Knees starting to be a problem - advice?

Thank you everyone for these helpful replies.

I had the cortisone injections some years back. Th did help but

then I was also told not to have aanymore as it was now thought to make maters worse!

I tried tumeric and nothing happened.

I have the Revive machine. I need to try it out. I am hoping that can help.

Is it worth adding paracetamol if I already take MST morphine?

The GP won't discuss alternatives because we may have run out of them.

I do need to lose weight which has gone up as I can no longer move about. Catch 22.

My recommendations are gentle exercise, glucosamine sulphate, Voltarol, paracetamol and ibuprofen. I’m 60. I had a hip replacement just over 2 years ago and was told my other hip and both knees would need replacing before long. Looks like the left knee is now packing up on me. My husband has taken out private medical insurance on me through his work thankfully. My GP says it will be 2 year wait for the NHS, I’ll find out soon how long the private list is. The best thing in the first place is healthy living, being overweight makes it much worse.

Is it worth trying to go on a 16:8 or 14:10 diet. I know it sounds a bit daunting only drinking water for 16 or 14 hours but a lot of that time can be taken up with sleeping and you do get used to it.

While you are waiting for an appointment with your GP, try drinking about half a pint of water over and above your daily intake of fluids.

I do this when my knees start feeling too stiff and it works wonders.

This remedy will certainly do no harm, and it is cheap.

Knee replacement asap. Don't wait.

Losing any excess weight is a great idea as well. I have no excess weight, still needed knees, but obviously excess weight matters.

I have the Revive machine. I need to try it out. I am hoping that can help

The Revitive Medic Knee as opposed to the standard Rehitive has made a very significant difference to me. I worked up to highest settingbover a week and do 45 minutes morning and evening. Been doing it for 2 1/2 months and cant believe the difference

Before my knee replacements I tried everything possible. I lost weight, took supplements, did special exercises, just anything possible but, bottom line, when you're joints are done they're done. Cartilage doesn't regenerate. If you're in so much pain get on the TKR list.

I'll second Aveline's post.

I was told by the consultant who carried out an arthroscopy on both of my knees 11 years ago that she would likely see me for knee replacements within 3-5 years. On a friend's recommendation I almost immediately started taking ahigh dosage of Turmeric with black pepper and ginger capsules on a daily basis and have never looked back - pain was at times 10 on a scale of 1-10 and on a bad day now it's maximum 1/2 of 1

Could you get a gardener? Pay someone to do any jobs that involve kneeling.

I’d also suggest getting yourself a grabber stick to avoid too much bending.

I had problems with my knees a few years ago especially when climbing stairs. A friend was a distributer for Forever Living products and suggested I try something. I started taking a daily shot of Aloe Vera Gel containing glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. It is called Forever Freedom. I found it made a huge difference. I went on holiday and as I was camping didn't take it with me as I didn't have a fridge. After only a week the pain was back so I was pretty sure it was the reason for my improvement. I moved away from the friend and so she signed me up as a distributer too so I could buy the products more cheaply without ordering from her but I don't sell as I don't want the hassle, although I will sell to friends at what it costs me. It is expensive but I think it is worth every penny. I take a small shot glass every day, less than it says on the bottle, and I rarely have any knee pain now.
Since then I have lost a lot of weight and started exercising much more which I'm sure has helped a lot too but I don't want to risk giving up the Aloe Vera! I'm 68 now and my problems first became significant about 15 years ago.

I also found that leg lifts when sitting helped in terms of exercise, though I rarely suffer now. I still do some seated exercise to make sure and I walk quite a lot. I'm hoping I've done enough to prevent mobility issues as my age increases.

If you want to give Aloe Vera gel a try I'm sure you'll find a distributer near you - contact the company online.

My knees have been dodgy for years but much worse since retiring, followed very shortly by lockdown and lack of activity, and resulting weight gain. Yes, I know what I need to do....

A word of warning - I asked a well known high street health food specialist about turmeric and was advised that if you have gall bladder problems or have had the gall bladder removed (as I have had to), that you shouldn't take this.

Mr GO was waiting for knee replacements for many years, overlooked and ignored by his GP whenever he raised the issue, was walking bone on bone, in terrible pain. A follow up appt with the covid discharge team after he had been in ICU with covid, revealed he was actually considering suicide because of the pain and lack of quality of life, meant his surgery was actioned (a very strongly worded letter was sent to his GP by the covid consultant), and he is pain free from his knees following replacement of both joints.

So, be persistent with your GP if you have need of treatment, don't suffer any more than you have to.

My specialist told me that cycling is the number one best thing you can do to strengthen your knees and avoid pain.

