Regenerative medicine anyone?

Concrete Helmet

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So after completely going nuclear on my Orto doctors office today for not filling my prescription of Celebrex without an office visit I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about this. I hear it advertised on the local news radio here but not sure if it is some kind of snake oil that they are pitching to old bast@rds like 90% of this board?

I have a bad knee with multiple tears and was told by the doctor that I would need a knee replacement but he put me on the celebrex and said to wait until I'm 65(I guess you old codgers get knee replacements for next to nothing at that age).

Besides the tears in my knee there is quite a bit of arthritis. After telling them they were just holding my medicine hostage for an office visit fee I told them I was working out of town for the next couple of months and they needed to fill it before I left this weekend. They said no.....So at this point I;m wondering if there is an alternative that I can try.

I have lost 65# in the last 10 months and my knee feels much better but I'm worried about the Arthritis and if it will crop back up once I'm off the medicine. I do take some natural stuff like turmeric, fish oil and other stuff that is supposed to be good for inflammation.

Any advice on this?
 

Detroitgator

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So after completely going nuclear on my Orto doctors office today for not filling my prescription of Celebrex without an office visit I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about this. I hear it advertised on the local news radio here but not sure if it is some kind of snake oil that they are pitching to old bast@rds like 90% of this board?

I have a bad knee with multiple tears and was told by the doctor that I would need a knee replacement but he put me on the celebrex and said to wait until I'm 65(I guess you old codgers get knee replacements for next to nothing at that age).

Besides the tears in my knee there is quite a bit of arthritis. After telling them they were just holding my medicine hostage for an office visit fee I told them I was working out of town for the next couple of months and they needed to fill it before I left this weekend. They said no.....So at this point I;m wondering if there is an alternative that I can try.

I have lost 65# in the last 10 months and my knee feels much better but I'm worried about the Arthritis and if it will crop back up once I'm off the medicine. I do take some natural stuff like turmeric, fish oil and other stuff that is supposed to be good for inflammation.

Any advice on this?
Old soldiers in the know swear by Glucosamine/Chondroitin
 

Concrete Helmet

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Old soldiers in the know swear by Glucosamine/Chondroitin
I have taken it in the past and will start to take it again now that I'm off the celebrex. Here's the thing though and this may be anecdotal but sometimes I have noticed it helping after I take it for a week or so but then it seemed to lose any effect. Other times it didn't seem to do much of anything.

I'm hoping that by throwing this and turmeric. fish oil and a couple other things(fresh blueberries) at it along with my weight reduction and better diet that I am able to keep the swelling and aches away.

I've also due to the diet(eating plan) have greatly reduced my intake of gluten from starchy foods like white bread, pasta and rice which some people claim to cause inflammation....and of course cut my drinking by about 2/3's.

I guess if this doesn't work I can always put my tail between my legs and go back to the doctor to get them to refill the prescription. I hate doctors but their incompetent staffs drive me up the wall.
 
Last edited:

Nalt

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There are some who theorize that Caster oil works fairly well as an anti-inflammatory when applied to the skin. At this point, it is inconclusive but if it could possibly work as well as NSAIDs then it may be worth the effort.
 

URGatorBait

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There are some who theorize that Caster oil works fairly well as an anti-inflammatory when applied to the skin. At this point, it is inconclusive but if it could possibly work as well as NSAIDs then it may be worth the effort.
Careful, crete might think you're talking about motor oil :heehee:
 

Concrete Helmet

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Anyway, anyone ever heard about these regenerative procedures I keep hearing advertised? Are they stem cell injections? Are they legit or snake oil?
 

Nalt

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Not sure what the exact cost for stem cell injections is but I do know they can get very expensive. Good luck.
 

Concrete Helmet

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Not sure what the exact cost for stem cell injections is but I do know they can get very expensive. Good luck.
Doing some research and the studies on stem cell aren't as long as the marrow injections which seem to have about a 69% favorable rating for up to 6 years....At the cost of natural supplements today it may be almost as cost effective at 3k-5k for a 5 minute procedure. Spent nearly $60 today on a 2 month supply of Glucosimine and Tumeric and doesn't count the ones I'm already taking.
 

Concrete Helmet

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So it's been a week and a half off the celebrex and there is no noticeable difference with my knee whatsoever. In fact I ratcheted up the volume on my leg day workouts to 15 sets of squats varying the width and angle of my stance to test for weak spots.....3 workouts in and nada....no cracking, popping, excess swelling afterward....nothing, in fact I think I've actually gained a tiny bit of the natural range of motion back that I had lost due to pain and swelling. Still getting in 30-45 minutes on the Airdyne bike without a problem too.

