I have fairly recently begun to pay much more attention to the "Arthritis Index" on arthritis.org each week. I can usually tell if it's going to be a high score when my feet first hit the floor when I get out of bed. A couple of weather sites like Accuweather have a version of this, but what I'm hoping someone can help me find is a source of historical data. I want to know the values for LAST WEEK, but can't seem to find anything. I would also love to find a calendar feed I could subscribe to with iCal that would add this score to the other basic weather values, i.e. temperature, humidity, etc. If anyone knows of a comprehensive source for this data, please let me know thank you!

my dad (63 y/o) does not have reddit so i am posting for him. he is a mechanic, works with his hands constantly. osteoarthritis in both hands. he saw a hand specialist who recommended this surgery, told him it’s 3 months recovery and 6 months until he has full use of his hands. my questions are:

1. he’s really bad at following strict instructions from doctors. i’m worried he might try and go skiing a couple months into the recovery. how do i convince him not to?

2. when can he begin fixing cars again, from someone’s experience?

3. how did you manage the pain and how long did it last?

4. he struggles heavily with depression and anxiety. what he’s most worried about is passing the time during the recovery. i’m worried he’ll go stir crazy and start trying to fix cars while he has to rest. what did you do while recovering from surgery?

Hi everyone! 👋

I received my inflammatory arthritis diagnosis today after blood/xray/ultrasound results and many appointments with a rheumatologist. I have numerous other joint related diagnosis in my history including fibromyalgia, bilateral hip dysplasia (both operated on) and I’m also HLA-B27 positive for ankylosing spondylitis - it would seem I hit the genetic jackpot, as I’m only 30!

They were unable to tell me if it was rheumatoid or psoriatic but they feel we’ve diagnosed it quite early after I started getting horrendous pain and weakness in my hands, I have had patches on my scalp previously so possibly more leaning towards psoriatic, my cousin of the same age actually has this diagnosis and has done since 23 so she has been really helpful.

I’m turning to Reddit for a little more guidance, I know medication is a personal choice in terms of what you go for, I’ve been given two options, a milder dose of daily tablets of sulfasalazine or a slightly stronger weekly injection (epi pen style) of methotrexate (I believe it’s called). I have personal pros and cons for both, but would love to know your experiences with these medications in terms of preference, side effects etc for me to add to my pros and cons list to discuss with the nurse in a few weeks!

Thanks in advance!

Sorry for posting again. 🫤

I’m sick with worry.

I started Cimzia 5 weeks ago after 12 years on Enbrel.

After the first loading dose, I felt pretty good until two days before the next one, when a flare started. That flare lasted until about 4-5 days after the second loading dose. I then entered a period of marked improvement where my CRP was measured at 0.5 and I got progressively better for 15 days, with the last 5 of them being almost symptom free.

On the day of my third loading dose I started a cold and about 5 days into the cold I started flaring again. The cold is on the tail end but I’ve been flaring for about 4 days.

I’m functional at almost 100% but I feel very sore and generally very tired and I can feel the AS is active again. I’m feeling extremely discouraged and very panicked because I was seeing good progress on Cimzia and now after my third loading dose I’m feeling bad again.

Rheumatologist told me not to worry over this and that I’ve just got done with my loading doses and have yet to reach a steady state with the drug so it’s too early to judge. She says to give it a good 3-4 months total at least but I’ve seen so many people saying they were feeling almost cured after their first shot…

Is what I’m experiencing par for the course when switching biologics or is it a bad sign that I’m feeling a flare again after having improved? My doctor says it’s actually a good sign I had improvements and low CRP because Enbrel is long gone from my system at this point. She says to be patient and positive but I feel like it’s a bad sign and I’m failing the drug.

I’m panicking once again so if anybody can offer any reassurance of any kind I’ll welcome it.

Thank you!

I've been reading up about the effects of ashwagandha and it's effects, specifically for joint pain. When I'm trying to search how long it takes to take effect, I'm seeing 8-12 weeks for the therapeutic effects, but it's unclear if it helps immediately with pain. Would I be correct in assuming if it's used as a painkiller by some people, that this would be a short term effect and not something you'd have to take daily for months before seeing any relief?

Hello I’m new here I’m looking for any advice on how to deal with nasty pain in my ankle from arthritis. My doctor recently told me i had it and didn’t really give me any solution except taking ibuprofen and Tylenol and that’s not working at all. It’s started to affect my job as a bartender. Any recommendations on shoes or special insoles for shoes? Any certain medication i should ask for?

