Arthritis help

[maxiesmom]

I have recently developed arthritis in one of my ankles. It is not a shock, as I have twisted both of my ankles pretty badly in the past. I am on my feet all day at work, and my one ankle is swollen up like a balloon by the time I get home. My big worry is dealing with it on my trip to WDW in a couple of weeks.

I'm hoping someone will have some great tips for dealing with arthritis at WDW. Is there anything I can do to limit the swelling? Anything I should take for pain besides Advil? Would soaking it in the hot tub be a good thing or a bad thing?

I'm still figuring out how to deal with this at home, so please don't think me too stupid. I really just don't want to let this have a big negative impact on the trip.

 

[housetomouse]

I have arthritis in my knee, which is probably a bit different, but I have had a couple of cortisone shots in my knee that really helped. One was post- knee surgery, before a Disney trip. I was surprise at how well my knee held up. It's not very good without the cortisone, but with it, it was pretty good. Maybe that's an option for the ankle? Best of luck to you, I hope you will find a good solution.

 

[GrammyJudy]

First of all take Gloucosamine. It is an OTC supplement for joints. I have arthritis in my knee and this helps. I think ice or soaking your foot in cold water might help. If it is really painful you will not be able to walk all ou walk at WDW and may need an ECV.Good luck and I hope you have a good trip.

 

[jimmytammy]

I agree with the glucosamine. OsteoBiFlex is a great product. Get the triple strength. Pricey but can be purchased at your local drug stores, Target, WalMart etc. Watch ads as they often put it on sale, buy one get one. Take it every day as it takes some time to absorb into your system. I have joint, back problems from construction work and after 30 yrs of it, I look for all kinds of ways to relieve the pain. Just this week, my knee went out. I went to my chiropractor and picked up a gel called BioFreeze, works great! And as another poster wrote, I agree with the icing, before and after the days events.

 

[housetomouse]

And as another poster wrote, I agree with the icing, before and after the days events.

Icing is definitely a great idea. I struggled with the logistics of this at Disney. I couldn't figure out how to keep my soft cold pack cold enough. I did buy one of those old-fashioned ice packs (brought it from home) that you fill up with loose ice, and I did that sometimes at Disney.

I also used ibuprofen, it helps a lot with the swelling, as well as the pain.

 

[shannonstar]

I would recommend the following:

Aleve alternated with Advil
Sam-E or OsteoBioFlex start now
Ankle braces - the supportive kind
Several different pair of shoes
Alternate icing with heating
BioFreeze at the end of the day
Elevate your ankles when you sleep

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Drop down a couple of forums in the list and go to disABILITIES! Start off by reading the disABILITIES FAQs, especially Post #2 and #3.