Joint / Knee Pain

_Bro

Knee injuries stink!

A few months ago, I cut down to 4-5% bf, only to be sidelined by what was evaluated to be a meniscus tear; I had some pretty nasty swelling and a nice 'limp' due to pain.

After consulting with a medical professional (you should always do this), my options were to go for surgery or try and see if it would heal up / wait until surgery was required due to pain (healing is possible depending upon the location of the tear). The could not determine the location of the tear as I only had an Xray (no mri, yet )

So, I did very minimal cardio and tried taking glucosamine + chondroitin, etc.
It just was not getting better. ..
Focal pain and inevitable weight gain due to very limited cardio.
After doing quite a bit of reading, I came across a supplement 'CISSUS QUADRANGULARIS' aka 'Devil's Backbone'

Before going any further, let me make it clear that I am not recommending this to anyone as any nutritional supplement needs to be carefully evaluated in the context of your own health condition/scenario by a medical professional.

That being said, I have been taking the stuff for a month now and the results have been very noticeable. The pain is limited and I've started doing cardio again (some). I did cycle off after I first started and there was a very noticeable difference. A month has passed now and the area is much more stable and the pain is MUCH less even when I'm not taking cissus.

I'm not out of the woods yet but I will continue taking this stuff as I slowly start back my cardio.

Anyone else tried this? The articles that I came across were interesting -- bone healing, fat oxidation, preventing osteoporosis


Here's some of the articles that I came across, before deciding to take CQ:
Metabolic properties
"In sum, Cissus formulation administered twice daily to obese and overweight persons with symptoms of metabolic syndrome results in both weight reduction and an improvement in the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome. It has also shown efficacy in the control and lowering of triglyceride concentrations, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose. The formulation may also have applications in other metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570348/

Enhances bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation
"The results suggest that Cissus quadrangularis stimulates osteoblastogenesis and can be used as preventive/ alternative natural medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis."

"Our in vitro and in vivo data suggest that CQ can be effectively used to treat various bone disorders and can also be used as a preventive measure for disorders that lead to decreased bone mineral density."

http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/19841707
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763075/


http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-4HS3BVB-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=d32dad06e85eb1611869176db080ab9f

Review on webmd
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1166-CISSUS QUADRANGULARIS.aspx?activeIngredientId=1166&activeIngredientName=CISSUS QUADRANGULARIS

NoExcuseTina

bump...

cklbrown

I'm glad this is working for you. I've had two surgeries on my knee. I know how difficult knee injuries can be. I hope you feel well.

anotheryearolder

Very interesting - thanks!

JMJohnson1005

Bump.

chevy88grl

I'm glad you found something to help with the healing process.

I had a stress fracture in my right hip late last year and it was awful. Actually, it started as bursitis (which I ignored) and ended up as a stress fracture. I still have to be careful with it or it'll flare back up. I wish I could have found something that helped with the healing process -- it was a long, tough recovery (which wouldn't have been so bad had I NOT ignored the initial pain...)

_Bro

.. Obviously, I'm not trying to say that this is a magic bullet and any type of injury, health condition should always be checked out by a medical professional. Don't ignore the warning signs --- they are there for a reason.

I do, however, feel like the healing process has been more rapid and I intend on taking this on and off for some time to come.
Fingers crossed -- I hope it heals up completely

deathtaco

Which one are you taking? I've heard megadosing the lower strength stuff is better than higher strength ones. I took Primaforce and noticed a little.

<---also on the verge of possible meniscus injury.

knittnponder

I've never heard of this stuff but I'm excited to do a little more research on it! I am a fan of alternative remedies but since I am allergic to shellfish pretty much ALL joint supplements are off limits for me. (They're all derived from shellfish. At least every single bottle I've ever looked at has been!)

However it turns out for me, I'm so glad it's working for you! And thanks for posting this information.

_Bro

Higher strength / super cissus (usplabs)
I eat 6-7 meals a day so I've upped my doseage a bit.
Don't take it without food - made me feel nasty

deathtaco

yeah, i did that...got some bad acid reflux feeling.

BrentGetsFit

Thanks for posting! Got some nagging shoulder pain I'm gonna try this stuff on

goaliema

bump with thanks

ColoradoRobin

Bump for further investigation, thanks for the info.

_Bro

I would be interested in any feedback others might have to share
Thx