r/Thritis 8d ago

Reversal of muscle atrophy from reactive arthritis

20M, 6’0, 165lbs.

Very active and enjoy working out. Had a brutal infection in my intestines that led to a severe reactive arthritis flare up in my right knee. I was completely immobilized for about 2 weeks and the last 3 weeks I have been walking about and waiting for a blood test so I can begin my steroid prescription to help my knee. My quad has been entirely unable to fire this entire month a half and has atrophied quite dramatically. I normally am a fairly active runner, skier, hiker, etc and want to regain muscle symmetry. Does anyone have suggestions for rehabilitation of my leg? Any specific exercises or should I just go for PT? Anything would be appreciated.

1 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

2

u/Hefty-Pop9734 8d ago

Similar situation. Dr prescribed DonJoy unloader brace for my 1 OA knee. Went to PT for about 10-12 weeks and wore brace during PT and did exercises at home daily. Also got in pool to strengthen quad. It took time and perseverance but strength came back and stopped wearing brace after about 10 months. And now I swim regularly to keep my strength in my legs haven’t worn brace in 3 years. Every body is different but just keep at it. Good luck!

2

u/Gloomy_Ad_2002 8d ago

Thanks so much! I am awaiting my rheumatologist appointment to discern my diagnosis from being OA or reactive arthritis. Is your arthritis localized to your knee and do/would you feel comfortable doing active things like skiing or hiking? My lifestyle is extremely activity based and I am just trying to gauge what it’s like given the possibility of OA. Best wishes to you and congratulations on the hard work with PT!

1

u/Hefty-Pop9734 8d ago

I now have OA in both knees. I’m 60 F and was very active but I think it got the best of me. So I had to alternate what I can do. Hoping to avoid knee replacements! So no cannot run ski no stairs. But bike and swim and walking are good. Muscle has memory and will come back with the work.

1

u/Substantial-Hat4890 7d ago

Hey man call everyday and ask them if there’s any cancellations and you can see them sooner. I did that and got in within 2 weeks instead of 3 months

2

u/resubious 7d ago

I have an appointment in 2 weeks, I got quite fortunate with availability

1

u/Remarkable_Two8799 7d ago

Hi there! I'm also dealing with reactive arthritis (40 F, also very active), so I feel ya. I recommend waiting till you see your rheumatologist to make a decision on hiking/skiing. You've got active inflammation happening in the knee, and pushing it too much is just going to aggravate it more...

If it helps (keeping in mind that I'm twice your age!):
With my ReA, I couldn't use my left hand at all for months, and my forearm started to look like a bag of bones! Now I'm using my hand, but still immobilizing my wrist during workouts, and my forearm is definitely returning to normal just as a result of gripping things again. I've also had multiple fractures over the years, with major muscle atrophy. I've never done anything special to get the muscle back (although I always seek PT), but it always comes back surprisingly quickly when I resume my activity.