Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

shotbod — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:10:07 GMT

I agree with the multiple issues being a problem. I began having knee issues after a skiing twist fall and then over stretching. Years later after a particular long day in uncomfortable shoes, I began having hip pain as well. After having an MRI done, they found that I had a torn labrum of the left hip and knee plica.. After surgery, to reattach the labrum , I developed even more issues with the right hip, back and knee.More Mri,s showed right hip strain and L5 and L4 herniation. It is now almost four years in October and have finally began getting stronger in the hips. After joining The Fitness Fixer blog, I realized that I had pronation of the left feet. I began paying attention to my gait and posture. I also discovered that I have an SI joint problems. I am now seeing a chiro and a awesome massage therapist. I have been in and out of PT for the back, hip and knees. This is my big question. I have a bakers cyst behind the left knee and pain on palpating on the inside knee joint where my calf muscles insert behind the knee.And now to add to it I am now having a lot of pain after dancing. . The strange thing is that I can do a light jog and some cardiovascular equipment without experiencing the sharp pain. I finally gave in and went to see my forth orthopedic doctor to see if he could aspirate the cyst. He inform me that I had a high baha or altaHe said that my medial quad muscles were too weak and my knee was not sliding properly. The massage theraphy fellow said that my symptoms seems to be a miniscus tear.He said a lot of MRI,s misses the diagnosis. I am really concerned with this because I truly believe that my back and SI joint issues are getting worse from over compensation. I did some water jogging and now it hurts more.I am so confused. I have been doing straight legs lifts and leg extenstions(no weight because it hurts)I have began to water jog and walk in pool. The knee burns in the calves afterI am a personal trainer and stomp. I cannot get a handle. SD

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

AZDC — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:19:30 GMT

I am so happy to see that there are people who see chiropractic as an effective treatment other than surgery. Not only is chiropractic care good for this particular problem; chiropractic can help you have a better quality of life. The more mechanically distorted a person is the less energy is available for thinking, healing and metabolizing.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Marge Mills — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:53:57 GMT

I had arthroscope almost 20 years ago and had a near-death experience because the cuff that was put on my thigh for surgery caused me to have a massive blood clot. Result: consultants determined that I would have an amputation mid-thigh or hip! My main concern before surgery was my history (at the time) of DVT and was reassured that this was NOT a problem. I am NOT religious, but prayed anyway. I now believe in miracles. I spent months recovering, and I'm still here at 73. I recently injured my knee in the barn (pitching hay) and I have seen my chiropractor first (it helped tremendously), will continue with her treatments, and will also see my favorite PT who micro-manages every muscle in my body. I have post-polio syndrome, lupus, and other health problems, even though I have taken EXCELLENT care of my health all my life. My problems are not emotional, Dr. Mercola, I just have no neurotransmitters to fire messages to certain parts of my body because of the polio. Most of my primary muscles do not work in my lower body, my secondary muscles which were used post-polio are worn out, and tertiary muscles are now overworked. I just keep plugging away with excellent muscle excercise programs, take my supplements, and yes, I take my drugs and supplements to maintain a modicum of mobility. EFT will never help neurotransmission, even if I concentrate. I put my faith in myself, my team of alternative doctors and my excellent physical therapist.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Yod — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:07:00 GMT

I've had a torn meniscus for quite a while. While practicing sitting in a half lotus position 2 years ago, later that day my knee locked up. It was the most painful experience in my life. I couldn't walk for a week. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who told me, "We're mechanics. We have no idea how the body functions as a whole". Well, that's not news, but he is a famous OS at Stanford and it was a surprise to hear that from him. I went to a chiropractor who gave me some hints about muscle massage, stretching and strengthening. Anyone know alternatives to surgery for this. Prolotherapy and the like have shown some promise but no consistent positive results as of yet.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

curious7 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:54:09 GMT

Vegetable Glucosmine, from Effective Natural Products, is a great help as well.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

