Knee Question

[workingmomof3]

How much better did your knee/knees feel after you lost weight... I really need to lose about 80 lbs....

Someone please tell me it was like night and day... I am really suffering lately -

Any promises of happy mobility, stories, etc... would be greatly appreciated... it is hard to work up a sweat when it's so painful to move....

48 years old and NO ONE is mentioning knee replacement.... I guess they wait for that when you have approx. 20 years left on the table...(god willing...)

Thanks in advance...

Kim

[catne]

I've lost 20 of approx. 100 to lose...and can say my arthritic knees feel better already. The pain's not going to go away completely...with me the bad knees run in the family. But they certainly get much more manageable...an occasional ibuprofen takes care of the pain now.

I think it's not just the weight, but the dietary changes eating Low Carb. When I'm eating too many carbs, the tiredness I get is like exhaustion, really...and every joint on my body hurts as if I've been working out (when the only work-out was lifting the pie on my fork, lol.)

Once I eat "clean" low-carb that constant joint achey-ness goes away within first couple of weeks, and the overall energy levels go up. Not saying I feel like I could run marathons (other issues, too, lol.) But overall feeling of more wellness comes with clean eating.

As for the no-surgery for 48 year olds...that really depends on how bad the damage is. - have you discussed it with your doctors? I know of 2 women under 50 who have had knee replacement due to advanced deterioration. One was overweight, the other was not. Both had jobs on their feet a lot (a nurse, and a teacher) Both said they wished they had not waited as long as they did to get surgery.

Editted to add: looking at your stats, I see HCG listed as your diet...my comments above are based on Atkins-type Low Carb, so not sure my experience would apply since I'm not using supplemental hormones or eating very low calorie to lose weight. Can't say what affect HCG or very low cal would have on joints. I would think the low cal would adversely affect energy levels, though.

[rose1]

When my husband tore up his knee, his orthopedist told him that one pound of weight puts SIX pounds of stress on your knees. So losing 80 pounds would take an equivalent of 480 pounds of stress off your knees.

[Abby]

I've had cartilage repair x 2 on my R knee, which now shows bone-on-bone on my MRI. I've noticed no difference in my chronic knee pain with a LC diet.
I HAVE experienced increased relief from use of Nautilus exercises to strengthen my quadriceps and hamstring; thigh muscles are integral to maintaining stability in your knees...........

Good Luck,

[southbel]

I have had five knee surgeries due to my really bad right knee. It's a combination of no cartilage left and a rotated femur. Once I lost weight, there was a quite considerable increase in comfort. Before, walking up a few steps was absolute torture and I avoided any stairs of all kinds. Now, stairs do not bother me and just a few things will. Was I 100% cured? No but my everyday life was MUCH better after losing weight and now it's just certain exercises, running, and heavy lifting for my legs that bother me.

[cfine]

My knees hurt so bad just six weeks ago. Walking up and down my stairs was torture!! I'm serious. It was bad.

Today I have walked up and down those same stairs over and over without any problems. I have only lost about 15lbs. I think it is the combination of losing a little weight and not eating gluten. Gluten causes inflammation in a lot of people. I am one of those that has problems with it. Eating LC solves the gluten problem for me.

My knees are not totally pain-free all of the time, but for the most part they are now a non-issue. I hope that this will be the case for you soon.

[limetwist]

I had HORRIBLE pain in my right knee when I was overweight. Whenever I would bend it/extend it, there would be an audible popping and a searing, burning pain that made me wince. It would come and go randomly and always be excruciating. I've lost the weight since, and haven't had a single knee issue after shedding the extra pounds.

[Carli]

I just wanted to add a note that while we know losing weight will help our joint pain, I found a lot of relief just in going LC. Before any real weight loss happened...I was feeling lighter, moving easier, less stuffiness. I think it was from the lack of grain. So you might get that nice added *side effect* too.

[kimberino]

Hi Kim -

You wanted to hear night and day, so I will tell you, for me, it was night and day! I did not have knees that required surgery, or anything like that, but boy howdy did they ache and creak. So the 80+ weight loss worked wonders for me.

