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Arthritis.......wait, what??

19K views 88 replies 23 participants last post by  PalmerFreak 
#1 · (Edited)
My right knee (regular stance) usually bothers me about half-way through the season and I never really thought much about it figuring the torque that's placed on the joint causes it to flare up. Usually by the middle of spring everything is fine and I get on with my summer activities.

This year was a bit different though. The pain lingered all the way through summer and into fall so I decided to get it looked at this past week. The pain is almost always on the inside of my knee (MCL area) and I get some swelling from time to time. I figured that if there was something wrong I'd get it taken care of quickly since - in my mind - it must be minor.

So I make an appointment with my general doctor and he asks me a bunch of questions, checks range of motion, etc. He tells me that I may have an MCL strain or a small tear in my meniscus and wants to set up an appointment with an orthopedist. He also wants to do a couple X-ray to eliminate any type of bone issues and I say fine. So I set up my appointment with the orthopedist and get the X-rays done. That afternoon a nurse leaves a message on my phone saying that the X-rays revealed arthritis in my knee.......WTF!!! I'm not a young guy by any stretch (46) but I always thought that arthritis is something I'd have to deal with much later in life. It's the first time in my life that my own mortality stared right back at me. :angry:

I did some investigating and there are a wide variety of treatment options from excercises to braces to drugs and so on but I guess I'll have to wait until I speak with the orthopedist to work up a treatment plan. I don't plan on ever getting off my board no matter what happens with my knee/s but it's a bummer.

So, are there any other peeps here that have an arthritic knee that can share there experiences and what treatments seemed to work? I read that NSAID pain relievers like Aleve work well and I ran out and got some yesterday. I popped a couple last night and they worked very well - no pain at all this morning.
 
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#2 ·
Be happy you got it at 46, I've been dealing with it since I was 26. There's a few various ways to combat it though.

Do your bindings have canting? With stance alignment this is a huge thing most people need between 1.5 and 2.5 degrees of canting, but can go as extreme as 3 depending on how their stance is to ankle/leg alignment. You have to see if you pronate or supinate.

The other thing is arch support in your boots. The key to this is to have a footbed that also corrects ankle/leg pronation/supination as well as supporting all the arches in the foot.

Supplements are key as well. I have taken Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM and Hylaunic acid on and off for the last 5 years. It comes down to sustaining and building up the Sinovial fluids in the knee to keep it lubricated.

Keeping your weight down as well as stretching regularly will help. A brace becomes a crutch that causes other muscles to over compensate for it. I blew my MCL and Meniscus up a couple years ago and wore a brace for one year only to make it through the season then strength trained for 8 months to build up all the muscles around it to hold them together.

Talk with the doc see what they recommend, they more than likely won't recommend homeopathic supplements as it seems to go against what they're taught.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Past or repeated trauma can cause arthritic degeneration in some joints. That may be what you're dealing with. I'm no expert and you should check this for accuracy, but I believe that although that type of arthritis can get worse in the affected joint, it is not a systemic immune response issue like typical arthritis is. Meaning it is unlikely to spread and affect other joints.

If that is the case, consider yourself lucky! (...well, relatively speaking anyway.)

I have a type of arthritis called "Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis!" It is characterized by random, acute flare-ups in various joints. By that I mean it tends to play musical chairs with my body and I will get a mild to moderate ache or two in several joints at the same time until it decides which one it wants to settle into and become acute.

When that happens, the pain and swelling becomes extreme, the affected appendage becomes useless and nothing, including narcotic pain meds will touch it. The only thing that will work to relieve the pain is a massive dose of steroids over a day or two, (which has it's own problems.) In order for them to work, It takes about 2-3 hours before the majority of the pain is gone. Not playing "I got that beat" with you, just pointing out, things could be worse.

I've had this now since I was in my mid 40's. Funny thing is, I can crash my MTB, take hard slams and falls on the snowboard, lift weights in the gym and nothing!! No flare ups, no pain. (....aside from that associated with the crash or workout.) But let me turn a door knob wrong, miss a shift on my big rig, or reach around to get something out of the back seat of the car, and sure as shit! I will wind up with a flare up starting and in a few hours I'm in excruciating pain and dosing myself with steroids! :blink: :dunno:

Ah well, as long as it doesn't interfere with my snowboarding,.. FuckIt!!!! ;)
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for the info BA. :thumbsup: Having it at 26 must suck so I'm gonna stop my complaining and just deal with it.

I was thinking about canted foot beds but I ride Flow's and the 2012's that I bought at the end of last year for my new T.Rice doesn't have them. Are there generic canted foot beds that can be added to any binding or do they have to be designed with the binding? The 2013 Flow's do have canted beds but I'd prefer to not dump another $300 on bindings - but I will if I have to.