hikingchild — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:19:04 GMT

Not exactly on topic: 3 and 1/2 years ago an orthopedic surgeon told me, "Go ahead and call my office so we can get your hip replacement on the calendar." Now, I was 48 at the time and not eager to have my hip replaced. I implored my PCP to give me options -- and she suggested physical therapy. Again, that was 3 and 1/2 years ago. After 3 months of PT I had returned to my hiking club, logging between 100 - 150 miles a month. I transitioned from a physical therapist to a personal trainer and continue with a rotating series of "core stablization and strength exercises." X Rays show that the hip deterioration continues. But I can still hike, and bike and swim. After a very long day on the trail I find that a limited, proactive dose of an NSAID usually fends off any night time pain so that the next day I can return to the trail again. I may be looking at a hip replacement some day -- but it is not going to be soon. And I'm definately not ready to "put it on the calendar." Other non-surgical interventions that have helped (or have given me a placebo effect advantage?) include fish oil, modifying my favored sleep position, and shock absorbing insoles. Surgery should be a last option; but all too often it is reccomended as the first.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Fuller Health Jen Fuller — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:17:19 GMT

I think your article helps people to think of why the problem might be there in the first place. I work with people from an anatomical point of view. In other words, humans are designed to have all the joints line up over each other and when they do not the muscles, which act as levers and pulleys, can not do their job correctly. For example, tennis elbow, if you look at the position of the shoulder and the hips, there will be a disparity of some sort. This could show up as one shoulder higher then the other, one shoulder rolled forward, the torso offset or a combination of these and many more. When the shoulders are not positioned correctly the hip position will eventually follow suit. Without going any further in biomechanics, I will say that I have worked with hundreds of people who have prevented themselves from having surgery. if one does opt for surgery, say with something like severe hip degeneration it is important to address the patterns that had the hip degenerate in the first place. If compensation patterns are addressed before surgery then the operation is often much easier and recovery faster, and in the long run the person does not have other problems related to these dysfunctional patterns. I would encourage people to think beyond just when the pain goes away. Often people will say they took such and such and herb or did a particular technique and yet they have given up walking, jogging or some simple activity,chalking it up to age. I beg to differ as most often when you get to the root cause on the physical level it is correctable. If you got into the pattern unconsciously and you have someone who can see the dysfunction and compensation then there is a way to get out of it. If the body is set up correctly it will heal itself. We are physical beings who are designed to move while we are here on Earth. I do believe that physical patterns start early, even in utero, as well addressing emotional patterns helps us to function more fully.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

JonS — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:47:35 GMT

The Egoscue Method works 100% of the time. It cures the cause. Do it.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

antoinette_203 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:43:39 GMT

In Europe I had knee problems which resulted in not being able to straighten my leg and I limped badly. I was unable to work. I went to many specialists, both in Europe and the US. I had many tests done, had expensive treatments and finally had the arthroscopic operation. After that I had to do all sorts of exercises to recover the 'atrophied' muscle. Funny thing is, I still limped, and doctors told me I would always have a limp and to get used to it.

Luckily I remembered a fabulous doctor in Los Angeles who treats the muscles, not the bones. His book is simple but explains so many things that regular doctors don't, and can't, because they don't treat a cause, only 'repair' the result. I had two treatments from Dr. Griner, my husband learned the treatment to do follow-up in Europe, and I have never looked back. My knee is fine. No limp. Regular doctors poo poo his theory because it doesn't concur with their allopathic treatment. I know which one I believe in. The 'health' system would benefit greatly from using treatments like his to avoid all the costly surgery which is often pointless because the patient doesn't recover, and then suffers the consecuences of invasive surgery, from which there is no going back.

My husband and I have treated many people with Dr. Griner's treatment and have righted people's problems after they have suffered allopathic treatments and gained no relief. Without the need for surgery our friends have regained the use of their shoulders, elbows, knees, relieved back pain, etc.

