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Conditions > Rheumatoid Arthritis > Rheumatoid Arthritis News & Research > Slowing Rheumatoid Arthritis Progression

Slowing Rheumatoid Arthritis Progression

By Denise Lynn Mann

10/12/09 The earliest sign of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often pain or swelling in two or more joints, especially if one of those joints is in the hand. Doctors call this polyarthritis, and now a new study suggests that....

Joan Hannon

22 Mar 2011, 12:45

I too have degenerative disc disease and arthritis in cervical and lumbar spine, in knees, feet, and hands; and I also have been diagnosed by one doctor with fibromyalgia though another doctor diagrees with this.

The bone spurs in my neck got so bad that they were crushing my spinal cord, threatening paralysis if nothing was done. So I had to have surgery to remove the lamina in several places, proviing extra room for the spinal cord. That surgery worked but did not relieve the pressure on nerve roots exiting the cervical spine so I continued to have severe pain shooting down my arms to my finger tips. A second 9 hour surgery in which many discs and forima were removed and in which my spine was fused from C2 to T2 was extremely painful and involved at least a half year recovery. But the pain shooting down my arms was gone. However, that pain was replaced my pain in neck, upper back, and shoulders that is more like severe muscular cramps and spasms. This has not improved in the 5 years since surgery and the doctors have given me no hope that this will go away. I guess I would do the surgery again, but its no panacea!

I herniated one lumbar disc and suffered an insufficiency sacral fracture (from osteporosis). I decided to live with the sciatic pain from this rather than endure another surgery.

In September, I had total knee replacement in my left leg. Before that surgery I could hardly walk; 6 weeks after it, I was able to keep up with a non-disabled group on a 3 mile hike. Since then, however I have developed terrible pain in my right knee. My orthopedist suggests ice and ibuprofen for now. Thats not helping and I fear I am in like for another knee surgery. Anyone know of an effeftive alternative for severe arthritis in the knee?

Mary Lou Webb

22 Mar 2011, 09:38

Laura, I, too, have degenerative disc disease, arthritis in all of my joints, scoliosis (cured when they did spinal surgery for the degenerative disc disease), and fibromyalgia. I would recommend you talk to your rheumatologist to see if he or she can't recommend another, more aggressive, treatment for you. There are many new drugs out there to help fight the progression, more so than when I developed RA. I tried Embrel, but it depressed my immune system too far, so I had to stop that one. My doctors are working on better treatment for me, currently, and I'm sure yours can work with you. It's important that you communicate with them about everything that is going on with you. Best of luck to you!

josep

17 Mar 2011, 20:37

tengo unos dolores muy fueres por las noches,¿qué medicamentos puedo tomar que me los alivie?kicr