I have had a sore right shoulder though for the last week or so. I don't believe this is related though as I've had this on and off for years whenever I turn up the weight/volume of my upper body workouts. I've been using some ice and handheld massager to help but it has woken me up a few times at night while sleeping(I fall asleep on my back but tend to roll unto my rightside during the night. I've done 2 very light upper body workouts since this got bad. The same thing happened about 5 months ago and I was able to slowly work through it by toning down the workouts and doing some corrective exercises for it. Hope it works out the same this time.

I started taking the Glucosamine about the same time I got off the celebrex and take 1 extra capsule a day to try and get it loaded into my system. I'm also taking an extra tumeric capsule and eating 1 or 2 handful of fresh blueberries everyday. The only other thing I've taken has been 2 advil a couple of nights when my shoulder was bothering me.

Anyone have any other useful remedies for arthritis/injury relief that worked for them please post them up.
 

Nalt

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Jul 23, 2020
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So it's been a week and a half off the celebrex and there is no noticeable difference with my knee whatsoever. In fact I ratcheted up the volume on my leg day workouts to 15 sets of squats varying the width and angle of my stance to test for weak spots.....3 workouts in and nada....no cracking, popping, excess swelling afterward....nothing, in fact I think I've actually gained a tiny bit of the natural range of motion back that I had lost due to pain and swelling. Still getting in 30-45 minutes on the Airdyne bike without a problem too.

I have had a sore right shoulder though for the last week or so. I don't believe this is related though as I've had this on and off for years whenever I turn up the weight/volume of my upper body workouts. I've been using some ice and handheld massager to help but it has woken me up a few times at night while sleeping(I fall asleep on my back but tend to roll unto my rightside during the night. I've done 2 very light upper body workouts since this got bad. The same thing happened about 5 months ago and I was able to slowly work through it by toning down the workouts and doing some corrective exercises for it. Hope it works out the same this time.

I started taking the Glucosamine about the same time I got off the celebrex and take 1 extra capsule a day to try and get it loaded into my system. I'm also taking an extra tumeric capsule and eating 1 or 2 handful of fresh blueberries everyday. The only other thing I've taken has been 2 advil a couple of nights when my shoulder was bothering me.

Anyone have any other useful remedies for arthritis/injury relief that worked for them please post them up.
Two times I had shoulder pain during workouts, in 2017 and 2022. Both turned out to be torn labrum, torn bicep (long head) and bone spurs. The left shoulder was in 2022 and it also had a slight torn rotator cuff too. Both surgically repaired. Still have some shoulder pain from my left shoulder rotator cuff but I don't think the doctor repaired that.

I would suggest lightening up on any exercises that cause pain there to the point that you can do the exercises without pain. Then gradually start increasing weight to strengthen the muscles slowly. I hope your case isn't the same as what I had to deal with. Shoulder surgical pain healing is horrible.
 

Concrete Helmet

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Two times I had shoulder pain during workouts, in 2017 and 2022. Both turned out to be torn labrum, torn bicep (long head) and bone spurs. The left shoulder was in 2022 and it also had a slight torn rotator cuff too. Both surgically repaired. Still have some shoulder pain from my left shoulder rotator cuff but I don't think the doctor repaired that.

I would suggest lightening up on any exercises that cause pain there to the point that you can do the exercises without pain. Then gradually start increasing weight to strengthen the muscles slowly. I hope your case isn't the same as what I had to deal with. Shoulder surgical pain healing is horrible.
I've been doing a lot of corrective exercises for the rotator cuff and will continue while doing only minimal chest, back work(I've stopped doing any direct shoulder work altogether besides the correctives). From what I've seen and heard alot of this is from allowing your shoulders to come too far forward, tightness in the lats, and rounding of cervical area of spine(upper back posture caused from hunching forward, reading looking at computer screen and such)

Like I said the same thing happened about 5 months backs and seemed to work itself out after a few weeks. I hear you on the shoulder surgery...my best friend had a rotator cuff surgery and it sucked badly for him.
 

Nalt

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I've been doing a lot of corrective exercises for the rotator cuff and will continue while doing only minimal chest, back work(I've stopped doing any direct shoulder work altogether besides the correctives). From what I've seen and heard alot of this is from allowing your shoulders to come too far forward, tightness in the lats, and rounding of cervical area of spine(upper back posture caused from hunching forward, reading looking at computer screen and such)

Like I said the same thing happened about 5 months backs and seemed to work itself out after a few weeks. I hear you on the shoulder surgery...my best friend had a rotator cuff surgery and it sucked badly for him.
Good luck, I hope the corrective therapy works.