I don't have custom arch supports for my boots. Is this something that I'd have to get done by an experienced boot fitter or can you buy something off the shelf?

I give my dogs glucosamine so I've started looking at supplements to see what seems to be effective. I'll look at the other stuff you mention as well.

I'm 5'8' and 175lbs and work out pretty religiously. I've backed off on my leg workouts a bit since I thought I had an MCL injury but I'm going to get back to my normal routine starting today.

I'll look into the homeopathic options - any suggestions?

Thanks again for the tips, they're much appreciated.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the input Chomps. I don't have pain in any other joints and I've never had a knee injury before so I don't think it's your type of arthritis or a degenerative condition.

The way I look at it is if I can be (relatively) pain free when I'm riding I can deal with the pain afterwards. What I'm worried about is if I have pain while riding it will effect my stance/form to a point where it begins to effect other parts of my body or keeps me from enjoying myself. I'm thinking that I will be able to avoid those types of issues with some of the tips I've gotten from BA and hopefully the orthopedist has some ideas as well.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the input Chomps. I don't have pain in any other joints and I've never had a knee injury before so I don't think it's your type of arthritis or a degenerative condition....
OK, I'm a little confused.

My right knee (regular stance) usually bothers me about half-way through the season and I never really thought much about it figuring the torque that's placed on the joint causes it to flare up. Usually by the middle of spring everything is fine and I get on with my summer activities.
I wasn't necessarily referring to some major, immediately destructive, traumatic injury! Repeated stress, (i.e. trauma!) of the sort you are describing as having over some number of years boarding, is sometimes all that's necessary to cause the type of arthritic degeneration I was talking about.

There is a blood test to check for RH factor. It is by no means definitive for determining that you have any type of rheumatoid arthritis, as some people with this factor present never have any disease process or symptoms. But it could help you to determine if what you are experiencing is arthritic degeneration from past traumas or the beginning of a more general arthritic condition. Early detection and treatment can help with getting meds that can limit further joint degeneration that can occur from the rheumatoid types of arthritis.

These are some of the things you will want to talk over and ask questions about with your doctors.
 
#8 ·
Arthritis pain is just something I've learned to deal with as have many of my friends. I know mine is caused from repeated snowboard/skateboard related impacts. Some days are good and some days are bad.

I've done full custom insoles, almost all aftermarket, and the best ones right now that I've found are Remind. I have them in all my shoes, in my boots, and these are by far the best things I've ever used. Canting in the binding should be the second option the boot is the most important and I think this is where you'll notice the problem start to be rectified.

One of the members on here put me on to Zyflenenol (probably spelling this wrong but it's early a.m.) I've been taking it for about 30 days now and I notice the difference in how my joints feel. With glucosamine there's so many variations of it on the market you have to find the one that works for you and it can take up to a month or two before you notice the effects. For my I actually use the Kroger store brand as it's the only one that seems to work. One thing to note is you can build up an immunity to it so what I try to do is use it for long periods of time till I notice pain again then lay off for a while.
 
#9 ·
I was actually talking to my brother in law who's a surgeon and he was telling me how basically everyone involved in sports gets it around your age. It's just a crummy part of our body breaking down from all the strain of being so active.

Many of us may actually get it far earlier if we have injuries like ACL/meniscus tears, which is why I pay extra attention to do everything I can to slow down the deterioration of my knee after 3 surgeries.

BA's tips are spot on, and especially make sure you keep your legs strong in the gym. The stronger your legs, the less strain your knee will take and the slower your knees will deteriorate. Also, if you do cardio, don't do running, it's not great for your knees and riding the stationary bike or elliptical trainer is a lot better.

And as already mentioned, canted bindings are awesome too. I basically only ride canted bindings nowadays too (which makes me sad that the NOW bindings don't have canting).

On the plus side, we may be the last generation affected by this kind of arthritis because stem cell treatment is making leaps and bounds in treating joint arthritis and regrowing cartilage.
 
#10 ·
BA, was this the supliment you were referring too?

Zyflamend

The glucosemine didn't help me any, so I would be interested in your opinion, impressions etc. of how that Zyflamend was working for you? That is if you've been using it long enough to notice any effect!
 
#11 ·
Glucosamine is just a supplement. Its effect are not immediately measurable, nor are they supposed to be. It delays further deterioration, not so much improves it. Let's just say that if you've been taking it over a significant period of time (years, decades) in the end your condition would be better than if you haven't taken it. So, even if you think it doesn't really help take it anyway, 10-15 years down the line you would be glad you did. Pretty much the same works for any herbal or mineral supplement. They don't reverse the damage - nothing short of joint replacement can - they just slow the process down.

