Arthritis forum

I am sorry to hear of youse's unfortunate diagnoses. I sincerely hope that my information might be of assistance to youse who are facing difficulties with arthritis. I don't know anything about rheumatoid arthritis whatsoever, but I know a fair bit about osteoarthritis.

Youse might wish to try taking Arthelio (containing a unique combination of an inactivated culture of Bifidobacterium Longum CBi0703 and Vitamin C specifically formulated to contribute towards normal collagen forming for the healthy function of cartilage). It is NOT a medicine; it is a food supplement, basically. Pamex distributes this to pharmacies here in Ireland. It ain't that common 'cos it is relatively new to the market and is very pricey. Youse's pharmacists or youse's GPs or youse's medical consultants may be able to advise youse on whether or not it would be suitable. It is definitely way more effective than taking Dona, though.

Youse may want to try using FlexiSEQ or FlexiSEQ Max Strength for osteoarthritis. It relieves pain, improves mobility and lubricates cartilage. Pretty much any pharmacy should have this gel stocked very frequently.

For pain relief, youse could also perhaps try using Diclac or Nurofen Gel. Sprays and/or gels from Deep Freeze and/or Deep Heat might provide you with pain relief also. Gel from BIOFREEZE might help youse also. Again, pretty much every pharmacy should have these stocked frequently.

I'd be inclined to steer clear of using Nurofen,et cetera in tablet form, because they can be very hard on the tummy when frequently used over even relatively short periods of time.

In my honest opinion, the long-popular copper wrist bracelets and/or copper footwear insoles are fairly effective.

If youse ever happen to face severe mobility issues, then you will likely want to obtain a quadraped walking cane or a three- or four-wheeled walker.

I'd strongly suggest that youse consult a fully qualified physiotherapist who can provide you with simple, yet effective strengthening exercises for you to perform at home. The same professionals who help those with sports injuries do indeed provide assistance to those with arthritis also. A physio also can perform deep-tissue massages for youse. A physio may also recommend that youse use a textile supporting brace for your knees, elbows, shoulders, back or hips. It is really best to ask a physio's advice before purchasing a support brace youse-selves from a pharmacy or an adaptive-living retail outlet. They do indeed help many people in numerous circumstances, but physios usually recommend against their frequent use.

I'd also advise that youse try going to a hydrotherapy at a specialist pool or perhaps at a hotel swimming-pool centre. That basically amounts to walking through water in a heated pool. It really does help in a big way, though!

Perhaps a holistic healer may be of assistance to youse. I've heard of holistic healing, but I dunno anything about it myself.

Finally, youse's GPs/medical consultants/physios may possibly refer youse to an oesteopath or to a orthopedic surgeon for artificial-implant surgery, if youse's conditions might unfortunately worsen profoundly.

I wish youse all the best in alleviating the symptoms of arthritis.