Just wondering if anyone has any information that could help me to squat again. I have osteoarthritis and am now bone on bone in both knees, the pain prevents me from squatting, I can still do leg press but only at 180 pounds. I can still do deads but they are down to 225, I have to wrap tight and form is closer to stiff legged than true deads. Knee replacement surgery was recommended for me two years ago but there is no returning from that. I live on Glucoseamine and Ketoprofin as it is, but is there something better that could provide some relief or even reduce the symptoms? I would love to go back to squats and a little more legwork if it were possible. I have dug and researched so much but have found nothing that looks promising either in existence or in the near future.
I don’t know what to tell you other than maybe to see your doctor (i’m sure you’ve done that quite a few times already) or go back in the archives of t-mag and look up ART- then look up an ART Practitioner in your area. That might help.
Whoa! Sorry to hear about your knees my friend.
My wife has bad knees (not from that) and she is holding out another couple years when cartilege injections (I forget if it’s synthetic or grown in a petri-dish) should be approved in the USA.
There’s always total knee replacement too…
Other than science helping out, as was previously suggested, there is nothing that will help relative to attempting to make your knees strong enough to squat with.
A good friend of mine has had both knees replaced, one of them twice. I can tell you that squatting is not going to help and could very well exacerbate the problem.
I think there comes a time in life when you have to take a realistic look at what you are able to do as opposed to what you would like to do. Then make the smart decision.
I suggest a mild form of exercise for those knees. If they are now rubbing bone on bone then they do not need anymore trauma.
I would look at swimming or some sort of bicycling as potentially doable activities. Just remember to play it by ear and make sure you are not doing more damage.
My other suggestion is to look at what you can do and not at what you cannot do! Okay, maybe you miss the feeling of getting under some heavy weights in the squat. Remember, there are other exercises that you can do and be pumped up about!
Whenever I have had an injury through the years I have looked at is as an opportunity to improve a different area of my training. If I had a knee injury I would focus on my upper body. In fact, many times I would break a personal best by doing this.
Keep your chin up and do what you can, don’t worry about the rest! Now go break your record for a the seated barbell press!
ART won’t help arthritis, and my orthopedist says glucosamines a complete waste of money. my dad has bad knees and swears by cat’s claw but i tell him its all in his head.
i had an arthritic knee from hockey and received a cortisone injection and it hasn’t bothered me since, this was about 18 months ago. i know people will tell you cortisone shots are just a temporary fix and don’t do any good but i haven’t had any pain in my knee since. recently i had a shot in my shoulder (about 2.5 weeks ago) and thats been pain free since too. other than that i have no advice
Speed, yes I have seen my doctor, he is the knee specialist at the University of Utah medical school. He also repaired the torn ligaments in my shoulder; he has a very good reputation. He was the one who recommended total knee replacement. Would just as soon hold off on an irreversible procedure as long as possible. You can always get it done; you can never get it undone.
Warhorse, cartilage injections? Sounds promising if the FDA allows it, I’ll have to look at that option. I seem to recall hearing about it but blew it off because it was not approved. Thanks; I will list that in my something to look forward to category.
Zeb, my workouts are nothing like they used to be and I limit several other exercises because I am an old fart, and no I don’t run around the locker room nude, but since I go at 3:00 in the morning who would notice anyway (like anyone wants to look at my wrinkled ass). But I do miss squats and push press; I really miss push press.
Lumburjak, I have been using glucosamine for a couple years, there are a couple of things I have learned about it, 1: Glucosamine HCL doesn’t seem to do a thing for me, but Glucosamine Sulfide reduces the level of pain significantly. 2: Dosages below 1800 mg a day are ineffectual. Studies have been run on pain reduction using Glucosamine and at 1800 mg it works very well and I know it works for me. Cortisone works if the problem is only inflammation, that would help for the stiffness in the joint that is caused by the inflammation do to small pieces of cartilage floating around in the knee: However, that effect would only be temporary and cortisone injections are frowned on more frequently that every 6 months, been there, done that, got pictures and a t-shirt.
well looks like you’ve tried all you can, sorry to hear nothing works well enough to continue squatting.
Garm, I have no direct experienc with it, but check out CMO, ceytl myristoleate. I did the following search on Google, “cetyl myristoleate osteoarthritis cartilage” minus the quotes, of course.
It’s not that expensive, and it’s best (most effectively) taken at a high/therapeutic dosage for one month, at which point you discontinue supplementation.
Just do me a favor, Garm, good or bad, would you get back to me with your results? I’d really like to hear how it works for you.