68 with arthritis

Firstly, Hello and welcome to the forums.

Have you had the achilles problem diagnosed by you doctor as Tendonitis? Or Arthritis? As they are two very different things and would need different treatment going forward.

Whichever it is losing weight is probably one of the most efficacious thing you can do to start with (if of course you are overweight). Taking the weight off the joint should help ease the pain and allow you to do more. I would think that yoga would be a good exercise and there are many videos specifically for older people with joint issues that you could look out for. I haven't tried it myself yet but I am sure there are others on here who have and could advise you on this.

If it is Arthritis then diagnosis is key as there are several different types so finding out which kind you have is paramount before starting treatment. For example Osteo Arthritis (I have this in my hips and knees) can be managed quite well by losing weight, (I lost 36lbs) and medication to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

But on to exercise: For my knees and hips I was referred to a physiotherapist who showed me some stretching exercise and advised walking, swimming, cycling. Using weight machines to strengthen the muscles around the joints, but of course all of these things depend on how much pain you are in, judging when you can push on and when you need to rest is very important. Good days/bad days.

She also advised using hiking poles when walking as this takes some of the stress off your lower joints and aids balance on uneven ground. I have to say the sticks were a godsend, they really did help, I was dubious at first but soon found the benefits. My OA has almost gone after 2 years of agony.

Avoid high impact like running jogging jumping etc as that causes more damage but that is pretty obvious.

Recently developed awful pain and inflammation in my hands, initial diagnosis is Rheumatoid Arthritis which is not the same as the Osteo, hopefully as it has been caught early it can be managed with the correct medication. But until I have had the x-rays in a few days we are holding fire on meds just to be sure.

I am sorry that you are in pain I know how draining it can be not to mention depressing when you can't function in your normal way. The most important thing is to be proactive with any joint issue, get it correctly diagnosed, take the meds and keep moving as much as you can without causing more damage.

I hope you find a solution soon