Log: Trying to solve knee pain issue

[Aleksandr]

My health in general has been pretty good, but I haven't been supplementing or taking the things that helped balance my hair test in the past (Ca, Mg, K2 and D3).
Pretty good in that i've done a "phenoage" test recently and got 19.56, at 33.

Anyway, my knee pain issue: Initially slipped playing tennis, thought it was just a cramp in my leg, and kept playing.
Didn't go away, had an MRI, it showed a small but full-thickness tear.
Kept off my knee for a long time of no sport, but whenever I tried to return my knees hurt like crazy from any sort of minimal impact.
Did physio, saw two different people. Both times my muscles get stronger, but as soon as I returned to any impact I got the same pain.
I also didn't suspect I had knee alignment issues, as I've never had issues with my knees before.
My good knee started hurting. Went and got a 2nd MRI for injured knee, and one for the good knee.
2nd MRI says its only a partial thickness tear now, so it seems some healing occurred which i was initially told wouldn't be possible. Great, except the pain is still the same.
Good knee is 100% pristine on the MRI, despite the pain.

Saw two surgeons about the bad knee, one of them said he's 95% certain the pain i feel has nothing to do with the tear - the knee is otherwise pristine and they refuse to operate.
Recommended physio and seeing a sports physician (who does things like PRP). At this point i've already had 5 prolotherapy shots to this knee, which is essentially a very similar thing.
GP said its basically the cheap version but if that doesnt help then PRP wont.
I've even tried running at the park on grass in a sort of "retraining impact tolerance": 10 seconds run, 50 seconds walk, x10, and after two weeks of that my knees got worse and worse and i had to stop.

TLDR; had knee pain the last 2.5 years.

What do I think is the cause?
I think it could be either two things:
1. The house i'm living in. Maybe i need to get a tin foil hat, but there's just something about the whole thing. My issues started shortly after I moved in here. And maybe, possibly, they get a bit better when I leave on holiday. For reference, i went on a 6 week holiday at one point and walked between 5k and 25k steps every day and I was OK. At the moment I can't walk 3k every day.

I don't know what it is about the house. Its an old dusty AF house. It could be the water pipes leaching something into the water (although I buy my water and have done for awhile now). It could be radiation (i sit near the power meter for the house). It could be something i'm not thinking about. I've just stayed here 3+ years because its been cheap rent. Anyway, i'm moving at the end of the year in Dec so we'll see if I get better then.

2. I haven't been taking the supplements I previously took that helped me. I've now ordered them after a chat with chatGPT. I've got an issue with all dairy (I get sebaceous cysts that need to be cut out of my skin), even low fat, even hard cheese so my calcium intake has always been low. It mentioned the CCZ - calcified cartilage zone, which is a thin layer between the bone and the articular cartilage (i had the tear in the articular cartilage) that can cause impact pain if not healthy.
It might even be something else these supplements resolve, maybe they just slow me down enough to get me to a better state where my body can properly function.
I was also taking DIM 500mg a day for maybe 2 months, i'll stop this as apparently suppressing estrogen too low can cause joint pain too.

Anyway, i've just ordered them, they arrive in about 2 weeks. I've got 3 months worth, I will re-assess after that
So I'll know if the supplements have helped by early Oct 2025.
The full stack looks like this:
- collagen peptides 10g in orange juice (30min before exercise - note i've been on this for years now, it hasn't resolved my issues)
- calcium citrate 500mg + d3 cholecalciferol 2000 IU + k2 mk-7 200mcg + 3mg boron (with lunch - these have helped balance me in the past)
- magnesium glycinate 400mg + glycine 10g (after dinner)

Baseline as at 20 June 2025:
- knees in pain when trying to walk 3k steps every day
- knees uncomfortable when sleeping and sitting

Goals:
1. Increase tolerable daily walking to 10k steps daily
2. Complete the "c25k" i.e. be able to run 5km
3. Return to tennis

Wish me luck! This has been driving me crazy, i'm an active person and not having tennis has been depressing, and now I can't even go for daily walks!

 

[bruschi11]

So Accutane was your drug that let you down.

It inflates A in the body and we need tons for A metabolism.

Calcium does make sense.

I know you’re gonna do htma again.

But look for an oligoscan provider and I can help you put the htma and oligoscan together to make more sense of you.

So oligoscan shows tissue minerals where htma is more cell.

While Oligoscan also shows the vitamins b6 b12 c e a d . And I think these are soooooo important in trying to figure someone out.

