Living with Osteoarthritis

The International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) is a United Nations-led day of recognition which takes place every year on 3 December. It began in 1994 and promotes the rights of people with disabilities in all areas of society. The aim of the day is to continue to increase the awareness and wellbeing of disabled people, all over the world.

Not all disabilities are visible. Hidden disabilities are not always obvious, but can impact and limit people’s everyday lives. One hidden disability is arthritis.

There are thought to be 10 million people with some form of arthritis in the UK.

It is the most common cause of disability in the UK and can affect people of all ages, not just older people.

To raise awareness we spoke to our own neurobox Ambassador, Elizabeth Takyi, who herself lives with osteoarthrtis. Elizabeth is also on the Board of Trustees for Arthritis Action. She works on a voluntary basis to give back to the community

Q: So what is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition and the most common form of arthritis in the UK. It develops when the cartilage in your joints wears down over time. When the cartilage wears down the bones rub against each other causing friction which can lead to pain, stiffness and loss of movement. Osteooarthrist is most common in the hands, hips, spine and knees, however, it can affect any joint.

For some people, the symptoms are mild. Others experience continuous pain and severe problems which can affect their day-to-day life and everyday activities.

Q: When did you first discover you had it?

I’ve always suffered from back pain, going back maybe 10 years. I never really thought much of it and just thought it may be due to childbirth, so just took over-the-counter painkillers to help manage the pain.

In early 2019, I visited my local GP and they referred me to have an X-ray on my back and knee where I kept getting slight discomfort when walking or standing for too long.

The X-ray showed that I had arthritis, which the doctor described as wear and tear. I didn’t really think much of it, I just asked what I needed to do to prevent the arthritis from getting worse. The advice from my local GP was regular exercise regularly, take vitamin D, and eat healthy balanced meals.

I took the doctor’s advice and continued to at least embark on the advice given, however, the pain in my right hip and lower back got worse with time.

I visited my doctor on numerous occasions where I was referred to have physiotherapy, I’ve probably had more than 20 to 30 physiotherapy sessions since late 2019. Fast forward to 2020 during the pandemic, the pain in my lower back got worse but I couldn’t stand for too long and if I did I would experience spasms in my back. This was becoming a bit of a concern for me so I decided to revisit my GP, and was advised to go and have a few X-rays and an MRI.

It was on the MRI scan that everything became apparent that all along, I  had been living with osteoarthritis and it had become worse over the five years.

Fast forward to 2021 I was finally diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I was surprised and shocked by the diagnosis, as I felt I was too young to have this joint pain disease.  I’ve been given painkillers and I’ve had steroid injections in my hip also Known as (Depo-madrone for Trochanteric Bursitis) in my right thigh and right knee. (Osteoarthritis only affects the right side of my body) at least for now.

My mother who is 83 yrs old, was an example of what I thought arthritis was because my mother’s lived with arthritis for the last 20 years. To see my mother suffer this pain, discomfort, loneliness, being housebound, with the condition of arthritis, and now having to rely on a wheelchair to get about. According to my mother my grandmother and great-grandmother both had arthritis condition.

I’ve started doing lots of research around osteoarthritis and quickly learnt that the condition doesn’t only affect the older generations – young people also can get arthritis!

Q: How does it impact your day-to-day life?

Osteoarthritis impacts my day with chronic pain and painful episodes of spasms in my lower back, knee, neck and  my right hips,

It’s also extremely painful in the joints when moving ie: walking, bending, stretching and more… I can also get:

• Tenderness when applying pressure to the area in pain
• Reduced movement and flexibility
• Stiffness in the joint after long periods of rest, such as walking, sleeping, and daily activities.
• External swelling, which indicates inflammation inside the joint
• A ‘grating’ sensation on the inside of the joint when moving it
• A popping or clicking sound when moving or stretching which can be very painful.

Q: And how do you manage this in the workplace?

My current job as a neurobox Ambassador/speaker, requires me to both work from home, as well as visit different organisations to talk about my lived-expeirence and the services we can provide.

On days when I’m working from home I take breaks in between to release the pressure on my back from sitting down, however, I have been very fortunate to have been given reasonable workplace adjustment in terms of a height-adjustable sit/stand desk and an ergonomic office chair.

The office chair supports my back, and I can keep moving the chair so far back, to release the pressure and the pain in my lower back.

The desk allows me to be a bit more mobile while working,  I can raise the desk to a height where I can stand to release the pain in my back due to osteoarthritis.

I move my legs quite a lot when I’m standing which helps with the pain in my knee. Raising the desk up and down supports me with the neck pain.

If I had to sit for long periods of time without moving, I often find that the chronic pain in my hip gets worse in the evenings, so I would then go for walks to release that pain and the pressure on my hip and lower back.

I have also developed self-management strategies to help me with daily activities at work.

Q: How do you best manage the pain?

I managed the pain of osteoarthritis with, regular exercises ie: walking, twice in the gym a week, posture how I stand, and not sitting for too long.

I also manage the pain with painkillers, unfortunately, the painkillers I take are the only thing that can keep me moving from day to day.

The chronic pain of Osteoarthritis is at times unbearable, however, exercise seems to be one of the best ways to manage the pain. And to live a fulfilled life.

More information:

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is available to speak at Employee Resource Group /Employee Network meetings –  Enquire or find out more about her speaking topics and the organisations she’s spoken at previously.

Workplace Adjustments:

We’re specialists in Workplace Needs Assessments for all disabilities and neurodifferences, partnering with a range of organisations to provide their Workplace Needs Assessments and recommendations. Our assessments provide detailed and comprehensive recommendations for adjustments supporting you to be as safe, well, and effective as possible.

Useful websites:

NHS England

Arthritis Action