Knee drills

[cossack2]

My dr said it looks like I have osteo-arthritis (sp?). In GT2 Scott suggest one may not be able to do certain knee movements if they have had surgery.

When I am doped up on anti-inflammatories I don't have much pain, but should I do these movements?

[cossack2]

Also, I already have and use Intu-Flow®, Flow Fit, GT, etc. Would Ageless Mobility® be redundant?

[Coach Flanagan]

Ageless Mobility®™ would definatly NOT be redundant. It would be a great compliment to everything else you're doing.

Your first questions of what you should be doing with your knee is one for your physician. If the only way for you to do CST exercises is being on a medication to lessen the discomfort, that is not doing CST properly - not adhering to a "Health-First" protocol. If your structure can't support a particular movement and you experience pain when not "doped up", its safe to say that when you are on pain medication that you are still loading your structure in a way it cannot handle - just without the pain. Its important for me to emphasize that CST is a PRE-hab, not rehab system and as such my above comments are not in any way advice on what you should be doing for your rehab - but rather my comments are regarding how NOT to implement CST.

Good luck on your recovery!

[Scott Sonnon]

Mark,

Sean has good advice. It really depends upon where you're suffering the osteoarthritis. For most people it's the flexion beyond 90 degrees, so the leg creeps and squats can be problematic. However, those closed chain exercise may eventually become accessible to you without pain, if you work on the open chain exercises from say Intu-Flow®. Sometimes, shallow range closed chain movements from the GTB will also help accelerate smoothing off the little osteo spikes of pain. It's really your best judgement. Getting it lubricated with Intu-Flow® is the first step, always, in osteo-arthritis.

Ageless Mobility® can be a beneficial resource if you're having trouble putting it all together in a concise form. Plus it's designed for taking advantage of both. But if you've figured out how to put it together, you don't necessarily need it.

[cossack2]

Thanks for the responses. Regarding what Sean said I have to say the arthritis is probably chronic and since there is no known cure it will be with me forever. There is no surgery or other treatment available. When I told my doctor I do MMA I just got a blank stare. It has been my experience that most docs agree that physical exercise is good, so they encourage their patients to do it. They just prescribe meds to treat symptoms if there is no surgical or physical therapy treatment.

Scott, it is indeed the squatting that hurts. After I take the ant-inflammatory drugs I can get into position much easier. Since there is no cure for this I am thinking I may as well take the drugs and do the GT2 unless you think I could somehow make the arthritis advance by doing this. Yes, I know you are not a medical doctor, but your opinion is probably just as good.

I am doing Intu-Flow® religiously, but what are examples of “open chain and closed chain exercises”?” I will certainly step those up. If you don’t want to say over the public forum just tell me where in the DVD they appear.

Thanks for the help.

[Scott Sonnon]

Mark,

In most cases, osteoarthritis is like little stalactites and stalagmites of calcification. As you move over those spikes, it causes pain, if you can even move them in advanced cases. Smoothing them off, as low-tech as it sounds, can help slow and reverse the effects.

Open chain exercise is where the movement is relatively unpredictable like standing on one leg and performing a knee circle with the other. Where the foot goes is relatively unpredictable, and that's good preliminarily, but you will intuitively move away from problem areas. To go deeper you need closed chain movements.

Closed chain movements are relatively predictable movement such as performing a knee circle with your leg but with that foot in contact with the floor. In closed chain, you can avoid subconscious avoidance of problem areas.

Discomfort fights pain. You must be somewhat uncomfortable in order to mow down those little calcifications, but only you can use your best judgment on what's manageable and productive.