Hunting with Bad Knees and Hips
 

I know a lot of guys with joint problems from accidents, work or just age. There have been a few discussions about exercise that won't make them worse. Common consensus is swimming and Biking are two of the better low impact workouts. I also know that with all the Government incompetence in the way our health care system is managed that getting knee or hip surgery is turning into a multi year wait for many people.

I was at the point that my one knee was constantly very painful, the result of a previous injury that accelerated arthritis in that joint. After x-rays and an MRI the doctor and specialist said the only fix was surgery once it got bad enough. I had tried physio etc but that doesn't fix osteoarthritis. I wasn't to the point of wanting surgery as I could control it with over the counter painkillers but I refuse to take them two to three times a day so I just learned to live with the constant pain and having to use a cane. I saw a discussion on another hunting forum about bad knees, hips etc and a fellow on there, with quite a few corroborating comments from people who had previously taken his advice: Take two 3 Milligram Boron Tablets a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Boron is a naturally occurring element, like iron etc. After a bunch of Google searching I could find no issues or contra indicators to using it, unless you had Kidney problems.

I ordered some Now Foods brand off of Amazon. You can get two 250 capusal containers for 40 bucks. To try it, I ordered the 100 pack. After a week I could feel quite a difference. After two weeks, my knee no longer had the chronic pain, now even when I walk on it a lot, it will get tired but it doesn't hurt like it did. I also no longer need the cane for walking. After two months my knee is not back to what it was before the injury but it is a WHOLE lot better. I have recommended it to a couple of friends with hip and shoulder problems. It has worked for them too.

I know there are a lot of other things that have worked for people and posting those is always helpful to.Like all things, consult your own doctor before taking a new supplement but if it works as good for others as it did for me, you will be very happy with the results.

Yeah, know exactly what you are taking about.

I have arthritis in both knees.

Specialist prescribed these two:

Naproxen 500mg- one tablet twice daily when needed. This has been great for me.

Ketorolac Trometh 10 mg - one tablet once daily when needed. I quit this one because I feel side effects with it (nausea, sore stomach).

Still a pain in the azz...:)

I know it’s a very long shot but I will still leave the info here. You may take it with a grain of salt like I did at first but then I changed my mind.
We just came back from visiting Georgia, one of the former Soviet republics and now an independent state. Near the city of Batumi, there is a place called Magnititi. It’s a beach with a black magnetic sand that apparently has a healing qualities to heal the joints pain, skeletal problems, bones and joints problems… We were very sceptical about the story but decided to visit the area anyway because of the beach and spend a few hours there.
We got a chair and umbrella from the beach vendor but noticed that pretty much every over person were just laying on a towels right on the sand.
Having nothing better to do, I covered my bad right knee with a pile of sand and sat like that for a few hours. And what do you know? The pain in my knee was gone! I was amazed and spent another 30 minutes standing on my knees in a sand…
I still have no pain. Even after a long walk on a fields during the Thursday birds hunt. That usually initiates a bad sensitivity. But nothing so far!

Boron is a naturally occurring element, like iron etc

Difference being, boron is toxic. People used to take arsenic for their health , it's a naturally occurring element, just like iron etc. That didn't work well. I'm always surprised when supposedly intelligent people buy into "Naturals" , head over heels. , one of those poorly regulated areas where proof of efficacy is not required, better take some Ivermectin while you're at it. :lol:

Grizz

Hunting with Bad Knee
 

I just hunt closer to my truck .

I carry a nice lawn chair with me now when I'm hunting in the thick bush ,and will be spending the next two months sitting in my elevated heated hunting blind.

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I am all busted up but strength, conditioning, eating healthy has allowed me to keep ageing gracefully....keep on keeping on!!!!

Thanks, Dean2. Am going to look into it. I need to ensure I can keep up with the wife and kids!

For now, I'm taking Krill oil regularly, and use Voltaren topically when I overdo it.

I take magnesium to hopefully quell the electrical storm in my legs, which often leads to severe cramping. The biggest change has been in how I handle the situation once things are full on. I used to counter the cramp, tensioning it until it releases. That often included hanging on while fighting off nausea, hot flashes, the pain itself, and a couple of days of repairing from pulled muscle strands. What I've discovered is that the cramp will fall out if I can totally relax those involved muscles. Its counter intuitive, with a natural reaction to resist, but works instantly. That's if I can reach that breakover point, which is a must, as the alternative isn't much fun. There is one that twists my foot, which I cant resolve. Cant say if the Mag actually helps.

I suffer from severe nerve pain and recently learned that folic acid helps settle down nerve pain. Started taking a vitamin B complex with folic acid in it a month ago and it did settle down some of the nerve pain. Maybe it would help knee pain too.

Talked to my doc about that, a calcium deficiency might be the cause. Neighbor claims drinking a glass of milk when you get them will help. I've been eating bananas regularly, hopefully to keep my potassium level up.

