Dealing with arthritis in the knee

[smokersteve]

The arthritis in my right knee has been bothersome lately. I'm only 48 but I had a serious knee injury as a teenager. Now I'm dealing with some arthritis from that injury.
What's interesting is that it feels fine when I'm cycling.
I stay slim so the knee has less weight to carry. 5'8" and 148 pounds.
After riding I use a neoprene brace on the knee.
I stretch my hamstrings, quads, and calves 5-7 x's a week.
I've tried glucosamine numerous times for extended periods(3-6 months). Used expensive, cheap, different brands...none of them helped at all.

Anyone dealing with arthritis and any suggestions?

[Alan]

Everyone has arthritis who is over 50. I had medial meniscus removal in the dark days of orthopaedic surgery. There are many things you can do:

See a PT for exercises that protect your knee. Cycling is good but can promote unbalanced muscles.

Look into anti-inflammatory supplements such as tumeric and tart cherry juice. There have been studies on these supplements that you can google. My dr friends like tumeric but try the tart cherry juice too. Just be careful on some of the way out supplements.

There are many types of braces that PTs can prescribe that are beneficial. I use a thruster brace that works very well for me. Good PTs know about braces. They are not cheap but can help a lot.

Talk to a good PT and ortho dr to understand where you are and some things to try. Cycling is very good for knee issues but certainly not the only tactic. PM me if you want. Sometime a knee scope can help as well and these days you can recover quickly.

Alan

[Seramount]

my left knee is utter junk...

thousands of hours of basketball and long-distance running, a couple of major ski-related events, and a snowmobile accident that ruptured the ACL...two surgeries that didn't really improve anything.

the joint is bone-on-bone and makes noises that sound like knitting needles clacking together. I can only walk about 2 miles before it becomes too painful to continue.

swimming doesn't really aggravate anything and cycling doesn't produce discomfort unless I'm trying to climb aggressively.

have tried some supplements, but didn't observe any relief. found a few yoga postures that seemed to relieve pain, but it's only temporary.

my orthopedist says to just come see him when the pain becomes unbearable and he'll do a TKR procedure.

avoiding that as long as possible.

[Dave]

I've been taking glucosamine-chondroitin for over 20 years. Don't know if it helps, but I figure that it can't hurt. I had 3 scope jobs for torn meniscus prior to 2010, but when my knee started hurting again in 2010, I went to an orthopedic surgeon and got my last MRI that showed that most of my cartilage was gone and knee replacements were inevitable. I held out until 2017. During that 7 years I took a lot of ibuprofen and wore a custom leg brace for the left knee, but I gave up cycling, mainly to do other things.

I had my left knee replaced in January of '17 and the right one done in November. The first one cost about $6,000 and the second one was free, since I had met my maximum out of pocket.

In July of 2018 I noticed that I was losing some of my range of motion in the left knee and both knees got stiff easily, just from puttering around my workshop. I decided to get back on the bike and it has been helpful, but I'm also doing some stretching exercise, every day for that stubborn left knee.

If you've never been to an orthopedic surgeon, it's worth a try. Usually, you get x-rays first, just to see if you have decent joint space, which means that you at least have some cartilage left. If that looks good, they may do an MRI to see if something else needs some work. If the X-ray looks bad, they may not even bother with an MRI.

The bad thing about severe arthritis is it also destroys bone, which can make it tough to have a successful knee replacement. The doc told me that I had good bone quality, so I'm hoping that my new knees last a long time.

[RWeb]

I second trying turmeric.

Specifically, grate fresh turmeric root and ginger root (about 1/2 finger size or more each) and add to a cup of hot water along with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Research suggests adding a pinch of pepper to aid the body’s ability to absorb curcumin, the chemical compound in turmeric that has anti-inflammatory properties.

I have had good, noticeable results concerning anti-inflammation using turmeric.

I consume it earlier in the day rather than at night because it can keep me up.

I’ve tried tart cherry juice, but I personally do not get the same benefit as from turmeric. Tart cherry juice is high in fructose sugar if that is of concern to you.

[Bentley]

I’m 62, numerous knee surgeries, all sports related. My knees are tender. I find daily Tumeric supplementation, tumeric/ginger shots and now CBD oil all take the edge off.