My mom’s neck arthritis started developing a year and a half ago and then progressed to where she’s been the last year: Unable to turn to her right, bad pain, extremely stiff. And it gets so stiff and painful she can’t turn left either because that would require the right side to move.

We’ve tried: 1. Acupuncture 2. Physical therapy 3. Anti inflammatory diet 4. A right cervical 1-2 facet joint injection 5. Radio frequency ablation (4 weeks ago and so far no relief, I’m still hoping maybe it will help) 6. Gabapentin 7. Advil and/or Tylenol 8. Hot or cold compresses 9. Exercises (chin tucks, and just regular chair exercises to keep her strength) 10. Seen a neurologist, rheumatologist, spine surgeon, pain management, Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine

We lost my dad a year ago, and maybe the stress exacerbated it? I’m trying so hard to help her get relief, does anyone have any tips? Or Hope?

Thank you for your time!

I was on Enbrel for 12 years before I started getting more and more bad days.

I started Cimzia about 4.5 weeks ago and just got done with my third and final loading dose. Honestly it’s been all over the place! First week was OK, then I flared badly near the end of my second one. I then took my second loading dose and 4 days later I suddenly started feeling progressively better and better for like 15 days until two days ago when I started feeling super achy again.

It’s a complete rollercoaster. My doctor said to give it a good 3-6 months before judging and that uneven symptom control is normal early on, especially with Cimzia because it has a slower ramp-up.

Anybody else experience this early on? Hoping for some reassurance. Thank you!

Ive been to 5 doctors and a Rheumatologist. Ive had so much bloodwork done. Every single thing comes back normal and healthy. Im 21 and cant run, cant play piano, cant walk without pain. It started out of nowhere 3 years ago and has gotten terrifyingly worse quickly. I got put on celebrex which helps. But even then the pain gets worse and worse. Its spreading to other joints too. My toes, hands, knees. Ive had PT and mri’s and ultrasounds of everything. Everythings fine and normal.

I sleep so much every day because I think my body is stressed over all this. Work has gotten horribly difficult. Im just a cashier. Sometimes I stock. I can barely do that. I really miss being able to do my hobbies. I was active, I have eaten really well for most of my life. I am underweight but that was due to the depression of losing my favorite hobbies. I used to work out, do arts and crafts, play piano. Some days I cant do it. I can only do bench press now. Elbows are fine for now.

I think I need a new rheumatologist. They say everything is fine. RA does not run in the family. Nobody has it. Nobody has arthritis of any kind unless theyre like REALLY OLD. Im autistic. Im not sure if thats related. Everyone seems so tired of me and my issues. My family has tried to help. Ive been put on so many diets and supplements. At least my anemia has been cured that way, which has helped my energy levels. But hasnt helped the pain.

I feel kinda useless. My whole thing was helping ppl out and moving heavy things and opening jars for them. Now I cant even open a bag of chips without terrible pain in my hands. I almost cry trying to open things sometimes. I been holding it in for so long, the pure shock of slowly losing my body.

Im terrified ill have to go on those immune suppressive things I hear about. I already get sick easily even when I wear masks and keep clean. Im terrified of illness because it makes everything 10000x worse.

Im scared. Im really scared and sad. I really want a day where the pain is gone. I didnt even get to enjoy my painless body while I had it.

Hello ooo, I'm in need of some practical advice from someone with more genuine knowledge in this area than myself, OK so my dad's birthday is coming up and want to get him something to help him, he's had arthritis in his knees for years (already had surgery), and has now been told it may also be in his hips and I just want to get him a gift to help his pain, any ideas reddit???

I’ve finally decided to start TNF-α biologic injections and got the first shot on 21st of Aug. It’s Imraldi (adalimumab).

I wonder how you can tell whether it’s working, and how long it took you to see improvements.

For example, even if it works for you, do you still struggle with morning stiffness in your hands?

My doctor told me that I need to use it every two weeks for a year, and if everything goes well perhaps we can extend it to every three weeks; afterwards, maybe to once a month. But it all depends on how my body reacts to it and whether it will work. For now, my doctor says I should continue with the injectable medications. After three months we will check how it’s going, and she might stop me from taking Plaquenil, and then reduce sulfasalazine; afterwards, maybe stop etoricoxib. But I plan to continue using methotrexate, always by injection.

