It's easy to get discouraged when trying to heal your knees from chronic pain. One step forward, one step back ... when will it ever end?
It's comforting and uplifting to hear occasionally from people who have beaten stubborn cases of knee pain.
In my last post, I wrote about a triathlete who posts here as TriAgain, and his success story. I thought that today, for ease of reference, I'd do a short post that provides an overview to the success stories that have been published on this site.
* The most useful post of TriAgain's success story was probably this one, on lessons learned. It's worth a close read.
* Here's a success story I found on Yahoo's chondromalacia forum. This person had left knee cap pain that was getting worse, and exercise aggravated his knee.
* I was delighted to find out that my book had found its way into the hands of a couple apparently from South America. The husband, Luis, wrote about his wife, a professional runner, and how she beat knee pain. It was a success story in two parts: here and here.
* This one is from "Ron," and one of my first success stories. I was so excited that I went in and shared it with my wife and daughter, who was two at the time (and is now 11!).
* You're never too old to heal! "Pat" told me the story of how she did, and she was 66!
* One of my favorite commenters over the years was "Knee Pain." She seemed to be the epitome of a "can do, never say die" attitude. She got discouraged, I could tell, but vowed not to give up. So I was particularly pleased to be able to offer her success story.
* This was a "train through the pain" success story. I shared it, but with a caveat that the approach taken wasn't one I would endorse. But still: it's good to be open-minded about ways to heal.
* "Karen" shared a success story that involved my favorite sport: cycling. But she had a clever way of dealing with the sometimes too-heavy joint strain of pedaling.
I hope you enjoy these and are able to learn something from them!
Yes, it's good to be back to regular solid cycling again, though my days of 4-6hr rides are over. 2hrs is enough now. I'm just not that obsessed by it anymore & other hobbies have taken on more importance.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have learned (keen cyclists on here will sympathise) - don't buy your wife a bike that is equivalent to yours or she will kick your butt!
I've had a Cervelo P3 time trial bike for ages which I raced on and my wife had road bike with clip on tri bars. When we did time trials together, I could always get the better of her. A few months ago I foolishly bought her a P3 and now I'm struggling to keep up.
Hi TriAgain! So happy to hear that your knees are doing well! Congratulations!!
DeleteHi Richard & TriAgain,
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
I'm glad to read that you have resolved your knee pain issues. I've been suffering for 20 months and in that time have had good and bad days as well as continuing to strengthen my quads and exercising well outside my envelop of function which has resulted in bad knee days.
In that time I was diagnosed with R.A. due to blood tests, but 2 weeks ago I had a telephone consultation with a NHS doctor who has now told me that my symptoms do not relate to R.A.
My diagnosis is lateral patella degenerative chondromalacia with full thickness fissures and moderate reactive joint effusion + anti CCP positive arthralgia with family history of R.A.
All the advice the doctor gave me was not to run as it will make my knee worse and use anti-inflammatory cream for the pain.
After that I found and read Richard's book as well as Doug Kelsey's and watched the Dr S Dye video.
I now realise that I have been doing too much and now need to be patient if I'm going to heal my knee (patience will be the hardest as I've always liked to push myself when it comes to exercise).
I now have renewed hope that my knee can recover to being pain free and I wish everyone well in 2021 :)
Dave T
I am 52. I have walked three to four miles every day my entire life. 13 1/2 months ago I had a car accident where my knees were slammed into the dashboard. My left patella was fractured and both knees have chondromalacia patella now. My left fractured knee has still not healed entirely but my right one hurts me just as bad as my left one some days. I found these stories and found this blog and it's giving me hope today when I am at my darkest moment probably I have ever been at in this journey. I am having PRP treatment in March and hopeful that will bring about some relief but if it does not I cannot continue to work and try to teach with this pain as I keep having setbacks from pushing these knees hard on a concrete floor covered in deceivingly...shiny tiles. I want to recover enough to feel like I can live my life.
ReplyDelete