Osteoarthritus and ill health retirement

[Stuart27]

New to this....2 months ago diagnosed with osteoarthritus in the neck of all places.Had all tests and x rays which shows degenerative arthrtis.Been through HR and an independant DRs report done .Iam now taken off my normal duties at work and they are trying to find me other duties where i dont have to stretch or bend my neck as much.I.work for a large national communications company and they are doing there best.Iam taking Naproxen which seems to help and also co-codamol.

what i would like to know is as anyone got ill health retirement through neck arthritis.Iam 57.years old and have worked for the company 19 years.

[helixhelix]

Rheumatoid arthritis can attack the c2 vertebrae in your neck, but it is a systemic disease so it's throughout your body. It's also not often described as degenerative arthritis. So I wonder whether you are talking about osteoarthritis? Equally painful, and fewer treatments available...but not the same.

My experience of ill health retirement is that it very much depends on the attitude of your employer and the physical requirements of the job. You are over 55, which is a plus. But even so they may well resist offering it if there are other jobs you can do within the same company.

[Stuart27 in reply to helixhelix]

It is degenerative osteoarthritris...with lipping on c7 apparantly.

[Hidden]

Sounds more like Osteoarthritis. I have the same, also started in my neck.

Don't know about ill health retirement though.

[Stuart27 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry it is degenerative osteoarthritris...with lipping on c7 apparantly.

[dryan in reply to Hidden]

Funny, but I agree with helihex (sorry not sure of name here), but RA does attack the cervical spine very often. It's a classic spot for it. I have had C4-C5 problems over the years. Also some physicians here in US talk about poly-articular arthritis and fact that one can have many joints affected and also osteoarthritis along with RA. The neck is a real problem and headaches are sometimes the result. Good luck getting good treatment and a proper diagnosis.