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I often wonder how my life 80 yr life would be had NOT done the invasive hip job....I wonder that probably every day. I've been a strong active busy person and this job stopped most of that life. I have no other issues, strong heart, no diseases but this "job" I live with. So yes I deal with anger and can't be too joyful about it all.
This is a defeatist attitude. Focusing on this negativity and blame won't help. Here is a quote from you,
"What we think and put in our minds, does matter. The more negative thoughts the more negative outcomes."
I'm with you on avoiding surgery whenever possible. I am 65 and have not required any surgeries and certainly haven't elected any ... hoping I can go a few more years without the need for it but if I don't, I can accept that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saibot
But doesn't osteoarthritis cause numbness all by itself, with no surgery involved?
Yes, arthritis in the lower back can cause gawdawful pain, weakness and numbness in the leg and hip. I know because I used to have it. Jam has complained of this lower back pain too, and has said that she's had body wide arthritis since age 18.
The millions of people who suffer pain from osteoarthritis would probably welcome that. Numbness isn't usually considered a symptom of advanced OA. There are other reasons your MIL could have numbness in her fingers including damage to multiple nerves. Is she diabetic?
No, she is not diabetic and she has been told by her doctor that the numbness in her fingertips is caused by her enlarged arthritic knuckles squeezing or encroaching on the nerves.
No, she is not diabetic and she has been told by her doctor that the numbness in her fingertips is caused by her enlarged arthritic knuckles squeezing or encroaching on the nerves.
Guess you had your answer before you asked the question.
Guess you had your answer before you asked the question.
It was a rhetorical question aimed at Jamin, who seems to believe that previous surgery is the ONLY possible cause of her nerve damage. It seemed less rude than saying "You should know that OA alone can cause numbness."
It was a rhetorical question aimed at Jamin, who seems to believe that previous surgery is the ONLY possible cause of her nerve damage. It seemed less rude than saying "You should know that OA alone can cause numbness."
No, she is not diabetic and she has been told by her doctor that the numbness in her fingertips is caused by her enlarged arthritic knuckles squeezing or encroaching on the nerves.
Exactly, and it has been discovered that when pain is involved, it's not because of bone growth pressing on the nerve. It's because the nerve is inflamed, most often because of inflammatory things consumed, which I pointed out in a previous post.
Exactly, and it has been discovered that when pain is involved, it's not because of bone growth pressing on the nerve. It's because the nerve is inflamed, most often because of inflammatory things consumed, which I pointed out in a previous post.
Okay, we are talking about two different things. Pain and numbness are opposites.
Complications from surgery are well known, it's no secret, and that is why patients are told the risks and benefits of surgery and must sign a consent form.
I had major surgery in the 70s and even back then was told there could be complications, which is just common sense. After all, they're cutting you open and removing parts of your body...what could go wrong? You'd have to be pretty dense to think every surgery is guaranteed to fix you right up and cause no other damage in the process. No surgeon gives that guarantee.
If you need surgery, you have the choice to do it or not. No one puts a gun to your head.
Some might think you lack social skills. Not me. I know you are a @#$%&*. But that's just my opinion.
Oh I have 60some yrs of back OA and no numbness in the back. Back was never surgically touched. The rest of the stuff so much nerve damage and so many suffer out there with this damage from so many reasons and so have no idea by, so their docs call it ideopathic. There are reasons.
Thinking about the lower back issues, I've had some "burning" from time to time but not feeling that now.
OA is so different for most but the same in many ways.
I have osteoarthritis and sciatic pain and while I have had other joint surgeries I have had none on my lower back so I can't use that as an excuse for the pain. When it happens I use a heating pad and take ibuprofen, sometimes that's enough to reduce the inflammation and alleviate the symptoms. A few times it progressed to foot drop so I;ve had epidural corticosteroid injections, the last one has given me relief for over 10 years. You don't always have direct pain in your back when you have a radiculopathy, I ruptured c6-c7 and there was no pain in my neck but my fingers were numb and I had a pain down my arm that felt like someone was dumping molten lava into my arm.
If I were you I would explore some treatment options and not worry too much about 'how' it happened because that won't fix it. At least try a heating pad, nerve pain is usually caused by inflammation from bone spurs etc. I'm 72 and in spite of having a fairly severe case of osteoarthritis I walk about 1.5 miles a day and get around just fine.
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