Chronic knee and hip pain

Hello,
I'm hoping someone has an idea as to what I can do. I have arthritis in my shoulders, lower back, upper back, and jaw. Those different areas do not cause me as much pain on an ongoing basis as the the pain I have daily in my knees and hips. When I walk or stand, the pain is dull, not as bad. When I sit, my hips hurt more, and my knees follow suit. If I try to cross my legs, the pain is unbearable. I try to relax with friends or family, and I can't find a position that I can tolerate. I can't spend the rest of my life standing! Also, when in bed, if I keep my legs straight, the pain is not as bad. Still there, just more tolerable than if I bend my legs, or try to sleep on my side. Which stinks, because I am not a back sleeper.I can't squat down, and my left knee can't bend completely, regardless of how much pain I'm willing to take. I've been popping ibuprofen each day, but there isn't much relief. On top of that, I've had stomach problems since I was a kid, so NSAIDS are not good for long term treatment. Any ideas? I went to a rheumatologist for my wrist pain (I forgot to mention that one, but it still doesn't interfere as much as the knee pain), who suspected lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, OR fibromyalgia. He gave me Pamelor, which didn't help, then Cymbalta, which also didn't help. I just don't want this pain anymore, and I'm terrified that not only am I stuck with it, but that it will get worse as I get older. I'm 44 years old now, and longevity runs in the family, so I really don't want to live like this for the next 50 years (assuming I will live that long)!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms or give an opinion regarding the management plan. Possibilities that may need to be considered include infections, inflammations, degenerations, injuries/ trauma etc. It would be best to have this evaluated by a rheumatologist or an orthopedician for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!