone. Worth trying. As I said, we're not all chemically alike. Most important if you try the nutrition approach: you have to establish an "everyday" pattern, which is why breakfast is the best "delivery system"... And start slow... food is powerful. I also stay away from sugar and sugar-substitutes and use stevia, an herb, instead. I found the best to be NOW brand (or Trader Joe's). It's a white powder. I don't care for the metallic taste of the liquid forms I've tried. Beware brands which boast "pure stevia" or "all stevia"... you can only tell by reading the "Ingredients" small print which should say simply "stevia" "or certified organic stevia". It's expensive, but you use only tiny amounts. After many years, I now by it by the pound (via mail; Swanson Vitamins.)

Does Crestor cause some of these pains that we might think are arthritis?

OK I have two slightly "different" suggestions. For the pronation, consider a running shoe store - where they have folks that specialize in how someone's feet strike the ground. Runners are very much into that type of thing. Or a sports rehab place. They might be able to look at your mom's feet to give you some ideas on shoes/inserts.

For the arthritis, I'm a big proponent of turmeric. I've been using it for almost a year and I've quit having my knees drained and I don't need the steroid shots either. There are a ton of clinical studies on the efficacy of turmeric and it helps with many conditions - it cuts inflammation. It's been added to food for thousands of years in India. I take a daily 500 mg supplement with piperine (black pepper) to increase its bioavailability. But if your mom is on blood thinners, check with her doctor first, as it can change their absorption.

I'm so glad to read this thread and see the serious thought going into controlling arthritis pain. My mother used to hate those ads for aspirin talking about the "aches and pains" of arthritis as if this pain is a little “bother.” Arthritis pain can be excruciating and when people get to be your mother's age, surgery isn't an option. Looking for other help is.

I like the idea of inserts in her shoes if her toes and other foot joints can handle it. My mother had to go with Velcro closing slippers because she couldn't stand anything touching her joints. Those, of course, didn't give her any support. Her pronation came from the fact that her knees had collapsed. It really had nothing to do with her arches. Knee braces helped a lot (the elastic type, preferably with "stays" along the sides for extra support. They can't be worn for too many hours but they can help a lot.

Talk with the doctor about Tramadol for pain. It's stronger than Tylenol (there are much more effective meds even OtC than Tylenol), easy on the stomach and at 95 they shouldn't have any worries about addiction (this is very low on the scale for that anyway). Yes, it’s an Rx but the generic is inexpensive.

My dad had a pain patch that helped his arthritic spine some, so that is something to consider, too.

We need to do a better job of pain management for our elders. I'm sometimes appalled at the attitude of doctors who are afraid to give an elderly patient medication because they are afraid of addiction. I doubt that they'd feel the same if the situation were reversed.

Bobbi48128 - and all the rest of you - thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring so much. Keep seeking out medical advice as well as practical advice from caregivers. It wouldn't hurt to talk with a good chiropractor, either. Some of them are well versed in pain control that is non-invasive.

Take care, all of you wonderful people.
Carol

Vionic Orthaheel makes excellent shoes with orthotics built in or you can just purchase the inserts for your shoes. Look them up and read about them, they stabilize the leg. I use them every day and they have helped me.

Inserts and lidocaine patches work for mom.

Pronation can cause leg pain. Orthotics might bring relief. You don't have to get the expensive custom made ones. Buy the over the counter ones, the hard kind, not the gel. I had hip pain for years, and orthotics stopped it immediately.

My reply may be naive but, have you tried salt water baths? Ginger root is recommended for this problem. I use it in my juicer. I also put some slices of ginger root in a jar of honey and drink some every day. Raw garlic is also good. There are many other natural treatments. Wishing you well.

If her podiatrist hasn't noticed the foot imbalance, you might want to look around and find one who's more thorough. A few years ago I was able to find one who's been better than any we've used before. Most just clip, clip, clip and goodbye, but this doctor is not only cordial and asks about other health issues, she always checks for a pedal pulse. She's the first podiatrist who's done that.

Same with the orthopedist; I would think he/she would have noticed the pronation of your mom's feet. You could try making an appointment specifically to address that issue, even with another orthopedist if you don't have confidence in your current one.

But be prepared - I'm not sure if orthotics are covered by Medicare, and years ago when I got some they were very expensive. And then they didn't fit and just caused leg pain so I couldn't wear them anyway.

Another thing you can try is checking out what's available in the Dr. Scholl shoe insert line; the gel soles are really comfortable. Some of these inserts might help stabilize your mother's foot, but I would really check with an orthopedist first before even trying these.