I wear knickers year round. The warmth and compression help.

Fitting also helped

Best

Ray

[smokersteve]

Thanks everyone.

I’ve tried tart cherry juice for about 6 months. It didn’t help at all.

I’ve tried turmeric supplements. It didn’t help at all.

I’ve tried bromelain supplements. Didn’t help at all.

One time I ate a quarter of a pineapple a day for about a month. It didn’t help for the arthritis pain but I did get an ulcer 😂

Ive never tried fresh turmeric and ginger.

I do specific stretches and exercises for the knee. This seems to help the most.

Might be time to visit an orthopedic surgeon 😬

[2LeftCleats]

Sounds like you've started the progression. Keep the weight off. Keep the muscles strong. Limit running. Avoid deep squats, kneeling, planting/twisting motions to limit sheer stress on cartilage. The various supplements are worth trying but there's very little research supporting them.

Here's my story, which is typical:

Had several arthroscopies in the 80s and 90s before we realized that is best used sparingly. Quit running 3 yr ago due to pain and swelling. Walking and hiking were fine until a year ago when that became difficult. Very little problem with cycling. Had a steroid injection last summer--no help. Tried a custom brace to relieve pressure on the medial side where most of my damage was. The only thing it relieved was $800 and no help for the pain. Sports med suggested a trial of hyaluronic acid injections even though data is not strong on its benefit. I was trying to postpone surgery since we're getting ready to move. My insurer didn't feel the research supported its use, so I paid $1000 for the vial and $500 for the 3 injections. Not a bit of help. I'm now 5 weeks out from my total knee surgery. Doing pretty well but rehab exercises to get full extension and flexion are really unpleasant. I can walk 3 mile and Zwift for an hour. The only thing holding me back now is my hip--had my first injection of that today. Pisses me off that my joints are worsening faster than my dementia.

[metalheart]

I tried most of those things the OP listed above, minus the pineapple, and I had no pain relief from any of them. For a couple of years cortisone shots helped sometimes and sometimes not. Tried hyaluronan shots and had the same outcome as cortisone. It is worth discussing both cortisone and hyaluronan therapies with an ortho doc to see if it makes sense for your case.

After multiple years of various approaches to dealing with the knee pain and limitations, I had sequential knee replacements in 2015. It worked.

[bironi]

my left knee is utter junk...

thousands of hours of basketball and long-distance running, a couple of major ski-related events, and a snowmobile accident that ruptured the ACL...two surgeries that didn't really improve anything.

the joint is bone-on-bone and makes noises that sound like knitting needles clacking together. I can only walk about 2 miles before it becomes too painful to continue.

swimming doesn't really aggravate anything and cycling doesn't produce discomfort unless I'm trying to climb aggressively.

have tried some supplements, but didn't observe any relief. found a few yoga postures that seemed to relieve pain, but it's only temporary.

my orthopedist says to just come see him when the pain becomes unbearable and he'll do a TKR procedure.

avoiding that as long as possible.

I had a partial knee replacement 7 yrs back.
Pretty damn happy with the results.
I stick with what I love, cycling.
I want to make it last as long as possible.


Based on the experience of other friends that have had TKR on one or both knees, beware pushing it off too long.
Other issues arise as your body tries to adjust to the constant pain.
Hey, it's bone on bone and that hurts.

[Mikej]

I got you all beat - I skated pools and big vert- I found osteo bi flex actually works.

[Louis]

Lately I've been doing a lot more rowing (indoor) than cycling, and have found that it's a lot easier on my knees, most likely because my erg sessions are a lot shorter (but way more intense) than my bike rides.

Good Luck

[parallelfish]

I have had good results with “relief factor”. It is a combination of icarin, resveratrol, curcumin and fish oil.

[mastaliu]

I have had 3 surgeries, all from my 20s in the 90s when knee surgeries were not all that successful. I have problems with articular cartilage in both knees and had to stop racing in my early 20s. I am 43 and arthritis is an issue. I couldn't ride for years as it would irritate knees and everything I tried hit a ceiling where my knees couldn't take it and I would go back to square one.

