Health Conditions

Re: Knee trouble

Jane MacRoss — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:15:05 GMT

Whenever surgery has occurred - especially to bone - it does complicate the whole picture. Hot and cold compresses could help, ratio 10 mins hot to 3 mins cold, long term Homeopathic Arnica 30C and Ferr. Phos 6x as Homeopathic cell salt with Calc. Fluour and Calc Phos as cells salts - should be available at the Health Food Store should all also help, massaging from the outside of the knee - towards the thigh is often beneficial but we haven't really been give enough info for more advice.

Jane

Re: Knee trouble

stanner01 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:35:22 GMT

John, Andrew - you have given some sensible advice.

For all what it is worth, I feel I ought to share with everyone the knee problem I had. This was about 3 years ago. I could not sit for a lont time with bent knees - travelling in a bus was painful, going down steps was oh! agony. it was as if someone was pulling my knee in two ways.

The GP said it is arthiritis and prescribed medicine. I got alarmed.

My chiropractor told me to stop doing any exercises relating to the knees at the gym and sent me for a bone density test and then to my homeopath for a food alergy test.

The result - I was alergic to oberjeen, any type of peppers. I love oberjeen. So I stopped taking this. Voila! what happened... my so-called arthiritic knees disappeared and up to today it has not surfaced!

Thank god I never took the medication prescribed by my GP.

Sriyani Tanner - WGC

Re: Knee trouble

acevans — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:52:02 GMT

I am a chiropractor and I see knee problems in my office all the time. I agree with JMiller, you certainly can solve a lot of knee problems with these suggestions. There are a host of biomechanical (Mechanics of bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments) problems that can lead to knee problems. Foot dysfunction can refer problems upwards and pelvic problems can refer problems downwards. I would suggests that you have the knee assessed by an expert in biomechanics (yes a qualified and registered chiropractor will do). I have personally saved many patients from the knife and while sometimes still necessary it should be the last resort.

I hope you find some help soon.

Andrew

Re: Knee trouble

jmiller — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:06:28 GMT

FIRST PRINCIPLE

Bones do what muscles tell them to do. The knee pain is the symptom of bones out of alignment. Get them back into alignment. Then the knee joint will feel better.

To get your knees back into alignment you'll need to do some exercises - getting muscles to do the work they're supposed to do to keep your bones in alignment. If you're in a sedentary occupation it's highly likely that muscles have become weak and tight.

Harry, my gym instructor was most helpful and insightful. He gave me the exercises below and they helped immeasurably.

1. A quadriceps stretch. You'll probably notice the leg with the knee problem has the tighest quadriceps.

(Stand with you back to the kitchen bench. Put one of your toes on the bench and then lean back. Repeat with the other leg.)

2. Do squats, with low weights, feet parallel and going down to at least a sitting position. Four sets of 12 repetitions. There will probably be a machine at the gym that facilitates this exercise.

The best book - Pete Egoscue's 'Pain Free'. Just buy it. Do the exercises he suggests and spend a couple of days at his clinic in San Diego. www.egoscue.com

Here's an Egoscue exercise.

Place your feet parallel and then squeeze the knees in and out. You may find that your knees knock in. If that's the case concentrate on squeezing them out.

Orthotics may be helpful.

SECOND PRINCIPLE

The cause of the pain is rarely at the site of the pain. It's highly likely that muscles below and above the knee are not functioning properly to keep the bones in alignment. The symptom - knee pain. The pain is telling you to do something. Exercise them all in such a way that poor function is restored to good.

Most therapists will want to give you the rub down, crunch, hot wheat bag and electric shock, at the point where it hurts (in this case your knee.) A good physiotherapist may be helpful, but only if they give you the right exercises for calves, thighs, buttocks and groin.

The gym is probably the best place to go - and the Egoscue Clinic.

The doctor probably doesn't have a clue. Most don't have a good feel for anything involving aerobic fitness, strength or flexibility. Most don't train and the likelihood of them referring you to the gym is remote. They'll only give you a pill to make the pain go away, and then send you off to the surgeon.

The surgeon only has one tool and is hell bent on using it. It's the medical equivalent to the carpenter with a hammer. Everything looks like a nail!

It's likely that he doesn't have a clue about the two principles outlined above, or which exercises to prescribe to loosen and strengthen the muscles that are pulling your bones out of alignment. Ask him for a list of exercises and see what he says. He's the last person to go to, not the second!

Remember, the problem was not caused by a lack of surgery.

Supplements may help - glucosamine, omega 3 fats etc.

Bowen Therapy may be useful.

THIRD PRINCIPLE

It's a big ask expecting to get better by having someone do something to you; sooner or later you have to do something to yourself. In this case - a few strength and flexibility exercises, regularly and systematically.

John Miller

www.fitandhealthyonline.com

Knee trouble

WDDTY — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:26:09 GMT

Knee problems a few years back meant this reader had to have a femoral osteotomy - a surgical procedure where the femur (thigh bone) is cut and the bone angled differently in an attempt to improve the mechanics of the leg. However, her knee is now causing her trouble again. She is considering having a knee replacement but wants to know if there are any alternative options. Can readers offer any advice?

According to John, the knee pain is a symptom of bones out of alignment. “Get them back into alignment and the knee joint will feel better,” he says. He recommends the following exercises:

1. A quadriceps stretch. Stand with you back to the kitchen bench. Put one of your toes on the bench and then lean back. Repeat with the other leg. (You'll probably notice the leg with the knee problem has the tightest quadriceps.)

2. Squats. Use small weights and stand with feet parallel. Bend down to a sitting position. Do four sets of 12 repetitions. (There will probably be a machine at the gym that facilitates this exercise.)

In addition, John recommends the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue (Bantam, 2000). There are a number of useful exercises outlined in his book, he says. He also suggests taking glucosamine supplements and increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Chiropractor Andrew agrees with these suggestions, but recommends that you have your knee assessed by an expert in biomechanics, such as a registered chiropractor. “I have personally saved many patients from the knife,” he says. “While surgery is sometimes necessary, it should be the last resort.”