Oh, I wasn’t aware they were advertising it for this use, or that it was more than an antidepressant.
Hmm, the thread appears to have dried up. Which is a shame, because I’ve been keeping a bit of an eye on it.
I have knee pain that has slowed me from a 8:30/mile 50 mile/week to a 12:30 lucky-if-I-can-do-20/week runner in just under six years. Went to an orthopedist who took X-rays, diagnosed me with arthritis, and recommended physical therapy (and also gave me two cortisone shots, which helped for two months). Said there was no cure and that I’d eventually have to have one or both knees replaced.
I’ve tried topical creams like Tiger Balm and IceeHot, but they haven’t really done anything, even the expensive one with CBT oil. Which I figure make sense, as they appear to be for muscle pain, not bone-on-bone pain.
Intrigued by the mention of Cymbalta, as I also deal with depression, so that could be a two-birds-one-stone sort of thing.
So basically, my response to the OP was wearing a knee brace when I run. I also try to do a warm-up mile, to loosen the joints - it usually takes me a mile to mile-and-a-half to get into a comfortable stride. Although my last couple of runs, I’ve had discomfort for the entire time (four and six miles), which I take as writing on the wall. I may be nearing the end of my running career, which would be a big loss as running (and the community that goes with it) is how I treat my depression.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you find something that works for you, Cymbalta or whatever else might be out there.
I don’t think I have arthritis, just lack of muscular support for my knees. I lost quite a bit of weight last year, and that was like magic on my knees, but it clearly isn’t going to be enough as I get older. I need to get back into some sort of exercise regimen.
Excellent point. I have episodic flare ups of Polymyalgia Rheumatica which causes pain in the tendons/muscles around the hip/shoulder joints. I hear excellent reviews about any and all topicals. Massage of the area with crisco works wonders. Just need to find someone with strong hands.