Meloxicam works ok, do not have surgery. I did and have had 2 shots of cortisone in left knee and one in right in August. It gets you by. Those ritis brothers gets us all eventually, I was getting 2 shots each month for RA ($4000 each) shut that down in Dec because it hinders the immune system (arthritis is caused by the immune system attacking the joints) do the best you can. And the docs do look at us as $$$$$$, i have 8 Docs now and climbing, one before Medicare came on board.

Commercials all over the AM radio here about QC Kinetics for arthritis and joint issues. Info if someone wants to look into it.

https://qckinetix.com/joint-pain-treatments/#How-It-Works

I have had 4 doctors tell me it's arthritis on 4 different occasions. All were wrong.

One told me my knee pain was arthritis, a better doctor found torn cartilage in my hip causing inflammation and pressure on the nerve. Treated the problem and took precautions not to let it get worse.
The last time it was in my lower part of my thumb. Started looking dislocated and painful. Doctor said it was arthritis. I said I have been doing this specific repetitive task could that do it. Nope she said. I bought hand brace to force the finger into the correct position and altered how I use that hand for several months. Only had to wear the brace for about a week off and on and I AM 100% HEALED.

I take meloxicam on an as needed basis. If i take it regularly when I stop taking it I really hurt all over. If I wake up with a back ache or shoulder pain, simple aspirin. If I wake up and everything hurts, meloxicam for a day or two.

Try stuff like new shoes or insoles, see if you can take the load off and change how you work/play for a bit. Floor pads if you stand alot. etc. See if it is really arthritis.

Hope you get better.

as one who has severe arthritis, as well as other health issues, i have taken meloxicam, but my doc switched it out to another med [which of course i forget what the name of it is. ]
both of my knees have seen [way] better days, and towards the last part of 2021 and the early part of 2022, i was almost to the point of not being able to walk.
my left hip was worn down to a point where the ball was supposed to be, and the socket was so bad the "point" was almost pushed through the socket. to say i was a hurtin' puppy was putting it mildly.
i got my hip replaced in april, and as always, i wonder why i waited so dam long to get it done ! i sure got my money out of that part ! the doc gave me he!! because he had to chop up and repair way more of my leg bone[s] than the normal hip replacement requires, and the socket part required additional work as well.
fast forward to today, and my hip feels GREAT, i can walk reasonably well using a cane, and my left knee does NOT snap, crack[le] and pop anymore !
even though it still has the arthritis it had before, fixing my hip also took strain off of my knee. who would'a thunk ?
the only "problem" if you could call it that, is since my hip was so hard to fix, the nerves had to be re-routed [?] some, and i am numb from just below my hip to my ankle.
this doesn't cause any obstacles, so i put up with it.

Glad to see yo and the others are getting some relief from the meloxicam it just took the edge off my arthritis.
Listening to the doctors is a smart move they are smarter than us. They also show that fact by buying done cars instead of beating them.self up making one.
Simple thing we are idiots don't understand parts wear out. Just look how many parts we rebuild or swap out on cars. But we think our body parts last forever no matter h ow we use them.

i kinda look at it this way............
they call it "practicing" medicine. so the docs are "practicing" on us..........

My sister moved from Meloxicam to Diclofenac Sodium and says it is even better than Meloxicam.

I don't know from experience but for you and others it may be an option to talk to your doctor about.

Hope your healing is coming along well.

I read bad side affects with that on long term use. Still too mild for me, Soma will settle it down real good, plus any of the codine stuff hydro and oxy.

Glad to see you're still kickin 340SIX! Been a while since I've been here.