OT: The knee

Shelagh

Thanks for the update and hope that you can see the specialist soon.

My surgery has a success rate of 80+% so I understand.

Please keep us posted.

Darlene in Toronto

Hi Shelagh,

That's great news, at least you can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the knee. I asked about the glucosamine/chondrotin for my thumb and was told it wouldn't do any good, mine is in the tendon.

Hugs,

Nora

Oh, Shelagh, that doesn't sound good at all. Odd how parts of us wear out more quickly than others. I feel quite glad that arthritis has never been an issue in my family. I have glucosamine/chondroitin here, and was supposed to take it regularly when I had an odd problem with my thumb, but the problem fixed itself. The funny thing is that it was recommended to me by a rheumatologist!

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Katherine

Good luck Shelagh, please keep us informed of how you get along.......keeping our fingers crossed for you Marie and the cats

"Shillelagh" skrev i melding news:Ps3Ue.2895$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.mts.net...

Shelagh! Hope this will help! May you be better soon :-) AUD ;-)

Here's hoping that you get everything sorted soon, Shelagh.

Incidentally, the glucosamine won't necessarily alleviate the pain directly. Glucosamine is a dietary supplement that is a synthetic version of the compound that the human body uses to stimulate the growth of cartilage. This growth tends to anchor ligaments and muscles to the bone more securely. I am a runner (running an average of six miles a day when I'm training properly) so I take glucosamine as a matter of course. You don't have to wait until you have muscle problems to take it. I think that it can be useful for everyone. Because glucosamine will indirectly promote muscle quality and mass it is also helpful in reducing or delaying the onset of osteoporosis. Glucosamine supplements are freely available without prescription in your local pharmacy and even in your local supermarket.

The chondroitin *may* reduce pain, but so far all indications that it does so are anecdotal. Clinical trials are currently underway in the UK and the US to ascertain the effects. To reduce muscle pain, an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen is the best bet. It can be taken in tablet form but it is not a good idea to do this long term as it can lead to stomach problems. The ideal solution is a topical gel such as Ibuleve. However, as with everything of this nature, you should discuss this with your doctor before starting treatment.

Shelagh, Well, at least you know what you are up against now. I hope you can get an appointment with the specialist quickly so you can be on the road to recovery.

Janise

Shelagh, that sounds terribly painful. I know what it was like when I tore the ligaments from my ankle to my hip in my left leg, but in the knee.... I would think that would take even longer to heal up. But then, you will be having surgery (which I didn't have), so hopefully that will make recovery quicker. 70% to 80% doesn't sound so great compared to the 90% for a tear, but I guess it's better than it could be. :o/

As to the glucosamine/chondroitin... I have heard about this. My pharmacist actually told me that it would be better than the glucosamine sulphate that I'm taking, but considering that I have a HUGE bottle of that which I'm working my way through, I'll be waiting to get the other until after these are gone. Does your husband find that they help?

And I am surprised that both yours and Katherine's doctors have suggested the glucosamine (with or without the chondroitin), as when I told my doctor that I was taking it he said "Take it if you think it will help, but there really hasn't been any proof that it actually does work." *shrug* Oh well... I think it does help some, and I feel comfortable taking it. :o)

Peace! Gemini

The doctor who suggested it to us was from India, and as you know, eastern cultures believe in more natural ways of treating ailments. And, if you think it will work, then it will! I think that our western doctors can learn a lot from the east!

Katherine

I had sore joints for a while and took some over-the-counter glucosamine/chondroitin and it worked very quickly for me. I only had to take it for a few days to see lasting improvement. The soreness returned a few months later (possibly a reinjury) and again, after waiting a few days and finding no change, a day or two of g/c helped it go away. Everyone is different, so different things work for different people, but I m happy with it.

=Tamar

Oh definitely. He was very surprised how helpful it was because he drives a BIG truck and needs his thumbs for that. Sometimes they hurt so badly, but once he started taking the glu/chon combo, he couldn't believe how much it helped. So, since we already have a huge bottle of it, I'm just going to dive right in and hope it helps me too (smile). My sister and her DH take it too. If he doesn't he can hardly move.

Just out of curiousity.... is your doctor on the younger side or older? This sports med doc is a cute young thing (grin) - maybe between 30-35... and probably open to alternatives. And because my sister and her DH and mine are so definite about it helping them, then why not try it?

Shelagh

I am bringing some in to a friend at school who constantly injures his shoulder. I think that it will help him.

Katherine

Hi Ladies,

Well, I think I'll pick up a bottle of the stuff Monday, can't hurt, right? My doctors are older too and may want to stick with the traditional medicine.

Hugs,

Nora

Very true, Katherine! My doctor didn't tell me *not* to take it, only that he hadn't heard any proof of it actually doing any good... and he did add "Take it if you want to, it won't hurt you." I am definitely taking the glucosamine and when it's gone I will likely get the glucosamine/chondroitin to take, since I have now heard good things about it from a few people on here as well as my pharmacist. :o)

Peace! Gem

- Oh by the way... I don't care how many people say it works, I will *never* go for acupuncture. I have a thing about needles... even ity-bity ones! Yes, I admit it... I am chicken! ;o)

Cool... I will definitely be giving it a try when my glucosamine sulphate is gone!

Umm... I think my doctor is about 59 - 60. He's pretty good when I mention some things to him that someone has suggested. But if he has had negative feedback from his own patients about a particular drug, he tells me that too. He didn't really say *not* to take the glucosamine sulphate, he just said he hadn't heard of any definite proof that it actually did anything... but he told me I could take it if I wanted to because it wouldn't hurt me. :o)

Peace! Gem

Just an add-on about my doctor. He is a hot-tempered Irishman who has been know to almost go through the telephone after a pharmacist who gave my Mom a "generic" brand of medicine because it was "cheaper" than the one prescribed by my doctor. When the nurses in the hospital emergency ask who our doctor is and we tell them, you can see the expression change on their faces and they seem to buckle right down to get done what needs to be done. Methinks they have been around when he's lost his temper a few times. LOL But... he is a sweetie, who would bend over backwards to do whatever he can for you, and you can see real caring in his eyes when you are describing pain to him. :o)

Peace! Gemini

It definitely won't hurt! Now, my dr said that I should take it for several months before giving up, and it worked before that happened. Hope it does the same for you.

Hugs, Katherine

I don't think I'll do acupuncture either, Gem. Even though it is supposed to be harmless, I don't like the idea.

Katherine

Remember that glucosamine isn't a medicine or a drug. It is a dietary supplement. You should be able to take it forever without it having any ill effects. And I believe it *will* help. It has certainly worked for me.