(Preliminary observations) ‘Always listen to the experts – and then do something else’, as the old saying goes. I thought I had about tried just about everything with my knee/s (as with my back in retrospect) and had about bitten the bullet that there was nothing for it but once again the dreaded knife – though I know that too is a solution replete with unsatisfactory outcomes, except for the surgeon’s new Porsche!
Not a pretty sight I know, but at least I kept my jeans on!
The cold laser seemed to bring some relief, and an exercise cycle which I have not been as religious with using as I should (I’m sure an unsurprising revelation) had not been the ultimate panacea either, but a couple of scraps of information/wisdom niggled at the back of my mind.
The orthopedic surgeon commented (aside) that they had no explanation why some folks were ‘bone on bone’ and yet free of pain (and dysfunction) yet others not.. The same has been noticed about backs, and on autopsy of many other things besides. The body (and even more the mind) remains a great mystery still. Both my knees are on X-ray etc identically bone on bone yet one has hurt like blazes for years whilst the other has given little trouble.
Another person (referring to the benefits to be obtained from the cold laser device) said that I would (probably) have to learn to walk all over again. Like many simple truths such as ‘Give it time to heal’ one tends to ignore – when you begin to see some sort of benefit from something (such as the cold laser), and ‘less is more’ ie don’t overdo something which seems to have benefit. That is not necessarily how things work.
Anyway I decided to have a go at learning to walk again. This is something (strangely enough) which I have emphasized again and again in my hunting advice – but one tends not always to listen to one’s own advice, or anyone else’s! Strange! About ten days ago I decided to try it out though.
Now, particularly my left knee has hurt for the last seven years every time I put it down, so I thought, ‘What if I am putting it down wrongly?’ & ‘Can I walk without pain?’ So I decided to experiment. Like the hunting walking I always advocate, ‘Softly, softly’ is the way to go.
Can I just glide ahead with as little impact as possible, taking small steps and walking on my‘toes’ (at least the balls of my feet) instead of clumping down with my heels as people are wont to do – with no pain?
The answer is that I can. It may be (is) slower, and it may look strange. I have never been over-much concerned about what odd ideas others may have anyway. I long ago eschewed the common throng anyway – as Horace advised long ago (‘Odi profanum vulgus et arceo’).
I have now switched to my Topo walking shoes (because they have no heels and so facilitate this odd method of locomotion), but…So far I have walked completely without pain for ten days! This is good! Try it!
PS: Something I failed to mention: Never straighten your knee, or ‘lock’ it backwards. People often do this when they are standing. Always maintain the bent shape of the knee.
Stand on your muscles, ligaments etc, not on your joints. They were never ‘designed’ to stand this sort of mistreatment. So too backs. I have learned (now) that the chief cause of back pain is poor stance and weakening of core body muscles.
Don’t do anything with your knees that hurts. So for example instead of turning on the spot (wince!) which puts undue stress on them, walk around corners, even very small ones.
PPS: Read also my previous ‘report about cold lasers here: I Kneed You Knee arthritis is ‘associated’ with inflammation. Evidently ‘no-one knows’ whether the inflammation is the cause of the arthritis or vice-versa or whether they just occur together.
‘No-one know’ either whether ending the pain might end the inflammation/arthritis – or allow it to work a cure – or even whether old knees (like old brains) can heal themselves. But it is worth a try.
The pain however in my experience does not seem to be doing me ‘any good’. I endure it because I either value the activity that brings it on (hiking, hunting etc) or need to do the thing that seems to bring it on eg work, for some other reason.
But if I can go about my business whatever it is without the pain I would choose to do it. I only did not know that I could avoid the pain whilst remaining active. (Too much sitting has its negatives too). But this ‘creeping about’ I am doing at present allows me to do things I want or need to do without enduring the pain, so to me it is a win-win – whether it is actually ‘doing me any good’ – whatever that may mean I leave to the philosophers and the shamans.
More Postscripts:
Another week has passed and I am still without pain. I want to emphasise that this is for the first time in seven years! Particularly in my ‘worst’ left knee here is a sensation something like numbness deep inside which I suspect is some sort of tissue healing going on, possibly even cartilage repair.
Some treatments have been seen (on X-ray examination) to be associated with measured cartilage regrowth. Of course it can’t happen if you are continually re-injuring it, so be gentle with yourself:
Be careful with ‘squats’. I know they are an important leg strengthening exercise but if you squat too deeply (until it hurts) you are probably injuring yourself, and so undoing much of the good the exercise is doing. Gentle squats, just slight ‘ bobs’ eg whilst cleaning your teeth or doing the washing-up and etc are probably better for your knees.
Lots of heel-lifts both straight forward and with your toes slightly inwards or outwards are good. What you want to do is strengthen the muscles, ligaments, tendons etc which hold your knee in place. There are lots of pilates and tai chi type leg strengthening and balancing exercises which do not over-stress the knee.Gentle leg raises and back ‘kicks’ (go easy on the ‘kicking’) and leg rotations for example. Lots of ‘jiggles’ to strengthen your knees.
I am finding my knees are stronger and my sense of balance improved already. I am noticing this particularly on rough ‘going’ eg when climbing up teh wood pile when i am chopping the night’s firewood, herding the sheep off the hill, tree planting etc around the far,m. I am hopeful once more that we will be walking the Dusky Track & etc again once more in search of elusive the moose next summer/autumn.
To prevent that leg straightening I spoke about before try a (very) small pillow under the knee/s while you sleep. This is particularly important in hammocks. Most peoples’ pillows are much too vast. You probably need less than a litre of air underneath your neck.
The ‘hiking’ pillow I ‘made’ here (just ever so slightly inflated) is perfect. I have been using it now for months every night (at home and away). It will help with back and neck problems, and snoring and sleep apnoeia
I would be pleased to hear from anyone who has tried this method out too and who is getting positive results.
See Also:
Health is achieved by balancing the body, mind, and spirit and medication provides a way to achieve this balance. Medication results in many physiological changes including the reduction of inflammation in the body. Several studies have proved that mindfulness meditation can be a useful treatment of pain syndromes. Meditation has proved that through the regular practice of meditation one can change the perception of pain. Meditation develops our capacity for detached observation and helps us to spate our experience of physical sensations from the pain and emotions that are generated in reaction to those sensations.
Thanks for that Fiona. I think mine has gone beyond meditation now and that your Jyoti article is more relevant – alas. But thanks for that. Cheers, Steve.