Experience of severe knee arthritis - 47yrs old

[Hallelujah2020]

Just diagnosed two weeks ago, had a steroid injection into joint yesterday. Both my GP and GP who does injections very suprised I have such severe arthritis so young (hardly any joint space left in medial compartment)

Have said I’ll need a knee replacement in near future but if we can hopefully manage it for as long as possible with injections then that’s great

I asked about a referral to a consultant but told no point at present 🤔

Just looking for experience of anyone who’s been through same at my age. Thanks

Def push for a consultant appointment - my dh (just turned 50) was first told he needed a knee replacement 10 years ago. He has managed it since with exercising to build muscle to stabilise the knee, keeping his weight down as much as possible, and over the last 2 years has had hydroluronic acid injections into his knee which have been absolutely amazing in reducing pain and swelling. The number of steroid injections you can have is very limited, but the HA isn't.
The sooner you get to see a physio the better as well as doing the right exercises will protect the stability of your knee and ensure you don't damage your other joints

Bump

I have severe arthritis in my knees and have managed to keep it at bay with regular physio and gym work. You need to build up your quads and your glutes which will reverse the muscle wastage/atrophy the arthritis will have caused, which will in turn take a lot of the strain off your knees. Losing any excess weight goes without saying, this is a work in progress for me.

My physio reckons if I keep up the gym work I shouldn’t need replacement joints. Knee replacement is much more complex with much less reliable results than hip replacement so should definitely be seen as a last resort.

I used to just about live on ibuprofen for my knee pain, but since weight loss and physio I take a couple of paracetamol maybe once every couple of weeks when it’s particularly bad.

I should add my arthritis was diagnosed when I was 45 and I’m now 51