More details: I’m 32 years old and was diagnosed 9 years ago. I don’t consume alcohol, smoke, or use any substances. I avoid consuming flour-based products, salt, and sugar.

Currently, I’m taking 4x sulfasalazine daily, 1x etoricoxib, 1x plaquenil, and on Mondays, 6x methotrexate, followed by 1x folic acid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

I also used to take prednisolone for about 2–3 years, but I stopped 6 years ago and don’t want to take it again. It didn’t help much, and I gained a lot of weight because of it (I went from 60 kg to 86 kg). It took me years to lose that weight, and my weight has been stable for the past 4–5 years.

Every morning I struggle to even open my hands, though things improve a bit after 1–2 hours. I have difficulty lifting anything heavier than 5 kg with my hands. Two of my fingers are always swollen and sometimes painful. I walk at least 6 km daily. My hands often feel stiff. Sometimes, despite eating the same foods, I experience flare-ups without any clear reason. During these periods, I have severe pain in my shoulders, wrists, fingers, and feet, but it usually lasts a few weeks and then goes away.

My last check-up was in April, test results were normal and CRP was 2.5, but my doctor says that sometimes inflammation doesn’t show up in the tests even when people are experiencing acute pain. I had blood tests done yesterday, but the results are not out yet.

Hey everyone,

I’m 32 and just recently got diagnosed with seronegative arthritis. Looking back, my joint pain and swelling actually started around 2016, but I never went to a doctor because I thought it was just from years of drumming. I kind of got used to the constant ache/tightness in my body, and since my pain tolerance is pretty high, I just lived with it.

The past two years though, things got worse. Before, flares would happen maybe once a month and go away quickly. Now it’s like every two weeks, and I usually need to take Arcoxia to calm it down. I’ve also noticed certain foods trigger it—red meat, anchovies, prawns, processed meat, soy sauce, fish sauce, etc. Been tracking my diet pretty closely to figure it out.

But recently it’s not just food—stress and fatigue trigger it too. I became a dad 18 months ago, and since my wife just started working (pharmacist, long/late hours, weekends), I’ve been the main one taking care of our daughter on top of my 8–5 job as an engineer. Life’s been super hectic, and by the end of the day I’m completely drained. That’s when the swelling seems to hit the most.

On top of that, I started running a month ago (which I'm obsessed right now), but the extra tiredness kind of pushed my body over the edge. That finally made me see a rheumatologist, and yesterday I got prescribed methotrexate (MTX) + folic acid.

I’ve been reading about MTX and honestly I’m scared. The side effects—nausea, fatigue, etc.—sound rough, and with my current routine taking care of my kid, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it. At the same time, I know what happens if arthritis goes untreated, and that scares me even more.

So I guess my questions are:

Anyone here on MTX + folic acid? How’s it been for you?

Do food and stress trigger your flares too?

Can diet + lifestyle changes alone really make a difference?

And honestly… I just need a bit of support/encouragement. I’m pretty scared right now and trying to figure out how to move forward.

I have been seeing some improvements in movements and inflammation on arms and shoulders as I get some info from Drs. What has worked for you? It seems like its injury related.

Also wanted to update for anyone who us sensitive to foods one HUGE difference I found is knowledge about storing my veggies. It sounds ridiculous however...squash, onions, cucumbers many foods are not meant for the fridge and end up giving extra mould. I wish I knew this as a home chef years ago. I now relearned this for arthritis in middle age.

I'm in the process of being diagnosed with JIA or RA, I'm 17 and my symptoms started when I was 9. It was always leg pains, sometimes going up to the hip but in the past year its spread to my elbows and shoulders. The issue is I am an artist, I just got into my dream art school, the field I want to go into requires a ton of precision as well. I can live without my legs but I need my hands, art has always been my whole life. how do I minimize progression? I've just ordered compression gloves for when I work. Is it better to give them lots of rest or be consistently active? Any other artists on this sub I would love to hear your experiences. I am relieved to finally find an explanation for my pain after 8 years of being told its growing pains, too much exercise, not enough exercise, obesity or just anxiety, but I'm just really worried about my hands. I'm having my first in person appointment with a rheumatologist on Monday after a telehealth intake today so wish me luck!!

I have been having lower back pain for awhile now. In 2020 I had an X-ray done and found out I have some mild arthritis and degeneration. My back pain wwould come and go and often happened with sciatica. In 2022, I had an MRI which confirmed I had arthritis and disc degeneration and a small fissure and protrusion. My back pain at this point was terrible and I could barely walk some days. I went to see a pain management specialist who told me to just take better vitamins. Now I am with a different pain management specialist and seeing a rheumatologist. I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my SI joints and has a bone spur.

