Joint Issues

[DebMarPir]

Ok, so I spent more time on my feet yesterday, with a guest visiting. I overdid it. Luckily, I don't have a bad flare but pain is increased for sure. And my left knee is swollen. I often have joints issues. My hip has had bursitis and then a torn labrum, and I am about to get a PRP injection mid-month and hope to maybe stop limping by Xmas. (I have been struggling with the hip for about 3 years now, injections and PT didn't help.) I have had repeat tendonitis, repeat golfer's elbow, PT several times for neck arthritis and so on. Now I am trying to decipher whether all these are heredity and age and so one exacerbated by fibro, or if other folks also have joint issues because of fibro. I suspect the former but don't know, so information welcome! I think a little may also be menopaus, as hands are hurting more on occasion in new ways. My weirdest symptom lately is lack of feeling/weakness/dexterity coming and going, esp. in my right hand. Today I am not noticing it, sometimes it drives me nuts and cramps for days. The EMG came back normal. It's really hard trying to figure out what is caused by what, when these flare up and down all the time!!

 

[JayCS]

You already seem on the track of it, but when first ailing with joints from FM we often misinterpret the tendons above and below joints paining as it being the joints themselves. Having joint problems as well, like you, makes it harder defining the symptom and finding treatment (except arnica & good gentle physio can help both). My test for it is moving the joint alone and then finding the spots around the joints. In my case the joint is surprisingly agile and the trigger points painful tendon insertions, which is why my 2nd rheum preferred to call FM 'polyinsertionstendomyopathy', far too narrow for all my other symptoms of course, this is just a small part...

 

[DebMarPir]

Well, when I say joints, it is my L hip bursa, the hip labrum, etc. so it is aspects associated with the joint but yes, strictly speaking, not the joint itself. Or I would need a new joint. Now my knee is swollen, so obviously that is not a joint but the tissue, probably the bursa or something. In my family we say joint issues, but point taken.

 

[Jemima]

Ok, so I spent more time on my feet yesterday, with a guest visiting. I overdid it. Luckily, I don't have a bad flare but pain is increased for sure. And my left knee is swollen. I often have joints issues. My hip has had bursitis and then a torn labrum, and I am about to get a PRP injection mid-month and hope to maybe stop limping by Xmas. (I have been struggling with the hip for about 3 years now, injections and PT didn't help.) I have had repeat tendonitis, repeat golfer's elbow, PT several times for neck arthritis and so on. Now I am trying to decipher whether all these are heredity and age and so one exacerbated by fibro, or if other folks also have joint issues because of fibro. I suspect the former but don't know, so information welcome! I think a little may also be menopaus, as hands are hurting more on occasion in new ways. My weirdest symptom lately is lack of feeling/weakness/dexterity coming and going, esp. in my right hand. Today I am not noticing it, sometimes it drives me nuts and cramps for days. The EMG came back normal. It's really hard trying to figure out what is caused by what, when these flare up and down all the time!!

Hey again DebMarPir,

My understanding is that fibro doesn't cause joint swelling, so likely your knee is victim to something else going on. That said, fibro could be making the pain of it all worse. I get joint pain a lot, and it's definitely in the mix as a feature of fibro, but would imagine that if a joint swelled up I would be scoping for another cause.

Hand pain seems to be something that varies a lot between different fibro sufferers. I've seen pressure gloves advertised for fibromyalgia, so that might be worth investigating if you keep having trouble.

 

[DebMarPir]

Appreciate that help, Jemima. My knee is still hurting a lot on walking, requiring a cane. Tomorrow I will call the orthopedist and if it's much of a wait, probably go to the ER. They will just do an xray, which I doubt will show anything. I have this feeling it might be a torn meniscus from what I've read. Which means schedule MRI... I am so tired of all the waiting post-Covid for visits and tests. Argh. Some of my symptoms have been coming in going in other respects than the knee, so I wasn't sure if the fibro could cause the pain and the swelling, so what you said helps me discern. Thank you!

 

[Jemima]

Appreciate that help, Jemima. My knee is still hurting a lot on walking, requiring a cane. Tomorrow I will call the orthopedist and if it's much of a wait, probably go to the ER. They will just do an xray, which I doubt will show anything. I have this feeling it might be a torn meniscus from what I've read. Which means schedule MRI... I am so tired of all the waiting post-Covid for visits and tests. Argh. Some of my symptoms have been coming in going in other respects than the knee, so I wasn't sure if the fibro could cause the pain and the swelling, so what you said helps me discern. Thank you!

All the delays are desperate aren't they - it seems to be everywhere. I hope you find the help you need!