Diabetes and Arthitis make a bad combination

diabetesmoz · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 09:24 PM

People with diagnosed diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have arthritis, and the inactivity caused by arthritis hinders the successful management of both diseases, according to a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) study released May 8 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

googd article on science daily. here

morrisma · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 03:19 AM

Ouch, it HURTS.

Don't have arthritis & don't want it. Know lots of folks who suffer with various forms of it.

Jan B · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 05:59 AM

I needed this "compassion". I hurt myself a lot (hands and wrists mostly), but refuse to act like an old lady and protect my wounds! I learned some good lessons from my grandpa who retired from severe arthritis at 45. Until right before he died at 89, he was doing push ups and pull ups and stretching, etc. daily. As a child I never understood him, but now I thoroughly understand!

diabetesmoz · #4 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan B

I needed this "compassion". I hurt myself a lot (hands and wrists mostly), but refuse to act like an old lady and protect my wounds! I learned some good lessons from my grandpa who retired from severe arthritis at 45. Until right before he died at 89, he was doing push ups and pull ups and stretching, etc. daily. As a child I never understood him, but now I thoroughly understand!

Any tips? I mean do you do any special exercises etc. I asking for my Mom. It pretty bad in the winter for her... the fingers mostly.. And doctors have advised her not take stairs often etc.. She uses warm oil for her hands in winter..

Staceyy · #5 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 05:22 PM

My dh has both diabetes and arthritis, I hate seeing him suffer so.

Stacey
The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Richard157 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:37 PM

I have been diabetic for 62 years and arthritic for 20 years. I have rheumatoid arthritis but it is noncrippling. I have pain all the time but it is not severe and I have adjusted. I do not take medication for it and I can do almost anything I want but in moeration and much more slowly. Finger exercises like the typing I am doing at this moment help keep them loose and functional. There are arthritis specialists and one of them told me 20 years ago that my diabetes probably caused my arthritis to start when I was in my late 40's. Good luck to you!

Richard

volleyball · #7 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 08:00 PM

Arthritis runs in my family and I used to come home from from a game and could not move. after diagnosis and my change to a lower carb diet, my pain went away so that may have something to do with it. The pain has not returned after years.
But diabetics are going to also have more likely other problems. It logical by its very nature. You take care of the diabetes and you are no more likely to have many of the conditions that occur more often in diabetics than the general population

Jan B · #8 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabetesmoz

Any tips? I mean do you do any special exercises etc. I asking for my Mom. It pretty bad in the winter for her... the fingers mostly.. And doctors have advised her not take stairs often etc.. She uses warm oil for her hands in winter..

Warm oil is a good idea. Sweets make swelling worse - less or no sugar is better; typing is sometimes hard, but like someone else said, moving the fingers is better than protecting them (for me and for most; I think: move it or lose it!). Moderate movement is best (not too little; not too much). Heat - even warm/hot water feels great. When the fingers are really bad, I sometimes use arthritis creams and put gloves on for a little while. Naproxen can help, but I try not to use it all the time (want to protect my heart/ side effects potentially not great for the heart).

After experiencing some arthritis, I sure understand "old folks" moving south!!

jacobsam622 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 09:13 PM

I have Arthritis of the facet joints in my lower back. Three bulging disks degenerative joint and disk disease in my lower back and a pinched nerve at s1 that in all likely hood caused my diabetes in the first place.

BriOnH · #10 (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard157

I have been diabetic for 62 years and arthritic for 20 years. ........

Richard

62 years with diabetes and only minor wear and tear. God Bless you Richard!!!! I absolutely love knowing about people like you. I'll go through your posts, but if I can't find any would mind starting a thread telling us about your life, and any helpful hints so that in 30 years when I have had diabetes for 62 years I (we) can be as in good of condition as you are?

Alice · #11 (**permalink**) 05-27-2008, 09:56 AM

Oprah had a "Mary Tyler Moore Show" reunion on last week or so. Mary Tyler Moore spent a few short minutes talking about diabetes...she said arthritis was one of the worst things she had encountered with diabetes. She said that basically diabetes causes everything people get normally to hit harder and faster...(paraphrasing).

I love MTM, but I never feel she says much about the positive advances of diabetes. She has had diabetes for 40 years (I've had it for 43)...she has had eye problems which I've never experienced. We are all so different.

I just wish that in a national appearance such as the Oprah show that some of the advances had been mentioned...some of the successes. But of course, the show was about the MTM reunion...which was wonderful.

Evermont · #12 (**permalink**) 05-27-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice

... She said that basically diabetes causes everything people get normally to hit harder and faster...(paraphrasing)...

Dr. Andrew Weil has stated the "Diabetes is a perfect model for accelerated aging.". Sobering yes, but I'm glad to be aware.

My daughter, a personal trainer, just told me this past weekend that she now has three clients with RA. I have to wonder if any of them are undiagnosed T2's. Tonight I'll suggest that she investigate recommendations for exercise specific to RA found in the article linked in the opening post here.

Penny · #13 (**permalink**) 05-27-2008, 11:09 AM

I have arthritis about everyplace you can have it. My feet and hips bother me the most. I tend to push myself and do things until the pain is unbearable....it just makes things hurt more for days afterwards. I have always walked alot, much more than most people because I do not drive. Hubby teases me and says I wore my feet and hips out doing all that walking.

I also get it in my hands and finger, I tried exercising hoping it would feel better, but it does not. When I am having a bad flare up, the only thing that helps is waiting it out....hot showers or baths give temporary relief. I was trying to remember when it started getting real bad, and I think it was right after my first heart attack about 10 years ago.....I was 51 and just got through menopause. I sort of think that was the beginning of most of my serious problems.....heart, cancer, eyes.

Erin · #14 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 03:47 AM

I've got RA and type 1. They both are horrible when not controlled properly. When I take my RA meds, the RA goes the way of well controlled D. Sure you know you still have it, and it annoyes you at times ( a stiff ankle, a sore knee) but it doesn't prevent you from doing anything.

When I get a flare up, or worse the first flare up after I've been off meds and in "remission" for a while, it's horrible. just like D, it's all about managing the disease.