Is there a doctor in the house?
Discussion
I've suffered from some fairly nasty pain in my knees since my late teens. All my doctors have ever offered is pain killers saying that the pain is down to wear and tear that can't be treated.
On Friday I saw a specialist who deals with professional footballers etc. He has told me that my knees are basically knackered and that there is nothing that can be done and I should just give up playing sport etc. Needless to say I find this a little upsetting.
Is there genuinely nothing that can be done for eroded cartilige?
On Friday I saw a specialist who deals with professional footballers etc. He has told me that my knees are basically knackered and that there is nothing that can be done and I should just give up playing sport etc. Needless to say I find this a little upsetting.
Is there genuinely nothing that can be done for eroded cartilige?
Little more detail such as age, other medical conditions etc would be useful.
Sounds like Osteo arthritis which is basically a condition where the joints wear away, Usually happens in people who are over weight or have had a lot of wear and tear on major joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, etc
Painkillers can help, anti-inflammatories are usually no help till later stages.
Treatment is usually replacement joints but as these can wear out quite quickly in some cases some surgeons don't like putting them in younger people
Sounds like Osteo arthritis which is basically a condition where the joints wear away, Usually happens in people who are over weight or have had a lot of wear and tear on major joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, etc
Painkillers can help, anti-inflammatories are usually no help till later stages.
Treatment is usually replacement joints but as these can wear out quite quickly in some cases some surgeons don't like putting them in younger people
medicineman said:
Little more detail such as age, other medical conditions etc would be useful.
Sounds like Osteo arthritis which is basically a condition where the joints wear away, Usually happens in people who are over weight or have had a lot of wear and tear on major joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, etc
Painkillers can help, anti-inflammatories are usually no help till later stages.
Treatment is usually replacement joints but as these can wear out quite quickly in some cases some surgeons don't like putting them in younger people
I'm 29. No other conditions assocaiated with it. It's got to the point where playing football for one hour means I can't put my weight on my knee for 2 days after.
Twisting it or turning on it hurts like hell.
Have you considered your footwear? This can make a big difference to your stance and walk.
Try these:
www.orthaheel.co.uk
I have them on my shoes, they basically correct how your feet land on hard surfaces (ie shoes) so your knee isn't rotating with each step. They're very good, reduced my back pain a fair bit.
Try these:
www.orthaheel.co.uk
I have them on my shoes, they basically correct how your feet land on hard surfaces (ie shoes) so your knee isn't rotating with each step. They're very good, reduced my back pain a fair bit.
Might be worth trying Glucosamine?
www.arthritis.org/conditions/alttherapies/Glucosamine.asp
Sure that there is a better site, the orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital swears by it, she recommends it to everyone. Believes it reduces her waiting list 25% as people cartilage seems to repair and the pain goes away.
Takes about a month to see effects, you need to take 1500mg a day for real improvements
Good luck!
www.arthritis.org/conditions/alttherapies/Glucosamine.asp
Sure that there is a better site, the orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital swears by it, she recommends it to everyone. Believes it reduces her waiting list 25% as people cartilage seems to repair and the pain goes away.
Takes about a month to see effects, you need to take 1500mg a day for real improvements
Good luck!
29 is a bit young for osteo-arthritis (tis possible though).What else have you done to try and help?
And as someone has mentioned glucosamine can be very effective.
Good point, but... It's worth getting your gait assessed by a physio (or similar) before you do this, as it's possible to make things worse by messing around with insoles.
And as someone has mentioned glucosamine can be very effective.
parrot of doom said:
Have you considered your footwear? This can make a big difference to your stance and walk.
Try these:
www.orthaheel.co.uk
I have them on my shoes, they basically correct how your feet land on hard surfaces (ie shoes) so your knee isn't rotating with each step. They're very good, reduced my back pain a fair bit.
Good point, but... It's worth getting your gait assessed by a physio (or similar) before you do this, as it's possible to make things worse by messing around with insoles.
I knackered both my knees playing cricket... had my first knee operation aged 12. Not much fun. I've had 26 knee ops in total, have synthetic cartilage and no anterior cruciate ligaments in either leg. I no longer play cricket (used to be a fast bowler) and haven't done so for nearly eight years. As much as I love the game, the pain just isn't worth it. However, it's not all doom and gloom...
