Went to rheumy yesterday.

I got a 2 for 1 bargain in the arthritis deparment. Along with AS and all it's problems, I was lucky enough to get osteoarthritis in my hips thrown in for free.

Like everyone else I love a good deal but this one I could have passed on. Any suggestions on how to proceed with treatment of the two?

Teri,

I have had that diagnosis, but then some years later, was laughed at because no evidence.
Care for yourself, keeping reading, and stay on that diet. But I wonder if the diagnosis will change...
What part of the great state do you live in?

Teri: I feel your pain literally. I have OA too with AS -spinal stenosis and bulging discs. I don't feel the OA as much as the AS pain. I just started taking Life Extension Super Bio-Curcumin and Life Extension ArthroMax Advanced. The two supplements together are supposed to help with restoring your joint and bringing down inflammation. The doc told me they should start working in a few months.

I would see a PT to learn hip exercises so you don't stiffen up more in the back or your hips. Or if you are comfortable trying Tai Chi, it helps me stretch my entire body on days I can. Yoga is too sedentary for me and Pilates is too aggressive on my body.

Keep fighting the battle!

Shari

I have OA,AS and IBD also. When God created me, there was a three for the price of one special going on.

Well, I've got the diagnosis of OA but the symptoms of AS (complete with major inflammatory flare at the moment). Wish they would get their package labelling right!

starting to feel the OA in my knees; like when i squat down, near impossible to get back up again. and doctors have told me i have OA in some other joints that have been imaged.

but nothing i can't handle at the moment, so haven't really concerned myself with the OA for now. i've been assuming i'd just treat / deal with the OA the way that anyone with OA would, so read stuff on OA too and talk to friends and family with OA, but that may be way too naive, i don't know. so will be interested to hear the advice of others with more advanced OA, see how they've been handling it.

cindy (manatee) has talked quite a bit about her OA in her knees; hope she sees this and responds.

Sue, I found that ice packs work better then anything else for knee pain. For years, I have treated mine with knee braces to help support my knees, Biofreeze-will give 2-3 hours of relief and ice packs. After my knee replacements, I had a refrigerator freezer full of ice packs in different sizes. I learned to make my own, it's just a combination of rubbing alcohol and water in zip-lock bags. I used 2 parts alcohol to one part water and doubled up on the zip lock bags to prevent leaking. It sure saves money.

thanks donna for that practical advice!

i am already the icepack queen!

what got me through the worst of my tendonitises before LDN, gets me through my SI flares better than almost anything else (other than pred), my upper back / rib flares. for driving, etc etc.

didn't know it was a good treatment for OA. now i know, so thank you.

Thank's Donna,

That is so cool, no pun intended, that you learned to make your own ice packs. I'm all over it.

My sister has OA and her knees and elbows are shot. She needs to have hydro-something acid shots in the joints. Real good huh? So dang tired and depressed right now, I can't find my word. Anyway the Dr. said that in the very least she needs those but really needs to have knee replacement. She can't even get the shot's because she has no insurance so she takes her tramadol and goes on with it. She will spend money on everything else but won't save money for these shot's. She has Lupus as well and all of that inflammation has gotten her into bad shape. She had 2 heart attacks a few week's ago. Still out shopping and hitting the bar's. Sorry about the rant-really!

I have AS,OA in both hips,my back is shot and I have a double bulge in C5 C6.

The NSD has helped me tremendously,but it doesn't do anything for the arthritits that has developed in my left hip.The symtoms seem to be slowing down in my right hip.During a flare it hurts and the tendons fel sloppy and popping every time I bend over.

My left hip is worse.It has bone spurs( my leg is 1 half inch longer then the right.I think it's due to my chiropractor popping it out years ago and it never went back in) and it's bone on bone now.
I get a cortazone shot every 6 months in the left hip,and it really helps,but towards the end of the sixth month the pain is horrible.They tell me I'll need a replacement soon,but I wanna hold off as long as I can.

I was getting injections in my SI joints too, but with the NSD I won't be needing them. I'm trying to get off the NSAIDs but when I do everything hurts.