Dealing With Osteoarthritis

Ugh, I live with severe OA also, that started after a bike accident and broken patella. Becoming super morbidly obese made it much worse. I was diagnosed at 18 or 19 and am 42 now. I have lost over 200 lbs from my highest but it doesn't make the OA go away but it does lighten the pain some. I still don't have a full range of motion in my legs (a 90 degree bend is the best I can get) and as I'm sure you know, any injury is a huge setback. I have taken glucosamine in various forms (Joint Juice, sublingual, pills) and totally echo how great Biofreeze is. In the past I took Meloxicam and even had Euflexxa synthetic cartilage injections, which stopped when I got pregnant a couple of years ago. The Euflexxa seemed to help. As far as exercise goes, the best exercise, especially at my maximum weight, was/is swimming because there's no impact on the joints. I now swim about 4.5 miles a week. Yoga can be helpful, although if you have a limited range of motion like mine, there are certain poses that just don't work. Biking may be helpful, although again, depends on how severe your OA is and your range of motion. Maybe try a recumbent bike?

The good news is that you CAN live with it (obviously) and you CAN exercise and lose weight/get healthy. I enjoy strength training and boxing, which don't bother my legs. I bike and walk, but swimming is my first love. Figure out what you enjoy and listen to your body. Congrats on your 40 lbs!!!! Good luck

Hey girls. So, I am 34. I weigh about 300 lbs. I had lost between 50-60 lbs until this past October. I think I may have a pinched nerve. I find it hard to walk and even standing is extremely painful. I even sit in a chair to cook. It's depressing to go from over 260lbs, which is the biggest I had ever been until now, down to around 200lbs, and up to 300lbs in only 5 months. I have been trying really hard to be more aware of my eating habits, but I know I need to do something active to burn calories. Do you girls have any suggestions? I'd like to have some friends also who can somewhat relate.

Also just to add Osteoarthritis is know as the good Arthritis because it can be managed and even improved on. The worst thing you can do is give up and stop trying to move.

Water exercise will strengthen your tendons and muscles around the joints and help insulate them from further damage.

Aspirin, ibuprofen--the 'nsaid' category (non sterioidal anti inflammatories) will help by reducing inflammation at the joint location itself. But like any effective drug, they have side effects that you can look up before deciding your personal threshold for using them. Tylenol reduces perception of pain but doesn't have any action at the joint itself. Same with opiods (which have terrible side effect profiles, risk of addiction, etc).

I find heat and cold therapy to be very useful. Thermacare FTW! (that category of product, if not that brand). Use heat or cold depending on what makes your joint feel better at the time.

Consider taping joints or wearing a brace to help your muscles and tendons give your joints a little more support.

There's really no convincing evidence that glucosamine, chondroitan, hyaluronic acid, or any of those things help. There's no evidence that they make things worse, either. Try them if you want. Or not.

This is one of those 'try stuff until you find what works for you' situations, you just have to look at the potential negative effects and make sure they are acceptable before you try something new.