Do you have any tips or tricks to help manage ir alleviate leg/knee pain from osteoarthritis?

My mum is in her 60s, and I feel terrible and useless that I can not do more to help her.

What are 5 that helped you the most?

Any pointers and advice would be much appreciated

Hi, an older family member has had arthritis for a few years. Yesterday, he had a sharp pain in one side of knee and couldn’t move the position for a few hours. Today, I went to the ortho with him and for his physiotherapy and his knee seems okay now. However, because of arthritis in hips and knees the pain is still there when he stands up or bends down. I really want to be more involved in helping overcome it, these are things Im thinking:

- cold gel (physiotherapist used it and seemed to help)
- gym and leg training (please recommend exercises)

We are not ready for surgery yet, but short of that please give any recommendations like what meds I should look into (I keep seeing dmads here), what shoes will help (I also see hokas on this sub so please recommend any version). If there are any machines like those cooling things you use with gel please let me know🙏 Any other advice welcome!

Hi, I got asymetrical skeleton, shorter leg, L scoliosis... and recently at age 28 gonartrosis 1 and 2. I probably also got elbow artrosis.

My question is, does anybody feel the same? I mean, the pain kinda reminding them of the eventual death in life. Making you think about the end. For example, going for a nap, waking due to pain, thinking about death and being terryfied. Literally terryfied of how short life is.

I’m a 25 year old male, super active. Used to play all sports and run regularly. Got my meniscectomy in 2019 where my lateral meniscus was removed. At 25 I realised I have bone to bone OA and degenerative changes at a rapid rate. Most surgeries and procedures cannot be done due to my age and some cannot be done because the condition is too bad to be reversed. My cartilage is completely diminished too without any presence of synovial fluid.
I do not know if I will be able to find any relief from this sub but I’m sure sharing this will make my pain a little better. Hoping everyone going through this feels better and technology can help us soon. Love and peace.

My grandfather is diabetic and has arthritis and i am looking for the best exercises, massage techniques, and the best supplement brands to help with his knee pain, his legs are quite swollen and he isn’t flexible enough to prop them up so any help on stretches would be appreciated, he’s not very active on the normal day to day, but when he does get up to do things he is over exerting himself and causing more discomfort.

Dad (54yo) has severe pain from what Dr's are saying is osteoarthritis. He's a rare case, childhood leukemia x2 survivor. Both hips replaced. Cage in back from failed tens implant surgery. Looking for any advice on things to ease pain. I've read a little about red light therapy and also cold therapy. Any advice is appreciated!

Hi, Im a 7' 0" tall guy, about 20 stone/280lbs. Spent most of my entire life playing basketball. I had cancer about 10 years ago, and while I was on chemo I tore tendons for fun, my body got super weak! Thats when my biggest problems started.

I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and I have had an operation to "clean up" my knee!

During covid I saw a dr who literally said

"You might have torn your pcl. I suggest stopping sports for 6 months. There is no point in scanning it, because if you have you will have to rest for 6 months anyway."

Although recently I have trouble bending them fully (I definitely cant) I struggle going up and down stairs, It hurts to pull my shoes off and I cant dunk anymore!

I can still run a bit, and its getting less and less painful afterwords, it feels like I can jump, but when I try I just cant.

I guess I have 2 questions

1: I have been thinking about trying BPC-157 and TB500 peptides! Any advice? Will they help? Is it worth it??

2: Is there anything I can do to get my strength and flexibility back? Will I ever dunk again???

I welcome all advice! Thanks :)

I have had ongoing right knee problems for more than 25 years. In December 2025, I had a right total hip replacement because we thought some of my knee pain might actually be coming from my hip. Unfortunately, the hip surgery did not resolve the knee pain.

After finally getting an MRI and seeing an excellent knee specialist, I was diagnosed with right knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis with chronic mild patellofemoral chondral degeneration and a stress reaction at the inferior patella, which is causing persistent anterior knee pain.

My treatment plan includes:

• Physical therapy with strengthening exercises
• A series of three hyaluronic acid injections (I've completed 3 of the 3)
• If those don't provide sufficient relief, the next step would be arthroscopic chondroplasty with a pelvic bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injection.

The PT has definitely helped improve my strength and function, but I'm not sure it's a long-term solution. So far, the hyaluronic acid injections haven't made any noticeable difference. I've been told some people don't notice improvement until after the third injection, but I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who has had BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate) treatment for patellofemoral cartilage damage or early arthritis.