iss Vita M. King

17 Mar 2011, 16:18

i have rheumatoid arthristis,i am 48 years old,and divc.i had overseas doctors,and stateside.i have never had a problem with cervical,area.as you do,so i can't talk about what that feels like,i don't know.mine is arms,leggs,back,and my head,hands.on the east co.they want to do a new,thing useing this new machine,on my back and head,saying the pain was coming from this area,doing this and that.it was one of the best hosptials,and there are many.i have been to a german hospital,it was very very very nice,and the people were to.if you know anything about overseas,and the ares,i went as far as Longstool,a very very good hospital.and so did my then husband.i can't have any kids,i am very gald about that.i had my tubs,tied,in my early 20s,because i wanted to.i didn't want any more kids,i birth one and that was it for me.i wasn't having any problems,everything was fine.what i had was arthritis,that acted up when it wanted to.outside of that there was no other problems,going on.they said that my heart beat was,offset,you know how doctors,say what they say,but i was fine.after the birth the arthritis got worst,the pushing,from having my wonderful daughter,stress,you know what the body does,they give me,a shot of,the famous,meds.you will not feel any pain,i didn't after the shot.it was the process that i could feel.and my daughter was only 5lbs and some ozs.i was 4'11,117lbs,small for my size i ws never big.ae right,the whole nine yard,a wife at home,i didn't even work,no landry,nothing.ate out,a clam life style,evrything to not,bring on the arthritis.or make my heart beat,do whatever it may have wanted to do.the arthritis got worst as i aged,and they all said that it would.the swelling,and everything that goes alone with it,sometimes,depending on the person.you have to stay under a doctor,you have to.it changes,i have taken every kind of new drug there is,i don't have a problem with taking,meds i sure in the hell don't i know what i feel.i doctor on the east wanted to know if i wanted,the new marj.drug with all of problems i was having at that time,head shaking,and everything esle,and was getting ready to get marryed again.i don't have a problem with the new marj.drug,if that is what a person,wants for there med.that is between them and there doctor.i have never taken it,people told me i was crazy for not,using the new marj.from the doctor,they said that it really does help,i don't know.i was on other new meds.none generic,i never had those.some meds were so stong,and th doctor was like her body is still doing the same dam thing.and i was,i don't feel this meds,its not working and it wasn't.and i had a light stroke,and no it wasn't because of the drugs,that had nothing to do with,and my right side would hang down sometimes,and my right arm would swell up,what a picture,and i looked like i was a woman of a cover,skin glowing,fair and light,with all of thoese things going on,that how i looked.and getting ready to marry again,to a doctor,not working,that field any longer,and a plot,both out of the milt.and i was in pain the whole time.my right foot would swell up,big like my right arm.i was at church on evening,and i was sitting on the second row,looking at how pretty my feet were.because my foot,would swell,up so big.my foot looked like a little toy,a doll,the way it normally looks when everything is not swollen.i was so pretty,sometimes i would think,how in the hell can this be,i am in all of this pain,this and that,and no i have never had any problems having sex,never.and that was another thing,they always said it was great for you,which is right we all know that.i couldn't understand,way with everything esle going on i had no problems doing that,i am glad i didn't,and i was on every kind of no drug,that had been made.and sex all of the time,not every blue mood,i had a normal sex life,with my soon to be,was to be,new husband.i was still the same size i always was,4'11,92to 95lb,never over 100,and my body did what it wanted to do when it want to.the doctors didn't know what to do,they did some of everything,just like they do with all of there patients,i wasn't the 1st patient they ever had,and i wasn't the last one,they were doctors.stay under a doctor,i feel for myself,you have to try some new drugs,your body is aready doing what it is doing,and you are aging.and i ben a vegan,the veggie world all of that,i did all of it.i did the church world,i grew up in it,i did the holistic world,i did it all.i don't do any of that stuff now,none of it,none of it.try the this and the that,the music,oh yes i was going to open up a,healing store,what do you think about that.teas,music,oils,herbs,not oils of that kind,evreything that had been birth in me,from my church back ground,to my overseas travel,i was going to use.and no i wasn't over night.yes come in,the music,drink some teas,hopfully our pain will go away,and so on and so on.and yes i still have rheumatoid,art.and no i never opened up that shop,store,no feathers,or drums,or chats,no,dance of the dance.and yes they had to pay me and pay me well,i was no fool.and that how all of the doctors were.and with all of that traveling overseas,meeting this person and these people,my pain,is still pain,dak rooms,dem lights,candles,firewalkers,witchdoctors,the best witches.i still have the same pain,whatever some of them were called,i still have the same pain.sitting around the fire,drink this,beads shaking and making music,i still have the same pain.i can speak in every known tongue to man,and some,i still have the same pain.not mocking anyone,it is birth in you,and it is not over night.i still have the same pain,all over my body.from coast to coast,across the water.i still have the same pain.please do what,is for you,don't leave your doctors,i know you have many,thats what it takes.and taking an asprin,in my 40s never stop me from having a light stroke.and the water soaks are very good,for me,very hot water for me,and you know you can use alot of things in the water now,they have some of everything.and smoking a cigar,and drinking some unknown meds,that never stopped the pain.and i mean a real cigar,not a funny cigg.and yes they do look pretty,i had the pretty ones.and i didn't smoke them but every now and then,with my drink from the pit of hell.there place where all of the stars,went,all kinds of cigars box,there own personal,boxes.it was a very very nice place.and the rooms were not full of smoke.and the air was good.i couldn't get over that.they cost,but if you want to smoke,one every blue mood,it is worth it,with your drink,whatever it is.and the palces are not the young crowd.the palces are for our age,late 40s and over,we are on another level,and so is that pain that you,have had for 40something years.i hope some of that helps you.and yes i love being a 48year old woman,there is nothing in this world like it,this is who i was made to be,and this is who i am,head shaking,bent over,or whatever.and hell yes i am getting marryed again,as soon as i run into the right man,and yes he has to deal with,it might be a cigar day,with a drink from hell,or a hot green some kind of drink.and yes he has to go with me to the doctor,none of my exs,had a problem with that,ever.love is always good,with everything that is going on in your life,you need a lover,no matter what,and i mean no matter what.even in nuring home,and centers,they men frs.and they get marryed all of the time.drees up for each other,all of that,makes thing better.60,70,80,90,100 years old.i am only 48years old,hell yes i am getting marryed again,when i run into the right man.never keep love at a distance,andit has to be the man that you want,what you want,all of that plays apart.everything works together,everything,i know that from living,not from a book,tv,mag,or the inter.and yes you will run into the people that have lived under a rock.still keep love not at a distance.and yes they do have some very handsome doctors,those men are really handsome,and its not the white coat.don't stop going out to dinner,and yes glasses of red wine,if you knock the glass over,they will just wipe it up,the table is still the same,and they will bring you out another glass,of wine unless you have the bottle on the top,thats how he and i use to be,they would open the bottle at the table.and leave it there.even,one of my woman frs.while we were waiting on,our man,she would order me,a bottle of red wine,and it sat on the table.and if i was sitting at on the warf,or the harbor,sometimes that looked better.dinner and dining are great for you,when you ever you do it.if something falls,it just falls,you can get another,its that easy.they will bring you another hot plate out,so what we live in the real world.sometimes things fall,break,get another one,and yes go to a music,something,that is good for you.even if its whenever.some kind of show,pain and all,that is good for you.and let your man kiss on you while you are out,it all works,it needs to be the right mans smile.Miss Vita M. king

Linda Huff

15 Mar 2011, 17:19

I also have degenerative dics disease and arthritis in cervical and lumbar spine and in the knee and hand. I also have scoliosis and fybromyalgia. I feel as though my arthritis is progressing rapidly. I do exercise regularly. Are there any other steps I should take?

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Slowing Rheumatoid Arthritis Progression

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