My knee started hurting for no apparent reason, bothered me pretty bad before I went to see an orthopedic doctor. It hurts to the point that it’s really affecting my sleep and hurts like hell to walk at times. I don’t have to be doing anything for it to hurt. The doctor xrayed it and said I have arthritis under my knee cap. He gave me a shot under my kneecap and gave me a pill to take once a day and a week later my knee is still killing me. I’m only 51 and have never had arthritis and I’m starting to question whether this is arthritis or something else. Does arthritis hurt all the time? To the point that a person loses sleep?

I had sudden arthritis in my knee for a short time at a young age. It oddly happened a few weeks after a bout of food poisoning. Even had an mri that showed no damage. Took Celebrex short term and did PT. Went away after a couple months and hasn’t been back.

Mine comes and goes, can be very real for a few hours or days, then nothing, happens in other places in my body also, shoulder, back etc.

I find some foods aggravate it also, massage therapist gave me the biggest fix.

I'm assuming by arthritis you mean degenerative arthritis. And yes it can be very painful, hurt all the time, and keep you from sleeping.

I've had it for years, but regular riding my bike seemed to mitigate the symptoms. I had a bike accident that kept me off the bike for a couple months and that sent my knee into a downward spiral. Barely slept, and some days could hardly walk. I'd also stopped taking glucosamine which may have impacted things.

I slowly started riding more regularly again and started taking glucosamine again. The pain is way down and no real pain when sleeping. I still limp around a lot when walking, but no where near as bad as before. You might want to try riding or an exercise bike to loosen things up and see if that helps

At some point the only real solution is replacement. I'm not much older than you but I'm trying to squeeze out a few more years before I go that route.

Just thought of something else, cortisone shots have helped. I wouldn't do too many, but it can calm things down enough to get back going again. Also synvisc might help, although that is likely not covered by insurance

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I slowly started riding more regularly again and started taking glucosamine again.

That will help and also Omega 3 for your joints. This is the best product due to the added olive and sesame extracts.

http://www.lifeextension.com/V...ignans-Olive-Extract

http://www.lifeextension.com/V...Chondroitin-Capsules

You probably need an mri. X rays are good for bone structure which indicates arthritis, but you could have a connective tissue problem. My knee doc tries not to do steroid shots in the knee anymore. They cause a worsening of the arthritis.

I have a blown ACL, Medial and lateral meniscus tears. Already had meniscus surgery years ago. My arthritis is so bad, he can’t do a reconstruction on the ACL. Only thing left is replacement. I try to ride my bike 80-100 miles per week. It does really well if I get my miles in.

Knees also. I've successfully fought it off for over 10 years with:

• Glucosamine, Chondroitin, & MSM,
  
• Turmeric Extract, and,
• Hyaluronic Acid.

When you first start taking them, you won't notice any benefit for a week or so. The chemicals have to build up in your system.

No easy way to give a proper answer. There are different types of arthritis. Some can start early, some with aging, some start as a result of an infection. Mine started explosively in my left knee at age 25 or so. Two knee surgeries later it persisted and I was sent to a Rheumatologist. Initially and for years it was Reactive Arthritis. Now it’s Reactive and Osteoarthritis. There aren’t any fixes for me. I have constant joint pains that worsen with weather changes and worsen with flare ups. To complicate things I have one kidney so NSAIDs are not recommended. I imagine his X-ray based diagnosis was showing osteo based degeneration. If you’re not getting relief you’ll need to follow up. I hope it goes away or at least your pain controlled.

When you had the injection did the pain go away right away? Numbing medicine is usually mixed in with the steroid so if you really have knee arthritis it should have made it feel substantially better temporarily. If not, then it could be pain from elsewhere like the hip.
Arthritis in the kneecap does not usually hurt with walking, it is usually made worse with squatting and climbing stairs.
PT could help if the supportive tissues about the kneecap are tight or stiff.

I’ve certainly had arthritic pain that was so bad I couldn’t sleep

I actually need a knee replacement, but refuse to do it for now because I’m tired of having surgeries and I don’t want to deal with it this young (I’m 44 and have had 23 surgeries since I turned 18)

Most of my arthritis comes from traumatic injury and the aftermath, so I can’t speak to “normal?” You’re-getting-old arthritis

But I had arthritic growth in one shoulder so bad that the growth crushed my brachial plexus and caused permanent nerve damage to my left arm....if you’ve ever hit your thumb with a hammer that’s what my whole left arm used to feel like...every second of every day...I have a prosthetic shoulder now and that level of pain is not constant and is generally limited to just my outer two fingers....

But yes, arthritis in many ways is extra bone where there shouldn’t be any...and if that extra bone hits sensitive things like nerves, as in my above example, it can absolutely hurt that much

For years one day my left elbow would be fine one day and the next it would be painful as hell, I would try to figure out what I did to cause it. Finally I was diagnosed with arthritis and the painful bouts are now called a flare, for me pain relievers have little effect on a flare, I only get relief from a steroid dose pak. I have tried all the non prescription remedies with no success, I have done infusions, steroid injections and anti-inflammatory drugs (they think that long term anti-inflammatory drug use damaged my kidneys (kidneys failed a couple of years ago, I am now on dialysis).
If you are diagnosed with arthritis find a good rheumatologist and let him/her help you.

Had increasing knee pain for many years, to the point where walking 1/4 mile became all but intolerable. Pain was a combination of cartilage damage and subsequent removal resulting in bone-on-bone contact, an undiagnosed ACL tear (both from football injuries), and the onset of osteoarthritis. About 13 years ago, In my late 50's, I had total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. I can now walk all day long and knee pain is gone (at least from that knee - the second one is beginning to act up a bit).