Kim

[Janknitz]

If you are still eating wheat, try giving it up in ALL forms for two weeks. You may be amazed at the reduction in your pain. If not, wheat will still be there waiting for you after two weeks trying wheat-free.

[More Butter Please]

I'm still a fatty, but what's already helped my wrecked knees and ankles was completely eliminating wheat (and pretty much all other grains) from my diet.

I have family on both sides with bad knees and ankles, and assumed that when I was finally deemed old enough for it I'd end up in line for knee replacements, too. But now that I've been wheat-free for a few months, the difference has been so drastic I'm finally starting to tell myself that maybe I don't have bad joints after all. Maybe I'll be the first woman in my family in three generations to make it to 70 without being a cripple.

It's worth a try, at any rate. And it does have the benefit of aiding weight loss.

[heidihoopi]

Big difference since January with my 40 lb loss! I have a ways to go yet, but I can now go up and down stairs with much less pain, I can cross my legs! easily, and I don't have to wait for the stiffness to subside for 2 minutes before I can walk when I get up from an extended sitdown at a restaurant, my desk or at the movies. I can just get up and go now!! You will be surprised how much better you will feel even after the first 20 lbs gone and it just keeps getting better.

[Big_Al]

For me it was my feet that really benefited.

I used to have planter fascia really bad and had to be careful what types of shoes I wore and didn't dare run around bare-footed due to the lack of arch support.

Well ... all that pain is completely gone and I have no problem running around without shoes if I want

[workingmomof3]

Thanks so much all of you. I need to change my stats as I am currently not doing hcg.....

2 correlations I have made in the last few months-

#1 the first day (or the day right before Tom) my knee is SCREAMING!
Then it seems to subside....this doesn't happen every single month but I am wondering if those are the months when the hormonal cravings have been great and I have given into the monster

#2 I have done approx 5 rounds of hcg. (3 were rather successful and I got down to hovering in the 195-200 lb range) to eventually regain to current stats. Not immediately but as much as I feel so much better I let old bad habits sneak back in.....ANYWAY - on hcg I feel so much better almost immediately

I REALLY do think you all have hit upon maybe the culprit - I am going to stay away from grains and see how I feel

[Bobbin]

My knees and hip and back felt better about 20 lbs in, but I gotta say: Wheat may be the magic denominator. When ever I eat some, I get pain in my hands, knees and back within hours....

[Janknitz]

Deleted by author

[freeman525]

I have 5 different things wrong with my knees: osteoarthritis, little cartilage between bones or under kneecap, bone spurs... you get it. I've lost 60 pounds on LC. While I don't bound up and down the steps, I can definitely go up and down them looking like a normal person. If I stay away carbs, my knees only hurt a little climbing steps.

Good Luck!

Janice

[freeman525]

Originally Posted by heidihoopi

Big difference since January with my 40 lb loss! I have a ways to go yet, but I can now go up and down stairs with much less pain, I can cross my legs! easily, and I don't have to wait for the stiffness to subside for 2 minutes before I can walk when I get up from an extended sitdown at a restaurant, my desk or at the movies. I can just get up and go now!! You will be surprised how much better you will feel even after the first 20 lbs gone and it just keeps getting better.

Send me that baby in your avatar! What a doll!

Janice

[heidihoopi]

Originally Posted by freeman525

Send me that baby in your avatar! What a doll!

Janice

Thanks, lol, but NO, you can't have her! That's my Grandbaby.

[mamabear6]

I haven't had specifically bad knee pain in the past, more like severe joint pain all over & the worst was in my hands, wrists, and elbows. I had chronic tendonitis for years starting at age 15 until age 23 and regular symptoms that felt like carpal tunnel.
My body used to ache something fierce! Especially when I was at my heaviest weight around three years ago. Once I went low carb and cut out grains, my pain instantly felt better even at 175 pounds. After some time I would say it almost disappeared.
These days I have no complaints. I hit my goal last summer, started gaining in october '11 to where I am now, went back on LC last month and I am feeling much better!
I definitely believe all of my joint pain was associated with eating grains and sugar. I have nearly no pain in my arms when I am grain and sugar free.

