Tag: spondylolisthesis

Poor Diet and Being Overweight doesn’t help Osteonecrosis

I lived for 20 years with osteoarthritis but nothing was as scary and painful as my Osteonecrosis diagnosis. I gained a lot of weight because I. Oils no longer work and I won’t lie I stuffed myself with food to comfort myself. I went up to 293 lbs. I can’t believe I let myself get that big. Something had to change because I was too fat for a joint replacement and honestly I didn’t want one. So I had to do something, so I changed the way I ate I noticed a great improvement. People thought I was crazy but I had less pain.

I didn’t quit everything cold Turkey. I did stop smoking cold Turkey best decision I ever made.

I added more plants raw and cooked and lessened the meat intake. I started out having meatless Monday Wednesday and Friday soon it was meatless Saturday also.

I cut out 85% of all the crackers and cheese puffs all the stuff that we love but know it’s not real food. When I wanted chips I made a baked potato or a baked sweet potato. When I wanted chips and dip I made my own bean dip and hummus and dipped peppers, celery and sometimes a few crackers. I wasn’t perfect but I really began eating to live not living to eat.

My cholesterol dropped to fantastic numbers I went from total cholesterol of 210 to a total of 172 in a matter of months then down to 158. My good cholesterol went from 38 to 60. So I was on the right path. It wasn’t easy, it still isn’t easy because let’s face it junk food is every place. My next post I will post about how to eat healthy at fast food restaurants and yummy food fast that’s healthy!!

I became a flexitarian meaning I ate mostly plant based and once a week ate chicken and fish. Backed or grilled .

Good bye to greasy fried food, I also cut out 80 percent of processed junk .

Stopped all cola and sugary drinks I never was much of a pop drinker.

Many thought this was crazy and would not do much. But it did.

Then in 2019 there was a study that also confirmed similar findings .

I got off blood pressure medication and my bones didn’t feel like a tourniquet around them.

I also with the ok if my Ortho started taking Cureamed curcumin 375 1-2 times a day for 2 weeks then just once a day. It seemed to help my pain and thinned my blood some. So if you take blood thinners don’t just try this.

Always talk to your doctor before doing anything new.

Fast forward to 2022 thank God still no joint replacement (knee)

Below is some info on poor diet and obesity is not good for Osteonecrosis. Actually obesity and poor diet cause our body to have more inflammation and that gives us more pain. And can lead to many things.

So see a nutritionist get your diet in check and if you are a compulsive overeater go to some OA meetings , see a counselor what ever it takes to reclaim your health.

I lost about 95 lbs regained 16 during covid lock down. But back on track in May 2022 I am hoping by May 2023 I am at goal weight of 145 -150 lbs. it’s not easy and the older I get ( soon to be 60) the harder it is to lose especially when you have bone and joint issues.

But trying and still no joint replacement.

If you have a problem with food like binge eating, or just an unhealthy relationship with it check out https://oa.org/

See link on study below.

Click to access 1100002678220.pdf

5 years of pics

Exercising with Osteonecrosis and Osteoarthritis and Spondylolisthesis the trifecta

If you have Osteonecrosis of the knee like me exercise should and can still be a part of your lifestyle. But we must must must use caution and we just can’t go all willie nillie and do this or that on our own. We need to always first consult our ortho and then see a trained physical therapist one who understands osteonecrosis. The key is to know the right exercises and the right way to do them.

Generally, long-term exercise is safe for adults with knee pain from Osteonecrosis but as we know we can go from stage one to stage 3 in as less as weeks and as long as months even years, that’s why it’s imperative we keep in contact with our pcp and orthopedic.

Exercise when performed correctly, the right exercises can even help decrease our pain of osteonecrosis and osteoarthritis and other bone and joint conditions

It can improve our ability to carry out ordinary physical activities. We have to to keep our muscles strong as they support the joints and keeps them stabilized.

It may seem counterintuitive for exercise to decrease knee pain, because when our knees hurt we don’t really feel like exercising, but for me that’s when I have to push through because it will help my pain

But it’s helpful to understand how it works.

Exercise improves:

  • hormonal balance
  • lowers blood sugar
  • improves articular cartilage tolerance
  • strengthens muscles and muscles are what supports our bones.

Exercise also improves your muscle strength. Stronger muscles are able to carry your body weight more efficiently, relieving some of the burden put on the joints.

However, performing the “wrong” exercise or using poor form may increase pain or inflict irritation to the joint. 

“Pain with exercise isn’t normal,”

That said, it’s important to note that when starting a new exercise program, you may experience “muscular soreness,” which is different from joint pain. 

It’s normal to experience muscle soreness fir a day or even two after exercises, when I first started a simple walking program I walked every other day. I gave my muscles a chance to rest.

I liked my PT sessions and afterwards I got the Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) device which helped my muscles relax and recover.

I highly suggest a physical therapist, they will be guiding you through the process. An expert will analyze your form and make suggestions. They show you how to properly do the exercises.

You don’t want to injure something else in the process of trying to stay active.

Biking , swimming water aerobics are much easier on the joints.