Read Dr. Griner's book "What's really wrong with you?" (ISBN 0-89529-658-6) or visit the website www.biopulser.com - you won't regret it.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

indevor — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:54:12 GMT

I have knee pain occasionally because I am obese, and I have found aloe vera gel, the green stuff that is usually used on sunburn pain, (like Banana Boat, but I use a store brand) to be very beneficial for anything on the body that hurts, especially the knees. It doesn't relieve pain immediately, but after it is on for awhile, like overnight, the pain is usually gone, for me anyway. I usually will put it on quite thick, not just a dab like you would do with hand lotion, but put a layer of it on. I've used it on my broken toes, and I did not develop arthritis like the doctor said I would, and anywhere I do have a little arthritis, like my fingers, it helps tremedously. I did find out that aloe vera will interfere with the absorption of Vitamin K, so sometimes I will supplement with Vitamin K when I've had to use it a lot. Oh, and in response to an earlier comment, I sleep with my arm up under my pillow and I have had some occasional wrist and shoulder pain, and the wrist pain will disappear when I put the aloe on the shoulder, and/or reposition my shoulder.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Tzaddi — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:44:29 GMT

If there's any emotion underlying the discomfort I feel in my left knee, it's the anger at myself for not being more involved with the decisions about the knee surgery I got over thirty years ago for a "shattered" meniscus. Had they stopped at simply removing the fragments, I would be having quite a different experience today. Instead, the doctor "stabilized" my knee by cutting a tendon and relocating it to the inside of my knee and stapling it there. As a consequence, all the muscles are constantly out of balance. I play tennis anyway. And every season I get booted out by some injury--dislocated knee, torn hamstring, strained lateral or strained medial muscles, yatadada... I walk a lot, do yoga, practice the PT's exercises, and am now doing Egoscue's Pain-Free exercises, too, wich, btw, are in fact designed to bring the body back into alignment. I use the stationary bikes at the gym (so if I fall and can't get up at least I'll be near a phone), take glucosamine chondroitan with MSM, Omega 3, and monitor my acid/alkaline balance because hyper acidity really makes it hurt. I've also had positive results with "positive thinking," Alchemical Hypnotherapy, and lately, EFT. I will play again! I'm a retired professor who has put play off for a lifetme. No way I'm not going to play. In fact, I'm training now. Many thanks for all your ideas; I've added them to my therapy soup.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Allen K — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:43:05 GMT

I was in a car accident several years ago and injured my knee. An MRI revealed that I had a meniscus problem and my doctor recommended surgery. I refused, joined a gym and did bicycle exercises and used all the various leg machines with reps in the range of 10 to 12 per exercise. After a couple of years, my knee healed completely. Exercise and physical therapy can do wonders if you practice regularly with a lot of patience.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

dogmycat — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:23:07 GMT

I had knee pain and ankle pain for years, an ND friend I met told me to get New Balance tennis shoes with graphite roll bar, and irt solved my problems.

Dogmycat

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

Sray — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:52:21 GMT

I'm a Feldenkrais practitioner with a small private practice. The Feldenkrais Method was founded by Moshe Feldenkrais who cured himself of chronic knee trouble using movement as the primary tool. Much of my practice consists of those who have not had success with any other kind of intervention. What creates muscle imbalance in the legs? Habits of posture and movement. Changing these even minimally starts a process of transformation, far more potent and long lasting than any exercise regime designed to balance the muscles. Unless the self image in movement is addressed, the imbalance will return most likely. I have found that Ortho-Bionomy a form of osteopathy for non-osteopaths, which uses position-release, isometrics, energy work and movement retraining - is effective for knee problems as well. I work with balancing the mal-alignment, improving posture and movement, and half the time the knee trouble goes away.

re: Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

MPC — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:29:49 GMT

If you're having a pain near, in or around a joint then your body is trying to get your attention.

Too many "professionals" attempt to treat the symptom with medication and/or surgery.

Where the pain is, is usually NOT where the real problem is.

Carpel tunnel syndrome is a pain in the wrist. The problem is more likely in the shoulder, not the wrist so surgery on the wrist does NOT solve the problem.

Pete Egoscue is "THE" master at finding and solving physical problems.

www.egoscue.com Pete is an anatomical functionalist not an MD or chiropractor.

He has 38+ years experience treating all kinds of people up to and including pro golfing champion, Jack Nicholas.

HE WILL SHOW “YOU” HOW TO FIND AND FIX whatever is ailing you. His latest book, "Pain Free," is a marvel in simplicity.

For everyone that exercises I would take a look at what Pete is doing. He is the final nail in the physical ability / fitness coffin. Without what he does you WILL wind up unable to move later in life.