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Inflammation..........you can greatly reduce it or with some luck eliminate most of it.
What you eat can either increase or reduce inflammation......that is the key. Figure out the things that make the inflammation worse and better.
For me dairy, grains, too many carbs, sugar, wheat.....yeah, that makes me hurt.
A diet consisting of mainly high omega 3 fish, eggs, organ meats, low carb veggies, lower carbs overall.....yes, my arthritis and neuropathy hardly even bother me.
I do alot of tuna and salmon, i just bought sardines and figured i'd eat it at least once a week. I'm diabetic so i really have to watch what i eat. I 've been hearing about inflammation and i'm going to research it and try to figure out what does it for me, i know i have inflammation.
Exercises must be low impact. The absolute best for bad knees is riding a bike or stationary bike. There are exercises that you can do with Therabands and light ankle weights. If your insurance pays, it would be a good idea to go to PT. They will teach you what you need to know.
Sorry, but these machines will do more damage to an already damaged knee. In fact, for the damaged knee these machines are no better than the old torture device called "The Rack"!
You're just a worrywart, Pops.
I'm not saying Sue or you for that matter need to pump 100+ pounds up, like many of us do, with all these machines. How about 10 pounds, 20 even. They are low in mass and with increased repetition like 20 to 25 per stretch, you could do some serious knee tightening and trust me, you're only going to be stronger.
Cycling and walking are just useless. Those muscles need to be toughened up.
i went to PT and they had me moving my legs up and down while sitting, then i would lay down and they had me doing different exercises. After about a month, she said it would be better if i got into the water, so i went to aquatic therapy for a while, then my car started giving me problems. Hopefully i can start again soon.
I do alot of tuna and salmon, i just bought sardines and figured i'd eat it at least once a week. I'm diabetic so i really have to watch what i eat. I 've been hearing about inflammation and i'm going to research it and try to figure out what does it for me, i know i have inflammation.
It is a combination of what good things you eat............and what inflammatory things you AVOID.......like a seesaw.
Diabetes is another huge one. You can have pain from blood sugar that is too high....this can cause inflammation. Another part is too much insulin in the body(hyperinsulinism)........this is bad......can make you hurt more than high BS. A REAL(think Atkins) low carb diet will help with both of these problems.
I've had type 2 diabetes for 3 yrs, my AIC's have been running at 5.8. You're right, it's a combination of what you're eating, i'm getting better with it, but not where i should be. I just read tonite that you should avoid dairy, because it cause inflammation, i've been eating alot of nonfat, plain greek yogurt. I love it!!!
I had an MRI and it showed a sprain of the collateral ligaments and a miniscus tear as well
Sue,
You didn't say how old you are or if what your exercise level was before your knee issues. I had a meniscus tear at age 50 and had arthroscopic surgery at age 56. The doctors also told me (like one of the posters mentioned) to stay away from weights and weight machines, like the leg extension machine that someone posted the picture. They also said to avoid any high impact exercise like running. The meniscus surgery helped slightly, I still have pain but I am able to run. I also use weightlifting and do as many one-legged exercises as possible. I do leg extensions, leg presses, box step-ups with dumbells, squats and deadlifts. With the leg extensions, I had to start with no weight after the surgery and gradually work up. Most people in the gym use too much weight and do these wrong. My orthopedic surgeon gave me a detailed explanation of why these are bad but I think if you do them slowly, with no jerking, and with weight you can handle with good form, you will be OK. Another exercise that I should start doing are lunges. Google "lunges" and you should find some videos demostrating how to do them. The squats and step-ups on a box can be done with no weight an gradually add weight with small dumbells. You need to incorporate some kind of weightlifitng or your legs will keep getting weaker. Walking, running, swimming and biking are good but they don't do enough to strengthen the muscles around your knees.
You may also want to look into the injections such as Synvisc. There are several brand names but they are all similar in that they provide the natural lubrication that is in your knees. They are mainly designed for people with arthritis. These injectons may help but they don't cure anything such as a torn meniscus.
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