Originally posted by BrilloPad
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1. Losing weight will reduce joint pain. Actually no it won't particularly if you have arthritis in your ankles or knees. The cause of my arthritis is repeated injury over 34 years (I started at 10) of competitive sport (athletics - Sprinter & Javelin and rugby) at a high level. I have no cartilage left it either my right ankle or left knee. I also have no ligaments in my left knee. The arthritis has fused my right ankle together so I now walk with my right foot turned out putting stress on my right hip. losing weight will not reduce my continuous pain. On the plus side the Weaver-Dunn procedure (Google it) to rebuild my left shoulder 10 years ago causes me no problems what so ever.
2.Better joint function. See above, I think that ship sailed 10 years ago when I was force to give up rugby.
3. I actually feel fine. I still go to the gym, albeit limited to cycling and swimming. I can still swim 1k in 30minutes without too much effort. I can still seated press (105kgs) and Bench Press 100kgs, Fly Press 90kgs, I have no idea what I can squat (leg press) because I can't anymore. so I don't think I am that unfit.
4. Take fatty acids for what, to lube the joints, see 1. above
5.Better heart health. It just so happens that I have recently had a 24hour ecg, and a heart scan ( because the GP gave me a prescription which crashed my BP and gave me a resting heart rate of 38 - my normal resting heart rate is around 60). Both tests came back giving my heart a 100% clean bill of health.
6. A good nights sleep. No issues there normally get 7 to 8 hours a night.
7. My arthritis costs me nothing apart from 24/7 pain. The only thing that will resolve that is amputation, and yes I have thought about it from time to time. Even considered DIY. Arthritis is a condition caused by the breakdown of the cartilage that covers the end of each bone in a joint. Once that is gone you are rubbing bone on bone , which causes the bone to wear away. The body then tries to repair this and unfortunately goes into over drive producing more bone than in necessary resulting in excessive bone growths within the joint. It is these excessive bone growths that cause the pain and restrict the joint movement. I have been told, by several surgeons that losing weight will not help my condition. My ankle bones are now so distorted that ankle replacement is not an option.
I have no doubt I could do with losing perhaps 10kgs, I suspect that most of us could, but that would mean getting down to my 1st XV playing weight of my late teens early 20s.
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