# Hey old farts, is your arthritis pain like mine? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228 "2009-12-14T16:52:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/1 "2009-12-14T16:52:02Z")
I’m 46 and recently went to the doctor to describe this pain that I’ve been having in my shoulder. He asked a few questions, worked my shoulder around a couple of times and told me that it was probably arthritis. He had the nurse give me a steroid shot (in my butt) for inflamation. He also gave me a couple of exercises to do. For the first one, I stand next to a wall and reach up as far as I can by slowly reaching farther and farther until I can stand next to the wall. It’s not too bad. For the second exercise, I stand up, bend over and make circles with my arm and slowly make them bigger and bigger. It’s starts off easy enough. In a little bit, I can feel some resistance and then WHAM!! excruciating debilitating pain that knocks me to my knees. Exercise time is over. Having never had arthritis (that I was aware of) I don’t know what to expect or if my symptoms are normal. So I’m turning to other Old Fart Dopers (Band name!) What can you tell me about the pain that arthritis has caused you? What are you doing for it? TIA. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/2 "2009-12-14T17:35:31Z")
I take one or two naproxen sodium tablets a day. That lessens but does not eliminate the pain. Basically you just have to learn to live with it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/3 "2009-12-14T17:47:48Z")
Arthritis in both thumbs started a few years ago. I have to be very careful about how I lift things so as not to torque the large joints and so fall screaming to the floor. I’ve begun noticing that I’m having more difficulty keeping a grip on things nowadays (and not just mentally), and some fairly significant pain in my right little finger when the weather is changing. Naproxen (generic Aleve) takes most of the edge off, though. Problem is it makes my ears ring, which is very annoying, so I only take it when the pain is really bothersome. I suppose the day will eventually come when all I have on the end of my arms are useless claws instead of hands. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/4 "2009-12-15T01:54:19Z")
Hands, shoulder, back, knees, feet. From earlier years of not doing things right. And old age, 62. When I go to church of a concert I do not clap my hands to the music. If I do my lhands will hurt all the next week. I have been to physical therpy several times and they gave me different exercises. And the one thing that was stressed if any exercise hurts do not do it, stop. I would contact your Dr. and let him know about the pain while doing any exercise he has given you. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/5 "2009-12-15T02:13:51Z")
I’m 64, and it seems that there’s a new pain every day. My knees are shot to hell, and some days I can barely stand. What I need are knee replacements, which I can’t afford until Medicare. 9.5 more months! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/6 "2009-12-15T03:44:01Z")
I abused my body in someways in my younger years and I’m paying for it now. The biggest issues are my knees (2 surgeries on the left, one on the right) my right hip and my right shoulder. My ortho doc claims I will be a likely candidate for both hip and knee replacement surgeries in the future. 10 minutes of stretching every morning and ibuprofen as needed is keeping going for now. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/7 "2009-12-15T05:02:28Z")
Gouty arthritis and you wouldn’t believe me if I discussed the pain. Watch diet, do cherry extract suppliments, and keep the colchicine handy. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/8 "2009-12-15T16:00:34Z")
I’ve noticed it the last couple years in my thumb joints. It’s not painful or anything, but it’s there. And walking downstairs, little twinges in the knees. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/9 "2009-12-15T16:29:46Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I abused my body in someways in my younger years and I’m paying for it now. Same for me. At 48, I’m developing arthritis just about every place where I fractured a bone (wrist, foot, knee, ankle) - and some places where I didn’t. Mine is pretty well controlled by gluc/chon, fish oil, and a couple of aspirin in the a.m. and a couple of ibuprofen in the eve. Trying to avoid starting up on anything stronger, not only to avoid any longterm implications of taking strong meds for decades, but also to have something in reserve when the pain gets worse - as I expect it will. The pain was making me limp pretty significantly, which I feared would toss other parts of my body out of alignent. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/10 "2009-12-15T16:56:39Z")
I’m 35, was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 24. It’s been pretty much under control since my diagnosis, with different drugs. Right now on methotrexate. Have taken enbrel recently, but am going to ask to switch off of it. I took vioxx before it was taken off the market, and had to switch from another medication due to scarring it made in my eyes. But I remember what it was like before the medication. I could barely walk, didn’t have enough strength in my hands to shift the stick in my car. It was bad. With the changing of seasons, I started getting pains in my toes when I wake up. Not a fun feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/11 "2009-12-15T22:04:38Z")
Arthritis in the knee joints and shoulder joints plus one elbow that was broken 40 years ago and didn’t heal correctly. Once I crawl out of bed and stumble around for awhile they loosen up and I get through the day. 3 Advil, 3 times a day helps. If I drop something on the floor and need to kneel to find it, it can take quite a while to get back up. Always an adventure. 63 years young. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/12 "2009-12-16T15:02:28Z")
