Does anyone have experience of Osteoarthr... - Arthritis Action

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Does anyone have experience of Osteoarthritis at a young age in the UK?

DonDan profile image
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Hi all,

At 15 I tore my ACL playing rugby and had it replaced - few months ago I was having issues with my leg locking regularly and pain around my knee cap, while at my work as a postman. After seeing a physio and being refereed for an MRI they discovered that my knee had arthritis and the ligament had since re-ruptured.

I was referred onto the same orthopedic surgeon who did my knee ten years earlier who wasn't entirely sure the next step forward, since I'm only 25. Before the lock down he performed an arthroscopy to see the condition my leg was in and to remove the screw from my ACL reconstruction on the hope I could receive a partial knee replacement but as the lock down has happened the consultation for the next steps was cancelled.

I'm a little worried, especially after reading posts online and through word of mouth that there's a large possibility that I will essentially be told to wait until I'm 60 for surgery but I feel like waiting 35 years would not only make my knee severely worse but also massively affect my quality of life, especially with my job as a postman involving walking upto 15 miles per day and the limited movement and pain that can occur in my leg, even when resting.

I'd love to hear from others who found out they had Osteoarthritis young and whether you was successful in being treated or whether you've been told to wait til borderline retirement to have it performed and how you was able to cope with the lack of mobility and pain that Arthritis causes.

Thanks!

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DonDan
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arthritis_actionPartner

Hi DonDan , sorry to hear about the pain your leg causes you.

Surgery is one option for you, however there are also other things you can be doing to self-manage and reduce the painful symptoms of living with arthritis. Our website features pages with resources that may help you in this, including information on diet and arthritis, wellbeing, and pain management:

arthritisaction.org.uk/livi...

arthritisaction.org.uk/livi...

arthritisaction.org.uk/livi...

It's great to hear that you exercise your knee and leg as part of your job. It is normal to sometimes feel a little sore or uncomfortable after exercise, but it is important to remember that this does not mean that you are harming your joints. In fact, regular exercise is essential as it helps to strengthen the muscles that protect and support the joints. Exercise has even been proven to help reduce the pain of arthritis and improve function.

It's also good to remember that you're not alone in this - arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the UK and can affect people of all ages. There are thought to be over 10 million people with arthritis in the UK.

All the best and let us know how you get on!

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