Has anyone ever heard of 'floppy joints'? If so please tell me where? Also if you or someone you know has dealt with something similar let me know what problems you had/have with it and how you deal/dealt with it (meds and other wise). After dealing with mild to sever pain for over two years I was finally broke down and talked to my primary about it he sent me to a specialist. The RA doc said I have 'floppy joints' and was surprised to hear I was never double jointed. He described it like a gate which opens more than its hinges intended saying my joints bend more than they were meant to. Being left-handed was why my left side bothered more than the rest. He also said that it is a chronic problem that will probably get worse with age (29 yrs). He said that the muscle spasms I have are due to this issue as well and that the excess bruising I suffer is a combination of the medication he prescribed (Ultracet) and my blood vessels opening more than they should also. Though my right arm and both legs are effected at times it is mostly the left arm. One-sided RA was how my mother's began so as disconcerting as it is its nothing new. The pain is mostly in the left shoulder. It feels like there are 'pebbles' underneath the shoulder blade. There also feels like there is something in my neck on the left side were the spine and skull meet. This make the whole left side of my face/head feel tight especially the jaw. There is a lot of popping/sliding/slipping coming from my shoulder, neck and chest (yes chest it scared the heck out of my husband the first time he heard it). Though stiff at times I can move with easy and it usually does not hurt till after the fact. The left elbow, wrist and finger bother as well but I think the pain from the shoulder radiates. Wearing a wrists stabilizer helps and so does heat packs. Though I love cold weather I can not longer take it, even with warm weather if there's a fan blowing on me I have to cover up with something, the cool/cold air seems to cut straight to the joints making all of them ache. I am on Utracet, Skelaxin and Mobic. I am not stable yet and the meds make me 'unclear' at times but I do have my good days and for the most part the pain is tolorable. The e-stim helped but after about a week and a half the spasms returned. The RA doc set me up for a shoulder injection after looking at my x-ray. I'm leery but he says that it will help.