Take glucosamine-chondroitin combo, it has a nigher success rate than either one by itself. In fact, anyone with OA or RA should be on a daily doze of Omega-3,6,9 complex, Vit D, glucosamine-chondroitin and calcium.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I have arthritis in my knees and load bearing joints from years of roofing, now I'm getting it in my hands from 20+ years of making food. I'm 37.

BA's advices are just about the only thing that works even though I like to go against conventional wisdom and treat myself with loads of alcohol and marijuana.

The alcohol thing is stupid as fuck, theres nothing better then being hydrated, but if you can get some medicinal herbz, you can't go wrong.

I try to regimen glucosamine.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Yep. Krill oil has the best ratios of Omega-3 to omega-6s. It is also absorbed a bit better. Many people think that fish oil has omega-3s so it is good. What is important is the RATIO of omega 3 to omega-6 in the product. Also the ratio of DHA to EPA. Krill oil, by my research, seems to have the most desirable ratios of any omega 3 product. If you want to reduce the cellular inflammation associated with arthritis, you want way more EPA than DHA. Most fish oil has more DHA, which does not help with inflammation as much.

Here is a great article about types of omega 3s:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-zone/201204/what-are-the-real-differences-between-epa-and-dha

I have a similar issue after a meniscal tear when I was 15, and after tons of research and speaking to multiple doctors, I've found that krill oil, zyflamend, and glucosamine/chondroitin with a daily multivitamin would be the best way to supplement care for the knee.

What gets me about zyflamend is made from New Chapter, which was just purchased by Proctor and Gamble... so I'm not so sure I want to consciously support that company.
 
#20 ·
Definately strengthen those supporting muscles as others have mentioned-I jacked my knee years ago as a uninsured drunk college student and completely tore my PCL. Never had it repaired and after all these years later cannot tell the difference in feel of my knees even tho one is PCL deficient. I walk everywhere and I think this helped being active and using those other muscles to take the strain off the joint.
 
#22 ·
I ride regular mostly and my right knee has been giving me problems since I switched from skiing to snowboarding. It gets really swollen and sore after our weekends of snowboarding and takes all week till we go again the following weekend and then sore again. I use a brace on it also and have been taking ibuprofen which helps. However, I HATE having to take ibuprofen that much. In my off season I have no problem hiking, biking and waterskiing/wakeboarding, but snowboarding is a problem. I was reading up and have just started taking Ginger which is a natural remedy that is suppose to help with arthritis. I also have hip pain flare up on occasion and since taking the Ginger these past 2 weeks I have no hip pain. I read it may take 6-8 weeks to see results and so I started and can't wait to see if it helps during snowboarding season. Have no idea of this is bogus or not, but I will take this until the season ends and then decide if it was bogus and either keep taking it or stop.
 
#24 ·
I ride regular mostly and my right knee has been giving me problems since I switched from skiing to snowboarding. It gets really swollen and sore after our weekends of snowboarding and takes all week till we go again the following weekend and then sore again....
Someone here with more knowledge than I, might be able to give you a more specific fix, but I had some knee pain in my trailing leg my first few months riding. I made a change to the angles on my bindings, (...in my case, I went a little more symmetrically ducked) I changed from a +21/-9 to +18/-12. It helped.

You might try playing around and finessing your binding angles a bit and see if a small change there helps. I've also been reading in various posts that canted bindings can help with relieving knee pain. Worth checking out!
 
#23 ·
Anyone who complains of knee pain needs rehab. It means your body is not controlling the knee complex and thus not handling the forces as well as it should be. Get rid of the cause of it rather than mask the symptoms by having a look at your feet and your hips.
 
#28 ·
While I don't disagree that your hip/feet/lower back can cause knee pain, I think you're overly applying your own experience to this situation. Your personal situation does not equal the situation for everyone and how your body reacts does not mean it's evidence that everyone's body will react the same way.

There are a lot of people here who can squat just fine and actively stay in great shape and still have knee pain due to wear and tear from injuries and impacts.
 
#27 ·
Getting your weight back to high school days makes the most noticeable improvement. Also swapping out running in the off season with swimming will make a big difference and help you cut weight.

Watch out with the ibuprofen. It masks the pain but it has drawbacks and risks.
 
#29 · (Edited)
My right knee (regular stance) usually bothers me about half-way through the season and I never really thought much about it figuring the torque that's placed on the joint causes it to flare up. Usually by the middle of spring everything is fine and I get on with my summer activities.

This year was a bit different though. The pain lingered all the way through summer and into fall so I decided to get it looked at this past week. The pain is almost always on the inside of my knee (ACL area) and I get some swelling from time to time. I figured that if there was something wrong I'd get it taken care of quickly since - in my mind - it must be minor.

