I have not been on in awhile. I have been helping with the Ben's Friend's PsA Facebook page and trying to work my part time job with a nasty combo of trochanteric bursitis, achilles tendonitis and my bum knee.
I did a pred taper ( more than my usual 5 mg ) and gt such great relief for a week or so, and then it was back to the suckage.
My bum knee is on the opposite side of the worse of the two screaming achilles tendons, so getting around has been quite challenging.
Last night, it felt like a serrated knife was sawing on the back of my heel. This is the first time, since being diagnosed, that I have wondered if I am going to need a wheelchair to get around.
I am on Humira, low dose pred and methotrexate. Wonder if the ortho will have any suggestions for me on Monday.
How have you dealt with achilles tendonitis ? I have tried Tiger Balm, Two old Goats lotion (love the stuff ) heating pad, stretching.....I wish I had some cannibas lollipops to try.
Things are ok here. Sorry to hear about your tendonitis. It's crazy how we all have the same condition but it manifest differently. I sometimes have pain in my heels. I normally rest them and use a heating pad, or hot bath/ foot soaks. My main problem is my knees. Which I am not sure how to relief the pain, besides pain meds and hot baths. Knees socks, etc. I don't have any advice, but I am hear to listen.
Thank you, amielynn38 ! I am so sorry about your knees. This is really a baffling condition.
I'm planning to have a jammy day and catch up on finishing some artwork and "Call The Midwife." It's chilly and rainy here today, so I will cuddle up with the heating pad and rest.
I am one that uses ice packs,rather than heating pads. It's worth a try. I don't know that I have had tendonitis (yet) but I have had bursitis, and numerous other painful conditions and sometimes I go to bed with 3 ice packs for 3 different spots. Just a suggestions...we all try just about everything once in the search for relief.
Update ! It's May 12th and I am stiff suffering with this nasty tendonopathy. Ick. I am doing physical therapy which consists of ultrasound and massage, stretching and stretching at home. It is so painful ! I am seeing a pain management specalist tomorrow, which is the first time I have been to a pain specialist in about 5 years. At this point I am just trying to stay on my feet and out of a wheelchair.
Has anyone had a bout with achilles tendonitis ( from PsA ) that actually resolved? Help a sister out !
Hi mimiB, I sometimes think I had tendonitis in every tendon--the worst not being my Achilles tendons. Mine would get sore for awhile, but the soreness there would resolve itself after a few weeks. My worst tendonitis is on the tops of my feet now, but in the past it was my hands, wrists and shoulders. Sorry for you--it sounds like you have a lot more than tendonitis! Idk how you can handle a job! Have you ever tried cold packs on your Achilles tendons? Maybe there's some swelling! What seemed to help my wrist and shoulder tendonitis was just resting them. Good luck!
My experience with tendon and bursa issues is that once they flare it takes me the longest ever time for them to settle back down ... I suppose thinking about it I'm talking weeks and weeks, if not months and months and months. But yeah, it does get better slowly, quietly until the next time or something else starts hurting more. Physio stretches/massage and ultrasound are good, I've had laser and interferential as well to reduce the inflammation. Have you thought about trying acupuncture, my physios and chiropractor both include this in their treatments. Ibuprofen gel works reasonably well for me as well ... except on my subacromial bursa ... that is of the 'I want to die to be out of this pain' magnitude when it flares. Orthotics/the right footwear make a big difference to my Achilles and Plantar.
Hi Jules, I had to Google the subacromial bursa. Oh, it must be awful to have shoulder issues ! Bursitis stinks.
The bane of my existence are the bursae in my greater trochanter region (bilaterally ) and it is the reason I am visiting the pain specialist today. I woke up with that nauseating "HELP ME" feeling because my pain meds wear off during the night. I am willing to try accupuncture if my insurance will cover it. I am wiling to try walking around with a spider monkey on my head ( and I have monkeyphobia ). I am at my total wits end.
I am pretty careful with my footwear. I got really mad when I visited the new ortho, to whom I was referred by my GP, for the achilles tendonitis. He told me that "wearing high heels" could cause it. I told him I haven't worn heels in 20 years. I don't think he even read my chart to see that I have PsA. I won't be going back to him ! I'm going back to the one who is out of network. He has a brain.
What method of chiropractic does your chiro practice? I am kind of scared of them. I don't want anyone yanking my neck around, but something gentler might be OK.
I need to try ice. My PT syas "Ice is Nice", but I have an aversion to it. I was bitten by a Copperhead snake when I was 7 years old and I remember them making me lie in ice from the waist down. I am not sure why they did that or how long I had to do it, but it is a weird childhood memory that makes me hate having ice on my body. I love lots of ice in my drinks, though. Maybe I should try biofreeze or something, maybe a cooling topical and not actual ice. I would love to be able to try Voltaren Gel, but I am highly allergic to NSAIDS.
I don't know how I manage to keep my job, either. I work part time, and it is very challenging. However, I really love my job and it is very rewarding. I work with adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in a visual arts program. We have an art center and a gallery where the artists sell their work and earn a commission. Some of them are very passionate about art and have even won awards in regional art shows. The satisfaction I get while hobbling around at the art center is good medicine. The smiles on their faces when they get a sense of purpose and pride from their art is just delightful and it gets my mind off my own disability for a few hours. I come home and collapse in exhaustion, but I feel fulfilled. I really hope I can keep it up !
