Arthritis can have a significant impact on your quality of life and force you to change how you live. We spoke to Scott Hurst from Southampton about how his life changed and how NuroKor has helped him.

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Scott is Facilities Manager for assistive technology specialist Microlink PC. He regularly cycled the 14-mile round trip to work until osteoarthritis in his knee became so debilitating that he was forced to use crutches and a wheelchair to move around in the warehouse.

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'Having arthritis meant I’d gone from cycling 70 miles a week to being in a wheelchair'

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Scott’s story - the impact of arthritis

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‘The problems with my knee had been really bad for about seven months and were the result of two operations I had about 10 years ago. The doctors told me there was no cartilage left and it was bone rubbing on bone, which was pretty painful when I put weight on it. Eventually I will need another operation, but I am too young to have it yet.

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‘I was on strong, prescription painkillers called co-codamol, which are a combination of codeine and paracetamol and I was on over 4,000mg a day. Being on such a high dose caused various digestive problems, including a painful stomach ulcer. They also aggravated my liver condition, so sometimes I couldn’t take the medication and then I had no choice but to put up with the pain. When my knee was really bad I would have to take time off work – sometimes as much as 6-8 weeks in a year.

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‘As well as being forced to stop cycling, I couldn’t walk easily so I wasn’t able to be active and enjoy time with my daughters aged 12 and 17, or help my wife with the weekly shopping. The impact on my day-to-day life was huge.

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‘I’d come in from work and go straight into a hot bath to help ease the pain and then have an early night. It was pretty tough for my wife and kids because I just wasn’t able to do much.’

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Overcoming arthritis with NuroKor

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The turning point came after Microlink purchased NuroKor technology for some of its 100-strong workforce and Scott decided to give it a go. After just six weeks, his situation had improved to such an extent that he was able to get back on his bike and resume his commute on two wheels.

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He said: ‘I didn’t really think that it would work, but once I’d learned how to use it, it became a part of my daily routine and I put the mibody on each night. I have been using it for a year now and during that time I haven’t had to take any time off because of my knee.

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‘All I take now is one paracetamol tablet every four hours. The nasty side effects from the stronger painkillers have disappeared and I’m in better control of my pain. The knee support that I had to wear all the time, which was uncomfortable, I now only have to wear while I’m at work and on my feet more, so that’s a big improvement.

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‘Life’s a lot easier now. I’m back to cycling to work most days, which can be as much as 70 miles a week; I can enjoy time with my family and I no longer have to use my mobility aids at work. I’m feeling really positive and hope my knee will continue to improve.’

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We’re delighted that Scott has found an improved quality of life through our technology and that he can get back to cycling and spending time with his family without having to worry so much about his arthritis.

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Arthritis - treatment options

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In the UK, over 10 million people suffer from arthritis. There are three different types of conditions - rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and the most common, osteoarthritis. Although different in nature, they all lead to painful, swollen and stiff joints, and can also lead to muscle pain.

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Sadly, there is currently no cure. There are, however, some ways to manage the pain. Applying heat, or in Scott’s case a hot bath, can help, while anti-inflammatories and painkillers are also commonly used. However, the ability of bioelectronic technology to provide pain management options for arthritis is increasingly documented and we are constantly refining and researching our technology to support more conditions.

If you’re looking for more information, read our article on arthritis and how our bioelectronic technology can make a difference.

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About NuroKor

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Founded in 2018, NuroKor is a company committed to the development of bioelectronic technologies. NuroKor develops and formulates programmable bioelectronic software for clinical and therapeutic applications, in a range of easy to use, wearable devices. It provides the highest-quality products, delivering personalised pain relief and recovery support and rehabilitation to patients.

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