Cod liver oil and glucosamine can help, and I avoid painkillers as all they do is mask the pain so you can actually do more damage. If they start to hurt... stop. Make sure you have some decent footwear that offers support and protection for you knees, but the other thing to do is to make sure that the muscles around your knees are strong - this certainly seems to help.
Mine are no where near as bad as they once were, but I struggle to ride a bike, and can't ski or put side loads on them, as I literally fold to the floor. I do however drive a TVR every day... they're not exactly renowned for having light clutch pedals... so as I said, it's not all doom and gloom.
The one piece of advice I would give, is do as the specialist suggests. Call it youthful stupidity, but I didn't. I went back to playing far earlier than I should have done and did more damage...
Cod liver oil and glucosamine can help, and I avoid painkillers as all they do is mask the pain so you can actually do more damage. If they start to hurt... stop. Make sure you have some decent footwear that offers support and protection for you knees, but the other thing to do is to make sure that the muscles around your knees are strong - this certainly seems to help.
Mine are no where near as bad as they once were, but I struggle to ride a bike, and can't ski or put side loads on them, as I literally fold to the floor. I do however drive a TVR every day... they're not exactly renowned for having light clutch pedals... so as I said, it's not all doom and gloom.
The one piece of advice I would give, is do as the specialist suggests. Call it youthful stupidity, but I didn't. I went back to playing far earlier than I should have done and did more damage...
mechsympathy said:
29 is a bit young for osteo-arthritis (tis possible though).What else have you done to try and help?
And as someone has mentioned glucosamine can be very effective.
parrot of doom said:
Have you considered your footwear? This can make a big difference to your stance and walk.
Try these:
<a href="www.orthaheel.co.uk">www.orthaheel.co.uk</a>
I have them on my shoes, they basically correct how your feet land on hard surfaces (ie shoes) so your knee isn't rotating with each step. They're very good, reduced my back pain a fair bit.
Good point, but... It's worth getting your gait assessed by a physio (or similar) before you do this, as it's possible to make things worse by messing around with insoles.
My ex had suffered from debilitating knee pain for a number of years - had exploratory surgery with no real result.
Had to force his GP to refer him to a physio to try to work out how he was going to live with the problem. She took one look at him walking, noticed that his feet were rolling in badly, gave him corrective insoles and the problem virtually went away overnight. Definately worth investigating.
Go and see a good remedial physiotherapist, I struggled with bad knees for a year or so before I saw her. Had 5 or 6 sessions and it was brilliant, the thigh muscles were so tight it was causing the knee to bend off track giving me serious knee pain even just lying down.
Doc suggested painkillers ? good grief, good job you didn't tell him you were feeling a bit down as well, he'd have had you on Prozac. no offence PH docs.
I used to squat fairly heavy in my late teens/early twenties, 400 or so and shge said the problem was caused by not stretching enough before and after.
Doc suggested painkillers ? good grief, good job you didn't tell him you were feeling a bit down as well, he'd have had you on Prozac.
no offence PH docs. I used to squat fairly heavy in my late teens/early twenties, 400 or so and shge said the problem was caused by not stretching enough before and after.
My knees have been knackered for a few years (started with Osgood Schlatter's when I was 15 and has progressed to a 'your knee caps are in the wrong place, sir'-type diagnosis now).
I've been told by my consultant surgeon that he's not willing to operate on account of my age (26), but he did send me to a specialist who deals with orthotics (the devices which go into one's shoes to help correct knee/ankle etc alignment).
Having had the orthotics in for about 9 months, I've noticed a massive improvement. I still have the propensity for lots of pain, but it's far less regular than it was. I even played my first round of golf in a year a couple of weeks ago without too much grief the next morning.
I understand that how appropriate orthotics are will depend on your particular circumstances (my ankle's rolled over so that it almost touches the floor inside my stance
), but if they are suitable, they may go a long way in alieviating the symptoms.
I'd also recommend cod liver oil and gluocusamine (my ex used to get me the hyper-strength stuff they used to feed to racehorses
). Also, when they feel bad, just take the weight off them and give them a chance.
I really do sympathise mate, they're bloody horrible things to go wrong as there's never much option but to use them. Good luck in finding something that works.
