help, got arthritis

Yes, arthritis can be diagnosed via x-rays.  I have osteoarthritis in both my knees and 6 years ago had one scoped to scrape out some grade 4 nastiness.  I continue to run, bike, play ice hockey, etc. even though those activities often makes my knees extra achy for a day or so. I've learned that being inactive makes them hurt far worse than being active.  They feel better if I stay active.

In my own experience, I can say that losing weight such as the 15 lbs. you mentioned makes a world of difference for the better.  Quoting the following from arthritis.org: "Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. So a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on his knees; if a person is 100 pounds overweight, that is 400 pounds of extra pressure on his knees."  

I will also say, again, YMMV,  that while at first running made them hurt a lot, the more I adapted to running,  the less my knees hurt.  Icing and OTC meds can help after a run, I tend to stick to just icing unless they are really, really hurting as I personally don't like to overdo things like ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.  Take your time adapting to running, doing walk/run intervals and start with shorter distances, gradually increasing the time/distance you run.  Best of luck to you!

 

Edited by melbo55 2016-12-06 1:53 PM

There’s hope . . . When I was far younger I did quite a bit of damage to my knees. At various points in my life they’ve given me a fair amount of grief. Three years ago I went through an extensive orthopedic evaluation of both knees including MRIs. I was told that I’m bone on bone in both knees as well as missing my left ACL completely and other issues. It was recommended that I do not run, but swim, bike, strength train etc. They told me the longer I can hold off till getting full replacements the better and I certainly agree.

Here’s the good part . . . It’s a long story, but I’ll shorten it to the bare bones. A couple of months after that evaluation something told me that I should give running and triathlon a shot. I had done a number of Tri 26 years earlier and loved it. I remembered that when I was training for Tri was probably the best I ever felt physically. Four months later I completed a Sprint and I’ve now done eight more Sprints of various lengths as well as a handful of 5Ks. I now have less pain in my knees than before I started training. For me, the following tactics have been successful so far:
* I run low volumes, and when I build mileage or intensity I do it very gradually.

*If for some reason I haven’t run for more than a couple of weeks, I start back with mixing up run/walk until I can build my way back up.

*Proportionately, I probably bike more than I should, but it helps overall fitness and my knees tolerate it well.

*Swimming is like biking, as far as my knees are concerned, the more the better.

*I try to run really “light”, short strides, try to land midfoot instead of heal etc.

*Knees, (and everything else), definitely feel better the less I weigh. Holidays and winter are kinda hard, I’m almost 10 pounds over my summer weight right now.

*I spend money on good shoes and rotate them for different runs.

*I ice my knees as much as possible, not because they hurt, but as a preventative because it helps keep them from hurting.

All the best of luck to you. I’d suggest sticking with a very easy but consistent approach for a while and see how it goes!



Edited by MikeD1 2016-12-06 6:11 PM

I tend to get knee problems from time to time. I take a NSAID from time to time. Someone once told me "your knees hurt because you have weak hamstrings and quads ". I honestly find that when my knees start bothering me I will spend 2 to 3 days a week at the gym working my lower core / hamstrings and quads. Within a few weeks of this my knees hurt much less or barely at all

Thank you. I had no idea how common this is. I'm really inspired!

My grandmother was dealing with knee pain. We had consulted with the doctor and her diagnostic process has begun. It was very painful for her when she walks and very difficult for her to take a bath in the traditional tub. So the doctor has recommended to get in contact with the professionals of walk in tub Spokane valley and install a walk-in bathtub in her bathroom because walk-in bathtub has less than 4-inch step up and it also had hydrotherapy features which accelerate the healing process by developing the blood vessels and increasing blood flow to aching area or in the damaged tissue.


Edited by MorrisWilliams 2017-03-24 4:42 AM

I also have Osteoarthritis in my knee. Like Mike mentioned above, I'm also bone on bone. I ended up fracturing my femur and tibia because of the bone on bone and x-rays and MRI showed there's really nothing left in my knee. Cartilage, miniscus - pretty much everything has disintegrated.

I went to two different surgeons - both said I need a full knee replacement and both refused to do it because they said they knew I would run on my new knee and ruin the appliance (Sorry...but I'm calling B.S. on that). The MRI also showed my left knee looked like a 90 year old while my right knee looked like an 18 year old (these are the radiologists words). I'm 55 so if my right knee looks like an 18 year old, I must be doing something correct.

Both surgeons said I "Would NEVER run again". Uh...sorry guys, wrong answer.

So.....

I got an offloader brace made by DonJoy. This thing is way expensive, but it's custom made to my leg.. I did pool running for 10 weeks to rehab my leg, then hit the road.

I'm very happy to say I'm regularly running 40+ miles per week. I will NOT say it's pain free. Yeah...there's pain, but it's tolerable. Without the brace I know I'd be watching from the sidelines.

I'm doing my first Iron distance race in a week, so the brace has kept me going.

I'll echo what others have said...

* If you think you need to lose some weight... Then DO IT. Talk to a nutritionist, dietitian, or just stay way from the refrigerator door. But whatever you can do to get the weight off your knee, but all means do so.

* Learn to run with good form! This is key. I coach track and cross country at the local high school and this is the most important thing to keep runners strong and healthy.

* Not sure what kind of arthritis you have, but the DonJoy offloader brace has definitely worked for me. Insurance helped my pay for part of it, but I had to pony up several hundred bucks to make up the difference. Might be worth looking ito.

* Stretch after you work out. Use a Foam Roller and get the Stick. Anything you can do to keep the calves and quads healthy will help your knees.


Best of luck!

--
Dave

I think you 've gotten some really good advice so far. Once your knees have reached the point of bone on bone, the definitive treatment is total knee replacement. However, once you have the surgery, NO more running. The materials used don't last forever and running will greatly speed that process up. A second knee replacement on the same knee is a very risky procedure and often is not possible. The good news is that you can keep running as long as you want as long as you can deal with the discomfort. Lose some weight if possible. Strengthening regimen. Try to find softer surfaces to run on. Best of luck!