Surgeon was very good (team doctor for a professional sports team, specializes in knees). I was fanatic about my rehab and pushed myself (sometimes too much, too fast). Was driving in 2 weeks (right knee was the one), back to work 1/2-3/4 time in 3 weeks (normally it takes 6-8). Not at all sorry I had it done and when I was "young enough" to recover a bit quicker than if I had waited 5-10 more years. I am not allowed to "run" because impact loading on the plastic knee bearing between the two metal components can cause it to crack and require replacement. Otherwise, no real restrictions on a 72-year old man.

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find a good rheumatologist and let him/her help you

Agree with 'dwright1951' above.
It was the ONLY solution.

I had a knee that would constantly bother me out of the blue, after feeling perfectly fine before. Put up with it for many years. Never got a CT-scan but an eventual xray didn't really show anything wrong. Started to exercise it more mainly by taking the stairs at work (four floors up) and making a point to get up from the desk and moving around several times a day. It's been much much better if not gone completely since doing that. It used to always flare up when the weather changed - pain would be bad enough that it affected me walking and made it tough to fall asleep. Hasn't done that in several years since starting my stair routine. I would get a CT scan so they can get a real look at it. I'm sure mine needs some more attention - I can definitely aggravate it if I'm kneeling down a lot and lifting stuff, but absolutely better after hitting those stairs. My best guess is mine stems from a head-on car accident when I was around 18 (mid 40's now) in a car without a lap belt, just a shoulder belt (mk2 VW Golf) or getting hit by a car while crossing the street a year or two after that accident (hit on the side with the bad knee)

I have arthritis in both knees and get gel injections for the pain. I can go a year between injections, and can have the treatments as close together as three months.

Arthritis can definitely keep you up, and can hurt all the time. (I've got in my facet joints in my spine; constant pain).

Glucosamine + Choindro whatever it is pills. See below for two other things.

I got it sometime last quarter of 2016. Started would feeling like weak legs. I work sitting down. When I get up, it's like learning how to walk the first few steps.

Then first quarter of 2017, I had pain on my left knee going down the stairs like I couldn't hold the weight. Went to my doctor, had xrays and was told I had osteo arthritis in both knees. She then sent me to a physical therapist.

First exercise she mae me do was to stand on a stair step on one foot partially. Then she had me lower my heel then lift it up. I guess they're called heel lifts. It hurt my knee at first. I said how is this going to help? You're making me put stress on my knee that has been diagnosed with arthritis. But in any case, after like 5 weeks of visits and daily heel lifts of 20 each foot. And after the lifts, I stretch out my calves by pushing on a something like runners do. After that, I can walk up and down stairs with no pain.

Other exercises she gave me was lying on one side, lifting the leg up 20 times then turn around and do the same with the other leg. Then lying face up, leg lifts 20 times with one leg then then the other. Then I hold each leg up for 20 count to stretch the back of my thighs. So exercise is the 2nd thing. email me if you want me to email you the exercises sehe gave me.

third is I bought this knee brace link on Amazon for $30. You can get cheaper, you can get pricier but this worked for me. It has aluminum support on the side with hinges.

I forgot a 4th temporary thing. I bought a bolster pillow to put under my knees when sleeping. It was because it felt like I was hyper-extending my legs when lying down and hurting. Now I don't use it because it doesn't hurt anymore and I don't feel like my knee is trying to bend backwards.

Good luck.

I am involved with this:
http://www.amnioxmedical.com/flo.html

Regenerative Tissue (Umbilical Cord/Amniotic Tissue NOT STEM CELLLS! (if someone mentions those words RUN! As only you stem cells will help you no one else will work and the strength of theses cells are too little to be of any consequence.
Clarix Flo: 80% positive outcomes
PRP > 19%
"Gel Shots" >15%
Cortizone Destroys the structure around the injection site- VeryBad.

My wife was diagnosed for a paid of new knees by Rothman Institute ($50k) Told them no where near this polite "No Thank You"
Had her injected w/ 100mg in 2 knees and she100% (still has a tender day hear and there.)

I can help find a physician near you that does these treatments. These are Typically cash models SOME insurances MAY pay for it.
So the cost vs the surgical co-pays less the pain and the rehab was WELL worth it!

I only recommend you look into it.

BTW works for Plantar Fasciitis, and any other joint pain including Spine!

Thanks for all the info and advice, I appreciate it.

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Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
Knees also. I've successfully fought it off for over 10 years with:

• Glucosamine, Chondroitin, & MSM,
  
• Turmeric Extract, and,
• Hyaluronic Acid.

When you first start taking them, you won't notice any benefit for a week or so. The chemicals have to build up in your system.

I agree totally agree with the turmeric.

I'm a drug rep who specializes in rheumatoid arthritis and osteo arthritis.

I spend most of my day with rheumatologists, podiatrists, and orthopedic surgeons telling them about our drugs.

I'm not a doctor, so I wont suggest any specific form of treatment, but in regards to the turmeric, I have several doctors that push their patients toward using turmeric to control their arthritis pain (usually in conjunction with an NSAID, or a topical diclofenac gel).

I've shared my turmeric success story previously, and I know for a fact it reduces inflammation. I'd imagine it works the same way for inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

I take it in pill form, 3 pills, twice a day, every day. Get'em cheap on Amazon.