My body is retaliating.  For quite some time, I’ve had problems with my knees.  A couple of years ago my doctor examined them and told me I had arthritis.  My grandmother had arthritis and my dad has arthritis, so why not me?

A couple of months ago, my left foot started hurting.  Self-diagnosis – planters fasciitis.

About the same time, my right hand started hurting.  Self-diagnosis – tendonitis.

I had to get a physical this week (more about why I needed the physical another time) and the doctor confirmed my self-diagnosis – planters fasciitis and tendonitis.  As a result, I was able to get a referral for physical therapy.  I would much prefer physical therapy as a treatment over medication and start this week.

I also went to see a doctor about my knees.  They really have gotten much worse over the last several months.  I’m unable to walk up or down stairs without pain.  I’m unable to sit or stand without pain.  Walking doesn’t cause pain unless I’m going up or down a hill.  Running is impossible without significant pain and riding a bike causes knee pain.

I’m falling apart and these three things are having a significant impact on my ability to do all the things I need to be doing on a daily basis.

The doctor I went to see about my knees, specializes in Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy.  His goal is to alleviate the knee pain, stop the effects of arthritis and if possible reverse the effects of arthritis.  He is not a proponent of surgery without first exhausting more natural treatment plans first.

He specializes in Hyaluronan Replacement Therapy.  Hyaluronic acid is a naturally present substance found in the body.  In the knee, this acid acts as a shock absorber keeping your bones from hitting against each other when walking, running, etc.  Arthritis causes the hyaluronic acid to thin, so the bones in the knees begin hitting against each other, which causes pain.  Hyaluronan Replacement Therapy consists of hyaluronic acid being injected into each knee once a week for 5 weeks.  What I really like about this therapy, is that the hyaluronic acid used is extracted from the comb of roosters.  It’s not a man-made substance, but a natural occurring acid found in rooster combs.

I love it!!!  Not sure the roosters love it, but if this works, I’ll be forever grateful to roosters.

This therapy has a 70% success rate. However, combined with physical therapy, it has a 90% success rate.  I’m very hopeful it will work for me and if all goes well, between the injections and physical therapy on all the parts of my body currently falling apart, I may be pain-free by the time we leave on our cross-country field trip later this summer.