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

As a dancer in my younger years my joints came under a lot of strain and I now have an awful lot of 'cracking' and a feeling of 'sticking' particularly in my knees - is this the start of things to come?

I have problems in both knees - MRI scan revealed torn lateral meniscus tears and degeneration in both knees. My GP prescribed 250g of Naproxen twice a day but after a month or two my knees, or pain, was no better so I stopped taking them (with my GP’s knowledge).
My GP did mention that the next step would be knee surgery but when this was mentioned to the physicians at the Knee Clinic it was rejected and physio was advised. Because of Covid I did online physio exercises which helped a little. However, I still have pain and discomfort when walking, gardening or doing housework. I often get a very sharp pain at the side of my knees which brings me to a standstill and makes me cry out in pain.
Goodness knows what I’m to do about those sudden bursts of pain.
Hope you can advise. Thank you.

Hello there . My question is concerning COVID-19 and the vaxx and intermittent joint pain . I contracted the virus at the end of December ( I am assuming my OH ) was asymptomatic but of course we don’t know this . I have been quite unwell since the virus itself, but I’ve had numerous tests ( kidneys ) to rule out anything sinister . Now after being in antibiotics for 5 months for recurring infection I’m symptom free with this. The joint pains which I suffer from are intermittent in nature and also include things like a horrible dragging lower back pain despite the tests showing nothing sinister . My question is relating to the possibility of a further acute vit D deficiency actually, because I’ve been treated twice before for this ( last time was 2020, April ) . I’m unsure as to whether there MAY be a causal link between post Covid symptoms and vitamin D deficiency. I’m post menopause, but apart from the flare-up of the D deficiency, I never suffer from joint or back pain otherwise. In fact , I’m not going to let these symptoms beat me . My current “ cure” is very fast walking ! I’m doing this now for around an hour at a time approx 3 or 4 times a week . Well , I suppose if nothing else , I will get firmer legs - well that’s the plan . So I’ve raised a few issues here that may or may not be linked , but throwing the vaccine into this equation has made the joint pains ( when they arrive) an awful lot worse . Perhaps someone can offer any opinion on these things for me . Thank you .

Why does pain in my knee go into my ankle?

mbody

Why does pain in my knee go into my ankle?

mbody: that’s the problem I have at the moment too.

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.

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!)

*in weight

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.

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?

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 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?

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

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 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 ?

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 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 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’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?