Question
I have very bad knee pain. I’ve had the Halygen shots and they worked well for a while. I know I need to lose weight but dieting alone doesn’t work for me. Exercise alway has but everytime I try to excercise my knees hurt. It’s a catch 22. What, specifically, do people do in these cases?
Answer
You need to develop an exercise program that is non- or minimal weight bearing on the knees. Swimming is good. Many patients are able to tolerate an elliptical exercise machine. Sessions with a personal trainer may help. I agree that weight loss is critical. Drs. Bartlett and Fontaine in the Hopkins Arthritis Center have shown that even modest weight loss has a great effect on pain reduction.