Grizz

I use Diclofenac PLO gel 10% prescribed my my doctor. Others I know use Voltaren cream but it is not as strong as being prescribed.

I use it on the areas of concern i.e. any joint especially knees, wrists, elbows or lower back and it works for me.

Like anything, it may have side effects so research it and it is not to be used for prolong periods of time....

I have great results in a day or two.

Good luck,

And yes, like everything, I do it closer to the truck....lol

My issue is my hands. 18years of construction has left me with aosteo arthritis in my hands ( thumbs are completely bone on bone now) and pinched nerves because of the joint issues.. the hand cramps I get lock me up from elbow to finger tip multiple times a day in both hands. Longest hand cramp i've had lasted 1.5 hours of torture.
Magnesium helps reduce the amount of times I get cramped ( went from 10-15 hand cramps a day to 1 or two daily).
The best thing I have found for overall relief of pain is heat. I now use the paraffin wax heat treatment 2-3 times daily to keep the joints in check....

Hand cramps suck. They hit you at really inopportune times and they flipping hurt. Anyone who has had a foot cramp knows how much those hurt...imagine them in your hands/ forearms...

Pain
 

My son has convinced me to try CBD oil instead of over the counter meds,it’s been amazing so far,but is costly.takes the aches and pain away,takes a bit to get into your system,then just take it when the ache or pain starts,just an option

Same - My hunting partner always shakes his head when the cramps hit... It's like it has happened on every trip. A couple of times the pain actually made me black out.

I've gotten into the habit of drinking more than I feel like, and using Nuun tabs in my water when doing more strenuous hikes to avoid cramping. It's helping.

I totally understand...I find when I cramp I am not hydrated enough. Once your lips start to dry you NEED hydrating.

I try to eat a banana and take one Rolaids Ultra strength calcium/magnesium tablet once a day.....I don't cramp near as often when I follow this routine.

Nothing worse than getting those deep thigh screamer cramps at 2:00 in the morning.

Another thing to watch for is the amount of caffeine/coffee you drink. As a diuretic you need lots of water to offset the dehydration caused . I have found a big difference after paying attention to this. For the knees and hips I have found a good physiotherapy program of prescribed floor exercises and stretches makes a big difference in removing the seizing up of the joints. As a side note on the cramping, pay attention to the favorite chair you sit in and see if it is putting pressure/pinching the back of your thigh/hamstring.

Diclofinac helped me a lot. (Bad hips. Gout in feet)

I have been using a monopod/ walking stick now for several years and find it helps a lot.
I tend to get into some really tangled stuff at times , and the walking stick helps for balance and support for two bad ones, blown out back and hips that are worn out !:thinking-006:
Cat

Same here - a monopod / walking stick has really helped my hips. I also use a tactical rifle sling now, it seems to spread the weight of the rifle better, and I don't get a 'stitch' in my side from the constant bouncing of a rifle's weight on one shoulder. Plus, it frees up both hands - one for the walking stick!

My knees have bothered me since high school (probably a combination of genetics and sports), and in May 2020, I cranked my left knee while my foot was stuck. It was sore for a couple weeks then seemed to get better. Then it would flare up. There was never any real strength in it, ladders and stairs were both feet on each step, especially with any weight. Last fall walking for whitetail was pushing it.

In February this year I finally broke down and went to the doctor. Xrays and an MRI to find out I had a torn meniscus and a fractured tibial plateau. Referral to a specialist who said that most surgeons wouldn’t want to operate (He said on anyone over 36 anything they take out accelerates the wear on that knee). He recommended Monovisc injection into the knee. It is expensive ($400 per injection). In August I got the injection, they asked that I take it easy for a couple days to allow it to settle in the joint. So far the results have been way better than I expected. Climbing is no problem, I went sheep hunting this fall and put on around 50km in 3 days. I had some diclofinac that I would rub on morning and night, but more of a preventative measure.

Before I got the shot I talked to another guy that is on his second injection (said he overdid it too soon after his first one). He was very satisfied with his results. The injection was painful but so far I’m going to say that it was totally worth it, there is little to no pain in my knee now, it still pops a bit (the Dr said that should get better as the muscles get stronger around the knee).

"Leg cramping can be related to both sodium and or calcium deficiencies, I have had really bad leg cramps and started to take a calcium supplement long ago and do not experience them anymore."

The best one that I have found is called Life Liquid Calcium, but I can not find it anymore so now I use Webber Naturals Calcium with Vitamin D3, Liquid, Blueberry Flavour, 1,000 mg , 400 IU, 500 mL or The one they have a Walmart which is half the price about $5.99 and last for a month.

The Calcium used in this product is Calcium Citrate, your body does not absorb Calcium Carbonate well. Magnesium and Vitamine D are important cofactors for proper calcium absorption.

This product also may help with lowering your blood pressure and insomnia. Hope that helps!

For my knee and back pain I use heavy duty pain killers.