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Sunday, July, 20, 2008

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lwashington
lwashington
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I currently serve in the Army. Been in for three years and love ...

04/23/08
lwashington
Category:Living With Chronic Pain

what does arthritis feel like

I sprained my ankle in may 2006, brostum repair to my atfl ligament in april 07. arthroscopy in jan 08. I don't have any problems with instability in my ankle but great pain. Stiffness comes when I don't move my ankle around. But if I move it too much, I get even more pain. It pops in the front of the joint and in the rear. I cannot sleep at night, due to overwhelming pressure inside my ankle. But my doctor has told me there is nothing further he could do. I have taken nsaids for two years now and I am tired of the pain but I do not know how to describe the pain. I am 26 years old and have never felt arthritis before. I am sure I will have pain for the rest of my life but I am seeking ways to control it and diminish it.

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Answers (1)
Joy Buchanan
Joy Buchanan
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I am a content producer for HealthCentral Network.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Hi lwashington,

 

I don't have arthritis, but I know how people have described it and what the information on our site says.

 

  • The most common symptom of osteoarthritis in any joint is pain that worsens during activity and gets better during rest. As the disease advances, the pain may occur even when the joint is at rest.
  • Pain is generally described as aching, stiffness, and loss of mobility.
  • The pain may behave like a roller coaster, with bad spells followed by periods of relative relief.
  • Pain seems to increase in humid weather.
  • Some people experience muscle spasm and contractions in the tendons.

Sometimes, it even makes noise, like a crackling sound, especially in an arthritic knee joint.

 

Young people like yourself are getting arthritis and even having joint replacement more and more. Usually, their osteoarthritis begins because of an injury, which sounds like that's what happened to you.

 

I'm sorry that your doctor said there's nothing more to do. I'm sure that's not true. Have you gotten a second opinion?

What other treatments have you tried besides the NSAIDs?

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