Exercise for arthritic knees?

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I'll be 64 in Nov, I had been bone on bone for more than a decade on each one. I spend too much time in the outdoors, especially our rivers and mountains to be sidelined.

My surgeon said to do it once it was keeping me from my normal life style. We all have our choices. I'd say at 85 you're pretty good to go without every doing it.
 
Well you all should be consulting your doctors as too any course of action your doing, knee replacement as is any surgery is risky especially if your an older individual. Each of you may have very different etiologies' and therefore along with other issues determine the best course of action which is individual to each of us. Relative had knee replacement done at 86 recovered to 85/90 % of motion. They complained of the recovery time, at 93 years of age currently they complain of the one they didn't have done. Good friend 64 years just had right knee done. He is walking and riding bike with no support within 7 weeks. Remember second opinions help prepare for important decisions. That is why we all are on here collecting as much information before making a decision perhaps. Please great health to all of us an our families.
 
Years ago DMSO was the talk around for Arthritis relief. (Dimethylsulfoxide). I know several who used it for hands with some success.
I have been a downhill skier all my life at the expert level and I always worked the knees up to the strength level for skiing demands before the season. Things like squats or the spa leg press machine. I used to use all the weights, 15 times and actually heat the joint to where I had to let them hang and move them with no weight to disperse synovial fluid to cool them off..
Find some exercise you can do and do it as long as it does not hurt.
I was in physical therapy and everything they had me do was always 20 reps. They said for max benefit that was the magic number.
Good Luck.
 
How old are you that you are recovered from knee surgery (replacement?) in just three months?
Jim: I'm 78 and was completely recovered from each of my total knees (done last Nov and Feb) in 3 months, mainly as a result of being very diligent about the PT exercises taught me by the Therapists. I'm heading for the Yukon in 4 days.......for a Dall sheep ram.
 
I've had left knee scoped and right knee got cadaver ligaments two years ago...I'm 37 and can feel every storm coming in. I get drug tested for work so I was nervous at first to try but a "free spirited" friend talked me into "apothacanna" lotion...the stuff with thc and cbd is the best...extra strength...I don't feel any effects like "getting high" but this stuff is magic on my joints...in the mornings I can barely walk...put some of this on and 15 minutes later I'm pain free and could go hiking with no issues. This stuff made me a believer in medical Marijuana legalization nationwide. And the great thing is I can still pass a drug test since I'm not ingesting it. I just hate feeling like I'm Pablo Escobar smuggling my knee cream from Colorado into nebraska lol.
 
Since Copaiba Oil and CBD will do the same thing, then there is no need to legalise marajuana. Or did I miss something?
 
..it's called 'old age'...the parts just wear out a little more each day...lol It's a tough pill to swallow overall, we are all trying to cheat time but.......enjoy everyday no matter what ache or pain shows up...
 
We are up to 222 posts in this fourteen year old thread topic from 2008:.

"I had my right knee scoped 14 months ago in early 2007, doing well. But last fall in Montana I couldn't walk as far or fast as I used to. Both 62 year old knees have significant arthritis.

What is an exercise that would reduce arthritic discomfort associated with extended hiking up and down.
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I'd just like to make a comment on what has worked for me since the above discussion began back in 2008. And remember that I am allergic to all inflammation reducing NSAIDS...aspirin, Aleve, Ibuprofin, etc.

My knees will be 77 years old in four months. Last week I COMFORTABLY completed a solo five day, 57 mile, 12,000 vertical foot gain and loss backpack trip in the Glacier National Park mountains. I will write about this one next month some time. Photo below.

Earlier this year I did 3 backpack trips to the Grand Canyon including a 44 mile Rim to Rim to Rim, 2 trips to the Tetons and I still have scheduled another short trip to the Tetons plus a fourth, year-2022 gruelling, hard-on-the-knees, backpack trip in the Grand Canyon in early November.

My knees worked well.

In addition to a year round conditioning program consisting of local bike rides and hill climbing on foot, I have been consistently doing a series of stretches.

I don't know the full names of these common stretches but will call them:

Squats
Touch your toes
Achilles stretch


I do these almost every day at home. They are VERY important to my knees.

On a backpack trip I do them ten times in a ten hour hiking day...especially when I feel a little twinge beginning somewhere in a knee joint.

I have also decreased my hiking tempo, and decreased the length of my stride. I also take more 5 minute breaks. I also start the hike segments at 3/4 normal tempo as a means of warming up.

I always use trekking poles.

So...a combination of stretching and strength conditioning.
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From day 3 in Glacier Park 2 weeks ago.

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I am closing this thread and starting a new one with the above post.

 
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