Question
I am 18 years old, about 5ft 8in tall, 133 lbs, in graet athletic shape however, I have had severe joint pain for around 4-5 years now. I have had every test possible (blood test, cat scan, bone scan, MRI, Muscle biopsy, and went through physical therapy twice). The pain has only gotten worse over the years. The specialist I have been seeing has diagosied me with arthritis in my joints. To try to help with the pain she has given around 20 different kinds of medications that I have tried and proved no positive results over the years. The pain that I am having is extreme and numerous cracking in my joints, stiffness, unconfortable and constent pain, sometimes spasms. I really do not want to live off pills for the rest of my life. I want to find another way. I am hoping that mabye I will grow out of this. I do not understand why I have the pain because I am in amazing shape, I exercise everyday, I was a standout track and field athlete runner,also in soccer, baseball, swimming, and basketball and I even think I have good posture for my back. If you could offer any help, insight or suggestions to what I should or can do? Thank you so much.

Answer
Being a tremendous athlete tells me that you put your body through some wear-n-tear, which in the long run can cause arthritic symptoms.  But you are a little too young for that.  Without a proper exam, I can only tell you that you need a proper exam, someone that specializes in joint movements.  I suggest chiropractic.  I treat many people everyday with joint aches and it is usually due to improper muscle balance (yes even though you are in great shape), and that is usually due to bony misalignment.  Get an evaluation.  I suggest going to www.sorsi.com to locate a doctor near you, mainly because I am a member of this group but also because I trust each one of their decisions.  I am located in St. Paul, Minnesota and would be happy to see you.  If you have any other questions or concerns or need help finding a doctor, email me.

Dr. Starbuck