Re: Tendons

[Guest guest]

In article <922396697.24048onelist>, PBias@... writes

>From: PBias@...

>

>Dave, So you only have the two conditions and they are attachment conditions

to

>the 5 subsets. They should be considered as major symptoms for classification

>purposes. More subsets.

>

>The tendons are a major problem for me. I just figure that it is going to lead

>to the joint damage.

My Rheumy says thatit won't necessarily go to my joints (about a 40%

chance he said). There is also the possibility of spontaneous

remission...I've had this happen in my fingers 3 years ago and also this

time in one elbow and in my knees (patellar tendons).

> The tendons aren't doing their job so they are allowing

>destruction of the joints.

I don't understand this logic. Have you had any Xrays done? If the

joints themselves do become affected it should be fairly obvious due to

the position/nature of the pain and the redness/swelling at the joint.

> I wonder what the joints will look like in five

>years? Maybe, for most people the damage is done before they know of the

disease

>so it is easier to classify. I can't ignore my tendons because they are so

>messed up that they have interfered with my quality of life. Thank goodness the

>pain meds loosen the tendons up to allow movement.

>

I find that excecise ,in moderation, loosens up my fingers (playing the

piano) and walking with the correct footwear helps make the pain of the

achilles tendonitis/enthesitis go away. I only take pain meds when

absolutely necessary.

--

Dave Bentley

[Guest guest]

Supposition that the tendon problem will lead toward joint damage ie.

The tendons at the ankles were swelling off and on for a few weeks

causing the ankle to give inwards while walking on anything but a level

smooth surface. Had to get inserts for the boots in order to stay at

work. If the ankles are giving then they are not staying in position

allowing for popping of the joints and/or rubbing of the bones to occur.

Multiply that by joints over most of the body being stressed by the

tendons.

I had an MRI showing the tendons swollen and wriggly not nice and

straight like they should be. All regular xrays were normal and showed

all bones are fine.

The tendons are messed up to the point that I wish stretching and

exercise would loosen them up. Instead they clamp down so hard that I am

unable to move or even pick up a glass of water if I don't take the pain

pills. I keep waiting for the 25mg methotrexate weekly to enable me to

cut back on the pain meds. The meth is working but it is still SLOWLY

reversing the damage to the tendons. I had to give up shift work and go

into the lab and work flexible hours. My daily " work " used to consist of

climbing stairs 8 stories high one to three times daily along with other

stairs and crawling up rung ladders and shoveling and many different

forms of exercise in my routine job of being a quality control

technician. Now I do more paperwork and research. It keeps me away from

the ladders, most stairs and moving belts in the plant. A year ago I

couldn't get on a forklift because of the PA and now I can get on one. A

year ago I couldn't put my foot on any rung to climb up and the bosses

put in steps at a couple locations that had only one rung so I coud

continue to do my shift job. I was doing more harm than good to my body.

Today I go into work at noon so as to be there during office hours of

places we buy supplies from and am still at work late enough to test the

raw material received everyday taking away some of the burden on the

shift techs. It turned out to be a win win situation for everybody.

I hope your Rheumy is right and it doesn't go the joints.

Take care,

Pat B

[Guest guest]

Yes, yes, yes. This is recent development for me, too. Suddenly the

tendons on the front of both legs have decided to act like I've been

mountain climbing all week. I can hardly walk for the pain and aching,

swelling and redness nearly to my knee on both shins. The docs just shake

their heads. " Overuse injury of the tendons. " How? Doing what? I cannot

seem to make them understand that I am following my time honored exercise

program of putting one foot in front of the other, slowly and carefully.

The most exercise I get is pushing the buttons for the elevator at work.

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[Guest guest]

Hi,

One of my first noticeable problems before being officially diagnosed was losing

control of my wrist. I went to the Ortho doc and he had an MRI done so he would

know where to give my wrist a cortizone shot. After two shots he wrote my doc

and said he didn't know why the shots didn't work.The MRI showed a tendon

swollen and looking like a worn out wriggly rubber band. Cloudy and not clear.

