Topic: Anyone else gardening with arthritis?

[Derek]

Hi Charlotte

Hip doing fine...had my clips out today and walked down to the shops ...about a mile... no adverse reaction .. Whoopee...won't be long before I am let out and hopefully get my vehicle keys back  ;D

My Governor suffers with arthritis in her hands and has found that oranges and tomatoes make it far worse.. if she keeps away from them the hands are almost normal

Derek

[rosebud]

As an Osteoarthritis sufferer may i suggest for the pain you ask your Dr for a tablet called (ARTHROTEC )it is amazing, i need a double knee replacement and cannot have it because of my heart, but this tablet really works wonders.
Do check you are allowed to have it though. ;D

[aquilegia]

It hasn't been diagnosed, but I'm pretty certian I have arthritis in my left knee. It gets very stiff and painful when the weather is damp or humid. The only way I find it hinders my gardening is I have to be careful how I sit (not cross legged for too long) and sometimes have difficulty crouching. I don't take anything for it. Tried cidar vinegar tablets, which did seem to help, but I keep forgetting to take them!

I also have problems with my right elbow and my left shoulder, stiff and sometimes achey, but that's due to both of them being broken in the past.

My mum and gran both suffer from arthritis and garden. Unfortunately gran's is now stopping her from doing much gardening (at the grand old age of 90!) She also has carpol tunnel syndrone.

[Charlotte Sometimes]

I have managed my psoriasis herbally for a few years now, and its better than ever.   ;D

Charlie, what do you use for your psoriasis? I've suffered with this (and the arthritis that goes with it) for 17 years now. I've found homeopathy very good for my arthritis, but never managed to get on top of the psoriasis

D

Most of it is dietary - I don't eat anything containing Gluten anymore.  That's wheat bread, oats, barley and I think rye too.  Potatoes and rice are naturally gluten-free, so those are my main sources of carbohydrates.  I have thought the improvement may just be that I eat less processed food, but the improvement has been radical.  If I'm naughty and eat e.g. a pasty or sandwich I actually itch now.  :o  Alcohol is also very bad for psoriasis, you will notice after sufficient quantities it gets redder and hot to touch.  :(

I found a very good herbalist who makes great creams.  I hate to advertise, but here's his web site.  http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.positive_herbs/  The cream I have used is Code 18, for psoriasis.  It contains a bit of callendula amongst other things and smells delicious.  Its doesn't cure the psoriasis, but is very moisturising and stops the itching right away.

I've yet to find anything that works brilliantly for scalp psoriasis (I use Olive Oil or Epaderm).  Hope this helps!  :)

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Charlotte as a migraine sufferer I can truely empathise, especially as mine are also neck related! I have gone the route of a cranial osteopath and I swear she is a marvel!!

Sorry to hear you get migraines, too.  Wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.  I did have some oesteopathy a while back - a lady called Kathryn who also did cranial.  She was very good actually.  But in those days I wasn't diagnosed with anything, nobody knew why I had a bad back, so I'm guessing she could be even more effective this time.  However, they are about £26 a go, and until I can find a job (part-time most likely) I just can't afford it.  At my old surgery they could prescribe oesteopathy, but my new place only has an acupuncturist.  I agree, I would like to take fewer medicines, but the migraines.... they are really "shoot-yerself-in-the-head" type pain and I do wonder if I could manage without.  Would probably pitch up at A&E.  :o  You never know - maybe with a bit of osteopathy I might get fewer migraines.  ::)

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Derek

Glad to hear its working out well for you.  Long may it continue!

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Rosebud

Arthrotec contains NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammtories).  The ibuprofen family of drugs really upset my stomach, and yes, they're beginning to be the focus of a lot of bad research findings - e.g. risk for heart disease, as you already know.  They also commonly cause ulceration along the GI tract when used long term.  They get a bad rap on the arthritis forums for causing GI bleeds, as well.  IMO they're better of avoided for long term use.  Although codeine and so on wreck your kidneys, so err, take your pick, they all have their downsides.  ::)

Hope you're doing well, btw!  This showery weather wreaks havoc on us, doesn't it?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

It hasn't been diagnosed, but I'm pretty certian I have arthritis in my left knee. It gets very stiff and painful when the weather is damp or humid.

Sounds about right.  ::)  Not to worry though - you're still active and up and about.  :)  It was necessary for me to go the medical route because it has also badly affected my work.  I can't sit at a desk for 7-8 hours these days, but going back into teaching is a possible, now I'm actually diagnosed and on some meds.  If its only mild you're better off without all the meds, my opinion only (only you know how painful it is).  If meds can be avoided thats the best plan. 

[aquilegia]

Agree about meds Charlotte.

