bone on bone

My knee would do that from time to time - I'd go to stand up after sitting for an hour or so, and it wouldn't hold me up. For the last couple of months before my replacement, I kept my cane handy all the time because I needed it at least one or two days a week. A cane can really help with the pain of walking by taking some of the weight off that joint.

Different people react to different things. My musculoskeletal pain has always been very weather sensitive. My joints are much better weather forecasters than most meteorologists. For example, I can tell from the way my hands and feet feel today that we're going to have rain and possibly storms in about two days.

I use Mobic every day. If I still have pain I take Tylenol arthritis. Then if the pain is still incapacitating I take Ultram. I also find that heat or cold sometimes helps. I exercise regularly, using light weights and resistance, and I'm totally convinced this has helped me. I gave up "pretty" shoes years ago and only wear running shoes. They stablilize my foot and help prevent twisted ankles, knees, etc. which can be very painful.

I worked with a rheumatologist for a couple of years to get to optimal pain control. Be aware, though, that being completely pain-free may not be a realistic goal. Believe it or not, it's possible to learn to ignore a certain amount of pain and forge on with doing what you want. This does take time, though.

Good luck, and I hope you soon feel better.

If your arthritis affects multiple joints I do think you would do well to see a rheumatologist. Mine is very focused on helping maintain your normal activities as much as possible and managing pain without using narcotics. (Narcotics for arthritis are a pretty bad idea, as they become less effective over time and the dose has to be increased regularly in most cases.)