Funny thing about the shoulder surgeries that I had. The first one, on my right shoulder was absolutely horrible. I was having to take narcotic pain meds for about 3 months. I also couldn't sleep lying down flat in my bed for 3-4 months. The pain was terrible and it was difficult to find a position where I wasn't in pain. Then I had the exact same procedure on my left shoulder on 1 December last year. The only difference being that he also sort of cleaned up my torn rotator cuff which means the procedure was slightly more involved. Post surgery to this day, I have not needed nor taken any pain meds and I could sleep flat in the bed pretty much immediately. No idea why other than maybe the pain receptors on my left side aren't as sensitive. IMO, that makes sense because I have also had plantar fasciitis surgery on both feet and the right foot (done first) was rather painful and very sensitive to weight bearing but the left foot was basically painless.
 

Concrete Helmet

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Good luck, I hope the corrective therapy works.

Funny thing about the shoulder surgeries that I had. The first one, on my right shoulder was absolutely horrible. I was having to take narcotic pain meds for about 3 months. I also couldn't sleep lying down flat in my bed for 3-4 months. The pain was terrible and it was difficult to find a position where I wasn't in pain. Then I had the exact same procedure on my left shoulder on 1 December last year. The only difference being that he also sort of cleaned up my torn rotator cuff which means the procedure was slightly more involved. Post surgery to this day, I have not needed nor taken any pain meds and I could sleep flat in the bed pretty much immediately. No idea why other than maybe the pain receptors on my left side aren't as sensitive. IMO, that makes sense because I have also had plantar fasciitis surgery on both feet and the right foot (done first) was rather painful and very sensitive to weight bearing but the left foot was basically painless.
I had the same experience after having hernia repair on both sides. The right side was very painful and I took a lot longer in the recovery process..... Farting or sneezing over the next month would leave me in searing pain for the next 15 minutes. I can still feel the "seam" from the surgery. The left side which I let go to the point I would have to push the intestine back into the hole while at work actually went much faster as far as recovery and I never had nearly the kind of pain as with the right side.
 

Detroitgator

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So it's been a week and a half off the celebrex and there is no noticeable difference with my knee whatsoever. In fact I ratcheted up the volume on my leg day workouts to 15 sets of squats varying the width and angle of my stance to test for weak spots.....3 workouts in and nada....no cracking, popping, excess swelling afterward....nothing, in fact I think I've actually gained a tiny bit of the natural range of motion back that I had lost due to pain and swelling. Still getting in 30-45 minutes on the Airdyne bike without a problem too.

I have had a sore right shoulder though for the last week or so. I don't believe this is related though as I've had this on and off for years whenever I turn up the weight/volume of my upper body workouts. I've been using some ice and handheld massager to help but it has woken me up a few times at night while sleeping(I fall asleep on my back but tend to roll unto my rightside during the night. I've done 2 very light upper body workouts since this got bad. The same thing happened about 5 months ago and I was able to slowly work through it by toning down the workouts and doing some corrective exercises for it. Hope it works out the same this time.

I started taking the Glucosamine about the same time I got off the celebrex and take 1 extra capsule a day to try and get it loaded into my system. I'm also taking an extra tumeric capsule and eating 1 or 2 handful of fresh blueberries everyday. The only other thing I've taken has been 2 advil a couple of nights when my shoulder was bothering me.

Anyone have any other useful remedies for arthritis/injury relief that worked for them please post them up.
I've been exclusively a "side sleeper" for decades, and i know I roll several times/night because of shoulders. I'm seriously thinking about researching and buying one of these fancier side sleeper pillow arrangements.
 

Detroitgator

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Find a Physical Therapist who is hot. Go regularly. You're welcome. :lol:
This was the strategy when the Ukrainians wanted me to learn the language, and this is a near quote: "We will hire hot teacher, because you will want to do better with hot teacher than with ugly one."
 

Concrete Helmet

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I've been exclusively a "side sleeper" for decades, and i know I roll several times/night because of shoulders. I'm seriously thinking about researching and buying one of these fancier side sleeper pillow arrangements.
Mine have been getting a little better over the last week or so but I'm still waking up once or twice a night with some discomfort. Stretching and the rehab type exercises seem to help and I'm back up to about 60-70% of my upper body workout this week. Let me know if you find anything that works sleepwise.
 

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