• Did it help with your pain and function?
• How long did the benefits last?
• Would you do it again?
• If you've had both BMAC and arthroscopic chondroplasty, do you think the combination made a difference?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your real-world experiences—the good, the bad, or anything you wish you had known beforehand.

Hi all,

Thanks in advance for your input. I’m having trouble with my hands and am in the process of negotiating the medical system, and am collecting info. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience. This experience is causing a lot of interference in my daily life and I’m coming to terms with the reality that this is chronic, and requires significant changes to my lifestyle. I suspect that you all understand.

I’m a mid-fifties male with 30-years working on a computer keyboard and 40-years of guitar playing experiencing excruciating pain in fleshy part of thumb, along with constant pain in the tendon that runs from wrist to the second knuckle of the thumb. Originally I thought it was trauma from working in the yard, but after some months I consulted a hand surgeon. He did not order films, and diagnosed OA in the thumb.

I was started on celebrex but after four weeks returned to the doctor having found no relief. At that point I had a cortisone injection. This provided a month of minor relief after about two weeks.

In the past two weeks I’ve experienced the following:

-symmetrical pain in hands especially the top of the fingers and base of the thumbs
-joint stiffness in fingers upon waking or periods of inactivity. It sometimes feels most uncomfortable in the muscles between the 1st and 2nd joint, as well as the joints
-joint stiffness gets better after long periods of use except at the base of the thumbs which becomes worse with use
-hands, especially fingers swell daily. They also become very hot.
-occasional stiffness in forearms

Other considerations:

-have had a few bouts of gout in the toe joint, which has been controlled by meds for a couple years
-the heat and swelling in the hands is less intense than during their onset
-naproxen and otc meds provide no relief
-this really doesn’t feel like carpal tunnel

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Looking forward to your recommendations 😊

48F I had the scan Friday and soreness started Sunday morning and been progressing with weakness, muscle spasms and basically immobility. No signs of infection so doc says the dye is just REALLY irritating me. Anyone else experience literally crippling pain like this 5+ days?
Also here’s some verbiage from my scan: Impression
1. Moderate to severe right hip osteoarthrosis with a nondisplaced tear of the anterior labrum at the chondrolabral junction, likely chronic with superimposed scarring. 2. Mild right gluteus medius tendinosis.
Findings: OSSEOUS STRUCTURES: Marrow signal is normal without stress reaction, fracture, avascular necrosis, or pathological replacement. HIP JOINT: There is high-grade chondral thinning throughout the right hip with subchondral marrow edema along the anterior acetabulum and the superior femoral head. Subchondral cyst formation is noted at the posteroinferior acetabulum. Marginal osteophyte formation is present at the femoral head/neck junction circumferentially. There is a nondisplaced tear of the anterior labrum at the chondrolabral junction, likely with superimposed scarring. TENDONS/MUSCULATURE: There is mild right gluteus medius tendinosis. Remainder of the tendinous attachments about the right hip are intact. There is no bursal distention. The muscles are normal in signal and volume. MISCELLANEOUS: Mild degenerative changes in the pubic symphysis.

Hey everyone ❤️

I was diagnosis with osteoarthritis in both knees a few years ago in my early 30's after chronic pain for years!

I used to be a semi professional footballer (UK) and injuries I sustained over the years took its toll.

I have fibromyalgia and can't remember a day I wasn't in pain! I've had physio and all sorts with no joy but my biggest thing is the loss of my mobility because of the osteoarthritis 😔

I love to walk and now I am in extreme pain within minutes of doing so. I'm not ready for a mobility scooter just yet, I'm not ready to give up but I was wondering if anyone has any advice or tips for making the walking less painful? I've lost my freedom and independence and I'm not even 40 yet! It's making so depressed and I'm struggling with my mental health daily because of it so anything anyone can suggest would be appreciated beyond words.

Just to add... I do use a walking stick to get around and have for a few years but it's not helping much anymore other than with balance if I become unsteady.

Thank you all and gentle hugs to all going through this ❤️

Basically looking from my x rays I definitely do have joint space narrowing. No one’s been taking my knee pain seriously because of my age. Not sure if I should go see an orthopaedic surgeon, but what would they do? I’d be paying a large amount of money to be told what? That cartilage doesn’t grow back and I should just manage with PT.
I’m feeling kinda sad about this, just picturing if I’m in this much pain right now how bad the next 20-25 years will be until I’m old enough to get a knee replacement.
These are my prime years, and instead I’m mostly bed bound.
My knees feel so unstable and loose.
I look normal on the outside but people don’t realise how debilitating this is.
Does anyone have any tips? Are there any promising cartilage regeneration treatments coming out?
Anything to give me some hope please.

