Crunchy knees!

SanteMulberry

Thanks all! Having read all these and done some research its most likely osteoarthritis, exacerbated by me being overweight :ohwell: I do low impact aerobics, and no lifting, running, staurs etc. I'm walking more and its getting less painful. I'll try some glucosamine - I'm taking magnesuim at the moment (apparently its good for "women"!) and tht helps (if I remember to take it).

I blame loads of dancing when I was young, follwoed by hrse riding in my teens, followed by tap through my child-bearing! Oh and I blame my mum, because apparently its hereditary (and I was blaming her bad knees on her weight!)

Yes, it is genetic---scientists now know which gene is responsible. It used to be thought that osteoarthritis was just from "wear and tear" (which certainly doesn't help) but the inflammatory attack on the cartilage in a joint is due to genetic influences. It is extremely common (about 2/3 of older people have it). The thought is, that somewhere waaaaay back in our ancestry, the gene mutated. So, hi cousin! What has made mine SERIOUSLY better is: 1) weight reduction 2) eliminating wheat and sugar (which has also helped significantly with fat loss) 3) pool exercise and 4) taking supplements like, a combo product consisting of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM; I also take turmeric extract and finally egg shell membrane (you can make your own from a recipe on the web, if you can't find it--I would use organic egg shells). You can find a combo product of turmeric and egg shell membrane but it is VERY expensive so I am just going to make my own egg shell membrane and since I already take turmeric extract, I don't need the extra turmeric. Another supplement that I like is bromelain (an extract from the pineapple plant). It helps to break down fibrotic lesions caused by the chronic inflammation. I also eat a lot of homemade soups made with lower sodium organic chicken broth. Chicken broth has been shown to help osteoarthritis sufferers. You might not need all the supplements that I take but my arthritis had gotten very, very bad as I became less active and added more weight. I am now able to lift weights and go to the pool for exercise twice a week.

mazdauk

Well, I can't swim and am allergic to turmeric and shellfish :ohwell: But I've been sticking with my Rosemary Conley (which is cardio and toning) and found I'm getting less pain and more flexibility - the first couple of warm-up squats etc are noisy (and slightly painful) but by the end its not hurting and it doesn't hurt next day.

Thanks all for the advice and support!!

SanteMulberry

Well, I can't swim and am allergic to turmeric and shellfish :ohwell: But I've been sticking with my Rosemary Conley (which is cardio and toning) and found I'm getting less pain and more flexibility - the first couple of warm-up squats etc are noisy (and slightly painful) but by the end its not hurting and it doesn't hurt next day.

Thanks all for the advice and support!!

Glad that the cardio is working for you--but if it ever starts causing you more problems, you CAN do aquatic exercise. You don't need to swim to do aquatic exercise--it is done at the shallow end of the pool--and there are classes specifically designed to benefit arthritic folk. You can strap on a foam belt and do it at the deep end if you want (that's usually what I do because I think I get a better workout in the deep end--but then I'm a swimmer and fairly confident in the water). Sorry you can't do the turmeric or glucosamine. You might want to try the egg shell membrane as I feel that has been the most effective of anything that I take. Good luck!

traceyjj

Well, I can't swim and am allergic to turmeric and shellfish :ohwell: But I've been sticking with my Rosemary Conley (which is cardio and toning) and found I'm getting less pain and more flexibility - the first couple of warm-up squats etc are noisy (and slightly painful) but by the end its not hurting and it doesn't hurt next day.

Thanks all for the advice and support!!

Do you go to a gym, and if so does it have a pool. One of the things I was recommended by the trainer who gave me my gym induction was to walk in a pool. The water only needs to be waist deep, but its low impact and a bit of resistance will build the muscles up around your knee. My knee has been much less noisy recently, but it still sounds like its grinding sometimes Has the doctor looked at it and made a diagnosis? It could be worth checking it out.

Timshel_

I sound like I am walking on rice paper coming down the stairs every morning. I swear i could wake everyone up.

kimberly728

I'm only 34 and have had crunchy knees for several years. It's embarrassing going down the stairs at work. When someone asks what that noise is, I say "don't listen!" I can't take glucosamine chondroitin because I'm allergic to shellfish. I just try to watch it doing squats. i fit starts hurting, I just don't go as low. but sometimes it seems there's no helping it. I feel your pain!

check GNC... I'm taking a 1000mg glucosamine that is vegetarian... it has no shellfish in it. it states it right no the front of the bottle.

JacquiC72

My knees crunch, usually when I do squats or lunges. I haven't been to the gym regularly for 6 months (just geting back into it) but the last time I was going regularly, I found using the leg press machine helped to strengthen my knees. I'm now back to the gym, back to crunchy knees and also back to the leg press and my lunges have increased from 5 each leg to 7 in a week.

missigus

I have same thing and went to ortho doc. because I was having pain with it. Wound up w bursitis in both knees, because I insisited on doing squats and lunges dispite the pain. The bursitis was a result of fluid build up and from having chondomalacia (sp?). My cartilage is gone on the back of the paetella (kneecap) on one knee. Usually, it's more common in women and it happens because the tendon that attaches to the kneecap pulls off to one side and causes the kneecap to track improperly resulting in rough cartilage or eventual loss, hence the grinding and popping noise you hear. If you have pain, do not ignore it! Watch the lunges and squats, as they put a lot of pressure on the kneecap. I did therapy and take MSM supplements, both which helped a ton. No more squats and lunges for me, but I can do just about everything else with some extra care.

Sullivanwilson

OP- you and I have had parallel lives! As a child I had ballet class 3-4/week for years, and the last 27 years I've been riding horses. At this point I think I'd call a doctor if my knee *stopped* making a noise.

malawi447

Try doing lower impact strength exercises to build up the strength around the knees gradually. Also, a balance board like an indo board would help strengthen the little muscles around the knees and ankles.

The other thing that seems to help me with my crunchy knees is taking Glucosamine. It actually seems to help with the various aches and pains I get.

Definitely go for the Glucosamine. Get Glucosamine Sulfate instead of the Chondroitin kind. I heard doctors on a health radio talk program say that the kind with Chondroitin contains particles that are too large to be properly absorbed by our cells.

Penelope2738

I have them already at 33, and arthroscopic surgery too:) it's tough, but I just go with it, if it doesn't hurt, ok, if it does, ease up, play with the angle, and keep going! I can't do certain types of lunges, on a step, leg in back, etc., so I just do them straight and flat on the floor. I am still gaining muscle:) Good luck, and the Glucosamine I have heard of, I just don't like taking pills, not even multivitamins, lol, but I hear it is a good thing.