NYKBocker wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:I am 42 and everything hurts. Doc said I have arthritis on bottom of my kneecaps and knee tendinitis on top of the left knee cap. I can't sit for long stretches as my left knee is just unbearable.

Man that really sucks. Is that from sports? There's no surgery or anything that can be done for it? What were you like at 32?

I played a lot of basketball when I was young. Even played on those asian leagues in NJ and Staten Island where you get paid. I was very active. Then got married when I was 24. 4 kids later and I became a weekend warrior. This is when everything started hurting. I am also very heavy right now. I am 6'1" 250lbs.

No surgery. The doc said I need to do physical therapy. Easier said than done. I can't find a time between all the activities of my 4 kids.

4 kids would definitely eat time up! I'm just a weekend warrior too but I'm going to try to do my physical therapy exercises during the week. I'm thin although I have put on about 15 lbs in the past 2 years. I really just went from being way too thin to slightly thin/medium build.

Bonn1997 wrote:

Moonangie wrote:Strengthen your hammies and quads to protect your knee. Do squats (high reps, low-ish weight) and lunges against resistance (i.e., rubber bands). Stretch regularly (i.e., multiple times per day, before AND after playing). Do core strengthening work (e.g., pilates, yoga) to protect your back and everything beneath it (e.g., your knees). If you want to play hoops throughout your middle age and maintain viability, it takes work.

For me, I decided to stop playing hoops as it's just too much work to keep my ACLs protected. I don't have the time. My major ACL repair was at age 33. I played five more years competitively before I decided to stop. But I have many friends who still play well into their forties, though many nurse injuries along the way.

Are you able to play other sports now? My physical therapist has given me a lot of exercises to do, and I've been doing them for about a month. My legs are definitely stronger now and I feel better balanced playing basketball, but the discomfort hasn't gone away. She has me doing wall squats (just holding myself in the squat position against the wall) and lunges without weights. I easily have the strength to do the exercises but I do feel discomfort in my knee on each rep. She said as long as the discomfort isn't severe, I have to keep doing the exercises because I have to strengthen my legs.

Martin: I've just had x-rays done. He showed me from the x-rays that I had "wear and tear" on the front part of my knee below the knee cap. So I guess that means it's arthritis, not tendinitis but I don't really know.

Sure, I do lots of sports (e.g., swimming, biking, rock and ice climbing, skiing - both xc and downhill - hiking, softball). I just gave up hoops because it is brutal on the spine and the knee joints. Your PT gave you some good advice. There's not much you can do to avoid the inflammation in your knee except keep on strengthening and grin and bear it. You could get an MRI and possibly a procedure to remove bits of cartilage, but it may not be worth it.

There is no fix for arthritis, so if that's your condition, you will need to use NSAIDs to reduce the pain or stop doing the activities that cause pain. But all of thos PT exercises should help somewhat. Wall squats are great because you can do them just about anywhere, even while sitting in an office chair.

I've been taking glucosamine and chondroitin to help keep the joints lubricated but after a couple of months I see no improvement. I'm sure some of it is the fact that I've got to lose weight but until recently it didn't matter. Sucks getting old! I'm going to lose weight and try some of your suggestions.

Hopefully I can get back to playing and join you guys for the next UK bball meetup next year.

Bonn1997 wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:Been having my own knee problems for the last few months. I'm in my late 40s and up until this year I had zero knee problems. When I was a junior in high school I had severe pain in both knees for a year (from bball and jogging) but strangely nothing since then. Every time I play bball now I can't get any lift, no real first step, and by the time I get home I can barely walk. Played yesterday and this morning I would have used a cane if I had one.

I've been taking glucosamine and chondroitin to help keep the joints lubricated but after a couple of months I see no improvement. I'm sure some of it is the fact that I've got to lose weight but until recently it didn't matter. Sucks getting old! I'm going to lose weight and try some of your suggestions.

Hopefully I can get back to playing and join you guys for the next UK bball meetup next year.

Question for clarification: Have you been playing regularly for a long time and just suddenly your play deteriorated, or did you take a lot of time off from playing and you're now surprised you're not as good as you thought you'd be?

Been playing regularly for the last 5 years. Before that I had to take a few years off because of repeated back injuries from playing too much bball. Got to the point where I could barely walk. This just creeped up on me all of a sudden. I have no complaints about my game, its my aging, uncooperative, body!

