Your questions on joint care and joint pain have been answered by the consultants from Spire Healthcare

A recent MRI showed an issue with my lumbar vertebrae, which is pinching the nerve and really painful. It was suggested to me to try and strengthen my core muscles, but I'm worried about causing more damage. Are there any recommended exercises or books that I could try?

My neck is agony, some days i struggle to support it and keep my head up. I really need some advice

What painkiller is best for persistent back pain.

I always thought the warmer weather was best for joints. However, my hands / fingers seem worse in the summer, why?

I have another question, please.

Is there a reason for taking an xray of just one or two joints, rather than all of them?
I have had my knees and pelvis "done", but now I feel embarrassed to go back and say my shoulders/elbows/fingers and upper back are hurting.
So much so, that I probably won't go.

I’v suffered from Psoriasis for over 30 years. I then went on to get what seems likes nail psoriasis but my GP wasn’t interested when I raised the issue with her and I was fobbed off with being told to stop wearing nail polish and to let my nails breathe!! I now think that I’v gone on to get psoriatic arthiritis which has come on in the last couple of years. I haven’t been to the GP in this time because of Covid. I’v started to get pain in my fingers and toes which is now impacting on my daily life. One of my fingers has bent like a claw. I have two others now that are going the same way. When I initially asked the GP about the finger that had bent like a claw about two years ago she said she didn’t know what it was and sent me for an X-ray to check it wasn’t broken which I knew it wasn’t. What do you suggest I do now and what will help with my joint pain? I don’t want to take hardcore medication because of side effects. Would a steroid injection help with the finger that is almost bent double? And has it become like that because of psoriatic arthiritis or something else?

I have been recommended seeing a osteopath to help with my joint and muscle pain and also taking turmeric capsules do you think these will help improve or be a waste of money?

I have an ache which occurs when climbing uphill in my right upper thigh. lateral to the femur. I have a good rotation movement in the hips and there is no pain unless going uphill. I was thinking it could be a muscle???

I get severe back pain when I sit down. Don't know why - Gp gave me Zapain on repeat prescription. Is this OK. I also have osteoarthtritis.

I have very noisy knees, so much so that my family can hear me walking up stairs from other rooms. Is this a precursor to arthritis?

I have Scleroderma & lupus causing inflammtion of the joints etc., the pain in my knees is unbearable and having a job to put pressure on them. I've tried naproxen but they give me ulcerated mouth and track. I've also tried zapain and over the counter pain killers, but nothing seems to help.
Any idea please what i can do to ease the pain and swelling.

Having arthritis in my toes makes it painful to walk. I find that rubbing Aloe Vera Gel into my feat helps ease the pain.

Is it true that wet weather can made oesteo-arthritis worse ? Use the ibrophen gel + take painkillers if need to at night to get to sleep. Plus take a cod liver oil capsule daily.

Hello, I have had RA since I was 16 and recently been medically retired. I am 54 and also now 2 years breast cancer free and going through menapause. It's just my joint pain and fatigue is increasing recently and I'm not one big on meds. Can you recommend where I may be going wrong and foods to avoid maybe please.

I fell while running backwards in a badminton game some years ago. I didn't find out that I had broken a vertebra until 4 months later. By that time a chiropracter had been jumping up and down on my spine for weeks. Since then I have struggled to move normally or even clean myself first thing in the morning. Any suggestions ?

I find I can’t seem to stop myself from leaning when walking in an attempt to avoid pain. Any tips on what I could try to prevent this?

I would like to ask if a little bit of arthritis can cause a big amount of pain, please?

I have had my knees dislocate on a few occasions spanning the decades first one when I was 12, once in my 20s and once in my 40s. Those were full dislocations. I have also had two or three times when they sublax (if that is the right term)I am 50 now. Is arthritis inevitable when I get older?

My left knee get worse on a cold rainy day. I try to avoid going to the 1st floor of our 2-storied house on those days. I take jelly in all forms, the sweet one & a gelatin granules sprinkled on my hot soups. I also grate courgettes & eat them raw in fresh vegetable salads. Is there any scientific evidence that food therapy helps to replenish lost collagen? Thank you for your opinion & further advice.

I am interested to know what your thoughts are on alternative methods of joint care?

For example, my husband and I are both in our 50s and we have all but alleviated all of our joint pains from a self-induced course of tai chi and qigong via DVDs in the comfort and safety of our own homes. I can heartily recommend this avenue, if you feel nervous about going out and joining classes. You simply have to pace yourself. What is your view on this?

I have pain in my ankle and knee right side, doctor has done blood tests and says its not arthritis just wear and tear.
Is it simply a matter of pain killers for life then.

*in weight

TeacherAnne- i was offered double knee joint replacement at a local private hospital (private consultant) who i was seeing as an NHS patient- though i have various other medical problems, including blood clots/lifelong warfarin, heart bicuspid valve, epilepsy, etc. But his only stipulant was that i needed to lose about 2stones in weigh to reduce problem risks.(This was before ciovid though so nothings been said since!)

Last week I had a steroid injection into my right hip. The results are amazing. I can stand up without using my hands and I can walk up and down stairs normally for the first time in two years. I want to use this reprieve to improve my posture, muscle tone and stamina. The plan was to do the other hip in a few weeks once we saw how I responded to the first injection. My question is do I get it done as soon as possible or do I wait a while as the whole situation is so improved? I don't want to get stuck again but equally I don't want more steroids than necessary.