Hi udierose, Thanks for your post. I'm sorry to hear about the arthritis affecting your hand. Much arthritis can be helped by exploring self-management. This involves doing plenty of gentle exercise so that your muscles are able to support the worn joints better, and eating a balanced diet with a pa...

Hi alexander47 I can appreciate that you may well feel concerned about what to do for the best. Can you put a question to this surgeon's team about how much of this kind of repair work their perform in young adolescents with hypermobility? I wonder whether you've been able to express your concerns t...

Hi Rosemary, There's a prescription cream for pain that did very well in the NICE evaluation for osteoarthritis, it's the chilli pepper cream called Capsaicin. But do be aware it's prescription only. And here's a link to some general information on managing arthritis pain https://www.arthritiscare.o...

Hi Rachael, I wonder whether you'd like a chat about your situation? If you'd like to be listened to you'd be most welcome to ring us at the Helpline. Sometimes it's during these conversations that you may mention particular points that you've not yet had time to mention. Another approach is to shar...

Hi Kirsteen, I'm sorry to hear that the situation is so difficult at the moment. If you've had a long journey to your diagnosis so far - and you seem to feel that it's not yet fully helpful I wonder whether you might find some more practical self - management options might be worth exploring. Managi...

Hi Livingston, I can appreciate that this kind of pain may be difficult to manage. Apart from the kind of support you can find from the rheumatology department, you might want to hear how other people manage on the day to day. Here's a link to online community at Arthritis Care http://arthritiscaref...

Hi dragon62, I'm sorry to hear about your wrist fracture. You will want to make sure that you explain your desire to avoid further problems when you see the medical people at the fracture clinic. You can give yourself the best outcomes by keeping your body weight under good control and doing plenty ...

Hi there, I am really sorry to hear that you are struggling with pain in your hips and knees. I wonder if you have been referred to an orthopaedic doctor? If not, it might be worth asking your GP if he thinks it is appropriate. They may wish to do further x-ray's or scans to see how things are looki...

Hi Jacey, I’m sorry to learn that fatigue has been a problem for you over the past two years. Fatigue is often a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. That said, if your fatigue is constant and always at the same level (i.e. it doesn’t seem to be related to a flare-up or any other changes in your conditi...

Hi Garry, Choosing the right mattress can be tough, as you’ve already experienced. Unfortunately there isn’t one type that suits everyone – even people with the same diagnosis. One avenue that may be worth pursuing is to get the advice of an Occupational Therapist (OT): http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/...