Question
I have been dealing w/tendonitis in right forearm area for about yr.  Tried braces & cortisone to no avail.-been putting off surgery to release tendon sheath.  All of sudden I began expriencing "new" pain right above that area at base of thumb where it meets wrist.  Thought maybe tendonitis had spread up higher.  Really affecting my ability to function, so tried brace to no avail & saw my Ortho Dr.  Xray showed arthritis & bone spur.  Wants me to try cortisone shot, then if doesn't work...surgery.  I have raynauds & connective tissue disease.  Is this most likely osteoarthritis or could it be rheumatiod?  Is there anything else that could be done to get rid of bonespur?  I have multiple ulcers so I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs-is there any other type of meds that could help w/pain?  Thanks for your insight.

Answer
Jayne,

Sorry to hear about the suffering you are going through.

I understand about NSAIDs. I lost a kidney to them.

I have good news and bad news. The bad news first. There is nothing short of surgery you can do about the bone spur except to treat the uncomfortable symptoms caused by it except to remove it.

The good news is there are several supplements out there that are as effective or more effective than NSAIDs.

Omega 3 fatty acids are very effective in controlling inflammation. They are also good for your heart and have many other health benefits. My only concern with these is most come from fish and fish oils have mercury and lead in them. So look for a product that has been through a purification process to remove these or look for a vegetable source like flax seed.

Turmeric is a very good anti-inflammatory.

Cetyl Myristoleate is also good for controlling the inflammation associated with arthritis. It is a cetylized form of fatty acid. I used this product to control my arthritis for years. I now use Tumeric because of it's cancer prevention qualities. (I am a two time survivor of cancer.)

I wish you well and hope this helps.

Rusty
http://arthritis-symptom.com/