OA spreading

Just woken up in the most massive pain in left shoulder.

Earlier in the year ( January) I had diagnosed OA in the right shoulder and lower neck.

Around 6 to 8 weeks ago I began to experience identical pain, in the left shoulder, which was exactly the same location as with the right shoulder, i.e. the very tip of the right shoulder. This pain is now worsening and is becoming more frequent and occurring mostly at night when sleeping on my left side but also at odd times during the day. Another feature of this is the symptoms in the right shoulder evolved over a long period of time, maybe as long a 12 months. With the right shoulder they are advancing at a much quicker rate, that is, they are taking much less time to get to the same stage as with the right shoulder .... if you 'get' what I'm saying.

Question .... is it possible for OA to "spread" to exactly the same joint on the opposite side of the body. Or is it "sympathy pains" ?

Pain relief now and then try and get back to sleep.

John

[Harryhenry19]

OA can rear it’s ugly head in any joint and whenever. From what you have described, my thoughts were that maybe you’re “holding” your right side in an unusual position in order to alleviate the pain and so the left side is becoming tense and therefore, painful.

I have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis & inflammatory arthritis - so I’m covering everything! I was only in my early thirties when first diagnosed with OA in my fingers. Soon my knees were showing the signs too. I now have it in the the majority of my joints and have had two total knee replacements, a “Verso” shoulder replacement and my foot/ankle has had a major operation , fusing parts and realignment of said foot! I’ve also had a joint removed on one thumb. All the above have been very successful operations. Carpal tunnel on both hands has been operated on too! It messes up security metal detectors!

Unfortunately, you’ll find that from one joint becoming arthritic, others start to show degenerative joints and pain.

I wish you a not too painful sleep tonight!

[Hidden in reply to Harryhenry19]

Hi Harryhenry19,

Many thanks for taking the time to comment. My goodness, you have certainly had some experiences arising from your multitude of arthritic conditions and I am sorry that you have been so afflicted. It makes my OA seem like a walk in the park with the dog, in comparison.

Yes, thanks to some pain relief I did get back to sleep - and actually - it is the interrupted sleep that gets me now. Oddly enough, daytime it is all perfectly tolerable, well I am aware of the pain but its not disruptive.

A few of your comments make sense now I think back. Years ago I slipped off a bungalow room and the tip of my right shoulder hit the ground first. This had the effect of shifting my right side collar bone up slightly into my neck and so, in the view of the hospital who carried out Xrays at the time it was inoperable due to the proximity of the carotid artery. My sports injury therapist who now regularly treats me can see exactly what you describe, I am lopsided on one side and favour the opposite to compensate. She is also experimenting with the technique of using certain bandages to hold the muscles on the right side in the correct place. I am also having physiotherapy .... but at the end of the day, only pain relief can stop the pain from the bony joint itself.

I have already had a partial right knee replacement in 2015 - great success - caused by OA arising from sports injuries when I was at high school.

All of which leads me to believe that OA is in my DNA somewhere. Probably true for many of us.

Thanks again.

john

[katieoxo60]

Yes you can get OA in any joint especially if you have had past injury. You may also have pain from other sources like muscle strain from trying to postion a joint for comfort.Pain at night can really drain you so I hope you find some relief as pain is a vicious circle and no sleep does not help.

[Hidden in reply to katieoxo60]

Thanks very much for your comments. I am now beginning to realise that this damn OA thingy is something of a learning curve. I believe that my night issues - sleep, pain etc are probably arising from evolving a favourable sleep position. Unfortunately I have a heart arrythmia so I am severely restricted as to pain relief as I am on Warfarin.... so alot of meds to deal with inflammation are out of the equation for me. I rely on pain patches and also heat patches.

It is odd that when I am active during the day the pain is just minimal, however, I accept that such activity, lifting, reaching, stretching etc is probably stirring up the OA and causing pain for later in the day.

John

[Hiplucy in reply to Hidden]

Your post was very timely. I was diagnosed with marked arthritis in my right hip last December, and total hip replacement was advised. I have postponed the surgery because my sister in London had stage 4 colon cancer, and I need to be able to travel there from the United States. I walk with a cane and experience considerable pain. Now my left hip is bothering me, even though my December Xray was normal. It's frightening that this osteoarthritis seems to be spreading.

[Hidden in reply to Hiplucy]

Your comments make me seriously wonder what the possibility is that OA is written into an individuals DNA. Looking at both sides of my family, maternal and paternal I can only find a trace of OA in my maternal side. Cannot trace any of it on my paternal side.... which seem to have a tendency toward cardiac and stroke issues.

[Hiplucy in reply to Hidden]

I know what you mean. Most of my family members have succumbed to cancer or Alzheimer's. My mother and grandmother had no arthritis at all.

