I've had osteoarthritis in my knees for years, without any real symptoms... until after my surgery/80+ pound weight loss (which is very surprising to me). Now I'm having flare-ups that leave me hobbling around for 3 - 4 days at a time. I'm working with a person trainer 2X per week and am also doing things on my own but it's two steps forward, one step back since I have to cancel my session when I have a flare up.

I received my first cortisone injection recently but it lasted only 3 weeks and I know that isn't an option for me long-term. Next is injections to improve the fluidity (don't remember the name) between the joint.

Is incredibly frustrating so I thought I'd ask here about any lesser-known treatment options that others have used successfully? I'm thinking alternative treatments or cutting-edge options. I want to avoid a knee replacement as long as possible - I'm 53 and I know they only last 20 years.

Thanks

I was younger than you, and at my heaviest, when I was first told I needed both knees replaced. I was also told I needed to lose a lot of weight, or I could wear the replacements out in less than 5 years. It was one of my motivations to have WLS.

10 years later, I still haven't gone through with the knee replacements.

My knees still hurt. Some days it's really bad. On average, the pain has not gotten better since before WLS. BUT, my activity level is way up. If I spent as much time sitting with my feet elevated now as I did before losing all this weight, I would likely feel much better. But I'd rather have the extra activity and just live with the pain.

I had cortisone injections a few times. They helped some. I also had the synvisc injections that you mentioned, and they helped too, for a while. The first injections had to be done as a series of three, one week apart. Later they improved the formula to a single shot. The shots themselves weren't bad, but for a few days after the knees were horribly worse. But they helped for a few months after that. But eventually they didn't seem to help at all, and the pain from the shots wasn't worth it.

I participated in a medical study that used a fancy brace, but it was a PITA, and didn't help. I'm not a believer in holistic type remedies, so I haven't tried. I have not, and will NOT take NSAIDs. I had an ulcer once, and wouldn't risk that for anything. Every once in a while I'll take Tylenol with codeine, but try to avoid it. A one month supply has lasted me almost 3 years.

I'm 56, and trying, like you, to postpone knee replacements for as long as I can. As long as I'm able, I will continue to postpone it.

I was in my 40's when a doctor told me, "One day you will come here in so much pain that you will beg me for a knee replacement". I did not go back.

I started taking glucosamine.

In six weeks, the knee pain was completely gone, but I continued the tablets for several years. The pain never came back in the left knee. The right one has flare-ups.

Now I use Biofreeze at the first sign of pain. A quick spray in the morning will last all day. It works as well as spending all day with an ice pack.

When I have flareups, I wear a compression type brace that cost me about $14.00 at the drugstore. If it is extremely sore, like after a fall where I hit my knee on concrete, I will take an Arthritis Strength Tylenol.

I know I will always have flare-ups and have been able to keep away from doctors and surgery with RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevation. I am now 69 and still hanging in with my original knees.

I have used glucosamine as well with much success. It helped with pain in my feet as well as knees

I'm bone on bone in both knees. Have you asked your doc about being fitted for a brace that will change the load bearing on the leg to wear when you are exercising? I have a brace for my left knee (the worse of the two) that I wear when I run or do things which require quick lateral movements (e.g. basketball.)

I'm 55. My knees have to be replaced at some point - there is really no cartilage left in both knees. (I was a competitive figure skater in my youth - which does horrible damage to knees and we have a family history of bad knees - my sister had hers done at 59.) Pre-surgery I was using Vicodin for pain control daily. Currently, I use Meloxicam (which is a Cox-2 inhibitor and not as tough on the stomach as NSAIDS) daily and I can count on one hand the times I've had to use narcotic pain relief since surgery.

I have found, for myself, that the combination of cortisone, Synvisc (viscous supplementation in the joint) and meloxicam have worked. I had a cortisone shot in February and my knees still feel pretty good. I use the brace when necessary and it really helps. I would stay away from alternative treatments and "cutting edge" -- the research on the stem cell injections is questionable at best. But that's only my opinion and that and $4 will get me coffee at Starbucks.

I want to hold off on replacements until at least 60, because I figure if I get 20 years out of them, by 80, I'm not going to be quite as physically active, anyway.

I foil fence twice a week for 2-2.5 hours, plus work with my trainer 1x week for an hour and on my own 1x week for an hour.

Best of luck.

I had both knees replaced at the age of 54 at Mayo. I was never ever told they would wear out ? Even if they did I am now pain free and love my life. Ride bike, run, walk . My only regret is not doing it sooner. Yes I went the whole cortisone route but love!!!!! My knees . They are now 13 years old and going strong

Thanks all for the replies. Just so we're speaking the same language, my symptoms of a "flare up" is a snap or clicking sensation followed by immediate pain that typically results in swelling and immobility for a few days. I'm assuming this is the meniscus rubbing together usually due to sidewards pressure on the knee but is now brought on by regular walking.

Is this your experience of a flare up or is it just an increase in pain with no recognizable "event"? My doctor is less than great at explaining all this so am trying to gather information on my own. As usual, this community never fails me.

Thanks

The snapping and crackling is called crepitus. It's also the source of the word decrepit. Even if you don't hear it, you can always put your fingertips on your knee as you flex it, and you can feel the crepitus.

I pretty much always have it, and the pain comes and goes according to how much I abuse myself. When it gets really bad, I have more inflammation, and the range of motion gets much less.

Walking down slopes is always more painful than going up, but that varies. I'm told it's a function of which parts of the knees are most damaged.

Snapping with pain and swelling is a symptom of a torn meniscus catching. That can be fixed with arthroscopic surgery. Have you had an MRI of the knee? You may want to consider a different doctor.

Crepitus is a grinding behind the knee. Here's a great explanation with diagrams. Please see a different doc. It sounds like you may have frayed cartilage which is trapping between the bones which would explain the swelling and severe pain.

I've had surgery to repair that - its day surgery and you walk out the door back home.

Thank you...I was just discovering this through my own research. It makes no sense that I would have repeated popping episodes just from walking. I'm going to look into seeing another doctor. My gut was telling me the same. Proves to always trust your gut...our community especially understands this. ;)

Thank you and everyone else who took the time to respond.

Lisa