i m 50. i m having knee pain for nearly one year docotor gave glucosamine but still the same advice plse?

Question

i have a fall one year my back had slight injury. And also i have reached menopause.

Answer 1

Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstrual cycles associated with advancing age in species that experience such cycles. Menopause is sometimes referred to as change of life or climacteric.

Menopause occurs as the ovaries stop producing estrogen, causing the reproductive system to gradually shut down. As the body adapts to the changing levels of natural hormones, vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and palpitations, psychological symptoms such as increased depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and lack of concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and urgency of urination appear. Together with these symptoms, the woman may also have increasingly scanty and erratic menstrual periods.

Treatment of symptoms

Medical treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed. Most notably, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has been used to reduce the weakening of bones (known as osteoporosis). However, some women have resisted the implication that menopause is a disorder, seeing it as a natural stage of life. There has also been scientific controversy over whether the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. For many years, women were advised to take hormone therapy after menopause to reduce their risk of heart disease and various aspects of aging. However, a large, randomized, controlled trial (the Women's Health Initiative) found that women undergoing HRT had an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Osteoarthritis (OA, also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, and sometimes referred to as "arthrosis" or "osteoarthrosis" or in more colloquial terms "wear and tear"), is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints, caused by wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts as a cushion inside joints. As the bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, the patient experiences pain upon weight bearing, including walking and standing. Due to decreased movement because of the pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax. OA is the most common form of arthritis. The word is derived from the Greek word "osteo", meaning "of the bone", "arthro", meaning "joint", and "itis", meaning inflammation, although many sufferers have little or no inflammation.

Treatment

Since OA is the result of irreversible worn-out cartilage, the goal of treatment is to reduce the joint pain while at the same time, improving and maintaining the function of the joint.

Coping skills and lifestyle changes

No matter what the severity, or where the OA lies, conservative measures, such as weight control, appropriate rest and exercise, and the use of mechanical support devices are usually beneficial to sufferers. In the case of OA of the knees, knee braces, a cane, or a walker can be a helpful aid for walking and support. Regular exercise, if possible, in the form of walking or swimming, is encouraged. Applying local heat before, and cold packs after exercise, can help relieve pain and inflammation, as do relaxation techniques. Weight loss can delay progression. As such, the proper advice and guidance by a physiotherapist go a long way in OA management, enabling sufferers to get back closer to their previous routine.

Dealing with chronic pain can be difficult and result in depression. Communicating with other OA sufferers is helpful, as is maintaining a positive attitude. People who take control of their treatment, communicate with their doctor, and actively manage their arthritis experience suffer less pain and function better.

Dietary

Most physicians recommend the oral intake of glucosamine. Glucosamine is a natural substance found in almost all tissues in the body, and is involved in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans, the main ingredient of the synovial fluid (a fluid that fills the space between joints) and cartilage. Glucosamine is not found in food sources, but is produced naturally by the body, and if for some reasons, the body does not produce it, it would probably lead to the development of OA.

Supplements which may be useful for treating OA include:

* Antioxidants, including vitamins C and E in both foods and supplements, provide pain relief from OA.
* Chondroitin sulphate improves symptoms of OA, and delays its progression.
* Collagen hydrolysate (a gelatin product) may also prove beneficial in the relief of OA symptoms, as substantiated in a German study by Beuker F. et. al. and Seeligmuller et. al. In their 6-month placebo-controlled study of 100 elderly patients, the verum group showed significant improvement in joint mobility.
* Ginger (rhizome) extract - has improved knee symptoms moderately.
* Glucosamine has also been shown to improve symptoms of OA, and to delay its progression. However, recent evidence shows that glucosamine is not effective in reversing OA of the knee.
* Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): after several reports that MSM helped arthritis in animal models, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggested that 1500 mg per day MSM (alone or in combination with glucosamine sulfate) was helpful in relieving symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Kim et al. then conducted a double-blind clinical trial of MSM for treatment of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Twenty-five patients took 6 g/day MSM and 25 patients took a placebo for 12 weeks. Ten patients did not complete the study, and intent-to-treat analysis was performed. Patients who took MSM had significantly reduced pain and improved physical functioning, without major adverse events (Kim et al). No evidence of a more general anti-inflammatory effect was found, as there were no significant changes in two measures of systemic inflammation: C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The authors cautioned that this short pilot study did not address the long-term safety and usefulness of MSM, but suggested that physicians should consider its use for certain osteoarthritis patients, and that long-term studies should be conducted.
* Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements reduces both the "degradative and inflammatory aspects of chondrocyte metabolism."
* S-adenosyl methionine: small scale studies have shown it to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing pain, although it takes about four weeks for the effect to take place.
* Selenium in low levels has been correlated with a higher risk and severity of OA, therefore selenium supplementation may reduce this risk.
* vitamins B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin) taken in large doses significantly reduced OA hand pain, presumbably by reducing systemic inflammation.
* Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in patients with OA, and supplementation with Vitamin D3 is recommended for pain relief.

Other nutritional changes shown to promote the treatment of OA include elevated saturated fat intake and elevated body fat. Lifestyle change may be needed for effective symptomatic relief, especially for knee OA.

Systemic treatment

Included in the medication regime for most cases, a mild pain reliever may be sufficiently efficacious. In more severe cases, NSAIDs are usually prescribed which can reduce both the pain and inflammation quite effectively. These include medications such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen. High doses are often required. All NSAIDs act by inhibiting the formation of prostaglandins, which play a central role in inflammation and pain. However, these drugs are rather taxing on the gastrointestinal tract, and may cause stomach upset, cramping diarrhoea, and peptic ulcer.

Another type of NSAID, COX-2 selective inhibitors (such as celecoxib, and the withdrawn rofecoxib and valdecoxib) reduce this risk substantially. These latter NSAIDs carry an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, and some have now been withdrawn from the market. Another medication, acetaminophen (paracetamol), is commonly used to treat the pain from OA, although unlike NSAID's acetaminophen does not treat the inflammation. Application of heat — often moist heat — eases inflammation and swelling in the joints, and can help improve circulation, which has a healing effect on the local area.

Most doctors nowadays are loath to use steroids in the treatment of OA as their effect is modest and the adverse effects may outweigh the benefits.

Topical

"Topical treatments" are treatments designed for local application and action. Some NSAIDs are available for topical use (e.g. ibuprofen) and may improve symptoms without having systemic side-effects.

Creams and lotions, containing capsaicin, are effective in treating pain associated with OA if they are applied with sufficient frequency.

Severe pain in specific joints can be treated with local lidocaine injections or similar local anaesthetics, and glucocorticoids (such as hydrocortisone). Corticosteroids (cortisone and similar agents) may temporarily reduce the pain.

Surgery

If the above management is ineffective, surgery (joint replacement) may be required. Individuals with very painful OA joints may require surgery such as fragment removal, repositioning bones, or fusing bone to increase stability and reduce pain. For severe pain, narcotic pain relievers such as tramadol, and eventually opioids (hydrocodone, oxycodone or morphine) may be necessary; these should be reserved for very severe cases, and are rarely medically necessary for chronic pain.

I do have some alternative medication (nutritional supplement & therapies) may help to prevention and maintaining good health. I can recommend some if you need it. It's safe and natural. you can email me to know more.

There were people with serious illness get cure after taking the nutritional supplement that i recommended. I hope i can help you and bring you good health.

[e-mail]

Answer 2

This is the thing about glucosamine; you need to take roughly 3 times what the bottle recommends for about three months and then one day you'll be walking down the stairs and you'll say:
"Crikey! My knee doesn't hurt!" Then you can start cutting back some...it'll probably work given time...

I tore the meniscus in my left knee several years ago and am not all that interested in surgery so I know what you are talking about...a knee brace does help for stability while walking or ibuprofen before and after exercise along with ice...

Answer 3

Yah i have arthitis in my knee's and have for a while so i know how you feel. We all know that glucosamine isnt a cure but it can help to provent some damage. But the trick is not to give up on it. For the first while you need to talk double or even triple the recommended dosage and then slowly wean yourself down but if you dont feel results in the first month or so dont give up. glucosamine has to build up and can take months before you'll notice a change - but it's worth the wait. ;)

Answer 4

Chiropractry helps some folks.
Monavie has helped some of my friends with knee problems
go to swansonvitamins.com and search Joint supplements. You will find a lot to study there. vitasearch.com will help you pick and choose.
Good luck!

Answer 5

Information on knee pain, home remedies and treatment is available at http://tinyurl.com/z5vx5

Answer 6

knee replacement