Osteoarthritis help

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boaorhat77
boaorhat77 Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone -

I've suffered hip pain on and off for over two years. At first they said it was sciatic pain, and then bursitis. WELL I just got the diagnosis this week that it is osteoarthritis.

I am so sad because before the pain started I worked out daily... Was lifting heavy (my squats got up to 270!) and I was running (or other vigorous cardio) daily.

When the hip pain started, my workouts started going downhill. I would go to the gym but would then be in so much pain afterward that I couldn't return for 2,3,or 4 days. I kept on pushing along though because I thought it was ok to continue, in combination with the additional stretching I was doing.

Now, 2 years later, I have put on 40 pounds. I know this was the worst possible thing I could have done! But it's been a depressing two years, and exercise was always my stress reliever before. Emotional eating came around BIG TIME. Also, I was just used to eating for a higher metabolism.

I always thought I would be returning to the workouts that I used to do. So now, this diagnosis of arthritis has been really sad. I won't be able to return to those routines. Hell, I can't even get on an elliptical without throbbing pain.

I am looking for friends who suffer from arthritis, and who have been successful in continuing regular workouts of any kind. Also, I would love to make friends familiar with the anti-inflammatory diet and how to put it into practice.

Replies

  • tcarp8
    tcarp8 Posts: 370 Member
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    boaorhat77 wrote: »
    Hi everyone -

    I've suffered hip pain on and off for over two years. At first they said it was sciatic pain, and then bursitis. WELL I just got the diagnosis this week that it is osteoarthritis.

    I am so sad because before the pain started I worked out daily... Was lifting heavy (my squats got up to 270!) and I was running (or other vigorous cardio) daily.

    When the hip pain started, my workouts started going downhill. I would go to the gym but would then be in so much pain afterward that I couldn't return for 2,3,or 4 days. I kept on pushing along though because I thought it was ok to continue, in combination with the additional stretching I was doing.

    Now, 2 years later, I have put on 40 pounds. I know this was the worst possible thing I could have done! But it's been a depressing two years, and exercise was always my stress reliever before. Emotional eating came around BIG TIME. Also, I was just used to eating for a higher metabolism.

    I always thought I would be returning to the workouts that I used to do. So now, this diagnosis of arthritis has been really sad. I won't be able to return to those routines. Hell, I can't even get on an elliptical without throbbing pain.

    I am looking for friends who suffer from arthritis, and who have been successful in continuing regular workouts of any kind. Also, I would love to make friends familiar with the anti-inflammatory diet and how to put it into practice.

    I too have arthritis. Both hips and right knee. I used to run but am now trying to walk regularly. Biking doesn't hurt as much.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Me too. I feel for you. With me, I developed OA in my hips while still in my 30s. That pissed me right off because I was previously pretty active with sports like basketball, running, hiking and some lifting. It hit hard and fast unlike the steady creep in my knees. The sudden changes were hard to accept. It was hard to let some things go... I still haven't really let some things go. I'll still play a bit of basketball but if I step wrong I am on the ground, and I can't move or sleep without pain for a week after pushing it. It's hard to stop playing when you don't want to. It really doesn't seem fair to have an active youth rewarded with a painful middle age.

    I eat a very low carb high fat diet with my main processed foods being stevia drops, protein powder, coconut oil and coffee. My diet is very low in inflmmatory foods and it has helped some, mainly in my knees. It also really helped my autoimmune arthritis in my upper body. My hips have only improved somewhat. It didn't take the pain away completely, and they still catch and lock (on the bone spurs), but the pain was reversed by a couple of years, and it feels like the progression has slowed a bit. My problem is now trying to regain some range of motion - my advice would be to try to minimize the losses in the first place because getting it back is tough.

    Hang in there.
  • imogene912
    imogene912 Posts: 32 Member
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    OP - are you a candidate for a hip replacement? A lot of people feel instant pain relief following hip replacement surgery.
  • tcarp8
    tcarp8 Posts: 370 Member
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    imogene912 wrote: »
    OP - are you a candidate for a hip replacement? A lot of people feel instant pain relief following hip replacement surgery.

    Don't they wait until you're older for knee and hip replacement?
  • imogene912
    imogene912 Posts: 32 Member
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    tcarp8 wrote: »
    imogene912 wrote: »
    OP - are you a candidate for a hip replacement? A lot of people feel instant pain relief following hip replacement surgery.

    Don't they wait until you're older for knee and hip replacement?