Grandma J said:
Hi mimiB, I sometimes think I had tendonitis in every tendon--the worst not being my Achilles tendons. Mine would get sore for awhile, but the soreness there would resolve itself after a few weeks. My worst tendonitis is on the tops of my feet now, but in the past it was my hands, wrists and shoulders. Sorry for you--it sounds like you have a lot more than tendonitis! Idk how you can handle a job! Have you ever tried cold packs on your Achilles tendons? Maybe there's some swelling! What seemed to help my wrist and shoulder tendonitis was just resting them. Good luck!
Wow, mimi, fun job! I imagine your job is very satisfying--seeing the happiness of the people showing their art must put a smile on your face.
What an horrible thing-getting bit by a poisonous snake and packed in ice! That must have been a near-death experience! Hopefully, you can still try wrapping small ice packs around the backs of your feet. It could help a lot.
I, too, avoid chiropractors. My neck and back feel very delicate. When the p.t. works on me, they are very careful. My cousin died after a chiropractor adjusted her neck. She had told her husband she felt something snap when the chiropractor was manipulating her neck and there was sudden horrible pain. She ended up with a neck brace and was scheduled for an MRI but she didn't make it through the night!
mimiB said:
Hi Grandma J :
I need to try ice. My PT syas "Ice is Nice", but I have an aversion to it. I was bitten by a Copperhead snake when I was 7 years old and I remember them making me lie in ice from the waist down. I am not sure why they did that or how long I had to do it, but it is a weird childhood memory that makes me hate having ice on my body. I love lots of ice in my drinks, though. Maybe I should try biofreeze or something, maybe a cooling topical and not actual ice. I would love to be able to try Voltaren Gel, but I am highly allergic to NSAIDS.
I don't know how I manage to keep my job, either. I work part time, and it is very challenging. However, I really love my job and it is very rewarding. I work with adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in a visual arts program. We have an art center and a gallery where the artists sell their work and earn a commission. Some of them are very passionate about art and have even won awards in regional art shows. The satisfaction I get while hobbling around at the art center is good medicine. The smiles on their faces when they get a sense of purpose and pride from their art is just delightful and it gets my mind off my own disability for a few hours. I come home and collapse in exhaustion, but I feel fulfilled. I really hope I can keep it up !
Grandma J said:
Hi mimiB, I sometimes think I had tendonitis in every tendon--the worst not being my Achilles tendons. Mine would get sore for awhile, but the soreness there would resolve itself after a few weeks. My worst tendonitis is on the tops of my feet now, but in the past it was my hands, wrists and shoulders. Sorry for you--it sounds like you have a lot more than tendonitis! Idk how you can handle a job! Have you ever tried cold packs on your Achilles tendons? Maybe there's some swelling! What seemed to help my wrist and shoulder tendonitis was just resting them. Good luck!
A lot of very good information in this post! I am newly diagnosed with PsA, and I wasn't even aware that tendonitis and bursitis were part of this disease. I've had pain, swelling and dark bruising in my ankles for a few years now, and not any Dr. was able to tell me what was causing it. I've also had a few episodes of tendinitis and bursitis in my right shoulder and also (believe it or not) pain around my rib cage... Somewhere I just read recently the there is a name for that and it's a type of tendinitis around the rib cage... Not even the Dr. who diagnosed me gave me much information. I'm changing Drs. by the way... Now, with what I've been reading on this site, this is all part of the big picture of PsA. I have a new Dr. who I will be seeing on May 26th. and I plan to ask him about these episodes of tendinitis, bursitis, swelling painful ankles, etc... I have a long list of questions for him... It's amazing that you can get more information about PsA on this web site than you can from some Drs. ..
Hi Shandy, it's true ! There is a lot of great info on here. It is not to replace your doctor's advice but to give you information so you can be your own best advocate. Yes, there can be inflammation around the rib cage called costochondritis. It makes me want to burn my bra !
Shandy211 said:
A lot of very good information in this post! I am newly diagnosed with PsA, and I wasn't even aware that tendonitis and bursitis were part of this disease. I've had pain, swelling and dark bruising in my ankles for a few years now, and not any Dr. was able to tell me what was causing it. I've also had a few episodes of tendinitis and bursitis in my right shoulder and also (believe it or not) pain around my rib cage... Somewhere I just read recently the there is a name for that and it's a type of tendinitis around the rib cage... Not even the Dr. who diagnosed me gave me much information. I'm changing Drs. by the way... Now, with what I've been reading on this site, this is all part of the big picture of PsA. I have a new Dr. who I will be seeing on May 26th. and I plan to ask him about these episodes of tendinitis, bursitis, swelling painful ankles, etc... I have a long list of questions for him... It's amazing that you can get more information about PsA on this web site than you can from some Drs. ..
Thanks so much, and I'm well aware that the info here doesn't replace a Dr's advice. Actually, I'm currently in the process of trying to find a good Dr. -- Although the Rheumatologist I initially saw a few weeks ago is good at diagnosis, she is not good at communicating and developing a good patient/Dr. relationship. I have an appointment with a new Rheumatologist on May 26th. and a long list of questions for him.... I'm really hoping this Dr. will turn out to be a good one. You can never have enough good information, and I really appreciate this site for that...
I have chronic tendonitis and bursitis. I've had trouble in the past with my achillies, but this is the longest stretch so far - must be over a year now. It's now effecting my plantar fascia on the base of my left foot. I have actually bought my own ultrasound machine - that tends to help more than anything, as well as my myotherapist. I have tried resting my achillies, using it more, trying to find a balance between too much and too little, but I am really struggling with this at the moment with it lasting so long this time. I get bursitis in both of my hips as well as my shoulders. Ultrasound seems to be the only thing that brings relief with those as well. I have just bought myself some sketchers shoes. They are soooo comfy, so I'm hoping this will help.