I don't like putting manmade chemicals into my body and avoid medicine unless necessary. That's why I haven't gone to the doctor about it - they'll probably just put me on some medication and I won't want to take it!

It's not that painful. (I've had much worse!)

[Robert_Brenchley]

anyone tried apitherapy (bee stings) for arthritis? i don't have it and can't speak from experience, but other people swear by it. Regular stings certainly seem to jolt your immune system into action.

[carrot-cruncher]

Glucosimine & cod liver oil every day.

I'm 34 & have problems in both wrists due to a serious accident aged 12.   I too found that it took approx 3 months to see any benefits from the glucosimine but the doctor wouldn't give my anything as he said I was too young.

I've developed one or two little tricks which help my wrists but I also have two wrist supports with built in magnets which I wear when doing any gardening.   I've found  that keeping my wrists warm helps them a lot so I wear gloves longer than most people, they may laugh at me but I don't care 'cos the pain is much worse.

CC

[rosebud]

Aqui when you say you don't put man made chemicals into your body ,i wish i had that choice, i HAVE to take 16 tablets a day for my heart, and i know they have made my Arthritis worse but they keep me upright most of the time.
I don't take Arthrotec myself now, i was given them by mistake,and they made me feel quite ill but i was pain free for 3 days  BLISS.  Rosebud. ;D

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Glucosimine & cod liver oil every day.

I'm 34 & have problems in both wrists due to a serious accident aged 12.   I too found that it took approx 3 months to see any benefits from the glucosimine but the doctor wouldn't give my anything as he said I was too young.

I've developed one or two little tricks which help my wrists but I also have two wrist supports with built in magnets which I wear when doing any gardening.   I've found  that keeping my wrists warm helps them a lot so I wear gloves longer than most people, they may laugh at me but I don't care 'cos the pain is much worse.

CC

Too young!  I'm 32!  Oh well, I've already said what I think about medicines.  Don't worry about looking silly with your long gloves!  If you want silly (and embarrassing) I've got an old ladies "shopper" on wheels, which I have to take into Lewisham if I want to do grocery shopping.  My days of a pushbike and big rucksack are long gone!  Beause I'm so young, all the store detectives think I'm on the nick.   ;D

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Rosebud - I understand your dilemma.  We'd all prefer not to be taking the meds, but I, like you, can't manage without some days.  I also get a bad rap from the docs for not taking my painkillers on a daily, routine basis.  I prefer to take them only when really needed - when its raining, and the migraines start to threaten.

I expect you have found that you need to look medicines up, as the doctors don't fully explain what the pros and cons are.  The big book that doctors look up all their meds in is called BNF (British National Formulary).  BNF is also on the internet (albeit you have to register, but you don't have to be a doctor to do that).  I'm very pro-active in reading about drugs because I have had nasty side effects to things in the past and not been informed in advance that such-and-such is a common problem.  So, I have developed a little paranoia about looking things up.  If you have also reached that stage, here is the web address for BNF - http://www.bnf.org/bnf/.  :)

[Rose.mary]

Hi
Has anybody tried the Bowen technique. My daughter studied it for a while as it works on horses. She needed somebody to practice on (me) I (of course) did not really believe it  :P but was very surprised when my pain disappeared after a few days.
Go on the internet and read about it. You have nothing to lose but pain.
Rosemary

P.S. I have further treatment about every 6 months just to keep on top form. R

[tim]

Derek - yellow toms are supposed to be OK?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

anyone tried apitherapy (bee stings) for arthritis? i don't have it and can't speak from experience, but other people swear by it. Regular stings certainly seem to jolt your immune system into action.

I thought bees died when they stung you?  Is that a myth?  Perhaps they should use wasps instead.  ;D

Never tried it, anyhow.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They often do. The sting is barbed, and sticks in mammalian skin, with the result that even if you bruch the bee straight off, in theory at least, you get the full dose of poison since the sting apparatus breaks away and is left behind with a large chunk of the bee's abdomen. In practice, I'd say the sting is left behind in about 50% of the stings I get, so the other 50% of stinging bees will live to tell the tale. I don't know how long the de-stinged bee takes to die, but I have seen one foraging on Himalayan balsam, apparently quite happily.

[Derek]

Tim

Thanks for that ...maybe I have time to get a few seeds planted for this year...'The Governor' will be pleased

Cheers
Derek

[granny unicorn]

Hi Charlie
I too suffer, trouble is I get angry because I can't do things I used too.
I take glucosamine, it took nearly 3 months to work, seems to be giving relief, can't stop in case it is working. The pleasure I get from veg growing outways the pain, to grow, harvest & eat your own veg is worth it.

Just joined think the site is great - lots of help.