how are your knees?

[colditz]

And how old are your kids?

Just wondering if my gyppy knee is related to my toddler aged child?

[bootsmonkey]

My DD is just three and I have been taking Glucosamine Phosphate religiously for about 6 months as it got to the point where I couldn't get back up from a crouch. I had to pull myself back up on the shelves if I had to get anything from the bottom shelf in the supermarket!! I think it has made a difference. It was particularly bad from kneeling on the floor changing nappies!

I don't know whether being slightly older makes any diffrence, but I never felt the same after birth, and I'm not just talking knees!

[PrettyCandles]

My knees became very gyppy when my first was less than a year old. It turned out to be caused by fallen arches, which in turn had been caused by pregnancy. Physiotherapy, Nurofen and wearing Birkenstocks have more-or-less sorted them out.

[hunkermunker]

Mine are appalling, but I was crippled (literally) with post-viral arthritis when I was 22 - lasted badly till I was 24 and still flares up if I'm run down.

[WigWamBam]

Mine are knackered, despite surgery 15 years ago. It doesn't have anything to do with me having children!

[alicatsg]

wow, spooky, I was going to ask about this. I keep feeling like knee is going to pop out of its place if I get up, from a kneel or anything. are there any exercises that help d'you think?

[suedonim]

My knees are pretty poorly these days. Like Bootsmonkey, it's almost impossible to get up from crouching (actually, I'm glad I'm not the only one, tbh!) and they hurt a lot at times.

[bootsmonkey]

try the glucowhatsit - it does seem to have made a difference. Mine were very tender in spots around the kneecap & that has gone

[WigWamBam]

You don't happen to know if there's a vegetarian-friendly alternative to glucosamine, do you?

[bootsmonkey]

There you go:

veggie alternative

[bonym]

Think it's an age thing I'm afraid - I really struggle to get off the floor these days if I've been kneeling and I have had a "clicky" knee for years - long before I had children!

[WigWamBam]

Excellent, thank you, bootsmonkey

[lou33]

mine are rubbish, but have been since i was a teen. Had on operated on in 95, waiting game for the next one to go now. Kids are 13,8,6,4

[PrettyCandles]

Don't take it for granted that it's age or irreversible. That's what I thought: that my knees were wearing out and that I would need to go on the glucosamine etc, but I went to the GP, got refered to a specialist (because I made a fuss, wouldn't go the NSAIDs route and 'see what happens'), he couldn't find anything wrong so refered me for physio ("Can't do any harm") and the phsyio diagnosed the problem as soon as she saw me walk across the room barefoot. After treatment, and with careful choice of footwear, I now have virtually no problems.

Though I do suffer after wearing heels, so I reserve tnhem for special occasions.

So don't just assume - get it checked out.

[lou33]

had physio and all that malarkey, specialist said mine is a waiting game

[evansmummy]

So glad to have found this. Mine are killing me practically all the time, but especially when going up or down stairs, getting up from crouching, kneeling or sitting and when driving. I'm only 28 and with my first baby so am quite worried about it. My mum has awful knee problems and she said the GP could never help so I've put off going to see htem. Would it be worth it??

[Leogaela]

I never had a problem before I had ds (now 5 months) and did lots of running and cycling. I am really careful not to get up from sitting on the floor with him in my arms now. I get up first and always support myself on something, they seem to be better. Interesting about the dropped arches (I've heard of this before due to pregnancy). when i get up in the morning or for night feed I can hardly walk on my feet they ache so much, could it be be dropped arches?

What about backs? Anyone else developed a back problem since having babies?

[mancmum]

my knees are fine -- just fat fat fat...

[Kelly1978]

my knees were ok until I had the twins. PG with them completely ruined mine

[NotQuiteCockney]

Another vote for physio. I have bad knees, have had them since long before kids.

The two exercises that strengthen the muscles around the knee best for me are:

• standing on one leg, and balancing. If you can stand on one leg fine with eyes open and arms out, put your arms by your sides. If that feels ok, close your eyes. You want to be wobbling a bit, as that works all the muscles beside your knees.
  
  
• knee bends. Stand with one leg further in front of the other. Bend the knee, making sure your knee stays over your toes - not going in or out. You should feel it in your quads - the muscles just up from the knee, on the inside.

[evansmummy]

NQC, impossible to do eny sort of bends, hurts too much and makes them worse for days afterwards.

[oliveoil]

Mine just make loud clicks when I bend down or straighten them. Is this bad? Doesn't hurt.

[evansmummy]

olive, mine started out like that now they just kill every time I ut pressure on the (bent) joint. Doesn't mean your will though!

[oliveoil]

We all sound sooooooooooooooooo attractive and youthful don't we?

[evansmummy]

Tell me about it! I'm only 28 and I look/feel about 70 lol!!!