[RayinPenn]

Facts
1) went to the orthopedist and my knees are shot. An alieve takes the edge off but they hurt even at night. I avoid those darn stairs too and have a very hard time getting up from my desk, restaurant table etc.
2) he suggest euflexxa apparently the equivalent of a grease job for tired knees
3) I am 60
4) he says remember they are just plastic and metal - referring to a replacement knee job.. I think wonderful.

Anyone care to share their experience... I need advise this is new territory for me.

[KayakerNC]

Synvisc & Euflexxa are similar viscosupplements which contain hyaluronic acid. You may want to check with your health insurance to see if they have a preferred medication.

[RayinPenn]

Thanks kayaker NC will do..ps built my own kayak in the garage.

[Count'n the days]

Euflexxa helped my hubby put off TKR for several years. Insurance would only approve every 6 months and it finally got to the point the shots would only help for a few months. Worth a try.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

I get Euflexxa every 6 months. It REALLY helps to the point that it has allowed me to walk around like a person again. Without it I am a mess. I can definitely feel when the 6 months are coming to an end and it's time to get the shots again and I eagerly await the date near the 6 month mark. It has also allowed me to put off a knee replacement. I have bone on bone osteoarthritis and 2 torn meniscus in my knee and I used to get regular cortisone shots but this is sooo much better. I have to be preapproved for it each time for my insurance to pay but my rheumatologist gets the approval for me. So far, so good. Hope it works for you if you decide to go that way.

[slipcovers]

The shots of cortisone and hyaluronic acid are only temporary relief, and soon they will not be effective. From what I have read on TOTV, there is a long wait for knee replacement with Dr Duke and others. It would be better to "get on the list" for a TNR, that is the only solution. Just remember, you are not getting younger and it only gets harder as you age. Before my TKR, I lived in fear of my knee "buckling" at any given time.

[784caroline]

Highly suggest you make an apppointment with Dr Steve Nguyen...he has office hours on Fridays just off Rolling Acres Rd (Across from Home Depot). He can be reached at 407-355-3120.

Dr Nyguyen has developed an entirely new procedure for replacing the total knee -The Lateral Approach...in fact he is the only one in the "World" using this approach and has been doing it for more than 5 years. He uses the same Knee (Stryker) as other drs.

Here are some links to Orthopedics Channel who did interviews with Dr Nguyen. Kicking Recovery Time! New Knee Procedure | Medical News and Health Information

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_ch...?storyid=27959

Now after you see some of the videos im sure you will not believe the progress made by Dr Nguyen's patients so I suggest just stopping by his office friday mornings and talk to some patients........its amazing. Now the wait time for the initial visit to see Dr Nguyen can be substantial (weeks) and if you are OKd for surgery he has a 6-7 month backlog in front of you after your approved.

I had miniscus tears repaired/removed by Dr Duke and my problem with him is that you never see him after the surgery (only a PA) even if you have a problem...... and he does knee replacement surgery the old way whereby you will be in pain for 3 weeks and amble along with crutches/walkers. With Nguyen, most patients walk unassisted in 1-2 days after the operation with no or minimal pain. You are required to go through a full regiment of Physical thearphy. His expectation is that his patients are back to their routine activities(which differ for each person) in 2-3 weeks and in some cases that even includes golfing.