Has anyone had doctor's say that there is no reason you should be in pain? I am a 27 yr old woman with three kids and my pain interferes with my life. I had ablation on my lower back and have been having si joint steroids injections and it has helped somewhat. I have tried PT and it help to relieve the stiffness but not the pain.

For those one the younger side, how do you manage?

Do anything of you regularly jorse ride with bilateral hip arthritis and nerve impingement? If so how do ypu manage as within 15/20 minutes my right leg is dead and my hip is killing.

I try and be conscious of not adjusting myself because of the pain but it gets to a point where I cant help it and im worrying its going to affect my boy negatively in the long run. He also has arthritis in his lumber spine but he's managed with regular physio

v

Last year, April 2024, I had stomach bug and diarrhea, as that cleared my elbow started to swell up and become incredibly painful. A few days later my other elbow and ankle started to feel the same.

I was admitted to hospital and was there for a week, and diagnosed with Reactive arthritis. For the next 3 months I was in immense amounts of pain, ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, bedbound, couldn't lift a cup of tea or get dressed.

I started on 40mg predisposed, naproxen, sulfasalazine, which messed with my liver so had to stop.

Moved to methotrexate tablets and now 20mg injections along with 400mg hydroxychloroquine soon after and have been on that ever since. It took 3 courses of prednisolone starting at 40mg down 5mg per week to stop having flare ups as soon as it stopped.

A year on, I've stopped drinking, diets changed, and im back at work as a gardener and tree surgeon. I still have pain in my ankles and feet, mainly in the morning and evenings, and my wrists still feel weak, I can pull myself up a rope but struggle to do a press up.

Is it likely the long term inflammation has caused permanent damage and the pain im feeling now is something other than the arthritis?

I'd like to try come off my meds entirely, has anyone any advice on which one might be better to try stop first, methotrexate or hydroxychloroquine?

Or am I been inpatient and should try stay the course for another year.

Also has anyone, found putting weight back on an issue? I initially lost 12kg in 2 weeks, then put it all back on, and over the course of the year lost it all again. Doesn't matter what I eat.

Reading this subreddit has given me alot of hope, and some really good information on the condition. As far as I know I haven't had a HLA B27 test but will be asking and requesting one if not.

Sorry for the rant

My boyfriend was just diagnosed with mild arthritis after having lower back pain for a year now.. he tends to work on cars frequently. Is there anything we can do to slowly reverse or not progress this? Please share any tips or advice that’s worked for you in the past. I feel bad and just want to give helpful advice as I haven’t experienced anything like this myself

52, bilateral OA of knees, pain for over two decades. Severe OA, no cartilage, bone spurs everywhere, you get it. Losing mobility more rapidly now, and have insurance for the first time in eight years. Saw an ortho surgeon who is part of a large hospital system and they were ready to put me on the schedule. Couple weeks later i get an email that this hospital system, the only one in my area, is no longer going to accept my insurance (Anthem). I scramble to find another one, get a referral, (my deductible and out of pocket are met, broke my femur in February and needed emergency repair), and was scheduled for yesterday. Drove the 1.5 hours to the new ortho office, was happy and singing and so excited about the surgery and my mind was already thinking about the recovery. I sit in the clinic room after the MA leaves and the surgeon comes in. He goes over my x-rays, dictating to his AI scribe, then tells me that basically I'm way too fat. My BMI is 40.5. Again, broke my femur, gained weight, no other health issues. Then the surgeon tells me that I can come back in six weeks for a weigh in and they might be able to fit me in.

I understand, there are risks with higher BMI. A BMI of 39 is not svelte. But asking me to lose over 25 pounds in 5 weeks is so irresponsible, he behaved as though this was totally possible, and scheduled me for a weigh-in October 1.

My knees are nothing but bone on bone nerve pain. I was offered no interventions for pain, not PT. He told me to swim. There isn't a pool in my entire county. I'm not seeking opiates. I'm losing my ability to walk because it is so painful. I felt so ashamed in this surgeon's office, so body shamed, so judged, and trying not to cry while his perky scheduler put me down for my October 1 weigh-in. Is this ever going to get better? How do you accept the fact that your life is pain and there isn't anyone who is willing to help?