In my health data I had wrote that I had psoriasis and probably PA.

When I went to the Rheumy he had pulled my MRI and had it waiting for my first

appointment. Said it was PA doing that to the tendon and had to be treated from

the inside out. The pain meds help us move because they keep the tendons from

clamping down. The NSAIDs do their job of being an anti-inflammatory. The DMARDs

go in and try to reverse the progress of the arthitis. After being on a DMARD

for a while I got control of my wrist back. I had been living in a sports brace

and ended up at one point with them on my knees, right ankle, right wrist and

left elbow. I've been months now with no braces unil the last few days and the

wrist wants to swell a little and the bones want to float around again.

When I was still wearing the braces I had asked and asked my family doc about

exercise and she said just to keep moving. I thought my shoulder should be

operated on but she said just try walking your fingers up the wall and

stretching the arm. I was dragging myself up stairs and had to put a side table

in the bathroom so I could get back up from the toilet ( should have got one of

those tall seats). It is very hard to get up when the large tendons on your legs

scream in agony and your wrists and elbows and shoulders don't want to help

leverage you up. I grew up enjoying long baths and a good book but got to the

point that I had a hard time lifting my arms to wash my hair in the shower even

bending over. Very frustrating and depressing but I was so intent on getting

thru the day and staying able to work that the DMARDS finally had a chance to

work.

The tendons do play a role in PA. My bones are fine now but in a couple decdes

if the meds don't keep working the bones will be strained because the tendons

are suppose to hold things together. Everything in it's place. Without the pain

meds the tendons clamp down and boy oh boy do the tendons hold everything in

it's place.

Take care,

Pat B

Sometimes when I reply the message gets chopped. This one was chopped so I had

to edit it again before sending. Wonder what egroups is doing about this

problem? Frustrating when the post was nice even f longer and then have to

rewrite the last bit. It never comes out the same.

[Guest guest]

I was interested to see the postings on tendon problems as I have been

having terrible pain in my R shoulder and R elbow - like someone is heating

the inside of the joint. A strange feeling to have. Went to the internist and

he thinks it's probably synovitis. From what he told me that is inflammation

of the lining of the joint. He also said that exercise does not make it worse

and rest does not make it better but to keep exercising to keep the joint

limber. Glad he said that as I would not want to give up kickbox !!!!!!! For

the pain I am taking 2 Extra Strength Tylenol 3-4 times a day and using an

arthritis cream which seems to be doing the trick.

H.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay on this subject, I am way behind in reading my mail.

Most of you folks probably don't even recognize me as I seldom post

due to time constraints. I do however read all on a regular basis, even if

I am way behind. LOL

My tendons are my biggest problem with PA. I'm on Enbrel & MTX &

since starting that combo the joints are doing better. The tendons are

another

story. After reading these posts I find myself wondering about the damage

to the tendons from PA. Does each flare cause some permanent damage to

the tendons? Or do they go back to a normal state when the flare subsides?

There is good info on the web re: tendonitis etc. but I haven't really

found

much in relation to PA that relates to my current line of thinking. Does

anyone have any links that I should look at?

Thanks for this list. Don't know what I would do without it.

Sharon Humphrey

[Guest guest]

Connie on 4€4€02 1:04 PM wrote:

> Thanks Robbie, that makes sense. I wonder why the tendons get inflamed? It has

> never happened to me before. You are right it does burn, and is very tender to

> the touch.

>

> Connie NC

Connie, I believe it¹s just part and parcel of the whole inflammatory

process we go through.

I just add them to the growing ³list² as they occur. LOL. Morbid, but keeps

me sane.

ReA: what Joy said, it could very well be an insertion point problem too. I

have those pups at my heel, ribcage, and sternum, and it took Ray Neal to

show me the light on that one. With a confirmation from my docs, natch, but

Ray pointed it out to me.

It actually has a name, which is slipping my mind.

The insertion point stuff is called (I believe) enthesitis, and it¹s

incredibly painful. It can burn like all billy-heck too.

I¹m sending you an article OT, because it¹s LONG. It¹s all about enthesitis.

