[66F] Experiencing chronic arthritis and joint pain

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, it seems like you're dealing with:

• Osteoarthritis: This is a common form of arthritis that occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. The symptoms you described, such as joint pain and stiffness, are common in osteoarthritis. The pain often worsens with activity and improves with rest.

  • Treatment usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes, physical therapies, and medication to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. In severe cases, surgery might be considered.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is an autoimmune disorder that can cause joint pain and damage throughout your body. The joint damage usually occurs on both sides of your body. So if a joint is affected in one of your arms or legs, the same joint in the other arm or leg will probably be affected, too. The fact that you're experiencing pain in multiple joints on both sides of your body could suggest Rheumatoid Arthritis.

  • Treatment typically involves medications to slow the disease's progression and reduce inflammation in the joints, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.

• Diabetic Neuropathy: This is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar can injure nerves throughout your body, but diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet. Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from pain and numbness in your legs and feet to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart.

  • Treatment usually focuses on slowing progression of the disease, relieving pain, managing complications and restoring function.

Please remember that these are just potential explanations for your symptoms. It's important to consult with a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis.

What you can do

While waiting for your appointment with your healthcare provider, here are some things you can do to help manage your symptoms:

1. Maintain a healthy weight: Extra weight puts more pressure on your joints and can worsen arthritic symptoms. If you're overweight or obese, losing weight may help reduce your arthritis symptoms.

2. Exercise: Regular exercise can help keep your joints flexible. Swimming and water aerobics may be good choices because the buoyancy of the water reduces stress on weight-bearing joints.

3. Heat and cold: Heating pads or ice packs may help relieve arthritis pain.

4. Assistive devices: Using canes, shoe inserts, braces, or other devices can help reduce stress on your joints and improve your mobility and comfort.

What you should look out for

Please seek immediate medical attention if you experience:

• Severe pain, swelling or stiffness in your joints
• An inability to use one or more of your joints
• A fever or unexplained weight loss associated with joint pain
• Joint pain that persists for more than three days
• Several episodes of joint pain in a month

Remember, this advice is intended to be general in nature, and specific causes may need different approaches. Always consult with a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis.