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Had knee issues for a long time now.
Done the weight loss, strengthening etc but nearing 60 the years of grinding away sometimes causes a flare up of what I presume is just wear and tear.
I've tried most things including turmeric , icing , painkillers etc and definitely find a dash of the Diclofenac voltarol cream can help.
I also rather like Fisiocrem but it's so expensive and I'm unsure whether the wonderful cooling effect together with various other ingredients is any more than placebo (not that it matters I guess)
I was wondering what else people may have tried and found helpful as far as topical products are concerned.
I've seen online some praise poundland's freeze gel so will be giving that a try .
I have also tried the capsicum products but to be frank they were so incredibly hot and lasted for so long I was unable to tolerate it. Maybe I got a particularly powerful version (forget the name) but after rubbing some on my knees I was up half the night trying in desperation to stop the burning sensation. Cold water, milk etc just made it hotter and I couldn't wash away the feeling whatever I tried. Took a good 10 hrs to abate!
Any suggestions much appreciated
Thanks in advance
Bill
Knee pain for me always comes when I haven't stretched my quads. Or when I haven't trigger pointed my thighs for a while. Inner knee pain, quads and or tight inner thigh for me.
Whilst it is to be expected that things do wear out when you get older, there’s usually a more specific reason that could help more targeted therapy.
what I presume is just wear and tear.
Why presume? I’m gonna risk turning the thread into controversy and recommend private consultation. My partner had knee pain, she’s only 36 mind. Turned out her knees are a certain way (can’t remember) was able to get specific physio exercises and advise that helped massively. I had a childhood hip condition, recently plucked up the courage to go see the doc and find out why it’s hurting more now. Did it through my bupa cover. I got an x-ray and consultation at a private hospital. Consultation with the regions leading osteo-surgeon as soon as I walked out the X-ray. Turned out it didn’t even hit the excess for my bupa cover, £120 for the x ray and £100 for the consult. Found out how my hips doing and how to look after it. Money well spent. Cheaper than a front axle of tires for the car.
No idea if it's valid in your situation but my mum has had good results from steroid injections to help with achey joints etc. I have to agree with the going private for a physio option if you can afford it, it just takes far too long trying with the NHS IME.
I use a private physio for advice. Guys amazing. We know each other well. Often he'll do a 15 minute advice session for around £20. He's got me through loads of stuff
To the op i some times use Voltarol. I might try again. I couldn't see it getting in cartlidge. Maybe i'm wrong
I had a knee issue when I was mid 30s. Dr said “prob due to age”. Had to resist temptation to say the other one’s fine & it’s the same age.
At the ski show later that year they had some sports therapists- within 5 minutes examining it they diagnosed torn cartilage. Booked a consultant appointment and MRI confirmed it. Had surgery and almost 20 years later (🥺 that long?) no probs. So yeah, worth expert advice.
Infrared lamp from Argos, i kid you not, beats Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Codeine, Ice/applied heat and any kind of Facebook type woo woo.
I also use it to warm up my hands before playing guitar, works a treat, i believe there is a link between poor circulation and osteoarthritis, infrared penetrates into the area promoting blood flow, the brilliant thing is a few minutes with the lamp gives instant results. There are scientific studies to back it up.
Just my own experiences - I am not a doctor etc.
Had issues in both knees over the years, both of which, if left, could have led to worse issues. Left knee was diagnosed as a torn meniscus, but ended up (during surgery) as synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane). Bit of a clear out, plus some steroid injections over the next year and it's been fine. Right knee was the patella running out of its groove due to imbalance of muscles, which was wearing away the cartilage on the inside of the patella. MRI scan and targeted physio, and it's been fine ever since.
So I'd be more interested in the root cause of the pain. It may be something that's treatable and will leave you with pain-free knees.
Volterol is great for flare ups. Swear by the stuff.
I also look at it in that you are applying that 'locally', not taking a pain killer that's working on the whole body.
I had similar to FT-ATB. GP referred me, had X-Rays, consultant said all looked normal, probably wear and tear. Went to see the physio we had at work who waggled my knees and said "skier are you"? Turned out to be some minor damage to ligaments so recommended light weight training to stabilise the joints Worked fine. In more recent years due to a more sedentary lifestyle they got quite painful again on long hill descents (walking not biking), but more active again now and all good. It's just me hips now doctor!
Another vote for a physio for advice; I was advised to get ankle weights for my problems and do leg raises - solved my issue almost completely
Could be osteoarthritis, that’s the problem I have in my left knee, after a hard impact when my bike dumped me on the ground. My doctor had a look, wiggled my knee around a bit, shrugged and said I’d done some damage, but I’m getting older, what do I expect.
After a couple of years of nagging discomfort I went and asked for another doctor to look at it, who did a lot more moving it, feeling how it moved, frowned and said he didn’t like the way it felt and booked me in for an x-ray, which showed osteoarthritis in two places. I’m on Naproxen and Zapain tablets, but I usually only need one or the other first thing in the morning, and I’m on my feet all day, I do a ten hour day. Sometimes I might need another dose in the afternoon, but usually if it’s cold and damp weather, or I twist my knee a bit. I’ve used Voltarol in the past, but I find it a bit expensive - although there’s a stronger gel that uses the same active ingredient for about the same price, so I might try some of that. I’m hoping to avoid surgical intervention for as long as possible.
It’s bad enough I’ve just been diagnosed with the early stages of cataracts, so I may need those done first! Still, quicker, easier operation at least. 😎
Topical nsaids are good. Might I suggest the strongest 10% ibuprofen version instead. Diclofenac is not as permeable as ibuprofen, despite being more potent. You won’t find any randomised trials comparing them for a reason.
You won’t find any randomised trials comparing them for a reason.
Out of interest, what’s the reason?
Diclofenac has very poor skin permeability as it’s polar. So the formulation has a lot of extras to help it get through. That’s why voltarol has that odd slippy feeling compared to ordinary gels. Ibuprofen is highly absorbed. About 40%. The amount of ibuprofen getting to the tissue, is higher but you need more because it’s less potent. It’s probably a zero sum game, hence a trial of high strength (10% not 5%) ibuprofen might come out ahead.
Here is the only trial I could find and shows that adding menthol to ibuprofen gives a cooling effect, and ibuprofen looks like diclofenac. It’s a decent trial, but it would be a brave decision to test for superiority of diclofenac, and it would be commercially silly to test to show “not inferior” to something generic. Those are regulated terms that require robust tests. You fail them at your peril. So you get this sort of thing instead…
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31353997/
Just to declare an interest here, my company (well soon not to be as it’s splitting off as consumer health) make voltarol. I get it cheap but still prefer the application of ibuprofen.
TiRed...I think I saw that study once before and had thought that as the 5% gel is available everywhere (eg Poundland ) I would get the same effect by simply rubbing twice as much into the knee ...presumably that makes sense (unless there's some reason that doesn't work?) IIRC the 10% comes at a premium price and is not so readily available.
If that'll work I shall add in some menthol (levo menthol?) and have a cheap as chips homebrew!
In the past I never felt much benefit using 5% ibuprofen but voltarol? 2.32% did help but it's just so blooming expensive. I also actually like fisiocrem which seemed to help but again is very pricey.
I think my problem is osteoarthritis together with medial meniscus damage from decades ago so it's fingers crossed for the home brew.
Thanks to all for some great input..much appreciated,
Bill
Try this stretch for a week, 3 times a day, works wonders for my knees !
- Go to the one, with the bench, and this text:
Standing Hip ER Stretch at Table
REPS: 10 | SETS: 3 | HOLD: 5 | WEEKLY: 3x | DAILY: 1x
Setup
Movement
Gently lean forward, hinging at your hips, until you feel a stretch across your hip and
buttock, and hold.
Tip
Begin standing upright with one leg bent and rotated outward, resting on a table or bed.
Make sure not to lean to the side during the exercise.
Cheers!