Knees

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Dying2Live84
Dying2Live84 Posts: 154 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Did anyone on here have bad knees and when they lost the weight their knees got better?

Mine are aching and it worries be so much. Is there anything I can take (med wise) to strengthen them?

xx

Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i took emercenc with MSM and MSM joint pills at first.

    i dont need them anymore now
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    I started by using one of these
    fluid_ube_hero.jpg

    the physio really helped and gave me some exercises.
    I can now use the gym bike as well
    but the upper body ergometer will definitely burn the calories

    losing weight has taken a lot of pressure off my knees
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    also one of these
    digi-stim-tens-machine-australia_470_320x320.jpg
    a tens machine
    the physio can tell you how to set it and how long to use it for
  • farmwife3815
    farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
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    My left knee is crap. I tore three of the four ligaments that hold it together. I tore the hamstring tendon. I shredded my meniscus. I have had two reconstruction surgeries. I was never supposed to walk without some kind of aid. (cane, walker) I lived with this for eight years and got fatter and fatter. The pain got worse. I started exercising and losing weight. The pain is just about gone and my knee is getting stronger. I take ibuprofen occasionally and glucosamine daily. I started out exercising in a pool. The water makes it pain free. I hope this helps!
  • Dying2Live84
    Dying2Live84 Posts: 154 Member
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    It really does help, especially to know that they can get better after weight loss. I wanted to go to my Dr about them but I feel I'll just be told to lose weight (which I'm trying to do!) and that they can't offer me any help.

    xx
  • Tiff050709
    Tiff050709 Posts: 497 Member
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    My knees hurt a lot too and i am hope that weight loss will help.
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    Weightloss and just getting stronger helped mine. I take fish oil and chondroitin glucosamine. It's got mixed reviews whether it helps or not. I feel like it helps me.
  • kimmiedunne
    kimmiedunne Posts: 82 Member
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    Not me personally - but I initially went through this weight loss journey with my mom - and she had really bad knees and received injections as often as possible to help with the pain. When she lost weight her knees got better! Even exercising helps her knees in the long run (yes some pain after the exercise but they end up feeling better the next day!) So, short answer is yes it will help!
  • aprince77
    aprince77 Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi there I have a really bad knee, I went to see a doc and he sent me to a physio therapist. I was told because of my weight that I needed to strengthen my inner thighs and my abdominal. By doing this your core is stronger to hold your body up better. Hope this helps. Once you strengthen your abs you will have less pain in your joints.
  • dawndw
    dawndw Posts: 203
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    Same here my left knee was injured in High School. Extra weight is a killer for me. It is now getting way better and I started by exercising in a pool and swimming hard for an hour. Now I do Zumba 2x a week and curves daily.
  • supergr33n
    supergr33n Posts: 69 Member
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    My knees started hurting last year, like a bruised feeling under the knee caps (and were stiff from inflammation) to the point where I was hobbling around like an old person, and sometimes couldn't even walk it hurt so bad. Doctors never deduced anything was wrong (quacks!), but physical therapy discovered my hips were off-kilter, which is why I'd been putting up with horrible back pain all these years, and now knee pain. They taught me movements to help re-align my hips, and my knee stopped hurting after a period of time. I stopped doing plyometric exercises (jumping around), take glucosamine (I get the big bottle from Costco), and ever since I removed wheat from my diet, the inflammation has been gone (not just from my knees, but from my neck, too, which took away my nearly daily headaches). Wish I could get my act together to remove all grains, but it's too hard for me, right now. Babysteps! :)
  • gisele00
    gisele00 Posts: 7 Member
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    I always had that grinding in my right knee, but it never really disrupted my life until I got really heavy. After I twisted it in Zumba last time I tried losing weight, I ended up putting 100+ more on. My knee constantly hurts now, and the doctors have assured me that losing weight will help. I went to physical therapy and she helped me with different exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscle groups (quads, hams, glutes) without hurting the knee. The more you use the muscles, the more support there is for the joint. Losing weight is going to make our knees last decades longer though :) Let's do this!!
  • blueeylb
    blueeylb Posts: 297 Member
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    my knees are shot too. i do find that glucoseamine conjointine TAKEN DAILY does help. but you really do have to take it daily! good luck!
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
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    The first time I noticed that I'd lost weight wasn't when I saw the number on the scale drop, but when I went to school and came back home before being struck with the realization that I wasn't in pain. I have a little over a mile to walk each way as part of my daily commute; at my highest weight, it was incredibly painful. Knees and hips ached and burned, my calves would wind themselves into horrible charley-horse knots by the time I was a third of the way through. I blamed it for a long time on the old damage to my joints from a combination of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and a connective tissue problem, but lo and behold, it was the weight all along.
  • jehuster
    jehuster Posts: 168
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    Hi there...sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your knees. I too have a bad knee and it does get better the more activity that you do. Two things that I have found helpful...one of them you may think a little crazy. 1) Drink an 8 oz glass of cherry juice a day it helps with the joints all over. 2). Buy a support knee brace at Walmart for $20 and wear it when you exercise and if you go walking or running, it really does help.

    Good luck on your journey and I hope your knees get better.
    Oh yes, if your exercise routine involves any jumping moves? Stop and modify them, those are no good for a person with bad knees and they may cause damage.:flowerforyou:
  • sandylion
    sandylion Posts: 451 Member
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    Glucosamine is great for helping rebuild and retain healthy cartilage in your knees. Also, exercise that doesn't put pressure on the knees such as swimming and stuff like that. Running is not a great idea and even walking can be very straining on the knees if you have a lot of extra weight. Certainly walking is good, just in moderation and in conjunction with things that take the pressure off. Ellipticals are supposed to be good for that as well.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    I asked my Doctor. He did x-rays, then sent me to a orthopedic specialist, who then referred me to a physical therapist. My physical therapist told me that my glutes were weak, so he is having me do glute work. He told me it should take some of the force off my knees.

    I don't know if that is your issue, too, or just mine. You may want to get it checked out by a doctor to see what your issue is. Losing weight can help, because you are putting less stress on your knees, due to less weight. I didn't have any problem when I lost weight before, but I was younger, then, too.
  • minus15pounds
    minus15pounds Posts: 23
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    My knees were weak. Even walking in the mall started to hurt after a while. I had put on weight and that was making things worse. So losing weight by doing cardio was ruled out. Three days of 20 mins walks would lead to pain in my knees.

    I started off with yoga. And air cycling. Yoga helped me straighten my posture and helped align my back well. The air cycling bit helped me strengthen my leg muscles. I did this for at least two months if not more.

    For the past 15 days, I've been walking for over 2 miles every day at a brisk pace. I will stick to this routine for a month before introducing a little running.

    Oh, and I've dramatically cut down on my red meat consumption to twice a month if not less. I'm drinking lots of fluids (much more than I was earlier anyway).

    The pain does pop up every now and then depending on how often I've used the stairs on any particular day. When that happens, I take some Advil and give my knees some rest.

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