Podie - 26 ops! That can't be any fun at all
I've been told by my consultant surgeon that he's not willing to operate on account of my age (26), but he did send me to a specialist who deals with orthotics (the devices which go into one's shoes to help correct knee/ankle etc alignment).
Having had the orthotics in for about 9 months, I've noticed a massive improvement. I still have the propensity for lots of pain, but it's far less regular than it was. I even played my first round of golf in a year a couple of weeks ago without too much grief the next morning.
I understand that how appropriate orthotics are will depend on your particular circumstances (my ankle's rolled over so that it almost touches the floor inside my stance
), but if they are suitable, they may go a long way in alieviating the symptoms. I'd also recommend cod liver oil and gluocusamine (my ex used to get me the hyper-strength stuff they used to feed to racehorses
). Also, when they feel bad, just take the weight off them and give them a chance. I really do sympathise mate, they're bloody horrible things to go wrong as there's never much option but to use them. Good luck in finding something that works.
Podie - 26 ops! That can't be any fun at all
Thanks all for advice. I was originally diagnosed with eroded cartilige at 15 and was given pain killers and told to toddle off like a good boy. The NHS has since repeated these instructions for 14 years at which point they tell me I should now stop doing any form of high impact exercise.
Many a true word!
Thanks all for advise. Are there any treatments or operations I can start trying to save up for to go private. No offence to people on here but the NHS is not going to help me out on this.
Hilts said:
Doc suggested painkillers ? good grief, good job you didn't tell him you were feeling a bit down as well, he'd have had you on Prozac.
Many a true word!
Thanks all for advise. Are there any treatments or operations I can start trying to save up for to go private. No offence to people on here but the NHS is not going to help me out on this.
Try swimming.... I had a shattered knee and the excercise is good for the joints. I can tell if I haven't been for a couple of weeks as the pain goes up. Swimming will aid joint mobility and help retain strength.
In fact, get your ass in Jack Hunt pool tomorrow at 7:30 AM and I'll show you how it's done
In fact, get your ass in Jack Hunt pool tomorrow at 7:30 AM and I'll show you how it's done
First off, I'm not a doctor, I'm an engineer. So if an actual MD tells you the opposite of what I say ignore me and go with their advice...
Yeah, you need to check out the orthotics, the glucosamine, better shoes, but at the same time as at least a temporary measure back off the high-impact stuff like football. Try giving it up for say 6 months anyway, instead swim, use an eliptical trainer (like a stair stepper but your feet move in an ellipse, you can pull/push with the hands on a couple of levers as well) use a rowing machine or even row a boat if that's practical, bicycle etc.
You need to give the herbs and nutrients a chance to heal what's damaged. You definitely don't want to take pain killers - that's about as smart as turning up the radio to drown out an engine noise..
You didn't mention your weight. If you need to lose some, that will help. If you are just a big guy, the pressure on your joints is higher than for a small guy, just physics of scaling, sorry about that..so you will have to be more careful.
In the book "Eat Right 4 your Type" the author (a naturopathic doctor) suggests that certain foods cause joint problems for certain blood types, I feel better when I eat more in compliance with his suggestions than otherwise, but that's not exactly a peer-reviewed, double-blind research study!
Indeed a good footballer might figure out that some of your moves are unnecessarily hard on your knees.
Yeah, you need to check out the orthotics, the glucosamine, better shoes, but at the same time as at least a temporary measure back off the high-impact stuff like football. Try giving it up for say 6 months anyway, instead swim, use an eliptical trainer (like a stair stepper but your feet move in an ellipse, you can pull/push with the hands on a couple of levers as well) use a rowing machine or even row a boat if that's practical, bicycle etc.
You need to give the herbs and nutrients a chance to heal what's damaged. You definitely don't want to take pain killers - that's about as smart as turning up the radio to drown out an engine noise..
You didn't mention your weight. If you need to lose some, that will help. If you are just a big guy, the pressure on your joints is higher than for a small guy, just physics of scaling, sorry about that..so you will have to be more careful.
In the book "Eat Right 4 your Type" the author (a naturopathic doctor) suggests that certain foods cause joint problems for certain blood types, I feel better when I eat more in compliance with his suggestions than otherwise, but that's not exactly a peer-reviewed, double-blind research study!
Indeed a good footballer might figure out that some of your moves are unnecessarily hard on your knees.
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