[YoungBiddy in reply to Hidden]

I am certain that it is. Both of my grandmothers suffered from OA, as did my father, and as does my mother. One of my sisters has some signs (at 50). I have severe OA in my left shoulder, plus in my neck, hands and feet. I have fibromyalgia also so pretty much everything hurts most of the time! I’m 46 and the OA in my shoulder was diagnosed 4 years ago. My consultant wants me to wait as long as possible before having the joint replaced.

I use a youStreamz ankle bracelet (magnet therapy). Since I have been wearing this I have had no neck pain at night at all, which has been a huge relief to me.

[Ainsdale2010]

Hi, can i ask how they diagnosed OA? The reason i ask is because ive had wear and tear issues for 3 years but not diagnosed arthritis. It isnt getting better and im mostly having good and bad days. However i keep getting other niggles and pains turning up. What was my right shoulder is also now my right neck area and my right thumb keeps sort of sticking . This happened when i cleaned out he conservatory a couple of weeks ago. I also played golf last week and the area of my middle meta carpal is painful if i apply pressure. I generally feel tired a lot but it may be through trying to resolve all the issues. I asked my GP last wednesday ' have i got arthritis?' and he replied 'it sounds like it!' but just gave me more ibuprofen gel to rub on my lower back and right knee. Is there a blood test marker for OA? How do i proceed? Should i go back to my GP and make a fuss? Bytheway, it wasnt my usual GP. I'd had to cancel an appointment with him and when i made a new one over the phone with a receptionist was given the 2nd GP, which i didnt know until turning up for the appt!

[Hidden in reply to Ainsdale2010]

Hi,

My first experience with OA was with the right knee, ended up with partial knee replacement in Nov 2015. Diagnosed by X-Ray.

My second experience is more recent, both neck and right shoulder diagnosed by x-Ray in Dec 2018.

Now, June 2019 .... I suspect OA in left shoulder, exactly same joint location, and exactly same symptoms as I experienced at the start of OA in right shoulder.

I have found that my arthritic pain level increases dramatically, about the time or moment of a change in weather. To be more specific, when humidity increases to up around 88 to 97% and when barometric pressure simultaneously falls, or begins to fall from 1018 Mb down to around 900 Mb ........ then the real pain starts.

I have a digital weather station with indoor and outdoor sensors - that's how I can be so specific.

Based on my experience I'd start with asking for X-Rays of the joint in question and I would most certainly change my GP back top the regular GP .... even if necessary ( and if practical), even change my GP Practice.

Hope this helps.

John

[Ainsdale2010 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply Carneuny! From what youve described i'm now thinking that it isnt arthritis as such and is just wear and tear which is at a lower level but needs care and attention with various exercises. I did get a scan on my knee 2 years ago and it showed slight narrowing on the medial side and under the kneecap with a small bone spur which i wasnt getting pain from. I get some days were it feels creaky, depends how ive been using it whilst other days its not too bad but it doesnt keep me awake at night, similar with my back. Begs the question when does wear and tear become arthritis, whats the difference?

[Hidden in reply to Ainsdale2010]

Thinking about this a bit more, and based on my own experience, if either side of your family has a tendency to OA then it is almost written that you may get it. Equally ( and much harder to define) if your DNA has it written in its DNA code then that's what will happen. For me I go back top my high school years and late teens I was an avid athlete, high jump and long jump. In both jumps my take off leg was the right leg. In the decades that followed I always led an active life.

Fast forward 3 decades and I get pain in right knee.

Out walking our dog one day I stumbled over some rough ground ... searing pain in right knee. Torn cartilage !

Had cartilage surgery and the surgeon noted that there was the start of OA, so while he was in there he tidied that up but warned it will return. Felt that the onset of OA (aged about 56) plus wear and tear since high school caused the cartilage issue. Recommended taking a supplement ....Glucosamine.

Aged 70 start of right knee pain and OA diagnosed ( X-Ray described it in medical terms but included the phrase, "degenerative bone change"). aged 71 partial knee replacement, right knee, medial compartment ........ also included realigning both long bones of the leg, knee with hip.

I might add that over the decades I developed increasing lower back pain and right sacriliac joint pain. Since knee surgery and associated realignment virtually all lower back pain and Si joint pain has vanished.

Well that's my timeline of events, so when does wear and tear become OA - maybe late 60's early 70's, later if you are lucky.

Nothing wrong with left leg.

Now, as I say, OA pain in right shoulder and neck, and early stages in left shoulder.

John

[JDQuinn75]

It’s possible to get OA in any joint of your body including The spinal area as well . Mine started in my hands and feet when I first was diagnosed with it. I was also in my thirty’s at the time. Since my diagnosis mine has started in both knees, both shoulders my right hip as well as all down my spine.