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84 Year Old Having Severe Arthritis. On Morphine Patches. How To Improve Circulation In Feet And Legs?
Question: My 84 year old father has severe arthritis and is looking for something to improve the circulation in his feet and legs. He find physiotherapy too painful to do. Even his exercise bike is too painful. He currently is on morphine patches (new one every three days). Do you have any suggestions for improving the circulation in his feet and legs? I have seen Dad's x-rays and the tendons in his lower back are thick with arthritis.
Hi,
Thanks for the query.
I would like some more details from you to be able to address your father's problem better. So please do not mind to answer the following questions.
1. Where exactly does he have pain in the knees or in the feet?
2. It is important to know what kind of arthritis he has. Is it osteoarthritis? If know could you brief about that?
3. Where all has his cancer spread - has it gone to bones?
4. Is there a problem with his limb circulation detected on colour Doppler scan / angiogram?
If he is already on morphine patches, he is getting good analgesia.
Do let me know and I will be happy to help.
Awaiting your response
Regards
Thanks for the query.
I would like some more details from you to be able to address your father's problem better. So please do not mind to answer the following questions.
1. Where exactly does he have pain in the knees or in the feet?
2. It is important to know what kind of arthritis he has. Is it osteoarthritis? If know could you brief about that?
3. Where all has his cancer spread - has it gone to bones?
4. Is there a problem with his limb circulation detected on colour Doppler scan / angiogram?
If he is already on morphine patches, he is getting good analgesia.
Do let me know and I will be happy to help.
Awaiting your response
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
1. Dad's pain is in his legs. The arthritis shows up in an x-ray at the base of his spine. We tried epidural shots but they only worked for a few days. The doctor giving the shots said his tendons were thick with arthritis.
2. I'm hoping the above info will tell you what kind of arthritis he has.
3. Dad has lung cancer (diagnosed in Nov.'11) that is very slow growing but has now spread to his adrenal glands. It has not gone to his bones. He has only gone through three chemo treatments.
4. Dad is assuming that if he can increase the circulation starting at his feet, then perhaps it would ease the pain in his legs. He saw an advertisement on TV of something that would increase his circulation but it costs $300. I don't want him wasting his money on something that is a hoax. He has a walker for inside and a scooter for outdoor travelling.
2. I'm hoping the above info will tell you what kind of arthritis he has.
3. Dad has lung cancer (diagnosed in Nov.'11) that is very slow growing but has now spread to his adrenal glands. It has not gone to his bones. He has only gone through three chemo treatments.
4. Dad is assuming that if he can increase the circulation starting at his feet, then perhaps it would ease the pain in his legs. He saw an advertisement on TV of something that would increase his circulation but it costs $300. I don't want him wasting his money on something that is a hoax. He has a walker for inside and a scooter for outdoor travelling.
Hi,
Thanks for the information.
It looks like he has a spondylitis. Here the spine changes can cause pressure on certain nerve roots which can lead to pain. Perhaps this is causing your fathers pain. I don't think the pain has anything to do with the circulation.
This is a condition which is associated with aging and hence it is called osteoarthritis.
As you have experienced epidural shots do relieve the pain in the past, it can be tried again; however the benefits are temporary.
In this context some medicines like pregabalin and duloxetine can help in relieving pain for longer duration. It can be taken under supervision of a doctor. He can consult a neurosurgeon/spine surgeon who can prescribe these drugs to him.
The other important thing is exercises of the spine to strengthen the back muscles so that the pressure on the nerves can be reduced.
It is good to know that lung cancer hasn't spread to the bones. So that is not the issue.
As far as the expensive television advertisement product is concerned, I do not feel those can help mainly as his condition is not related to a vascular problem. Besides this there is no scientific evidence that those are useful.
Hope I have been helpful. Let me know if you have any other concern.
Regards
Thanks for the information.
It looks like he has a spondylitis. Here the spine changes can cause pressure on certain nerve roots which can lead to pain. Perhaps this is causing your fathers pain. I don't think the pain has anything to do with the circulation.
This is a condition which is associated with aging and hence it is called osteoarthritis.
As you have experienced epidural shots do relieve the pain in the past, it can be tried again; however the benefits are temporary.
In this context some medicines like pregabalin and duloxetine can help in relieving pain for longer duration. It can be taken under supervision of a doctor. He can consult a neurosurgeon/spine surgeon who can prescribe these drugs to him.
The other important thing is exercises of the spine to strengthen the back muscles so that the pressure on the nerves can be reduced.
It is good to know that lung cancer hasn't spread to the bones. So that is not the issue.
As far as the expensive television advertisement product is concerned, I do not feel those can help mainly as his condition is not related to a vascular problem. Besides this there is no scientific evidence that those are useful.
Hope I have been helpful. Let me know if you have any other concern.
Regards
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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