cemc - lucky for me I am in the glasgow area, so will definitely ask about seeing that specific dr. i should maybe look him up first and get his name right first though

I find ibuprofen does definitely help, especially with the stiffness, but I don't think my doc is keen on giving me anything stronger before a diagnosis.. I'll try pushing for it as I do see positive results.. just not strong enough ones. I generally take solpadol but maybe thats just to get me through the day at work ha ha
thanks for all your helpful suggestions!