    Not necessarily. I'm an OR nurse (mostly orthopedic), and we have patients of all ages for joint replacements.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    My 45 year old cousin-in-law just had one hip done. the procedure is lightly different for younger patients.

    I struggle with knowing WHEN to get it done. Do you do it when it affects some activities, all movement, or wait until it hurts all of the time?
  • imogene912
    imogene912 Posts: 32 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    My 45 year old cousin-in-law just had one hip done. the procedure is lightly different for younger patients.

    I struggle with knowing WHEN to get it done. Do you do it when it affects some activities, all movement, or wait until it hurts all of the time?

    I recommend seeing an orthopedist to see if you fit the criteria of being a candidate for hip replacement surgery. He or she can guide you. Good luck
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    OP I was diagnosed a while ago with arthritis in one of my ankles. It is a joint that cannot be replaced, so I have to live with it. I used to be a runner prior to this, and also enjoyed a lot cardio in general. If jumping and running and skipping and dancing was happening, I was around. So all of a sudden basically all of my favourite activities were out :( After lots of cursing and feeling miserable, I decided I had to just find something else, so I found a pool and tried different classes until I finally settled for a combination of swimming for cardio and pilates for resistance training. Very different from what I used to do, but once the new routine fell into place, it is good and I am happy with it. So, my advice is to work with a physical therapist to find out what you can and cannot do, and then experiment. Try to be open minded about it and try new forms of exercise, until you find something that feels right.
  • kes840
    kes840 Posts: 66 Member
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    I had a shoulder replacement for OA at 59 and it's been great, allowed me to start doing a progressive lifting routine. I'm hopeful that building strength in upper body and losing extra weight will help me avoid needing surgery in the other shoulder (so far so good). They now have artificial joints for younger, more active people...and the technology keeps improving.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I've had OA for a long time. 5 yrs ago I told my doctor (my brother-in-law), that since I was getting progressively worse, I'd be in a wheelchair in a couple of years. I have always been active. But 3 yrs ago I found MFP. I lost 15 lbs (with another 10 to go), but more importantly, I learned that I had to push myself and not give up. I don't take meds unless I've got alot of pain, but the pain has been lessening. I've been swimming for 20 yrs + acquagym, stretching 3x aweek, alot of walking and started yoga last year. I do take some supplements, but the yoga has made a huge difference. I can go up stairs without pain now. My friends and relatives my age and younger are doing replacements, but I'm still able to carry on without. I hope you can find what works for you. Best.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I have arthritis in my back. Spinal Stenosis I think they call it. I've had 3 burst discs, one had to be repaired surgically about 11 years ago. After the first surgery about 11 years ago I decided I could not lift any more, and the doctors put me on a 25lb weight limit for lifting for life.

    So for 10 years I stopped exercising and for five of those years I was a smoker. I finally quit smoking, then the weight started piling on. At the first of last year I was at 305 lbs and had very little muscle. I spent my days at a desk job and my nights in a recliner. I had constant back pain, and then started the knee pain as well. The knees would wake me up in the middle of the night. The pain was unbearable and the doctors yet again told me arthritis. I decided enough was enough and started walking. I managed to lose about 60 lbs until late fall when too much walking managed to burst two more discs in my back. I managed to recover with steroids but managed to injure them again in the fall. I almost gave up but started yoga and managed to heal. I also bought a Bowflex M5 for cardio (it's sort of a stair stepper and elliptical in one) without impact. I've been using it all winter as well as doing some lifting with free weights (mostly laying on my back on a bench to keep the pressure off the lower discs). The doctors tell me I have arthritis in my back, and it does hurt daily still at times, but the yoga helps, and it keeps me exercising. I now have a bulging disc in my neck (I also have degenerative disc disease, and it runs in my family) that has stopped me from lifting with the free weights but I do still manage push ups and pull ups daily along with my usual cardio on the M5. You just need to find the right kind of exercise that you can do without aggravating the condition. If you can build up the muscles around it, you will likely have less pain. That's what I'm working on now, my core and back so I can support my feeble discs in my back.

    Today I am at 15% body fat, 1 pt away from a normal BMI, and have managed to start building muscle slowly even in a deficit. I burn up to 1000 calories a day with a combination of cardio and body weight training about 5-6 days a week. My back still aches from time to time, but the knees almost never hurt now. It can be done, you just need to find the right exercise, and if your hips can handle it, try an elliptical. Start slow but try to be consistent. Most have almost no impact, and exercise can definitely help arthritis. I also take Osteo Biflex daily along with fish oil, and a multivitamin. It seems to help. Good luck and don't give up!

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