The strength exercises are a huge help as is ibuprofen, and RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation.) Acupuncture has also helped.

Also, learn what makes the symptoms worse. (I know if I power walk four times a week, my knee will flare up, so I limit my exercise to three times a week.)

Good luck!

I've never had anything like this before and to now find out that it will be a recurring problem. I can't even sleep comfortably.

Are you able to be seen by one? Also, can you get down on a mat to do exercises? I find that moist heat, walking and stretching are the things to be done between these exercises that the PTs have given me.

On the diet side, try to have what is referred to as a non-inflamatory diet.

Also, I do swear by a product called NovaJoint. It's taken off so much, that there is a back order and I'm currently out of it. However, it's a good product for joints and muscles.

try the recommended exercises first. I was kinda hoping to wait until the pain was reduced but it's been two weeks like this so I'm not sure I'll see any pain reduction. I did buy the knee brace which feels good when I walk but after awhile it feels too tight but is very hard to remove. This is all so new to me.

You're going on the right track now. Hang in there.

but it can be prohibitive.

I usually don't post here, but I do visit. I developed tendonitis all over my body from taking Ciprofloxin which doctors prescribed for a bacterial infection that put me in the hospital and would have killed me if left untreated. Cipro has terrible side effects which I didn't know about but like me you can research it online. The tendonitis can get so bad that the literature says even your Achilles tendon can pop after you stop taking the antibiotic. I took it last May and 9 months later I still have the tendonitis. Unfortunately most doctors don't believe their patients because they aren't informed by the drug companies. Anything to make a buck.

A friend who has MS and has suffered from physical pain all his life recommended DMSO which I researched online and ended up finding DMSO2 cream which doesn't leave you smelling like garlic. It is called Penetrex. This is not a cure, nor is it medicine but it takes almost all of the pain away. It builds up with time so you can move around and feel almost normal. You can put it on as many times as you feel you need it and has no negative effects. I went from barely being able to hobble around and a loss of coordination in my body to nerve numbness in my feet and constant crippling pain to being able to move almost normally with almost no pain.

You can find it on Amazon.com. There are more than 700 reviews for it which will convince you to get it. I have recommended this to everyone I know who has any pain, cronic or otherwise and they are all now recommending it to their friends. It truly works. The number of symptoms it helps is really surprising. Read the reviews for the 4 oz which all apply to the 2 oz amount. You can read the reviews here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=penetrex

I hope this helps. It can't hurt you to try.

The brace also helps. Once the pain starts though then I'm done for the day. It's been almost a month and it's been psychologically hard for me to accept that this will be this way for the rest of my life.

last week and the pain has main reduced by half. She also recommended a book that has exercise/stretching techniques that reduce pain. I still use the brace but I'm feeling so much more hopeful. I can see how chronic pain makes me so tired and negative all the time.