North American Tang Shou Tao

[Student]

Hello internal arts fans. I have a warning for you. A few years ago i was training with some of the NATSTA people in Tennessee. They had me doing duck walks etc... They told me I could do these exercises until i was 50. My knees stayed very sore as i did the duck walks, bouncing up and down as instructed. My instructors asked me if my knees were sore. I said yes. They asked me if my knees hurt while walking up the stairs. I said yes. I finally stopped doing those exercises after i noticed creaking under my knee caps. A few months after stopping, the soreness went away and the symptoms of cartilage damage were very present. The soreness and hurting while walking upstairs, stiffness etc.. are symptomatic of the wearing away of anticular cartilage. All the GLC2000 in the world will not repair the damage. It's fairly permanent. The exercises should follow chinese medical principals. With those NATSTA people, the exercises did not. Stay away from those people. Get your Hsingi etc... someplace else. So, don't seek instruction from swine. At least the Tennessee branch anyway :mad: . Peace and health be upon you. :)

[Student]

The insurance requires doctors to try physiotherapy etc... prior to paying for x rays or mri. The physiotherapy makes the muscles stronger so the joint can operate more smoothly. And yes i have been examined. The creeking is still there. I was 33 when i started. 5'10", 240 lbs. i did those exercises for about 2 1/2 years. i am 39 now. the creeking is still there and i really have to watch how i move. if i jog i jogg on a padded track. when i bend my knees they sound like broken glass or something. Perhaps you are right, but the orthopedists at emory seemed to think that there was cartilage damage, but can't tell how much because an mri or x-rays were not justified. pain level isn't high enough. just creeks and can't overdo exercise now. when i do soreness sits in and must rest for about 3 days. walking upstairs is still very uncormfortable. have to limit how many i climb. the bones are still strong however, according to the doc's at emory. thanks for your input. if you have anything else, please feel free to contribute. you sound very informed.
:)

[Student]

oh, and yes. in addition to physiotherapy, i did try tcm. i have tried yukka (not sure of spelling) root powder and GLC2000. the tcm and herbs can improve the lubrication of the joints, but if i go a period without taking the GLC2000, i can tell i am not as lubricated. and during physiotherapy i was on an anti-inflamatory, can't remeber which one. I imagine a person can learn the whole body power techniques of hsingi and develop adequate leg strength without risking knee damage to develop the required skill. Do you think? just curious.

[Student]

what is 8/10 pain with weight bearing?

[Student]

oh yea, i remember them asking me to rate the pain. i was brutally honest because my biggest fear was the idea of going in for total knee replacement. scary thought :eek:. lol. but thanks. thanks so much. :)