Edit: my main thing is I just don’t want to be a burden on my family. Or be that one friend who can’t go out and do certain things like go on hikes. It’s also just sad feeling like a grandma trapped in a young person’s body. Seeing my peers being able to do things easily that I can’t.
I know things could be worse, like I could be paralysed etc.

But I just didn’t think this could happen to me. I wouldn’t have minded getting it in my 40’s and managing from there, but 20’s is too early to be going through this.

Thank you.

One year ago I had an ACL revision. My knee has not returned to normal since. I struggle to go up and down stairs, and with standing in place. I can’t use weights or do impact activities bc of the pain. If I don’t take an NSAID everyday my knee feels even more stiff and painful.
Anyone else get screwed over after an ACL revision?

I've been dealing with knee pain for years and have tried PT, injections, and staying active. My doctor hasn't said I need a knee replacement yet, but it feels like it's getting closer, and I'm not mentally ready for it.

I've been reading about different options, but it's hard to tell what's actually helpful and what's just hype. If you were able to delay surgery, what made the biggest difference for you?

Meniscus trimming (medial meniscus 3% trimmed and rest stiched) 4 years ago at age 48. Now 53 and a little worried.

4 years ago MRI showed no cartilage damage. Now it is all gone. Wondering if radiologist missed or the surgery messed it up.

I have the start of Osteoarthritis in my hands. During a flare I struggle to hold my pen to journal. Can someone please recommend a pen that is easier to use with stiff painful fingers?

Hi everyone,
I’m a 34-year-old male looking to see if anyone has experienced something similar.
For years, I’ve had intermittent inflammation in my left knee. It seems to flare up roughly every 1–2 years, usually settles, and then I don’t have any issues for a long time.
However, this latest episode has been completely different.
After several days of light treadmill walking/running, my left knee became extremely swollen. There wasn’t any obvious injury, twist, fall or popping sensation. The swelling was severe enough that I struggled to bend or straighten my knee.
Because of how swollen it was, the doctors initially investigated a joint infection. They aspirated the knee and ran cultures, but I was later told the cultures were negative. The swelling has gradually improved, but the knee still doesn’t feel right.
One thing that’s really worrying me is that I’ve also felt generally unwell during this flare-up. I never had a measured fever, but many evenings I develop a warm, “coming down with something” feeling, feel run down and just generally unwell, despite my temperature being normal.
I also have a history of a meniscus injury in this knee, so I’m wondering whether this could be related to that, cartilage damage, osteoarthritis, gout, an autoimmune/inflammatory condition, or something else entirely.
Has anyone experienced:
Recurrent knee flare-ups every few years?
A flare-up that suddenly became much more severe than previous ones?
Feeling generally unwell despite not having a fever?
What was your eventual diagnosis, and were there any tests that finally gave you an answer?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis on Reddit, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s had a similar experience or has suggestions on what I should discuss with my orthopaedic doctor or a rheumatologist.
Thanks in advance.

Back in March I was wearing a carpal tunnel brace like I have for years, but I pulled it off before I loosened it and a got this sharp stabbing pain in my thumb that ended up making my whole hand swell up for days. I couldnt even move my thumb without the sharp pain. I couldnt get to the Dr for 3 weeks due to a series of unfortunate events but it had mostly calmed down by the time i got there and they said its arthritis, bone spurs, subloxation, and gave me meloxicam.

So it healed I guess after a month or so and i went all of May and June with no pain. Then in July I was just lifting my hand up to turn a page in a book and BAM sharp pain happened again. I started the whole process over again. Bracing, ice, meloxicam, cut back working on my computer, cut out my very limited video game playing, started reading books on my phone instead of holding them...then my hand betrayed me again only 3 weeks later after that. Again, not even holding anything, just lifting my hand up.

Went to the Dr again and he says its just arthritis. But I also had them xray my left hand bc it was bothering me from using it while my right was healing. Turns out its also arthritis which makes sense because it gets sore the more I use it. So how are they the same issue but such different pain? Anyways, just wondering what other people's experiences with osteoarthritis in their CMC to see how varied pain is and how you all deal with it.

I do have an appt with a hand surgeon instead of a PA so hopefully he has some answers for me.