Osteoarthritis: Elaine reveals her experience of the condition

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The star, who rose to fame after the launch of her exercise programme The Hip & Thigh Diet back in the 1980s, revealed in a surprising interview that she in fact deals with a number of ailments that have put obstacles in her way over the years. In addition to being diagnosed with asthma at the age of two, the health guru has been diagnosed with pseudomonas – a type of bacteria that can cause lung infections – whooping cough and bronchiectasis. But one of the most debilitating health struggles she has overcome is arthritis, which she has in both of her feet.

At her lowest point, Conley was bound to a wheelchair as she struggled to simply get from one side of the kitchen to the other.

“It was so bad that I was taking strong painkillers and having steroid injections in my feet,” she revealed in a past interview.

“Every morning I used to walk my dogs but it began to feel like I had an invisible golf ball in my left shoe and within months it was agony putting any pressure on it.

“When I was diagnosed the doctor said to me, ‘These feet have done a few miles,’ and he was absolutely right.”

Although the star remains unsure about the specific cause of her condition, she said that the combination of wearing stilettos, taking exercise classes on hard floors and in jazz shoes were contributing factors that had a negative impact on her feet in the long-term.

She continued to say: “I have always been a very upbeat person but this has affected my confidence and completely changed my lifestyle. I used to love skiing and long walks but I can’t do either any more. Recently I went into London to meet a friend, something I’d have done unthinkingly before I developed arthritis.

“But I felt anxious and vulnerable as I couldn’t move very fast. I’m not the sort to scream and shout but when I am in pain I definitely become very quiet.

“It is frustrating and debilitating and it upsets me that so many people seem to accept arthritis as part of getting old and are simply suffering in silence.”

Osteoarthritis is one of the two common types of arthritis in the UK. Along with typical symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness, individuals can also experience a grating or crackling sound when moving the affected joints.

For some, these symptoms can be mild and may come and go. But for others, they can experience more continuous and severe problems which make it difficult to carry out everyday activities.

At one stage, with her ailments seemingly piling up, Conley asked her doctor out of desperation if she would make it to 80 years old as she “felt her joint going”.

In a 2022 interview with Express.co.uk, she said: “By the time I sort of hit 70, and I felt my joints going a bit, I thought, ‘I wonder if I will actually reach 80’, and I did actually have that conversation with my GP.

“And he said that’s a very pessimistic view.”

With advice from her doctor, Conley aimed to embrace her condition, maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle in order to keep painful symptoms at bay.

She continued to say: “If I put weight on, I find it incredibly difficult to walk because of my arthritis. If I stay at about seven stone 10, which for my five foot and-a-half inch height is great, then my feet behave beautifully.

“I take paracetamol everyday of course, and consistently four times a day. But it is brilliant because I live. Somebody said to me recently, that I move around like a young person. And I thought that’s a really lovely compliment.”

The star also had great results when using an old TENS machine, which she described as having a transformative effect on her feet as the small but frequent electrical signals provided “instant relief” to her pain. In fact, using a TENS machine is now recommended by the NHS.

“I am not one to give up and although I realised there was no cure for my condition, I was determined to find something that would help me to live life to the full again,” Conley said . “I can’t believe the answer was a TENS machine.”

Although finding relatively successful “home remedies”, Conley went on to have surgery on her foot, which involved fusing the joints in her foot into a permanent position. This type of procedure is known as arthrodesis.

Once again crediting her impeccable level of fitness, Conley explained that following her surgery she was able to recover in three months time, instead of the recommended 18 months that doctors warned her about.

She added: “Because I did exercise all the way through. I started doing the exercises that my physio told me I could do. I was better and walking around normally after three months.”

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