Couch potato seeks assistance for allover arthritis pain

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 72-year-old male disabled veteran. I started work out of high school in a factory Then went to Vietnam, where I injured my knee. Next, I worked for an airline as a baggage handler then became a licensed aircraft mechanic.

I have had one knee and one hip replaced, which was brutal and only slightly successful painwise. I now find myself with arthritis in most of my joints. My feet, knees, hips and back keep me from being active at all. I take 90 mg of narcotics per day from the Veterans Affairs doctor. I had shots in knees and hips with diminishing results, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc.

My pain has turned me into a couch potato. This is very bad for my mental health. I try not to constantly complain to my wife. I heard about a new drug called tanezumab and that its clinical trials were canceled because it “worked too well.” Any advice?

Dear Reader: Tanezumab is a novel drug and represents a potential new treatment for pain from osteoarthritis. It is a monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor. There have been 39 trials.

The most recent news I saw was that the Food and Drug Administration was planning to make a decision as soon as December 2020.

Being a “couch potato” is just not good for osteoarthritis. Regular exercise of any kind helps reduce pain. Any kind of movement will help.

Being in a pool is one activity that virtually all of my patients with severe osteoarthritis can tolerate. You might check on what is available. Surgery may not be practical, but still ask your doctors whether joint replacement surgery is worth considering.