My sister is suffering from legs swollen and hands so gnarled that she is immobile but her mind tells her to refuse rehab. Doctors are perplexed. She was falling often for about 6 months ,then her legs started swelling and she started sitting all the time saying she could not make herself walk. Can anyone suggest help for her? Thank you and God bless you.
Just for clarity, "idiopathic" is a medical term which is used to describe a condition which has no known cause; meaning that the doctor does not know what caused the condition. The term comes from the Greek words idios, or “one's own,” and pathos, or suffering. While it might be tempting to blame the doctor for not being able to figure out what is causing a medical problem, some diseases really do seem to arise spontaneously, with no known explanation or cause, and berating the doctor will not be very productive.
Your only option, then, is alleviating the symptoms. In addition to rest and reduction of salt, try aquatherapy and modifying the diet to prevent the weight gain associated with the lack of movement and exercise. Good luck.
-- ED
Swollen hands and feet from idiopathic edema can often be reduced by lying down for several hours and reducing the amount of salt in your diet. Some doctors treat idiopathic edema with ACE inhibitors or progesterone, but this does not consistently treat the condition. There is no health risk associated with this swelling, so rest and reduction of salt seem to be the best treatment.
Make sure the doctors are aware of all medications, herbs and other substances your sister takes- even vitamin supplements. The gnarled hands sound like arthritis, but could be something else. There are over 100 types of arthritis - the falling and even the legs could be from some type they haven't considered.
The only thing I can suggest is another medical opinion or counseling to help her see she needs medical help. In the end, she has the right to make her own decisions, but it's painful to watch, so if she will see yet another doctor, please try.
Take care,
Carol