MDing and Bad Knees!

[MetalDetectorDude]

MD'ing and Bad Knees!

Man I love metal detecting, but my knees are starting to hurt as I get older (though I'm only 40). Of course, being 300 pounds doesn't help, either!

Anyone else have knee issues? Anything you do that helps while MD'ing?

 

[63bkpkr]

smokeythecat,

Howdy and a question about "the doctor gave me something to tune down the nerve reaction". What did he give you?

My job is/was for now, quite stressful then came shoulder surgery, lots of pain, very poor sleeping for the last six months even though the pain has slacked off quite a bit now. Since 1.5 months ago I have migraine headaches regularly, prior to then I've not had them for 12 years.

Strong floor exercises can help cut down on the headache's so I suspect I am heavily stressed from work, the shoulder surgery pain, concern about having an income and not having slept well for such a long time.

I backpack in the Sierras every summer for the past 50 years and I'm now 69.5 years of age. I've had two knee surgeries on the left knee though that last surgery was 21 years ago so a very good surgeon is very important for the best possible outcome! I'm looking forward to backpacking in 2014 but I need to get my body and nerves under control. I'm 22 lbs overweight for my 5' 10" height though it feels like a 100 lbs overweight to me, again stress related weight gain. If I could just turn my brain off I would likely do well!

Best of luck to all of us.................................63bkpkr

 

[augoldminer]

For those that are cutting carbs its not as much the carbs(glycemic load) its also the glycemic index(GI) of the carbs that is the problem.

Glycemic index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Glycemic load - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You a diet with low glycemic index under 55 and a medium glycemic load.

When you are on a low carb diet your body thinks its starving and when your blood sugar levels spike your body will save the carbs as fat.
And forget the fat free diets as fat you eat has to be processed by the body to a store able fat for the body.

 

[sask hunter]

I know what some of you guys are going through, at 33 years of age I had to get both my knees totally replaced , so now I set of my metal detector if I run it to close to my knees lol, bad part is that iam 45 now and these knees are pretty well worn out already because of how mobile I have been over the years , iam in constant pain 24/7 and detecting helps take my mind off the pain and now that the ground is all white no more hunting

Sent from my iPhone using TreasureNet

 

[AC1955]

Gel knee pads from Harbor Freight...one of the best tools for MD that I've found. I had a partial knee replacement last December and have been given the "all clear" to be able to dig again. Lots of folks have mentioned sand hunting...one of the worst things you can do with bad knees. Sand is unstable and causes your knees to "shift" to stay in alignment, causing pain and possibly more damage to the knees. I would have thought because sand is "soft" it would be easier on the knees...No say the orthopedists. I did try to hunt the sand this past summer and the docs were right. Ouch!

You mentioned that you were watching your carbs at night. Unfortunately, this will not help you lose weight. If you are watching carb intake, you need to do it all day long to get the best metabolic effect. You need a certain amount of "good" carbs. Low carbs help to burn body fat. The Atkins diet (the original one from years ago) was a great fast diet. You cut your carbs to under 30 grams per day for the first 2 weeks. Then gradually you added more carbs. You continued on this reduced carb diet until you reached the point that you were at the weight you desired. This becomes your "maintenance" plan. Add more carbs - you gain weight. Deduct carbs, you will start to loose weight again. Also, watch out for "hidden" carbs - fruits and veggies (carrots, yams, beans, etc). For the first 2 weeks, you cannot have any fruit, some limited veggies. Lots of lean meats, some dairy, some green salad veggies, and lots of water. Some people say that Atkins is a horrible diet (have beef with a side of beef and butter is an often voiced comment), but my husband and I have been on and off Atkins for years. When on, we feel terrific and are thinner with lower blood pressure. When off it, our cholesterol goes up, blood pressure goes up and in general we feel lousy.

I am not a doctor nor nutritionist - I just play one of TV. The above is just my humble opinion. Of course, before starting any diet or exercise program check with your health care provider.

Good luck with the knees and the dieting! I feel your pain on both.

Anita

 

[FLauthor]

Hey Partner, I know your pain and I can get on the ground to recover but getting back up that is a problem. For $70, I fixed the problem with a Rolling Work Seat, I bought from Freight Harbor. You can order it on line and I'm 280 and it supports me just fine. I attached some rope on it and pull it along as I detect. Get a signal, pull the seat up and get to digging. It's a really sturdy little wagon that is all metal. I use it at Daytona Beach as after 20 - 30 minutes, I need to sit down and rest my legs and this little gem is a great help. Here is the URL to order one: Rolling Work Seat - Save on this Rolling Work Seat w/ Tool Tray. Hope this helps you as it has helped me. My Avatar shows me sitting on mine.

 

[Floating_Adrift]

Gel knee pads!

 

[Lynn Wilson]

I am so new to MD that I haven't actually started yet! I am still in the "reading about it" phase--waiting on Santa to bring me my first metal detector. I will be retiring next May (only 119 more days of school this year!) and I am already bothered by arthritis in my left knee. I had gastric bypass 5 years ago and lost 120 pounds, so my weight is where it should be. Like some of the folks here, I can't take n-saids because of the way my intestines were rewired. I can only take tylenol for pain.

Anyway, I am glad to hear that others with knee problems have figured out ways to do MD. I will definitely be trying some of these. Maybe I need to add gel knee pads and a metal cart and a short handled shovel to my Christmas list!

Thanks!