Cartilage problems?

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Thank you guys for your good wishes :)

I received the paper appointment today in the post and it says to take a pair of shorts :eek: but as I don't wear shorts, I will either take my tankini bottoms with me or rummage through some of my elderly dads clothes ( I have been downsizing things in his bungalow, including old clothes he hasn't worn for years) so I will have a look upstairs.

I will let you know the outcome later on today, as it might help someone else.

All the best RRB :)
 
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Hi I'm back with an update.

The consultant was very thorough. Firstly he asked me about my on going 'joint problems' and any medical conditions and I gave him my medication list.

I told him of all the joint pains and stiffness. I put on a pair of shorts that, I just bought from a charity shop. He asked me to walk up and down, then he asked me balance on my right leg, that was fine, then balance on the left leg, which I couldn't do very well at all. I had to walk on my tip toes and walk on my heels, which I couldn't do, because of left ankle. He asked lots of questions and asked me to lie down on my back. He then tested my reflexes, pushed on my feet towards him then I had to pull backwards. He pulled and pushed feet inwards and outwards. Next I laid on my tummy and he was pressing his hands down my back. Asked me if I had tingling or numbness, which I don't. Afterwards I changed out of my shorts behind a screen and I said, is it wear and tear then?

I sat down and he doesn't think its Musculolskeletal and my knee doesn't show any cartilage problems or Arthritic problems. He thinks it could be Neurological, a problem with the nerves :shock: He said I clearly have problems in lots of places, he will write to my GP so I will be referred back to him, it will take a couple of weeks and then, well ,not sure what will happen or who I will be referred to.
It seems strange that my painful joints and restricted movement could be Neurological, but I'll just wait and see.

I did get in on time and the appointment was good and he listened to everything I said about the problems, so watch this space. I did try to google it, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for, maybe possible nerve damage in joints? I'll give it a go.

Thanks for reading,

Best wishes RRB :)
 

viviennem

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I'm glad you've got some sort of answer, RRB, and that someone is at last taking you seriously!

Something similar happened to me. I'd been complaining about back pain and my right knee not functioning properly for years, and just got told to "go away and lose weight". Ha! I lost weight and they both got worse :twisted: . Eventually I threw a fit of hysterics on my doctor and got referred, then an arthroscopy (keyhole scrape) to clear out some debris. This did make a bit of difference but now it clicks and hurts a bit. :roll: .

Meanwhile the back was getting worse. 4 years later I threw another fit of hysterics, and got referred to the Spinal Rehabilitation Unit. I told the specialist all my symptoms (25 years worth) and he gave me an immediate diagnosis - Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, a form of osteoarthritis which causes an overgrowth of the facet joints which can affect the function of the nerves to the legs. Nothing at all to do with weight (though being lighter helps a bit). And I might not have needed the arthroscopy :( . He sent me for an MRI scan which showed the problems.

The outcome of all that is that they could operate but preferably not yet, as it might make things worse. He gave me some physio exercises to do to sttrengthen the core muscles, told me to limit my exercise except for an exercise bike, and to come back if I needed to.

The mere fact of having a diagnosis has made me feel so much better. I used to think it was all my fault for being fat, which greatly undermined my self-confidence, but now I know it's nothing to do with me (except perhaps for doing too much archaeology :roll: ) I feel a great deal better in myself. Sometimes it flares up and gives me a great deal of trouble, but usually it's not too bad - though I am about to apply for a Blue Badge - if someone parks too close I can't get my right leg back into the car :crazy:

Your lovely specialist may want you back to book you in for an MRI scan, just to double-check that there is no structural problem (bulging discs, pressure on the nerves etc) and will go on from there. Best of luck - there's a lot they can do once they know what the problem is - and it's so wonderful to be taken seriously! :D

Viv 8)
 
Messages
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viviennem said:
I'm glad you've got some sort of answer, RRB, and that someone is at last taking you seriously!

Something similar happened to me. I'd been complaining about back pain and my right knee not functioning properly for years, and just got told to "go away and lose weight". Ha! I lost weight and they both got worse :twisted: . Eventually I threw a fit of hysterics on my doctor and got referred, then an arthroscopy (keyhole scrape) to clear out some debris. This did make a bit of difference but now it clicks and hurts a bit. :roll: .

Meanwhile the back was getting worse. 4 years later I threw another fit of hysterics, and got referred to the Spinal Rehabilitation Unit. I told the specialist all my symptoms (25 years worth) and he gave me an immediate diagnosis - Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, a form of osteoarthritis which causes an overgrowth of the facet joints which can affect the function of the nerves to the legs. Nothing at all to do with weight (though being lighter helps a bit). And I might not have needed the arthroscopy :( . He sent me for an MRI scan which showed the problems.

The outcome of all that is that they could operate but preferably not yet, as it might make things worse. He gave me some physio exercises to do to sttrengthen the core muscles, told me to limit my exercise except for an exercise bike, and to come back if I needed to.

The mere fact of having a diagnosis has made me feel so much better. I used to think it was all my fault for being fat, which greatly undermined my self-confidence, but now I know it's nothing to do with me (except perhaps for doing too much archaeology :roll: ) I feel a great deal better in myself. Sometimes it flares up and gives me a great deal of trouble, but usually it's not too bad - though I am about to apply for a Blue Badge - if someone parks too close I can't get my right leg back into the car :crazy:

Your lovely specialist may want you back to book you in for an MRI scan, just to double-check that there is no structural problem (bulging discs, pressure on the nerves etc) and will go on from there. Best of luck - there's a lot they can do once they know what the problem is - and it's so wonderful to be taken seriously! :D

Viv 8)

Thank you Viv, I just hope that I can find out what is going on with my 'joint' problems. It does seem that a lot of people suffer from joint problems, part and parcel of having diabetes it seems. I was digging in the garden today, knee was painful but I still carried on. Glad that your diagnosis has made you feel so much better now, that's half the battle, isn't it :wink:

Best wishes RRB
 

Geocacher

Well-Known Member
Messages
165
My confused GP tried to convince me that I had arthritis... I stopped taking statins and after a few months stopped having pain in my my hip joints and haven't had any since. Clearly, it was not arthritis.

Explore all the options before you believe a diagnosis from a five minute conversation in a GP's office. They're not always right and few of them are willing to admit that they may be wrong even when they are proven to be wrong.
 
Messages
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Geocacher said:
My confused GP tried to convince me that I had arthritis... I stopped taking statins and after a few months stopped having pain in my my hip joints and haven't had any since. Clearly, it was not arthritis.

Explore all the options before you believe a diagnosis from a five minute conversation in a GP's office. They're not always right and few of them are willing to admit that they may be wrong even when they are proven to be wrong.

Hi that's a good point, other medications, but I don't take statins. I put diabetes and joint problems on Google and an interesting article came up, its called DISH, Disfuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis and my symptoms seem to be this, but then again the Musculolskeletal consultant doesn't thinkit is this.

I tried to copy and paste the article, but with no luck at all, this computer is a pain :x . If people have a good read of this it may be a possible diagnosis for them, or at least suggest it their GP, it could help.

Having Diabetes and being overweight could trigger this off, but the cause seems to be unknown. definitely got the diabetes :thumbup: and I weigh56 kilos, so no weight issues.

I will keep searching for possible answers..............................I'll be back :wink:

RRB