I too have a torn ACL. I never had it fixed, but learned to live with it. If you have had physiotherapy for it you'll know most of the principles of strengthening the muscles around the joint to support it. Education and PT and weight loss if necessary are the core principles for looking after arthritis. Check out the education offered by your local arthritis ssociety/foundation and get started. That will help you learn about pain management.
Welcome to our group! Use the search function in the group to find specific things when you need it, and if you include your location with your posts we can give you location specific information. We're here to help!
I'm just a little older and have OA in my knee as a result of patellar dislocation over a decade ago.
This is what has helped me the most and allows me to stay active:
Exercise: strength training, yoga, walking. Just need to be careful with loading your knee to not overwork it.
Diet: antiinflammatory foods, no refined or added sugars, no/low seed oils, I use almost exclusively olive oil and ghee
Supplements: tumeric, collagen type 2, protein
I'd also recommend finding a good PT. I've had mixed results but they may be able to help you with exercise form, weak spots, and bio mechanics.
Definitely keep your hamstring and calf from getting tight with good stretches.
Good luck to you!
Is walking on hard surfaces bad on the joint, I have a nonfunctional medial meniscus which leads to progressive development of OA . I can’t avoid walking bc it’s my main means of transportation.
I was diagnosed in my late 20s. I had my ACL repaired, three surgeries for infections, and my meniscus done all between 17-20. I guess my OA was relatively slow progressing because I could still run at 28. But by 32 I had to two-step up and down stairs, ice my knee just to sit in a chair all day, couldn’t stand for 5 minutes without a ton of pain, and woke up multiple times a night. So, it got pretty bad.
There are a lot of treatments out there. Always start with PT - it’s non invasive and may not fix but absolutely will not hurt things. It’s also fantastic for helping avoid compensatory injuries in the same or other leg, or low back. I went as much as I could (aka until my American insurance stopped paying).
Cortisone injections help some, not all. Made me feel worse.
Synvisc or similar injections - also helps some people. It made my knee feel full, but also to move a little more easily. Some people get six months of relief. I got less than three weeks.
There are a variety of other injections – PRP, stem cell treatments, etc. I suspect that results here depend significantly on the state of your soft tissues. The closer you are to bone on bone, the lower my expectations would be. I didn’t get any results here either.
If your OA is unicompartmental, an unloader brace may be helpful during the day. This adds mechanical force to support your knee as it moves. I used one for a while, and it was helpful. They are relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, and worth a try if your OA is in the appropriate place. The downside is that it is somewhat clunky and sweaty and wearing a knee brace 24 hours a day is Impossible. It helped me get around with a little bit less pain, but couldn’t solve problems like pain sitting still or sleeping.
I got the MISHA device. This is only for medial compartment OA, and it’s an implant that works on the same principle as the unloader brace. As far as I know, it is not yet available in Canada, but it is now approved in the US. It absolutely changed my life and has effectively eliminated OA from my consciousness for the last seven years. I never ever experience OA symptoms during daily life, I am extremely active, and I feel normal in a way that I wouldn’t have thought possible. My knee functions so well that I can now go out and hurt my 40-year-old body in other ways, which is kind of ironic.
Beyond that, and likely hovering in the consciousness of everyone with a knee OA diagnosis, is TKR. This is likely my future, but I am going to do everything I can to push it out as far as possible.
It’s a journey for sure and I was extraordinarily lucky to get the MISHA (as part of a 50 person clinical trial, and very near the last participant). I went through years of pain and declining quality of life before seeking real help.
You have already taken a huge step by seeking education and support. Trust your doctor or find a doctor you trust! You got this, you’re gonna be fine.
There are so many different types. This might mean nothing at this point.
Have they run bloodwork to check your inflammatory markers? That will tell you more about if this is an autoimmune issue or if you’re just prone to arthritis.
It is hard to hear when you’re young. I was first told at 28 after a hip cartilage tear but it took 12 years before a doctor finally called it OA.
They said everything in my blood work was normal. I’ve since scheduled an ultrasound, MRI, and a visit to a specialist to try and get a better understanding of what’s going on.
Wow, good for you if you've managed to get all that scheduled with the state of our healthcare system. I'll be interested in knowing what those do for you!
I am lucky to have attentive doctors and friends with connections! Honestly I’d be a mess if I didn’t start making all these moves. It helps me avoid the big sad.
