Am I just an old git?

@pete it was a few years ago when i developed extreme pain in my right knee.
After a visit to the GP she referred me to the physio dept at the local hospital.
That was my lucky day because the bloke that examined me knew his buisiness. He had me move around a bed with my legs bent in every angle and then took x rays (from the sides)
We then sat down and he explained the wear and tear/arthritis of joints as we get older. The x rays showed inflammation.
His advise was to perform daily excercises to strengthen the muscles around both knees.
I carried out those movements for several weeks and my knees both returned to good working order.
I feel guilty because he told me to do them always but as i no longer have trouble i don't think about it.
However i remember the excercises so i can use them again if needed.
See attachment..
I'm 65 soon and I'm very pleased with the treatment given to me, and to be pain free (currently)
Don't give up Pete, if you get to the right people it's surprising what can be done.
My wife uses glucosamine, but i just take one vitamin D tablet daily.

 

If Benenden is a private Health care, can you not choose who you want to go to or do they choose? If you have been paying into this service then you should be able to get something out of it.


I went Private because our SNS is like the NHS where you see your local doctor who refers you to a specialist. All of this is time consuming and waiting lists.


One 30 minute appointment every two weeks is not acceptable. I had 12 one-hour sessions, one on one, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, which I paid for privately 285 Euros. During these sessions I had to ride a recumbent bike for ten minutes and sit in a "torture chair" where I had to lift weights with my feet and then push the weights down. There were sit to stands. I also had specific exercise for my balance problems. It certainly strengthened my knees but did not assist with my balance. My knees don't hurt, sitting, lying down, cycling, only when I stand and my Surgeon nor Physio could answer why. I continue to exercise every morning and work on my balance so hopefully one day soon I can walk unaided ... I cannot afford to fall again due to Osteoporosis. My issues were breaks not Arthritis.


It is difficult being active when you hurt but you must keep the joints moving. I agree with the exercises @JR put up. Perhaps you could get a static bike ... good for rain or shine.


I tried Glucosamine and Chondroiton for 18 months and it did zero for me. I take Calcium and Vitamin D3 twice daily.


I certainly can empathise with you and should I come up with any miracles, I will pass them on. In the meantime, be careful.

 

Thanks JR, the first exercise is pretty much what he told me to do, apart from the fiddling around with an ice cube.
I'll have a go at the others, clever thinking loading the picture sideways so I could read it when laying on the floor.

Been sitting with an ice pack on my knees in the evenings.

 

I didn't have a scoobies how the picture loaded sideways lol.
Give me a pencil and a bit of paper and i can usually come up with something half sensible, but i just press buttons on gadgets and hope for the best

 

@Michael Hewett You should try the Golfer's Bend when feeding Bella putting one hand on the counter and one leg out behind. Can you buy those dustpans on a handle there? You could put her food dish in it and place on the floor.

 

Cod liver oil - I take it every day - it does help.

Funnily enough I did my left knee in whilst installing the neighbours new gate. It's better now, but instead of kneeling down on both knees, I now 'take the knee' - nothing to do with BLM - it's just easier on my left knee.

Noticed that Monty took the same approach when he was planting Zinnia in this weeks Gardeners' World.

 

Thank you @Victoria, I'll have to try that and get a long handled dust pan too ...

I've also been doing that for years, can't get up otherwise

 

GP's....... waste of time imho.
"Im in pain" their answer is always "you need physio"
My solution to 20 years of painfull Knees and a bad back has been ,
Pernaton and Solpadol. They can shove their " physio "

 

Hi,

Just have to ask, why do you take Vit D3 when you live in such a sunny country ?

Is it something to do with the Calcium, seems there is some interaction when taking both ?

 

Could that possibly be why you've endured 20 years of pain!.. Just saying.
Mind you, physio no doubt won't help everyone so i guess having x rays taken can at least determine how knackered individual patients knees are.

 

Maybe

But seriously gp's werent much help. Glucosamine sorted the knees out, pernaton & solpadol for the back when required. All good.

Friend was sent for "physio" turned out physio was the last thing she needed as she'd torn the miniscus.

 

Just my thoughts, but they seem to be using Physiotherapists as triage people.

So when you get a referral from your GP, you wait, in my case, four months before you get a triage appointment to speak to a physio over the phone, he then decides if you need to see a specialist consultant, or if they are just going to pull you about a bit and tell you to fiddle around with ice cubes..

So the GPs referral to see consultant accounts for nothing really anymore.

After this stage you then wait another few months for the Physio appointment.

I wont even mention the scan on my back which I had last December, or maybe I will.

Gp referred me for a scan, results, compression in two places on the nerves coming out of my spine, wait till may for triage call from physio, 45 minute phone call.

I think we can sort this out with physio he said, I said no I wanted to see the surgeon who I saw two years ago, oh, ok, I'll refer you then.

Heard absolutely nothing, rang the hospital twice and been fobbed off both times, last excuse was we are waiting for your scan results to be sent over to us.
Scan was in December, its now August???? how do they send scans from one hospital to another ?
The whole set up is a joke.

And if I ever do get to see the surgeon he will say what he said last time.
Have you had any more recent scans than this.

 

H'mm.. It may be a post code lottery because i had my hospital referral within weeks back in 2018 for the knees.
Then again covid has put most hospital waiting lists into meltdown.
I'm a year behind now with my hospital eye checks (glaucoma risk).
Anyway I'm still reading this ok so oyv'e nere need to wurrryy

 

Yes, D3 helps the Calcium absorb better which I need for Osteoporosis.

Even in sunny countries some people need extra Vitamin D. My friend is on a high dose of it. You need more as you get older. We don't sit around in the sun all day ... that would be boring!