Osteoarthritis and exercise

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DianePK
DianePK Posts: 122 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am looking for other members who have the misfortune of OA and find it hard to exercise. I have had spinal surgery and 4 knee operations and am trying to lose weight as it will ease my pain levels. I have a slipped disk in my lumpbar region so live on strong painkillers. I hate taking them but if I don't I am in agony and can't exercise.

I've rejoined fitness first to get into a nice warm pool and do my hydro therapy water walking and when I am ready, swimming.

Any other members in the same boat. I am 46.

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Kudos you for wanting to exercise despite the OA. I strongly urge you to ask doc for a referral physical therapy. They can give you safe & effective exercises for your conditions. You shouldn't be taking random advice from strangers on the Internet. Your conditions are far too serious to risk it. Also consider yoga if doc/therapy says it's ok.
  • mosul13
    mosul13 Posts: 5 Member
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    Well done Diane, how did you get on? I am just in the process of confirming my diagnosis of OA in hips spine and neck. Put on three stone in one year! Any tips you have found as you're training I would really love to know! :smile:
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
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    Loosing weight is mostly a diet thing. Exercise is a plus
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    As another poster said, if things are serious, you should be under a doctor's care. You asked for other people's stories, so here's mine. I have AO, and have had for many years--I'm 61 now. I've been swimming for 20 yrs + acquagym 3 or 4 times a week. I also do stretching at least 3 mornings a week for 45 min. I have a routine that I've put together myself, trying to limber up (especially the hip area). Sometimes I will see therapists on TV and I find that I'm pretty much doing the same things. I started yoga last spring and just love it, it helps alot. I take supplements too. Things I've read about mostly, and just try 1 bottle first to see how it goes--then I decide. I'm getting better actually. My husband likes to walk for hours around Rome, and I used to be winded, now I've got more stamina. It used to hurt going up stairs, and now I've noticed that I can do stairs with little effort. I push myself alot more since joining MFP. I find the veteran posters to be knowlegable and an inspiration. Some of them have friended me and I am honored. I guess my advice would be--try to better your situation however you can. Making slow progress is better than none. Never give up. I wish you good luck.
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Kudos you for wanting to exercise despite the OA. I strongly urge you to ask doc for a referral physical therapy. They can give you safe & effective exercises for your conditions. You shouldn't be taking random advice from strangers on the Internet. Your conditions are far too serious to risk it. Also consider yoga if doc/therapy says it's ok.

    I'm under a physio plan so get 5 free physio sessions per calendar year. She is also in favour of MFP if it keeps me out of the fridge and into the pool or gym.
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    mosul13 wrote: »
    Well done Diane, how did you get on? I am just in the process of confirming my diagnosis of OA in hips spine and neck. Put on three stone in one year! Any tips you have found as you're training I would really love to know! :smile:

    OA isn't "fixable" but you can work on pain management and exercise. The single biggest issue for me is weight loss. I have to lose 20kj which is 40lb. I recently lost 5 kg and the difference was amazing, but left my job at Weightwatchers so my benefits stopped. I have rejoined MFP because it is just as good, if not better and free. OA is wear and tear, so building muscle to support the joins and water walking to loosen the joints, losing fat and relieving your body of excess weight (in my case at least will make a massive difference).

    I hope in your case there is treatment that works, but weightloss is my treatment. For pain relief I use a mscle relaxant sometimes for my back, Pandadeine Forte 3 x daily while I lose weight, and sometimes when it is unbearable, I have been taking Tramadol. I hate the number of drugs I am taking though so I want to use weightloss as my main goal.
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    As another poster said, if things are serious, you should be under a doctor's care. You asked for other people's stories, so here's mine. I have AO, and have had for many years--I'm 61 now. I've been swimming for 20 yrs + acquagym 3 or 4 times a week. I also do stretching at least 3 mornings a week for 45 min. I have a routine that I've put together myself, trying to limber up (especially the hip area). Sometimes I will see therapists on TV and I find that I'm pretty much doing the same things. I started yoga last spring and just love it, it helps alot. I take supplements too. Things I've read about mostly, and just try 1 bottle first to see how it goes--then I decide. I'm getting better actually. My husband likes to walk for hours around Rome, and I used to be winded, now I've got more stamina. It used to hurt going up stairs, and now I've noticed that I can do stairs with little effort. I push myself alot more since joining MFP. I find the veteran posters to be knowlegable and an inspiration. Some of them have friended me and I am honored. I guess my advice would be--try to better your situation however you can. Making slow progress is better than none. Never give up. I wish you good luck.

    You inspired me with your story. Ican't see much of a light at the end of the tunnel and hope weightloss will help with the pain. I don't feel it in the water, so that is telling my that losing weight will help. I tried taking a bunch of supplement but they were so expensive and I didn't find they helped.

    I have no cartilage left in my right knee (grade IV chondromalacia = bone on bone in the media compartment) as a surgeon left a screw behind the knee cap during my first ACL reconstruction after a skiing accident, and totally botched the operation. I have had to have 3 month including bone grafts to "plug up" the holes that were drilled in the wrong place by the original surgeon. I settled financially with him, but it wasn't enough to cover what I have lost.

    I'm trying to figure out the balance between exercise and rest, and I need both. I sit in a chair the whole day as a graphic designer, but try to drink heaps of water each day, so I need to go to the loo a lot, which gets me moving (TMI? Sorry).

    Thanks for sharing your experience x
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    Chiruadr wrote: »
    Loosing weight is mostly a diet thing. Exercise is a plus

    70% food 30% exercise
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    For me, losing 40 lbs, or just over 20% of my body weight, really helped my knee OA quite a bit and my hip OA to a lesser degree. I've had a couple of sport related knee injuries and surgeries too, and less weight helped. I also have bulging disc pain and some neuropathy / paralysis as a result.... Almost a blessing because it doesn't hurt there anymore.

    I found that dietary changes also made a difference. A low carb diet can help reduce inflammation, and I found it helped somewhat with pain within a week or two of starting.

    Anyways, walking is the easiest exercise for me. I would also play some basketball on the days I felt good although I generally pay for it for a week. LOL. I also enjoy P90x DVDs. They are mainly about lifting or using body weight, and the higher impact videos like plyometrics can be modified. I actually have the toughest time with the yoga DVD because of my limited range of motion... When bone spurs catch, it hurts.

    Good luck!
  • cheree_1969
    cheree_1969 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi. I am in the same boat. I sent you a friend request!
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    cheree_1969 wrote: »
    Hi. I am in the same boat. I sent you a friend request!

    responded and we are MFP pals : )

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