I was diagnosed with needing knee replacement surgery at 42. Years old! I decided instead to go with a ‘washout’ which actually kept me going until I was 60. I then went for my replacement pre op and didn’t get to see my consultant only a registrar who was totally impolite and frightened the life out of me (I have complications though due to previous spinal infections) anyway 2 weeks before the op I cancelled it! Stupid thing to do because we moved and I got much worse and had to start again. I had hydrotherapy, steroid injections, couldn’t do physio and in the end couldn’t go out because I couldn’t walk or drive etc then I tore the meniscus or whatever it’s called. I finally had my first knee replacement last February and it was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced but I stuck with the physio and now even though I’m still on the list for my second knee I can drive up to about 3 hours and go for a walk. I need to now lose weight again because I’ve put on some due to 2 bereavement’s recently and getting Covid which has turned into long Covid it by the looks of it! My advice as someone that has had lots of ‘bone’ surgery over the years is get as much weight off as possible if you need too, try hydrotherapy if you can and get a steroid injection to help tide you over. Don’t do stupid things like kneel on them because they will become worse and lock, then you are in trouble and if you’re put on a waiting list for knee replacement try to get your health as good as possible, I found this surgery really took it out of me because having the surgery is just the beginning, how you progress and how successful it will be is down to you and your determination and you have to go through the pain to do the exercises. (Imagine doing exercises when you have 2 breaks in your leg is what they told me). Don’t put it off like me because you will end up not able to drive or walk or stand like I did and with hindsight that was a totally ridiculous thing to do.

I notice Flexiseq hasn't been mentioned. It is a gel which is applied into the space between the bones of the knee and provides cushioning. As soon as my knees start to ache after gardening I use it and it helps. Ten years ago I had very bad knee pain and the GP refused to refer me for an X ray stating it was a waste of time and money at my age which was 67 then. I made a complaint about him and was then referred. I had an MRI which revealed a torn cartilage which was subsequently repaired successfully with an arthroscopy. If I hadn't pursued this I would have been in pain permanently so I suggest that you get a diagnosis as soon as possible.

I have knee problems too but not too bad, I find it hard to get up from kneeling or squatting, especially at the moment, I need to conc on losing ahalf a stone or so as that has helped in the past but has crept on again!

I had arthritis in one knee - pain going up and down stairs and damage that showed up on X Ray. Family history of arthritis too. I started taking liquid glucosamine (better absorption than tablets) plus two capsules a day each of turmeric and resveratrol and after a month or two I basically have no issue with it now. I was 63 when I was having these issues, 68 when I started the supplements and I’m 73 now.

Keep active which will strengthen the muscles that support your joints, also try exercises specifically for knee problems.
Ask your GP to refer you for xrays as soon as possible- theet may insist on physiotherapy first.
Once xray results are back you may be offered cortisone injections which I can highly recommend and aren't painful.

Kneeling or squats were absolutely unimaginable for me. As I'm always saying on threads like this don't do the physio exercises!! I did for my first TKR which led to inflammation and adhesions. I had to have a manipulation under anaesthetic to break the adhesions. You can't bend a hosepipe full of water so why try to force a swollen knee? Ice, elevation and plain old walking about does the trick. Don't be browbeaten by physios. I just ask them about the NICE guidance research findings for efficacy of Physio after TKR - no difference in recovery from those who did physio exercises and those who don't. My second TKR with me following the ice, elevation and walking routine went very well and I was back driving etc at five weeks.

Two things I can recommend if you can afford to try them: Kinetic Practitioner (I went to a really good one in Reigate recently - I’ve had one knee replacement and am trying to hold off from needing the other done - she really helped through exercise and manipulation and I’m walking pain free and much better again). Before my first knee was replaced I went for Apos therapy which looks at how you walk and was fitted with special boots with discs attached to the bottom which I had to wear for a short period every day - this worked extremely well and delayed my needing surgery for many years. Having said all of that I am very pleased with my knee replacement. I find exercise on a regular basis is essential as otherwise everything just stiffens up.

I had both my knees replaced almost ten years ago, with ten months between the two operations. I was at the stage of needing a mobility scooter when I went shopping, walking was agony and I took early retirement from my teaching job, I just couldn’t be on my feet all day. I’d had numerous washouts, cortisone injections and did lots of physio. My GP kept telling me I was too young (I was in my 50s) to have replacements. In the end I insisted on a referral and the consultant said he wished he saw more younger people - the success rate is so much higher. These days we can expect the new knee to last 20-25 years, I have never looked back, my knees are fantastic! I can play with the grandchildren, I have been able to be very active for the last ten years, cycling, walking, I even managed some hill climbing in The Lakes. So my recommendation is to get yourself on the NHS waiting list asap.

I have osteoarthritis in both knees and I am only 53! Ibuprofen helps with minor pain, but I am also prescribed Naproxen (a stronger anti inflammatory) by my doctor for when its worse. If you are prone to upset stomachs then any anti imflammatory is best taken with food - I am on Omeprazole as well for acid reflux so that protects my stomach. There is all sorts of stuff crunching around in my knees, but I am not in pain constantly so its tolerable enough. I go for a 30 minute brisk walk every day, including up a steep hill and with a number of steps on my route (I live in a ground floor flat) and I find this helps to keep my thigh muscles strong. My physio at our GP surgery said building up the muscles around and anove the knee is the best way to take the pressure off, as is losing weight. Ironically my knees actually seem worse since losing 16kg over the last few months

My bad knee is a bit sore today and I think it’s down to sleeping awkwardly on it last night, something I was aware of but was too tired to move. I really should sleep with a pillow either between my knees or under them. Word of warning to anyone planning on having knee surgery. Make sure you haven’t got a fungal nail infection. A friend of mine was all geared up to have a new knee and the operation had to be cancelled when they found that she had an infection and it takes a long time to clear it. It isn’t something I would have thought of.

In the meantime op, have a look at your everyday sitting position. Crossing ankles perhaps?