Knees

[Jenny in Florida]

Today's installment in the continuing saga of Jenny's Body Falls Apart finds us investigating the cause of our heroine's knee pain and weakness. Her primary care physician tentatively diagnosed arthritis and sent her for physical therapy. The physical therapist has done an initial evaluation and prescribed a course of treatment (2 visits per week plus daily exercises at home). X-rays show mild to moderate degenerative changes in the tall femoral and patellofemoral compartment, as well as decrease bone density, in both knees.

Dr. Google tells me the leading possible diagnoses for this would be osteoarthritis as originally suspected or patellofemoral pain syndrome. There is nothing curative (short of surgery, which wouldn't be in the cards until/unless things were much worse and which I would do everything possible to avoid, anyway) for either one. Treatment seems to be similar, basically just being careful about activity, PT/exercise to strengthen other muscles, OTC meds for pain when necessary. 

Obviously, I will be following up with the doctor and the physical therapist, but I figured I'd come here first. Anyone know anything about either of these conditions and want to chime in with experiences or advice?

[Ottakee]

My x rays are similar.

I take Meloxicam 7.5-15mg for pain and it really helps..

T-Tapp and DDPY were both very doable for me....but I modify the DDPY for a few things.  

The more movement the better for me.   Walking on an InCline on the treadmill seems to be helping.   PT has helped.  Bike riding was great in good weather 

 

[Laura Corin]

I have an arthritic knee. With daily yoga it no longer hurts. I think it's mostly building strength in the surrounding muscles to support the joint.

[cintinative]

I want to encourage you. About six years ago I went to the orthopedic with knee pain and they did MRIs and I had pretty extensive damage from a patellofemoral tracking issue. She told me I was really close to needing surgery. I had been doing boot camps and basically wrecking my joints (unintentionally).  I did the physical therapy, and vastly changed my exercises, and I very, very rarely have knee pain now.  The big thing for me is that I absolutely cannot do lunges. They are horrible for my knees.  Technically I was also told to avoid squats, but I still do them and am fine, but I would totally avoid jump squats. Form is really important.  I started doing a different (more pilates style) leg workout once a week and subbed out some of my physical therapy exercises for the lunges my other leg workout and that has worked well for me.  I really hope this is true for you! Building up the strength of those muscles around the knee made a big difference.  

[Alicia64]

LOVE your humorous writing!! Very funny!

Wendy

[matrips]

15 hours ago, cintinative said:

I want to encourage you. About six years ago I went to the orthopedic with knee pain and they did MRIs and I had pretty extensive damage from a patellofemoral tracking issue. She told me I was really close to needing surgery. I had been doing boot camps and basically wrecking my joints (unintentionally).  I did the physical therapy, and vastly changed my exercises, and I very, very rarely have knee pain now.  The big thing for me is that I absolutely cannot do lunges. They are horrible for my knees.  Technically I was also told to avoid squats, but I still do them and am fine, but I would totally avoid jump squats. Form is really important.  I started doing a different (more pilates style) leg workout once a week and subbed out some of my physical therapy exercises for the lunges my other leg workout and that has worked well for me.  I really hope this is true for you! Building up the strength of those muscles around the knee made a big difference.  

What exercises were wrecking your joints?  I'm trying to get a home workout plan together, but don't want to inadvertently hurt myself.  Thanks.

[cintinative]

1 hour ago, matrips said:

What exercises were wrecking your joints?  I'm trying to get a home workout plan together, but don't want to inadvertently hurt myself.  Thanks.

I think it really depends on your body. With my tracking issue, anything where the knee cap might pull out of the proper track was a problem. I had some weakness in the muscle groups that help hold the knee in place as well, so part of it was working on that.

I stopped doing lunges completely. Every form of lunge really.  I stopped doing jumps. I can do a lateral hop okay, but forward jumps or backward jumps are just as bad for my knees.  One of my workouts has a large jump followed by three backward hops. I don't do that one but sub it out for a different exercise.

I had to stop all squats for awhile too until I was healed better and able to keep my form correct.  

The problem I have with most exercise plans is that they have lunges and squats for most of the leg exercises.

I substitute with a lying weighted leg raise, a side-lying leg raise, clamshells with a resistance band, bridges with resistance band, single legged calf raises, etc.

Online it says to avoid running hills, step machines, leg extension machine, and  leg press machine. Plus lunges and deep squats

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by cintinative