Re: Re: Joint Health, Exercise, and Nutrition (was Everybody loves Gene!)

[Guest guest]

>Could you describe the " crunching " in your knees more elaborately?

>

Sure. It probably sounds similar to eating tortilla chips with a pillow

over the head, lol. It's not very audible; I have to have it close to

hear it usually. When I had an old two story home with a basement, I

could hear them on the stairs all the time more audibly. I attribute it

to too many years of step aerobics and such.

>My knees crack a lot. They generally crack when I go down on the squat,

>and they often crack if I bend down to pick something up. There is no

>pain involved whatsoever. I've noticed that over the last two years

>or so, certain things are crackable now, since I've been weight

>lifting, that weren't before. For example, if I clasp my hands

>together in front of my abdomen and pull my shoulder back, my upper

>back cracks, and even sometimes my sternum!

>

>

First, you are young for this to be happening, but this is a

generalization, depending on what it is. At least there is no pain. My

left knee can hurt at times, but what's happening now, I think, is an

adaptation to exercise change (running for 2 months) causing some

tendinitis. I strongly suspect this is the case as I have Achilles

tendon twingies too on the same leg. Minor thing to watch. I could

actually have a slightly torn posterior cruciate ligament, but

strengthening would be advised for that anyway, and I am wearing a brace

on that leg during runs now.

You've been lifting for sometime, so it could be overuse. We both

should probably do more yoga/stretching. Swimming would also be good,

because it could be compression related, especially if much of your

weight workout is done against gravity.

I understand about the back crackings too. I used to do that a lot, but

I'd put my hands on either side of the thoracic spine, arch my back and,

creak, crack, crunch. My neck has issues now that are caused by

sleeping with one arm up on my side. I have to massage the neck,

lengthen until it adjusts with a nice, close to the ears crack as I turn

my head. Funny thing, the back cracking syndrome seemed to go away when

I switched to omnivorous eating. It seems that way anyway.

>Are these bad signs?

>

>

They're not good signs, that's for sure, but I don't know how " bad " they

are. It really depends on what's causing it. And it appears on the

surface it is workout related. Do you stretch regularly? I have been

pretty bad about it lately, but I am very flexible generally.

>I've noticed before that I would get joint pain, probably from working

>out, sometimes, and MSM would stop it, though I've always been

>inconsistent with MSM. However I don't seem to have any of those

>problems right now. I've been consumping soup from stock regularly,

>which probably helps.

>

I've been taking hydraulic fluid myself, hee hee hee, not! Actually I

have read that hyaluronic acid might help joint issues, but my time

years ago as an aircraft mechanic always makes me read that word

hydraulic, ugh. Do you know about this connective tissue component and

what the supplements out there might be made from, how NT they are, yada

yada?

The supplement I have has per daily dose of 2 horse pills:

Glucosamine HCl 1.5 gram

Chondroitin SO4 1.2 g

MSM 250 mg

I have no idea how ideal the combo is, just picked it up one day. I've

only been taking it every other day for a couple of weeks. I think I

should up the MSM maybe. Bone broths! Glad you mentioned that. Yes, I

eat homemade bone stock based soups twice a week or more. I've been

nibbling on chicken tendons and cartilage too when I make it. I figure,

why not, it wouldn't hurt. Sardines with the bones too. DS dissects

them and saves the spinal chord for last!

Deanna