jfaction wrote:I am sorry for your news. I hope others have helpful advice, because I'm in the same boat. I have been meaning to post an udpate on my knees after having seen an ortho surgeon.
He doc told me I can't row any more (like your surgeon he told me rowing is horrible for knees). When I was a teenager my knees used to dislocate - each knee would pop out of socket about once a month. I had them both operated on but that was after two years of dislocation. So when they started hurting again last month (while rowing) I went to have them checked.
He said the dislocations damaged the cartilege and because they aren't aligned properly, rowing is disintegrating the cartilege. The tendon across the patella attaches off center on my tibias, toward the outside edge, which will keep them prone to dislocation and will keep them poorly aligned (and thus wearing out). The only way to fix that is break the tibia where the tendon attaches, move that attached tendon to the center, then screw it to the bone.
I had an MRI and on one side of the patella all of the cartilege is worn away to the bone, same on the femur. I cannot even fully bend my knee - I made the mistake of sitting on my heels one evening and when I straightened my leg something in the knee stuck (since there's no cartilege to reduce friction) and I could not walk on it for a week. It made me appreciate what the doc said and not try to cheat and row (as I'd been thinking of doing).
He has told me I will need a knee replacement but is trying to put it iff as king as possible since they don't last forever and I'm 39. I"m hoping they discover how to regenerate cartilege before then, so I can have the tendon realigned and avoid a replacement.
For anyone who suffers from arthritis, this is probably something to try assiduously to see if it helps: it can’t “hurt.”
http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/arthritis.html Here is an excerpt of the key changes in diet:
The Four-Week Anti-Arthritis Diet (adapted from Foods That Fight Pain, by Neal Barnard, M.D.)
For four weeks, include generous amounts of foods from the pain-safe list in your routine. [MRES: see below.]
At the same time, scrupulously avoid the major triggers. [MRES: see below.]
It is important to avoid these foods completely, as even a small amount can cause symptoms.
Foods that are not on either list can be consumed, so long as you are emphasizing the arthritis-safe foods and scrupulously avoiding the major triggers.
You may well experience benefits earlier than four weeks, but for some people it can take this long for chronically inflamed joints to cool down.
Pain-Safe Foods
Pain-safe foods virtually never contribute to arthritis or other painful conditions. These include
* Brown rice
* Cooked or dried fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes (but not citrus fruits, bananas, peaches or tomatoes)
* Cooked green, yellow, and orange vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro (poi)
* Water: plain water or carbonated forms, such as Perrier, are fine. Other beverages – even herbal teas – can be triggers.
* Condiments: modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated.
After four weeks, if your symptoms have improved or disappeared, the next step is to nail down which one or more of the trigger foods has been causing your problem. Simply reintroduce the foods you have eliminated back into your diet one at a time, every two days.
Have a generous amount of each newly reintroduced food, and see whether your joints flare up again. If so, eliminate the food that seems to have caused the problem, and let your joints cool down again. Then continue to reintroduce the other foods. Wait at least two weeks before trying a problem food a second time. Many people have more than one food trigger.
It is not recommended to bring meats, dairy products, or eggs back into your diet. Not only are they major triggers, but they also encourage hormone imbalances that may contribute to joint pain, and also lead to many other health problems.
Avoid Major Arthritis Triggers
1. Dairy products*
2. Corn
3. Meats**
4. Wheat, oats, rye
5. Eggs
6. Citrus fruits
7. Potatoes
8. Tomatoes
9. Nuts
10. Coffee
*All dairy products should be avoided: skim or whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
**All meats should be avoided: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.
Other Approaches
For some arthritis patients, supplements of certain essential fatty acids have been helpful. They should be thought of as a medicine, rather than a food. A typical regimen would include a tablespoon of flaxseed oil with 500 mg of blackcurrant oil (or three capsules of evening primrose oil) twice each day. If it is helpful, it should be reduced to the lowest effective dose. Some people also benefit from an herb called feverfew, taken two to three times per day. (Caution: Do not take feverfew if you are pregnant.)
These supplements are available in health food stores.
References
1. Panush RS, Carter RL, Katz P, Kowsari B, Longley S, Finnie S. Diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 1983;26:462-71.
2. Lithell H, Bruce A, Gustafsson IB, et al. A fasting and vegetarian diet treatment trial on chronic inflammatory disorders. Acta Derm Venereol 1983;63:397-403.
3. Sobel D. Arthritis: What Works. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1989.
4. Skoldstam L, Larsson L, Lindstrom FD. Effects of fasting and lactovegetarian diet on rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1979;8:249-55.
5. Skoldstam L. Fasting and vegan diet in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1986;15:219-23.
6. McDougall J, Bruce B, Spiller G, Westerdahl J, McDougall M. Effects of a very low-fat, vegan diet in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Feb;8(1):71-5.
7. Hafstrom I, Ringertz B, Spangberg A, von Zweigbergk L, Brannemark S, Nylander I, Ronnelid J, Laasonen L, Klareskog L. A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: the effects on arthritis correlate with a reduction in antibodies to food antigens. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2001 Oct;40(10):1175-9.
8. Hanninen, Kaartinen K, Rauma AL, Nenonen M, Torronen R, Hakkinen AS, Adlercreutz H, Laakso J. Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders. Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53.
9. Muller H, de Toledo FW, Resch KL. Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review. Scand J Rheumatol. 2001;30(1):1-10.
10. Merry P, Grootveld M, Lunec J, Blake DR. Oxidative damage to lipids within the inflamed human joint provides evidence of radical-mediated hypoxic-reperfusion injury. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:362S-9S.