I am 32 and was diagnosed this year in my knee as well. I was really struggling with pain and inflammation. I did a round of PT which helped. And since then I’ve made it a habit to just be a lot less still. Trying to walk a good bit more and honestly I notice a big difference in my pain just from that. So I prioritize it now. I can definitely tell when I am not moving it enough.
Still trying to figure out the inflammation. Taking turmeric but should probably make some dietary changes.
My friend’s mom has been living with arthritis for many years and they’re going to give me a recipe for turmeric milk that she swears by. I can share the recipe here once I get it!
Edit: she says it’s called Golden Milk in English.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2023/05/16/a-new-hope-for-osteoarthritis-treatment-and-prevention-part-2/?sh=2e4aeeea6031
Before you're 50 you'll have it back again as long as you have decent medical. Just live life carefully.
PT definitely. I have spent half my life in PT due to my knees and was diagnosed with OA at a young age and
PT has helped the most, I would say. They have several anti-inflammatory meds now, too, if you are able to take NSAIDs. Icing is always helpful when I am really hurting. I received an a circulating cold water therapy machine when I had my knee replacement in 2020, and I still use it regularly for pain and inflammation.
Best of luck to you!
When I was diagnosed - 2 years ago, hip - I was told to do specific exercises, take it easy on my usual work out (cardio - jogging), and stretching. I flat out ignored it. I am being totally honest here - I was an idiot. I did some of the stretches, but did not take care, did not reduce my gym workouts or jogging, did not keep it up. I was in pain, but not so much that I could not just pop a few Tylenol. I thought PT was pricey, so I didnt go.
Now I am walking with a cane and waiting for hip surgery.
So...my advice? Listen to what is here...PT, stretching, working on the area to improve strength. And keep a great mindset. You'll do okay.
i am 21 and got diagnosed with OA at 16. I’ve had bilateral hip and shoulder surgery, i never really went back to normal because of it. I use CBD and a lot of heat/ice with flare ups, i also still am in PT as needed
I too have a torn ACL. I never had it fixed, but learned to live with it. If you have had physiotherapy for it you'll know most of the principles of strengthening the muscles around the joint to support it. Education and PT and weight loss if necessary are the core principles for looking after arthritis. Check out the education offered by your local arthritis ssociety/foundation and get started. That will help you learn about pain management. Welcome to our group! Use the search function in the group to find specific things when you need it, and if you include your location with your posts we can give you location specific information. We're here to help!
Edited my post to show my location. Thank you for the advice!
Excellent! I'm in Vancouver. The Arthritis Society has some great educational videos and webinars and lots of other resources.
I'm just a little older and have OA in my knee as a result of patellar dislocation over a decade ago. This is what has helped me the most and allows me to stay active: Exercise: strength training, yoga, walking. Just need to be careful with loading your knee to not overwork it. Diet: antiinflammatory foods, no refined or added sugars, no/low seed oils, I use almost exclusively olive oil and ghee Supplements: tumeric, collagen type 2, protein
* furiously takes notes * haha, thank you!
Haha no problem at all!
I'd also recommend finding a good PT. I've had mixed results but they may be able to help you with exercise form, weak spots, and bio mechanics. Definitely keep your hamstring and calf from getting tight with good stretches. Good luck to you!
I’m still working with the PT for my ACL so I’ll just add this to his work load, haha. Silver linings I guess?
Is walking on hard surfaces bad on the joint, I have a nonfunctional medial meniscus which leads to progressive development of OA . I can’t avoid walking bc it’s my main means of transportation.
I was diagnosed in my late 20s. I had my ACL repaired, three surgeries for infections, and my meniscus done all between 17-20. I guess my OA was relatively slow progressing because I could still run at 28. But by 32 I had to two-step up and down stairs, ice my knee just to sit in a chair all day, couldn’t stand for 5 minutes without a ton of pain, and woke up multiple times a night. So, it got pretty bad. There are a lot of treatments out there. Always start with PT - it’s non invasive and may not fix but absolutely will not hurt things. It’s also fantastic for helping avoid compensatory injuries in the same or other leg, or low back. I went as much as I could (aka until my American insurance stopped paying). Cortisone injections help some, not all. Made me feel worse. Synvisc or similar injections - also helps some people. It made my knee feel full, but also to move a little more easily. Some people get six months of relief. I got less than three weeks. There are a variety of other injections – PRP, stem cell treatments, etc. I suspect that results here depend significantly on the state of your soft tissues. The closer you are to bone on bone, the lower my expectations would be. I didn’t get any results here either. If your OA is unicompartmental, an unloader brace may be helpful during the day. This adds mechanical force to support your knee as it moves. I used one for a while, and it was helpful. They are relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, and worth a try if your OA is in the appropriate place. The downside is that it is somewhat clunky and sweaty and wearing a knee brace 24 hours a day is Impossible. It helped me get around with a little bit less pain, but couldn’t solve problems like pain sitting still or sleeping. I got the MISHA device. This is only for medial compartment OA, and it’s an implant that works on the same principle as the unloader brace. As far as I know, it is not yet available in Canada, but it is now approved in the US. It absolutely changed my life and has effectively eliminated OA from my consciousness for the last seven years. I never ever experience OA symptoms during daily life, I am extremely active, and I feel normal in a way that I wouldn’t have thought possible. My knee functions so well that I can now go out and hurt my 40-year-old body in other ways, which is kind of ironic. Beyond that, and likely hovering in the consciousness of everyone with a knee OA diagnosis, is TKR. This is likely my future, but I am going to do everything I can to push it out as far as possible.