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis just before Thanksgiving 1987. By Christmas, I could barely walk. I had it in every joint in my body except, strangely, my hip joints. I started with auranofin, then graduated to methotrexate. My doc got me in as a guinea pig for the human studies for Humira. I’m in my eighth year on it and it is a total miracle drug as far as I am concerned. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/13 "2009-12-16T15:26:23Z")
I broke my left kneecap at age 18, and walked around for 6 weeks with a knee brace. Apparently, that caused me to walk funny enough to tweak my right hip. I’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and tendinitis in it. The really annoying thing is when it freezes up on me when I try to stand and I just end up bent over, trying to mentally force it to relax. The pain can be incredible. I was on one of the NSAIDs for a while, and it worked beautifully, but I just try to get by with the occasional ibuprofen now. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/14 "2009-12-16T15:54:52Z")
I’ve been living with arty for a while now. The best thing I ever did for myself was to begin excercising with kettlebells and indian clubs with a little yoga thrown in. I restored an enormous amount of mobility to both of my shoulders and decreased my overall level of daily pain. Exercise is going to be critical to you. If you do too much or the wrong kind, you’ll hurt. If you don’t exercise, you’ll hurt too. You’ll need to find what is right for you and be diligent in practicing it. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/15 "2009-12-16T17:07:51Z")
I have osteoarthritis in my hands, shoulders, and especially in my hips. All give me some amount of trouble. I have trouble at times maintaining a tight grip. This isn’t so much a pain or strength issue, but rather a lack grip function from impaired finger flexibility. With my shoulders, I feel that mostly in the morning because I slept in the wrong position. My hips are the worst. I have normal function provided they move back and forth walking, riding a bike, or swimming; there is significant pain whenever I have to turn my knees in or out. I had to quit martial arts training because of this because I can’t perform a basic roundhouse kick anymore. Glucosamine/MSM helps my hips quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/16 "2009-12-17T03:07:20Z")
I’m 69 and my hands are very painful, stiff, and not all that flexible. I can’t grip a skinny ball point pen; turning a door knob is painful and shaking hands with some people can be excruciating. Aleve helps sometimes but it isn’t that good overall. I fear a time will come when I have corkscrews for fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/17 "2009-12-17T03:49:38Z")
There are alot of old farts here on the dope. Smells like Moth balls and vic’s, I tell ya. Anywhoooo. Glucosamine really helps me and my knees and hips. I’ve never broken anything. I’m 43. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/18 "2009-12-21T01:03:16Z")
I’m not old, (I’m 32) but the knee pain after I chipped my kneecap diagnosed at 13 as something I’d probably grow out of was rediagnosed at 21 as arthritis so I’ve had it most of my life. It’s not severe pain unless I really abuse it, like hiking mountains or moving the wrong way while shoveling. I find that a knee brace when pain starts and aleve or ibuprofen knocks down the pain enough so I can sleep…which is good because celebrex feels like it burns holes through my stomach and I’d like to avoid taking it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/19 "2009-12-21T09:05:25Z")
CPPD [pseudogout] in my feet, moderate OA in my right knee, FAI in both hips, SA joint issues and osteopenia in my pelvis. My physioterrorist hates me. The only movement physio I can do is in water so there is no real weight bearing on my feet, and there are a few of the exercises I cant do because I can not flex my feet even with no weight bearing. I use my hot tub to relieve pain and stiffness, take indocin and colchicine for the CPPD as needed, glucosamine/chondroitin suppliments, calcium/magnesium/potassium/zinc suppliments, various painkillers as needed depending on how painful something is, and physio twice a week for the next 18 weeks. I am not a good candidate for joint replacement. On the plus side, for a diabetic, i heal very quickly, have great circulation in my extremeties and no sign of any form of neuropathy. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228/20 "2009-12-21T16:10:21Z")
I broke my right fibula in the ankle area about four years ago. Just a month ago, I started feeling pain, not in the ankle exactly but the top of the foot whenever I flexed it. Since that is a constant when walking and walking is my main exercise, I am not sure what to do. The other time it hurts: I do an exercise in the morning involving standing on the edge of a step and going up to the standing on the balls of the feet to dropping below the level of the step. There is a small amount of pain when I do this, but a sharp pain when I step off as the weight comes off the foot. Aside from that I have mild pain in my thumbs, nothing that prevents me from doing anything. The worst pain I get (not now thankfully, this comes and goes) is not being able to sit for long periods of time without getting bad pain in the hip, in the knee, or at the back of my butt. Sometimes, it is really bad in airplanes. I get up and walk around (as much as you can in an airplane), but I see now that some airlines are thinking of charging extra for an aisle seat. I now use airplanes as little as possible. A colleague of mine, ten years older than me once said that they way you know you are still alive is that when you wake in the morning there is some pain somewhere. I am now the age (73 in a month) that he was when he said it and it is true. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-old-farts-is-your-arthritis-pain-like-mine/521228.md?page=2)