Arthritic Knee.

Sorry to hear that your husband has joined the ranks of the arthritic. Have you looked at the Arthritis UK website? There’s a lot of helpful information there.

Ask to be put on the waiting list for a knee replacement? Could be ages but at least you'd have a place in the queue.

I have developed the same, just this year and seen the muscular skeleton physio with the same diagnosis as your husband ( I also feel it in my neck at times and the thumb joints a bit) and some exercises to do most of which are part of my ordinary day anyway
I have tried numerous recommended fantastic creams and supplements which have made no difference whatsoever. So don’t bother going down that route
I am not rushing for the injections as everything I ve read and everything I ve been told by those further down the line than me, tells me the relief from the injections does not last very long and gets shorter the more injections you have. In fact, one friend told me that his third injection has only given him two weeks of relief. I not keen on the knee replacement as although the hip replacement seems really good I ve heard such mixed reviews about the knee, with some regretting having had it done Two friends have both said that if the other one goes they re not having it done. It takes much longer to get over than the hip and you can be in more pain after than before for a lot of months. (I know there will be a lot of people saying go for it mines been great)
So where does that leave me a bit up the creek without a paddle, isn’t it?
I find good old tiger balm helps a little bit as I don’t want to take regular painkillers.Otherwise I m just going to plough on
in the hope that it won’t get too bad too quickly.
If you find an answer let me know 🤔

I presume eating lots of oily fish no longer helps?

There is a long running, knees and hips thread on this site somewhere.
It is often difficult to find as it rarely pops up in trending.

www.gransnet.com/forums/health/1353047--Hips-and-Knees-part-7

The trouble with x rays is that someone can have an x ray that shows mild arthritis and be in a lot of pain but someone’s knee can look awful in an x ray and are in no pain at all. I find that the exercises my physio gave me do help but you have to do them all the time. Walking poles help, too. I did manage to see a consultant but he pointed out that some people regret having a TKR. Told me to think about a TKR and he’d see me in six months time then promptly retired and I’m still waiting to see his replacement ( still don’t know what to do). I think the referral system is changing soon but I don’t know what the implications are. Steroid injection did nothing for me but I think they like you to have one before considering a TKR as they do help some people. I don’t understand why it takes so long to get a steroid injection. I had to wait weeks. When I worked at a medical centre you could get same day appointments and have them done ( we always had some on the shelf). I think GP’s are pretty useless when it comes to joint pain

Some of your questions in the opening post, need answering by a medical person or current GP.
Not sure there are any of those on this site.

Are you a member of mumsnet?

I think if you were to pose the same opening post on there, you would get some answers right away.

I had an injection which didn't help for long, then an arthroscopy where they scrape out all the random floating bits of cartilage. That gave me about three years before it got so bad again that I couldn't walk well at all. For me, it wasn't so much the pain as my knees were collapsing inwards so there wasn't too much friction. I just couldn't walk and they kept giving way (you get points for that). In the end I paid for a private consultation and then used my future care home fund to pay for the first one and got the second done on the NHS (I was advised to pick a surgeon who did NHS work too), so a sort of BOGOF. That's the "step ladder". Physio is just the first rung.

It is a very, very painful operation to recover from and takes a good while. I know people who've had one done but then not wanted to face having the second one, so really haven't gained much as they still can't walk. You'll never get back the mobility of youth. I still have some discomfort from my knee caps if I've been sitting for a while and kneeling is a brief exercise when on hard ground! Also, it took well over a year before I stood any chance of being able to bend my ankle and knee to peddle a bike. I'm now working on ankle bend and balance exercises although I shan't bike again as I don't feel safe.

But, I can now walk several miles, swim, climb hills and clamber around up ladders and on boats, and have sat on a horse again. All things I'd not been able to do before. I could probably do more but I'm lax on exercising to get the leg muscles back working as they should.

Hope this helps.

Xrays for knees and hips are graded 1-4. 4 being bone grinding on bone.

I have had both knees replaced with a long gap between. I decided the time had come for surgery when the pain woke me at night. The right knee was never 100 % but the left was excellent and took some of the strain from the right. I was in a lot of pain for around 6 weeks post op[ but a friend of mine was walking up and downstairs almost painfree.

Unfortunately if you don't have surgery eventually you may not be able to walk because of pain. Also, the knee can become deformed making it more difficult to operate.

Save your money and don't go privately yet as I fear you may be told the same.

Would your husband consider seeing an orthopaedic surgeon privately to get an expert opinion on whether it’s time ( or heading that way) for a knee replacement?

Some surgeons operate both privately and for the NHS so he should be given an approximate idea of the waiting time, plus the cost of having it done privately, if that would be possible for you both.

If the knee definitely needs to be replaced, physiotherapy and injections are only a stop-gap.

Perhaps you could both ask around for any recommendations for a good surgeon.
You may well find that the same name comes up.

Despite what some physiotherapists will tell you, if a joint needs replacing, it needs replacing and unfortunately no amount of physiotherapy will help.

If you can afford a private consultation with an Orthopaedic surgeon {around £300} then go ahead. They will be able to access your husband’s x rays and give him an examination. They can add him to their NHS waiting list too.

you need an MRI not just x rays. i have arthritis in my knee and hip with suffering transferred pain. though not easy i find it best not to sit for long try and move a bit it eases it. i also have steroid injections that help a bit but wearing off now so due for next lot. my specialist is good. if you go private no telling the specialist is what you want. i would go back to GP

Sometimes it's the hospital policy. I was seen for years at one hospital who refused to even x ray my shoulder because they said there was no point, it was obviously arthritis. When I moved house I moved hospital and within months I had a shoulder replacement because my shoulder was so bad. The same with my knee, repeated physio at the first hospital and now I'm on the waiting list for TKR at the second hospital.

My knees stopped hurting when I gavemup cow’s cheese. I now eat sheeps or goats and no longer have the screws.

Once you're bone on bone no injection, physio or ointment is ever going to help.

I totally agree with Aveline

I was pushed from pillar to post every 6 months that my knee became so bad I needed a tibial osteotomy as well because of the deformity caused by doing nothing until I said something.

Ask your GP for an MRI scan because they cost money and better to get that done on the NHS. Try to find your own orthopaedic surgeon rather than whoever your GP suggests. For starters chose somebody who does hips and knees only and is not too old!

Thank you for all your helpful replies.

To answer one or two, yes, I’m on Mumsnet also, but assumed arthritic knees were more of a GN issue. Not sure why they would know more about it all, assuming they seem a younger lot on the whole.

I’ve had a look at the arthritis thread, but will also look up the arthritis website.

We would be willing to pay for private consultations and surgery if required, no point money in the bank if you can’t do much and are in pain.

In the waiting room at the surgery when we were there for the x Ray results, it seemed as though everyone was either on sticks, crutches or a mobility scooter! And most of them looked younger than DH.

Will make enquiries about private/NHS consultants.