Arthritis making restoration difficult; any tips?

[Celadon]

Before Voltarin there was/is a DMSO based product called Pennsaid <--- NSAID, that you would rub say 30 drops onto your knee; it would soak right in, no greasy feel no nasty Ammonia smell like Voltarin. -- it was super expensive and, not many Insurance would cover it.
It was like a miracle -- PAIN GONE. But it was an NSAID, and after a few days I could feel the side effects in my stomach-- and with the DMSO carrier, one would end up with a funky taste in their mouth...
Voltarin was much easier to get approved via insurance back then -- i hated it though....

Best of wishes for some relief for you @Mumbles

 

[Mumbles]

Best of wishes for some relief for you

Thanks, I needed that!

Mornings are the worst. Getting out of bed and making my way to the can is next to impossible sometimes. It gets better as the day goes on but those first few hours can be a real pain in the ass, literally! Nerve is pinched at the spine but phantom pain is felt in left buttock and calf in left leg. Feels like a Charley horse cramp but won't go away.

 

[Bill S]

Without X-rays and an exam by an Ortho, you're guessing. Joint replacements in the had are common now. Balms, creams, popping pills, etc may offer some temp relief but if there is a surgical option that can eliminate the source, why not explore it? I'm a big proponent of joint replacement having had a knee done a few years ago. I see older folks at the gym waddling back and forth as they walk in obvious pain. Why? My new knee was life changing. I dealt with pain for 30 years. So much better now.

 

[krautmaster]

Thanks, I needed that!

Mornings are the worst. Getting out of bed and making my way to the can is next to impossible sometimes. It gets better as the day goes on but those first few hours can be a real pain in the ass, literally! Nerve is pinched at the spine but phantom pain is felt in left buttock and calf in left leg. Feels like a Charley horse cramp but won't go away.

You need to see a physical therapist- they will give you exercises to do that will help with the pain, but it will take a couple weeks before you notice an improvement. I go through this shenanigans every fall when the weather cools off and I "overdo" it. The exercises cut my recovery time down to two weeks as opposed to the 6-8 weeks it takes to go away all by itself.

 

[krautmaster]

Without X-rays and an exam by an Ortho, you're guessing. Joint replacements in the had are common now. Balms, creams, popping pills, etc may offer some temp relief but if there is a surgical option that can eliminate the source, why not explore it? I'm a big proponent of joint replacement having had a knee done a few years ago. I see older folks at the gym waddling back and forth as they walk in obvious pain. Why? My new knee was life changing. I dealt with pain for 30 years. So much better now.

Exactly - I had my left knee replace a year and a half ago and it is so much better than hobbling around in pain all the time. I'm getting the right one done in October (hopefully).

 

[Celadon]

Best of luck and health to all.
For whatever avenue finds you relief.