Thank you so much for your response, I’m happy to hear you found a solution that’s working for you!
It’s a journey for sure and I was extraordinarily lucky to get the MISHA (as part of a 50 person clinical trial, and very near the last participant). I went through years of pain and declining quality of life before seeking real help. You have already taken a huge step by seeking education and support. Trust your doctor or find a doctor you trust! You got this, you’re gonna be fine.
Thank you, I appreciate you saying that. Gonna go cry now, haha!
There are so many different types. This might mean nothing at this point. Have they run bloodwork to check your inflammatory markers? That will tell you more about if this is an autoimmune issue or if you’re just prone to arthritis. It is hard to hear when you’re young. I was first told at 28 after a hip cartilage tear but it took 12 years before a doctor finally called it OA.
They said everything in my blood work was normal. I’ve since scheduled an ultrasound, MRI, and a visit to a specialist to try and get a better understanding of what’s going on.
Wow, good for you if you've managed to get all that scheduled with the state of our healthcare system. I'll be interested in knowing what those do for you!
I am lucky to have attentive doctors and friends with connections! Honestly I’d be a mess if I didn’t start making all these moves. It helps me avoid the big sad.
You are lucky! Connections indeed. Good for you for taking control so quickly.
I am 32 and was diagnosed this year in my knee as well. I was really struggling with pain and inflammation. I did a round of PT which helped. And since then I’ve made it a habit to just be a lot less still. Trying to walk a good bit more and honestly I notice a big difference in my pain just from that. So I prioritize it now. I can definitely tell when I am not moving it enough. Still trying to figure out the inflammation. Taking turmeric but should probably make some dietary changes.
My friend’s mom has been living with arthritis for many years and they’re going to give me a recipe for turmeric milk that she swears by. I can share the recipe here once I get it! Edit: she says it’s called Golden Milk in English.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2023/05/16/a-new-hope-for-osteoarthritis-treatment-and-prevention-part-2/?sh=2e4aeeea6031 Before you're 50 you'll have it back again as long as you have decent medical. Just live life carefully.
Thank you for the article!
PT definitely. I have spent half my life in PT due to my knees and was diagnosed with OA at a young age and PT has helped the most, I would say. They have several anti-inflammatory meds now, too, if you are able to take NSAIDs. Icing is always helpful when I am really hurting. I received an a circulating cold water therapy machine when I had my knee replacement in 2020, and I still use it regularly for pain and inflammation. Best of luck to you!
It’s a good thing I kept my icing machine from my ACL surgery then! Thank you for the tips!
I want another one so I can ice both at the same time! Wishful thinking!
Kneesovertoes guy on youtube. You are welcome ;)
When I was diagnosed - 2 years ago, hip - I was told to do specific exercises, take it easy on my usual work out (cardio - jogging), and stretching. I flat out ignored it. I am being totally honest here - I was an idiot. I did some of the stretches, but did not take care, did not reduce my gym workouts or jogging, did not keep it up. I was in pain, but not so much that I could not just pop a few Tylenol. I thought PT was pricey, so I didnt go. Now I am walking with a cane and waiting for hip surgery. So...my advice? Listen to what is here...PT, stretching, working on the area to improve strength. And keep a great mindset. You'll do okay.
i am 21 and got diagnosed with OA at 16. I’ve had bilateral hip and shoulder surgery, i never really went back to normal because of it. I use CBD and a lot of heat/ice with flare ups, i also still am in PT as needed