Edit: In retrospect I do wish I was a better post player, that would be something I wish I had worked on more when I was younger. But for my age I'm glad I still have some game left.

Bonn1997 wrote:Well based on what you've said, I think you should see an orthopedist, and the sooner the better.

Thats who you start with BtW. General Practitioner are ok but always get to a specialist if it don't go away soon.

Surgery is rare. Don't worry. You rehab and get it stronger.

GustavBahler wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:Well based on what you've said, I think you should see an orthopedist, and the sooner the better.

Been seeing one cause I've been wearing an orthotic the last few years because of a limb discrepancy. It was one of the causes for my back injuries. Had it refurbished last year. I get the feeling its about age and too much weight more than anything.

I was just about to get back to you regarding treatment for your knee problems. When I tore up ankle when I hit 30 I was prescribed an aircast cryocuff for my ankle which really helped. I just ordered one for my knees. You might want to check it out for yourself. It provides cold therapy without the risk of tissue damage and is much more convenient than just ice.

http://www.amazon.com/Aircast-Cryo-Cuff-System-Cooler/dp/B003XX3G20/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I wear ankle braces. I don't know if that knee brace would help but I can think about it. Are you seeing an orthopedist or a podiatrist for your orthotics? I don't think orthopedists do anything with orthotics.

Bonn1997 wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:Well based on what you've said, I think you should see an orthopedist, and the sooner the better.

Been seeing one cause I've been wearing an orthotic the last few years because of a limb discrepancy. It was one of the causes for my back injuries. Had it refurbished last year. I get the feeling its about age and too much weight more than anything.

I was just about to get back to you regarding treatment for your knee problems. When I tore up ankle when I hit 30 I was prescribed an aircast cryocuff for my ankle which really helped. I just ordered one for my knees. You might want to check it out for yourself. It provides cold therapy without the risk of tissue damage and is much more convenient than just ice.

http://www.amazon.com/Aircast-Cryo-Cuff-System-Cooler/dp/B003XX3G20/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I wear ankle braces. I don't know if that knee brace would help but I can think about it. Are you seeing an orthopedist or a podiatrist for your orthotics? I don't think orthopedists do anything with orthotics.

What's needed here is an Orthodontist.

BasketballJones wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:Well based on what you've said, I think you should see an orthopedist, and the sooner the better.

Been seeing one cause I've been wearing an orthotic the last few years because of a limb discrepancy. It was one of the causes for my back injuries. Had it refurbished last year. I get the feeling its about age and too much weight more than anything.

I was just about to get back to you regarding treatment for your knee problems. When I tore up ankle when I hit 30 I was prescribed an aircast cryocuff for my ankle which really helped. I just ordered one for my knees. You might want to check it out for yourself. It provides cold therapy without the risk of tissue damage and is much more convenient than just ice.

http://www.amazon.com/Aircast-Cryo-Cuff-System-Cooler/dp/B003XX3G20/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I wear ankle braces. I don't know if that knee brace would help but I can think about it. Are you seeing an orthopedist or a podiatrist for your orthotics? I don't think orthopedists do anything with orthotics.

What's needed here is an Orthodontist.

And an Ornithologist. Like Larry Bird.

Bonn1997 wrote:Well I got an MRI on Friday and will get the results back on Wed. when I see the doctor. However, I played yesterday and felt great while playing (once I was warmed up). But afterward, I noticed that an area of my knee cap was very sensitive. And then this morning I see that I have a bright red mark about the size of a quarter on my knee cap. I don't know if that means I tore something. I guess it won't have shown up on the MRI last week since it just happened. My other knee is getting a little sore too. I'm starting to think basketball isn't the right sport for my body, which is a sad thought. What are some fun low impact sports? I see things like swimming and bicycling listed as low impact but they just don't sound exciting to me. I like sports that have a combination of both individual and team elements.

Roller hockey.

Your knee is in such a bad way that you need an MRI and yet you still continue to play ball knowing full well that you get results in a few days?

Bonn1997 wrote:

martin wrote:decision making.

Your knee is in such a bad way that you need an MRI and yet you still continue to play ball knowing full well that you get results in a few days?

Well it's not in big pain. The doctor didn't think I needed an MRI but I wouldn't stop bugging him until he let me get one. He said he didn't think I needed to stop playing.

High jumping. I hear that helped Allan Houston.