Now, I can ride hard no problems and I am relatively pain free which has been a blessing. I think this is because I spent at least 2 years working on my strength with an excellent PT, very very slowly building up and really figuring out what actually works without irritating my knees. The key for me was the hips and gluts which keep everything in order and corrects major imbalances in leg muscles. I also gave up the idea of running as a sign that I was fixed. Running is good certainly, but can be hard for people with articular cartilage problems, sometimes not possible. Cycling then became important. I also stayed away from all stretching other than hard foam roller and myofascial hand stick roller for harder to reach places. Many stretches place stresses on knees which can irritate.

I have taken glucosamine-chondroitin with vitamin C (which my kids pediatrician said helps with the uptake). I feel like it has helped but who knows. Also, I found Arnica montana tablets can provide a mild pain relief.

[oldpotatoe]

The arthritis in my right knee has been bothersome lately. I'm only 48 but I had a serious knee injury as a teenager. Now I'm dealing with some arthritis from that injury.
What's interesting is that it feels fine when I'm cycling.
I stay slim so the knee has less weight to carry. 5'8" and 148 pounds.
After riding I use a neoprene brace on the knee.
I stretch my hamstrings, quads, and calves 5-7 x's a week.
I've tried glucosamine numerous times for extended periods(3-6 months). Used expensive, cheap, different brands...none of them helped at all.

Anyone dealing with arthritis and any suggestions?
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Wife uses it on her back, I use it on my wrist..seems to help.

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[teleguy57]

Timely thread. Awaiting the results of yesterday's MRI after last week's xray show moderate joint space narrowing, enesthoscopy, and a 9mm free body. MRI will give the docs more specific info to determine next course of action, probably arthroscopic again. (Mild-moderate OA showed up in the 2008 xrays leading to arthrosocopic trimming for a medial meniscus tear with just a little less joint space narrowing on the right side as well.)

Haven't really run since then, but this fall cycling and xc skiing seemed to irritate things. Just finished a 4-month course of prolotherapy for the right knee and then my problem child left knee started acting up again.

I think I"m doing most of the right stuff, but this time around I'm getting bummed. Younger brother had both knees replaced in the last 2 years, but he's not trying to be an athlete like his older brother.

Not sure I've seen fish oil mentioned in the thread yet, so that's my contribution. Have seen it indicated several places as being a good anti-inflammatory, but needs to be dosed heavier than the 200-600mg most people take.

[smokersteve]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
I’ve made a doctor appt so I can get a referral to a physical therapist and/or surgeon.
I started using the foam roller again. It does help but it’s painful while using.
Picked up some Osteo Bi-Flex while at Sams Club. Never tried that brand. $30 for 4 month supply so I figure I’d give it a try.
Thanks again

[magoo]

I've had a bad right knee for many years. I visited a very prominent physician,
and asked him about glucosimine. He asked what the molecular weight was!
He then explained that most of the stuff was to heavy. He said that some of his patients had very good luck with CosiminDS. I bought some at Costco and have been very impressed. If you try it, take 3 capsules a day for 30 days. If it helps, you can probably back off to 2 a day for a month, then 1 a day. I've been using it for probably 15 years. The knee has been bone on bone for probably 10 years. The surgeon said that most people would have had a replacement years ago. I'm afraid that is just around the corner. I feel that I owe it all to the CosiminDS and riding my bike.

Hope this helps you.
Jim

[Dave]

The problem hat I had in addition to the knee joints both being bone on bone is my kneecaps had no cartilage left and one was oriented so crooked that my femur was wearing a notch into it. The doc said it was prime time to do it, 7 years after I was first told that my cartilage was just about gone.

[Hawker]

I have a woman friend who is now in her 50s but has been riding since her teens, was a member of the National team and a Masters champion in road and track.

After several years of knee issues in one leg she just has had stem cell injections instead of Total Knee Replacement. They did a lot of research first and chose a Dr. in Denver who is supposed to be one of the best. It's been about three weeks and she is still not sure of the results. I've Googled this and like many things, some people have found it miraculous and others not helped much at all. And insurance generally doesn't cover it...not yet anyway.