So I make an appointment with my general doctor and he asks me a bunch of questions, checks range of motion, etc. He tells me that I may have an ACL strain or a small tear in my meniscus and wants to set up an appointment with an orthopedist. He also wants to do a couple X-ray to eliminate any type of bone issues and I say fine. So I set up my appointment with the orthopedist and get the X-rays done. That afternoon a nurse leaves a message on my phone saying that the X-rays revealed arthritis in my knee.......WTF!!! I'm not a young guy by any stretch (46) but I always thought that arthritis is something I'd have to deal with much later in life. It's the first time in my life that my own mortality stared right back at me. :angry:

I did some investigating and there are a wide variety of treatment options from excercises to braces to drugs and so on but I guess I'll have to wait until I speak with the orthopedist to work up a treatment plan. I don't plan on ever getting off my board no matter what happens with my knee/s but it's a bummer.

So, are there any other peeps here that have an arthritic knee that can share there experiences and what treatments seemed to work? I read that NSAID pain relievers like Aleve work well and I ran out and got some yesterday. I popped a couple last night and they worked very well - no pain at all this morning.
yep.....I have it too.....in my left knee and the joints of my right thumb.
i'm also noticing stuff in my right elbow too....clicking and some pain.
is sucks the big banachi getting old.....it ain't for pussies.....lol
i'm 44.....but I won't stop snowboarding till the wheels fall off.
 
#33 ·
OK, a little update. So I go see the orthopedist about a month ago and he says that it's not arthritis but more likely a small tear of the meniscus. He tells me to get an MRI and we can figure out where to go from there. At the time my knee was just a minor annoyance and didn't effect my riding at all so I put off the MRI. However, over the past two weeks it's gotten more and more uncomfortable and I've started limping a bit and can't really run on it. So I finally bit the bullet and scheduled an MRI for next Friday and am hoping for the best. I went riding this morning and while it didn't bother me much during it hurt like hell afterwards. I'm hoping that this doesn't spell the end of my season but I'll no more next week.

Thanks to everyone who offered up suggestions and tips - especially in regards to the supplements.
 
#35 ·
Little over two years ago I was training and tore a menisci in my knee.

The MRI orthopedic doctor said it would never heal because there was no blood flow in the area of the knee. Wanted to cut.

As a Health & P.E. teacher for 35 years I implemented my own therapy.

Researched

1. Supplementation that would stimulate blood flow.
2. Ice therapy
2. Weight Training.
3. Functional training alone with core training.
4. Trigger point therapy.
5. MiaFacia Muscle therapy.

Dealt with movement and flexibility in the ankle, pelvis, thoracic, along with explosive power. The whole nine yards total body realignment.

After six months tested knee. First basketball, next racquetbal, bought a season pass snowboard. Which I hadn't done for ten years.

Over 100 days on slopes 2012-2013 season no pain no joint problems.

Most want a quick fix, drugs, operations, & medical morons that are practicing medicine on the herd mentality.

As snowboarders we research equipment, boards, and technique. We then with time on the slopes perfect our skills.

Our health should get the same attention.

One of the web sites that will help you eliminate most problems.

functionalpatterns.com
 
#36 ·
Functional movement and rehab is the only way... Removing a meniscus is such an old archaic method.
Injections of plasma rich protein or nothing if you're going the medical route.
Or just good rehab since that's what you have to do regardless of which medical procedure is chosen
 
#37 ·
+1 on PRP i did that all summer, its very $$ but that is not be all end all if you have meniscal tears, The only thing that may help for tears is stem cell surgery to regrow of cartilidge very pricey and not conclusive as to how long new cartiledge will last. PRP is better to help heal the tendons.
for just arthritic pain a good brace like the don joy reaction helps

2 Knees done over last 20 years. trying the syn visc now. Hoping for best. my mri was inconclusive, and the only options were syn visc and brace or another scope to check out if issue was scar tissue or new tear.

Chose the first option.

Good luck with what you choose, sometime it is easier to live with tear than scope it
 
#38 ·
fwiw,
my youngest sister (16 years old now) has had arthritis since she was 18 months old. arthritis is generally thought of as an older persons disease however it affects millions of people worldwide of all ages. because it is commonly an immune disorder, you should really try to manage it without the help of drugs as many of the drugs can severely limit your immune system and lead to many other complications - many of which my sister has experienced including staph, mersa, stress fractures in vertebrae, lesions on her spleen, legs, feet, etc . the best thing you can do is try so stay active, do physical therapy if available, try and change your eating habits (gluten free is supposed to be extremely helpful) and hopefully you will be okay!

good luck!
 
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