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Chronic Joint Pain...Help!
For the past couple of years I have had pain in the joints of BOTH shoulders. I still have my strength, just a chronic ache that seems especially worse at night. Also hurts when reaching behind my back or lifting things.
I went to ortho doctor and had xrays and MRI...all negative. Plus, unusual to have an ortho issue equally in both shoulders. Lately, I have also had occasional aching in hips and right elbow.
Blood test showed slightly evelvated ANA, so I went to Rheumatologist. He looked at test results and said he does not think it is auto-immune at all and gave me Meloxicam for inflammation (has not helped at all). No additional testing or blood work was done. He noted some physical therapy, but that has not helped either.
Can anyone offer any guidance? Could it be something else altogether? I am only 46, and do not think I should have this chronic aching all the time. I would appreciate any guidance you can offer.
I went to ortho doctor and had xrays and MRI...all negative. Plus, unusual to have an ortho issue equally in both shoulders. Lately, I have also had occasional aching in hips and right elbow.
Blood test showed slightly evelvated ANA, so I went to Rheumatologist. He looked at test results and said he does not think it is auto-immune at all and gave me Meloxicam for inflammation (has not helped at all). No additional testing or blood work was done. He noted some physical therapy, but that has not helped either.
Can anyone offer any guidance? Could it be something else altogether? I am only 46, and do not think I should have this chronic aching all the time. I would appreciate any guidance you can offer.
Dr. Mathur,
My initial testing showed ANA Antibodies of 15 with the IU/ml method of reporting -- Titer method would be 1:80 - 1:320. ANA Pattern says: Homogenous; speckled pattern also detected. Doctor seems to think it is not auto-immune and further testing not needed. Do you agree?
My initial testing showed ANA Antibodies of 15 with the IU/ml method of reporting -- Titer method would be 1:80 - 1:320. ANA Pattern says: Homogenous; speckled pattern also detected. Doctor seems to think it is not auto-immune and further testing not needed. Do you agree?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
Generally a high ANA titre indicates an autoimmune disease (SLE, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, scleroderma, polymyositis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, dermatomyositis, primary biliary cirrhosis, Addison disease, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus). Mixed connective tissue disorders also cause a high ANA. What is important is the pattern of ANA staining: homogenous, speckled, or nucleolar. Depending on the pattern of ANA staining, other antibody tests will have to be done. The pattern of staining itself is quite diagnostic (for eg in SLE a homogenous pattern is seen, nucleolar pattern in scleroderma and speckled pattern in ITP and mixed connective tissue disorder and in lupus). Discuss this with your doctor and get yourself further examined in this line. Take care!
Generally a high ANA titre indicates an autoimmune disease (SLE, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, scleroderma, polymyositis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, dermatomyositis, primary biliary cirrhosis, Addison disease, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus). Mixed connective tissue disorders also cause a high ANA. What is important is the pattern of ANA staining: homogenous, speckled, or nucleolar. Depending on the pattern of ANA staining, other antibody tests will have to be done. The pattern of staining itself is quite diagnostic (for eg in SLE a homogenous pattern is seen, nucleolar pattern in scleroderma and speckled pattern in ITP and mixed connective tissue disorder and in lupus). Discuss this with your doctor and get yourself further examined in this line. Take care!
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