Gear and Arthritis

I am hoping for some input from you bros.

I am 39 years old and have had minor arthritis for the past few years. It is worst in the morning. Mostly stiffness not much pain. I have done 3 cycles in the past 1 1/2 years and in the past few months it has gotten much worse. Stiffness and some pain in the hips and back especially. Not just in the morning, but anytime I sit still for more than 15 min or so.

I initally attributed this to the fact that I was lifting heavy weight and perhaps my joints were not designed for it. So I have backed off on the weight a bit.

QUESTION : can the AS itself contribute to the arthritis ? or is it most likley the joint strain due to the lifting itself ?

PS: my first 2 cycles contained DECA which improved the joints, perhaps masking the damage I was doing.

Apparantly Deca increases the amount of synovial fluid in the joints (not a huge amount of research on this but seems to be the general consensus) Synovial fluid is like oil so in theory should have some protective effects when lifting. However as you've mentioned all AS in general have anti-inflammatory properties so you would also possibly be lifting enough weight to do some trauma to the joints without really noticing much.

The bottom line is to use perfect form and do alot of research on your own to find info regarding diet, training techniques and arthritis. Ironically the research into osteoarthritis and maintaining a high level of physical activity into the 40+ years is not really a high priority these days since our population is mostly sedentary.

The sitting still for 15 minutes + and then getting joint pain is termed "gelling" but this is something that usually refers to the back and hips... I would try to visit several different types of practioners. (ie. chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopaths etc) since these guys are typically more interested in optimum health as opposed to the absence of disease model.

Thanks Yoda. :)

i really dont have a whole lot to add to yoda's post. he summed it up better than i ever could have.

i just wanted to ask you where the hell youve been bro? other than the recent pains, i hope everything else is ok with you........


peace I4L

Everything has been cool. I have slowed down posting only because work has been crazy. I am gonna make an effort to visit more often. I never stopped training, and I have a goal to have a 6 pack and be under 8 % bf, before my 40th birthday. It is 7 months away and I am sitting at about 12% Hope everything is fine with you.

hey dont worry about the Arthritis.....the muscle you put on will support the joints..I should kinow as I am really bad with it and take anti TNF drugs and have had pyro carbon joint replacements in my hands....they said I recovered and live so well due to my health...I am 40 (yuk) and bf of 7.1%.........been doing the gear for three years and I beleive it has saved me from ending up in a wheel chair..I eat no shit, dont drink or smoke and can pass for a 33 year old in a dark room!!.......steds helped me and continue to help me live but listen to your body and act in a sensible manner..........I lift heavy but not to the extent I will hurt myself......more reps same sets....train four times a week and do four hours of cardio...they wrote me off five years ago but I proved the bastards wrong!!

good luck

FB

Wow...Glad to hear that you are doing well now. Did your arthritis get severe quickly?, or was it a slow progression.

My latest cycle has kicked in, and I am feeling alot better.

Even when I am not on, it sometimes gets better or worse for no apparent reason.

Glad to here that lifting helps, although I still would lift, even if It made things worse :)

TheStromba

It slowly got worse over a period of six years to the point the drugs they were giving me were fucking my insides up more than the Arthritis

Glad to here that lifting helps, although I still would lift, even if It made things worse :)[/QUOTE ]

DONT NOT LIFT IF YOUR ATHRITIS GIVES YOU PAIN as you will do more damage than good and if you fuck your joints you will never lift again. Only lift if you cannot feel pain as with any injury. I can tell you if you make things worse you will regret it for the rest of your life. Joint surgery helps but it is not as strong as your own and pyro carbon is expensive and new so alot of areas still dont perform it. Never mind the three to four months you have to have off after the op

Respect the disease and you will beat it get to a docote and have xrays taken to see were it is and what damage it has done...get a blood test and see how active it is....then find out what type of arthritis it is

feel free to ask as many questions as you like or any one else with artritis and I will try and help but it is only my experience and opinion on what has helped me

FB

Thanks, It really has not progressed to the pain stage yet, perhaps a bit in my hips,( I had 3 surgerys on my hips as a kid)
It is more like an overall stiffness in most of my body.

I have never really had it checked out. My family doctor called it osterarthritis, but he only looked at me for a second.

I did not want to add another "pre-existing condition" as I may be shopping for insurance soon.

Fucking health insurance companys!

TheStromba,
Just to give you an idea, bro. I've had it in my knees since I was a teen (just made 42 this May) and powerlifting didn't help it. I was told by my orthopedic surgeon back in 1994 to quit powerlifting, which I only did for about a couple of weeks.

Well, 10 years and 4 knee surgeries later (3 to left/1 to right), I'm forced to do ONLY BODYBUILDING and no more squats. My current orthopedic surgeon told me that the artheritis will be there forever and eventually continue wearing down my cartiledge as time go on. So have yourself checked, bro, to see how bad it may be as yet.

As for Yoda's advice, I'm glad that I read this particular forum since it may help my leg workouts now, with exception of the squats.

Wow I was 39 when I posted this. Now sitting here at 41 1/2, the arthritis has not really gotten any worse, different areas are a problem at different times. Still lifting, the weights have lightened up. Been off for well over a year.

BTW: Never got the six pack. Put on a few pounds - Still look good for a old dude. :)

I've met Stromba in person....he looks better than most of the people on the boards.

He looks to be lower-mid 30's at most, even though he's early 40's.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hooker

I've met Stromba in person....he looks better than most of the people on the boards.

He looks to be lower-mid 30's at most, even though he's early 40's.

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Appreciate the kind words Hooker :)