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Thread: back squats and osteo arthritic knees revisited

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Pittsburgh PA
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    52

    Default back squats and osteo arthritic knees revisited

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    Coach, I've spent hours reading this forum, your books and other online info and I'd just like to confirm my simple conclusion that back squats for arthritis can be helpful. If it gets better it's helping, if it gets worse it's not. Duh.

    My 58 year old wife with osteoporosis wants me to tell her what weight program to do (that part was easy: SS) but she is worried about squats due to her arthritic knees. I told her they weren't "optional". Every damn thing I read online says either no squats or limited squats which sounds like bad advice and will aggravate her (and everyones) knees.

    Care to make a pithy comment? I told her you'd yell at me but wtf.

    For the record I'm in month 3 of SS and I bought (and read) three of your books, so I'm not a total info leech.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
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    53,559

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    All the reports indicate that squats benefit the knees, arthritic or not. We'll get some comments for you here.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Wichita Falls, Texas
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    Almost six years ago I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left knee after having the vast majority of my left medial meniscus removed after a significant tear. I was given the same old song and dance by the medical community, as I was told heavy lifting was off limits, but was actually advised to take up running half-marathons as a sort of rehab technique. I continued running almost every day, since that is the measuring stick by which your worth is judged in the military, and there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't have some significant pain in my knee. Almost every long run had to be followed by an ice wrap. As luck would have it, I ended up having my right ankle essentially replaced, and I had to give up running everyday. Much to the disdain of the medical community, I took up *gasp* heavy (relatively speaking, of course) squatting. After running through my first linear progression before a reset, I have yet to have even the slightest twinge of pain in my left knee. When I injured my knee, I was 130lbs (at 5'6"), and today I am hovering around 165-170. The added strength and weight have completely resolved what surgery and large doses of anti-inflammatory medications couldn't.

    On a slightly related note, I have also almost completely eliminated every last bit of pain, stiffness, and swelling in my surgically butchered right ankle as well.

    This is obviously not to be taken as medical advice, but I have been extremely pleased with my experience with a similar problem.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Fremont, CA
    Posts
    418

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    I have a female trainee in her late thirties who works with me who has arthritis in both knees. Bad enough that her doctor had recommended surgery.

    After doing SS for about 6 months her knees feel better than they have in many years. She has even expressed a desire to start running again (something I strongly discouraged). But that just indicates how much better she feels. She was having trouble walking before.

    I have her on a gluten-free diet right now and that seems to be helping as well.

    Matt

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    50

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    40 years old, male, and until recently, my knees had hurt every day for the past 25 years.

    Right knee has no ACL, 2 partial menisectomies, and significant-enough laxity in the lateral ligaments (together with the ACL issue) that I had a high-tibial osteotomy at 24 years old (taking me me from bow-legged to slightly knock-kneed on that leg). Left knee is structurally better, with only 2 partial menisectomies, but it hurt much worse, as the bow-leggedness caused a lot of medial wear.

    10 or 15 years ago, if I was careful, I could balance enough activity to keep strong and fit with enough rest that I could keep the pain at levels to stay pretty functional. Over time, that balance went to hell. Any activity and I walked with a visable limp for days. Fitness went to hell. Went from extra-strength ibuprophen for activities only, to every day, to ignoring the maximum daily doses, then on to celebrex. I repeatedly started "programs" involving walking and cycling, which were going to "strengthen" the legs, and "then I could see about lifting weights again" (insert doctor/physio spiel here about weights being bad and me not walking when I was old). The programs made things worse, not better, and I never made it to the weights. After a couple of embarrassing incidents where it became apparent that my father (65 years old) and my wife (petite and less than half my size) considered me crippled enough that they were better able to handle physical tasks than I was, I decided "Fuck it. If I'm going to hurt every day anyways, I'm going to hurt and be big and strong again, instead of hurting and being a fucking pussy".

    Started with deadlifts only (before finding SS), as the knee range of motion was something I could handle. Was just amazed at the difference. Got stronger, knees felt better. Came across SS doing an internet search on deadlift form, and found it interesting that this Rippetoe guy seemed to have a rational basis for the squat mechanics he was preaching. Started squatting with the bar only, and lo-and-behold, I didn't destroy my knees. Started adding 10 pounds at a time, and the legs felt better and better. Have not felt this good in years - can actually do crazy shit like run across the street to beat traffic, or squat all the way down and pick up a toy with one hand while holding the baby in the other. Very comfortably doing 315 for 3 sets of 5 now, full depth, and not slowing on the gains yet. Not world-beating yet, but getting respectable. The knees aren't pain free - they remind me if I haven't been keeping my hamstrings tight on the way down, or if I drift out over my toes, or if I otherwise lose form. And I know they will never feel like they felt when I was 16. But it feels fucking great to recapture even a little bit of the past, when women's eyes lingered, and men stepped out of the way when we came face-to-face in a hallway or on the street.

    To the original question. Obviously, use some prudence, progress in a controlled fashion, listen to your wife's feedback (e.g. squatting 3 days a week might be a bit much). But give it a try. Only one way to find out.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Pittsburgh PA
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    52

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    starting strength coach development program
    This is great info and I appreciate you taking the time to relate it. My wife will be "thrilled".

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