Question
My wife who is 77 has been diagnosed with advancing degenerative osteoarthritis. It has manifested most in her knees and she has trouble walking without a great deal of pain. She is considering knee replacement possibly. Lately she has had pulsating pain from her neck down her right arm which doesn't seem to let up.  She is constantly fatigued because of all the pain.  She also complains of burninbg sensations in her hands.  She is hypothyroidic and has been taking medication for that since she was 20.  She has it checked periodically by an endocrinologist. I just thought that someone like you might be able to suggest some remedies or strategies for her to use for the pain. I hate to see her suffering like this. She has regular medical checkups but no one seems to be able to help her with the pain.  Otherwise she is in good health, with no high blood pressure or heart condition and has been getting accupuncture for several years on a regular basis.  This has helped some.  She insists that the weather is a big factor in the recurrence of the pain.  Like with the long winter, rainy spring and shifts from high to low pressure that have been happening.  Do you think that weather is a factor? Just hoping.

Thanks

Answer
Dear John, thank you for your question.
Sorry to hear about your wife's pain, it can indeed be debilitating.
First, we all have certain amounts of osteoarthritis, but if it isn't too painful, you don't have to worry about it. Knee replacement is a serious surgery and should only be done, when standard of living declines because of it. I have treated many patients, who's joints were bone on bone, but the pain wasn't that great. With exercises, surgery was delayed.
I don' think that her hypothyroidism is the cause of her problems. The shooting pain and burning sensation in her hands, sounds like a neck problem (pinched nerve).
Are the walking difficulties due to knee pain or general stiffness or balance problems?
It sounds like she had degenerative changes in her spine, particularly in the neck and low back. The disc space gets smaller and the openings, where the nerves exit from the spine, have gotten smaller, possibly pressing on them. This can cause pain, numbness, tingling, weakness and burning sensations.
We cannot change the anatomy, but you can use posture to put less pressure on the nerves. Try to hold the head as erect as possible (trying to line up ears over shoulders (your wife may not have the mobility anymore, so she should go as far as she comfortably can). Keep sitting to 1 hour or less, to avoid excessive pressure on the spine.
Sleeping posture is also important, try sleeping with only 1 pillow or 2 small-medium ones ad don't curl up in the fetal position, place a pillow under or between knees.
If balance is a problem, try walking with a cane. To help unload the spine, lie down on the bed 2-3 times daily for 10-15 minutes.
I highly recommend that she see a specialist, like an Orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in spine care. They can properly diagnose her and recommend some anti-inflammatory meds to help with the pain. To get her stamina back, try water aerobics (less pressure on the spine) or gentle exercises with physical therapy.
I hope this helps, let me know.
Heidi