[springalong]

I find peoples responses very encouraging and informative.

I too have been suffering for months with my left knee hurting so bad. It swells up all the way down my leg to my foot. After an xray that showed nothing and waiting to hear from my Dr. about the result. I had to wait a few more months to have an MRI scheduled. That will be this Friday.

I have a few suggestions via friends.

One friend told me after 2 visits to her chiropractor her knee is not bothering her that and she recommended I wear orthodics, (which I am now diligently wearing even when I get up to use the washroom).

Not having proper foot wear/orthodics can wreak havoc on your knees.

I was also recommended physio, strengthening the quads, and glutes is really impt.

Also losing weight.

Getting off gluten. I'm trying some of these in the hopes of seeing some improvement, without having to resort to surgery.

I'm glad to see you have improved while sticking to the HCG plan.

[Demonica]

Would losing weight help with varicose veins in and around the knee and in the calf area? I'm wondering because my right knee has a mass of varicose veins on top of my kneecap...doesn't hurt and doesn't cause any problems with mobility or anything, it just looks really funky, all bumpy and gross looking And I have some varicose vein bulges on the back of my left leg. I have lost about 50 lbs already but I was just wondering if losing weight makes the bulges worse or better.

[Dian_US]

I have bone on bone on the inside of my left knee. Doc advised me to lose weight. I was skiing, hiking blinking on it causing more and more pain. Another doc scoped it first... To supposedly clean it out and that made it worse!

85 lbs lost later I am almost pain free! I gained back 20 lbs and had cravings like a crack addict and that's why I joined LCF! I read on here about The Diet Cure by Julia Ross. I swear by LC and her supplement advice. It was the only thing that cured my cravings like magic! I also read about laying of wheat products to avoid inflammation... That seems to help as well.

I also get injections of Euflexxa right before ski season. Keeps the pain away for about 5 months. I hear it doesn't work for everyone, but worth talking it over with ur knee doc.

Soooo much good info on this site!

[heidihoopi]

Originally Posted by Dian_US

I have bone on bone on the inside of my left knee. Doc advised me to lose weight. I was skiing, hiking blinking on it causing more and more pain. Another doc scoped it first... To supposedly clean it out and that made it worse!

85 lbs lost later I am almost pain free! I gained back 20 lbs and had cravings like a crack addict and that's why I joined LCF! I read on here about The Diet Cure by Julia Ross. I swear by LC and her supplement advice. It was the only thing that cured my cravings like magic! I also read about laying of wheat products to avoid inflammation... That seems to help as well.

I also get injections of Euflexxa right before ski season. Keeps the pain away for about 5 months. I hear it doesn't work for everyone, but worth talking it over with ur knee doc.

Soooo much good info on this site!

Is that the Rooster comb stuff?

[Dian_US]

Euflexxais not the rooster comb stuff, but rather a synthetic version of the lubricant that your knee makes. Synvisc is the rooster comb stuff. Doc said they were similar, but people had less allergies with Euflexxa. I tried both and think Euflexxa works better.

[heidihoopi]

Thanks.

[CreekWatcher]

good information--subscribing

[sweetpoison]

O.K. I needed this today. I keep starting and stopping but hearing how this has helped in these areas sheds a light on my issues. I just think... crap... I am getting old. I am sure I can give up the wheat and crappy carbs for a month and see what happens. The heck with the weight.... I wanna stop hurting.

[Vilya]

I've lost 80 lbs. and there is a HUGE difference in my knees. I still have some pain, but it's minimal (my knees are just bad anyway, weight or no weight). I can walk down stairs again without holding the railing. I still can't squat, but I can get up and down off the floor with no problem whatsoever.

Last time I went ice skating I FLEW around the ice, pain-free! It was so awesome.

I want to do some quad-strengthening next, as I think that will help even more.

[Dian_US]

Also, I may add that most docs won't tell u to lose weight for fear you will get upset. A lot of docs have problems giving patients advice on weight issues. They also don't want to lose u as a patient!...