You asked if we thought someone who had not exercised in a long time could get back in shape. well, think about this, if you DON"T exercise some, even a little, what kind of shape will you be in this time next year? You'll be worse. You want to start doing something, and walking is a good beginning, to just stay where you are. You may never get back to what you could do when you were a teenager, but you can certainly improve on what you are today. Give it a good try. It will be well worth it!!

Hi BugGirl.....I don't know if I have PS but I do get knee pain when I go overboard with my exercise routine. I used to be a runner and then when I tried to start up again last year I realized that wasn't going to happen due to my knees acting up. I am 50 and feeling like I'm just falling apart. I have been able to do a walk/jog combination on a regular basis which so far hasn't been a problem. After doing this for 4 consecutive days my left knee was starting to let me know to give it a rest so I did take the weekend off which did the trick. When I laid in bed and bent my knee I could feel a lump which must have been some swelling on the inside of the knee. I know that as we age our joints don't lubricate like they used to so that's what causes pain. Have you tried some MSM with glucosamine? I did this for a while and it seemed to help. I just stopped as I take so many vitamins and other things at this stage that I just never bothered to buy it again. This may help you. Also during your time of discomfort try putting some ice or a heating pad depending on it your preference. This works for all my other aching joints/muscles also. What about some Ben Gay or other type of joint rub. I use a product called BioFreeze which I got from my chiropractor. It's very cooling and really helps relieve my discomforts. Hope this helps a bit. I know it's not fun dealing with these problems. Another idea which I've used is a knee support wrap. Maybe if you wear this during the day for a while it will support your knee so it won't cause you the pain later on. These have all worked for me so hope something here will help you....Good luck......Linda/NJ

My pain is often hard to figure out, since alot of uninvolved parts react to pain somewhere else, with my fibrmyalgia. The only warning I may have gotten was that my leg started aching at night (which is what I had prior to the meniscus problem). Yes....If I sit or lay down, the pain all goes away, for the most part. I get up, and it starts immediately. I hope its not bone-on-bone pain. You'd think I would have more pain at rest if it was really inflamed. I have had big problems with my foot structure my whole life too. I had surgery on my left foot about 13 years ago, for an arthritis chip in the big toe, and several hammertoes. I had plantar fasciitis alot, because of my tight tendons. After my knee surgery (I think because of my limping), I developed a neuroma in my right foot. I could hardly walk. I got orthotics, and that helped alot. The pain went away completely when it forced my second toe to become a hammertoe. So I'm sure my gait has changed since then, which might be affecting my knee. Also, after my knee surgery I seemed to develop piriformis syndrome.....which eventually went away. Needless to say, I think I was born with an inferior/weak structure. I do know that alot of my tendons/muscles are really tight most of the time. I decided to quit doing my exercises yesterday, thinking it might be hurting it, but my pain got alot worse. So its back to the stretching and strengthening exercises today. Fortunately, I have a cryopak for icing. Another curious thing is that my body seems to fall apart every Fall. This has happened ever since I developed fibromyalgia about 15 years ago. I do take D3 supplements, in the event it has something to do with SAD. I've been to so many docs in my life and I know that not all of them are reasonable troubleshooters. Did your doc immediately realize that yours was the IT band problem? I also think some of the physical therapists know more about some of these things than the docs. Was the doc who diagnosed you an orthopod? Thanks for your help oilpainter.

Unfortunately, I am very lax on exercising... I used to go to the pool and exercise when I lived in former town, but it got to the place the chemicals made me itch and break out so badly that my skin bled... I walked 3-4 miles a day...then came 3 joint replacements and arthritis in every joint in my body and I have constant pain. The surgeon who relpaced one of my hips, cut the nerves and I walk with a terrible wabble and it feels like it is caving in with each step, and no fixing it...the nerves are dead....so makes my back hurt and have terrible balance when I do try to walk. I have gained a lot of weight and it know it makes all of my health problems worse..plus I am blessed with tremors in my hands..so I think I have just given up on extending my years. I am able to keep up with my house and take care of my personal needs, but life has lost its "fun" for me any more.