---

Robbie in FL

AS, ReA (Reiter¹s), CFS, FMS, IBS, etc.

feralelf@...

[Guest guest]

The inflammation of my tendons, especially lower back, right hip,

let to foot (plantar fascitis), and Achilles Tendon is so great

that it causes constant muscular spasms. Through a mishap (read

" incompetent nursing staff) my medications were not renewed on time

and I was without my muscle relaxer for a week. If I ever doubted

that the muscle relaxer wasn't working I'll never doubt again.

Oxycontin couldn't touch the pain resulting from the spasms.

I was able to get the Flexeril late Monday afternoon. I'm back

pretty much where I was before the screw-up, but I am still having

great difficulty walking due to pain in feet and heels. I see the

pain clinic doctor this coming Tuesday and hope we can get back to

a better balance again with the pain medications. Until then I'll

spend extra time in bed just to stay off my feet.

Ray

[Guest guest]

Ditto that Ray.

I ran out of my Soma recently (my own stupid fault), and I had thought it

wasn¹t really doing much.

Whammo ! I too will never, ever doubt again !

I guess that¹s what we¹re looking for though, really; meds that work under

the radar. : )

---

Robbie in FL

AS, ReA (Reiter¹s), CFS, FMS, IBS, etc.

feralelf@...

Ray in Virginia on 4€5€02 8:18 PM wrote:

> If I ever doubted

> that the muscle relaxer wasn't working I'll never doubt again.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sib!

> I am very interested to

> read that some of you have rheumys who recognize tendon problems as

> part of the PA.

Well, my rheumy most certainly does so. He goes so far as to say that

what most people think is pain in their joints, is actually an inflamed

tendon at the very spot where it meets the bone.

> My doc refuses to acknowledge that my tendon and

> ligament problems are related to the illness.

Then he should simply read what's freely available about this illness.

Tendon problems are widely recognized to be part of it.

> After a

> lifetime of chasing " snake oil " magic treatments, I have become a

> genius and discovered that almost anything new that I try for the P

> & PA works for a while and looks like a miracle, but then my immune

> system kicks into high gear and just over-rides it. Have any of you

> discovered this secret?

Yes, I have noticed the same, specially regarding P. When I started

treating my scalp with tar, it was like a miracle drug. It cleared up

like magic. Two years later, tar didn't do anything good except reducing

the itching, while the skin was falling off in huge chunks. I switched

to Calcipotriol. Miracle drug! Clear in a few weeks. It has lasted quite

long, but now, after several years using it, it has become much less

effective than at the start.

For now, I fight down small patches of P with steroid cream applied

during just a few days. So far, it works great. But how long? Steroids

are supposed to be even worse in this regard! And on the scalp, I don't

know what to try now... I just endure the constant rain of scales...

Manfred.

--------------------------

Visit my hobby homepage!

http://ludens.cl

--------------------------

[Guest guest]

Donna,

You might want to try high cut running shoes or basketball shoes for jogging,

you'll still throw your feet but your leg will bring up your foot and relieve

some of the wear and tear on your tendons. It works for me cheaper than AFOs.

Ed

From: Donna deWick <donna.dewick@...>

Subject: Re: Gout and Tendonitis

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009, 2:44 PM

 

Hi ,

Just catching up!

On another group one of the posts indicated that cherry juice was good for

Rheumatoid Arthritis. I guess cherries are good for any joint inflammation.

I am going to have to start adding them to my diet, as well as glucosamine /

chondroitin, as with adding jogging into my routines my " good " ankle is

starting to ache from the peroneal tendon (which is what my " bad ankle " does

and they gave me a Push Aequi brace that really helps)...

Thanks for the reminder!

Donna from London

www.myfitnessyear. com

[Guest guest]

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the suggestion. I am using New Balance as I have orthotics in them

for walking, and I just use the Push brace on my left foot for the jogging. I

am lucky in the UK that I don't need to pay for the AFO / orthotics as this is a

part of my NHS care.

Hope you are doing well. Are you the same Ed from New Hampshire that I

corresponded with a while back?

Donna from London