See if you can find a provider I know they have them in Aussie

 

[Aleksandr]

So Accutane was your drug that let you down.

It inflates A in the body and we need tons for A metabolism.

Calcium does make sense.

I know you’re gonna do htma again.

But look for an oligoscan provider and I can help you put the htma and oligoscan together to make more sense of you.

So oligoscan shows tissue minerals where htma is more cell.

While Oligoscan also shows the vitamins b6 b12 c e a d . And I think these are soooooo important in trying to figure someone out.

See if you can find a provider I know they have them in Aussie

Interesting, yeah there's one near me.

I actually wasn't planning on doing a HTMA, they're super expensive now. The oligoscan is a much cheaper option, I might do it! Will post results if I do. Thanks for the heads up about it.

 

[Aleksandr]

@bruschi11 did the oligoscan.
ur right hard to post images here.

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Image lraZiDma hosted on ImgBB

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Image okziZ7fy hosted on ImgBB

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Image pNqTl80d hosted on ImgBB

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[Aleksandr]

Not quite sure what to make of it TBH. It's interesting my tissue repair was the lowest at 8%, when my main sympton right now is joint pain. The guy who did it said something about it was a ratio between silicon and zinc.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many resources online where I can learn more about how to improve it.

I saw Dr Wilson's article on silicon and he recommends eating lots of onions and sardines for it.

I thought overall it didn't look too bad, only magnesium low in the big 4. But then that last page shows lots of things bad!

 

[bruschi11]

Not quite sure what to make of it TBH. It's interesting my tissue repair was the lowest at 8%, when my main sympton right now is joint pain. The guy who did it said something about it was a ratio between silicon and something else I forgot. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many resources online where I can learn more about how to improve it.

I saw Dr Wilson's article on silicon and he recommends eating lots of onions and sardines for it.

I thought overall it didn't look too bad, only magnesium low in the big 4. But then that last page shows lots of things bad!

I wouldn’t worry about the last page, interpretation.

This is good you’re not in a severe chronic illness pattern. You’re a little bit imbalanced. I see poor nad issues with the low lith high alum. I stilll seee need for calcium.

I would like to see serum b12 in blood. Is b12 low ? Or is it usage isssues….’

When b12 status improves. Correcting deficiency or fixing usage—- silicon gets fixed.

 

[ruprmurdoch]

there is vitamin d and active vitamin d, which raises pth which resorp your bones (there is thread with vitamin d where helen explain this). so:

1.you should concentrate only on vit k2 mk7, leave everything else (you may have papitations so try to take it in the morning) for like two weeks. you will see how your apetite for milk things will rise

2. if this vitamin will not help you in 2-6 weeks. try maybe antibiotic which help with bones- i suggest trimethoprim sulfamethoxazol.

ps.as almost every antibiotic it depletes vit k2, but you will be prepared for it beacuse you took vit k2 earlier. this antibiotic also lower folic acid, vitamin c and probably vit b12. so just supplement this before and after treatment a bit - but it is just up 2 you

 

[Aleksandr]

there is vitamin d and active vitamin d, which raises pth which resorp your bones (there is thread with vitamin d where helen explain this). so:

1.you should concentrate only on vit k2 mk7, leave everything else (you may have papitations so try to take it in the morning) for like two weeks. you will see how your apetite for milk things will rise

2. if this vitamin will not help you in 2-6 weeks. try maybe antibiotic which help with bones- i suggest trimethoprim sulfamethoxazol.

ps.as almost every antibiotic it depletes vit k2, but you will be prepared for it beacuse you took vit k2 earlier. this antibiotic also lower folic acid, vitamin c and probably vit b12. so just supplement this before and after treatment a bit - but it is just up 2 you

I've started taking

lunch:
500mg Ca, 2000 ui d3, 200mcg k2mk7
Dinner:
350mg Mg, 5mg boron

If i just take k2 and I get calcium cravings I'll be out of luck, I can't tolerate dairy. The only calcium rich foods I can have are sardines and nuts which don't get me to RDA. I suspect my gut bacteria has never been great (c section birth) so I probably have had low k2 forever.

I've also had a hair test, coming soon with ARL. I think I will just follow their recommendations for awhile. But I think I've been feeling good on the sups I've started, a lot more restful.

 

[ruprmurdoch]

I've started taking

lunch:
500mg Ca, 2000 ui d3, 200mcg k2mk7
Dinner:
350mg Mg, 5mg boron

If i just take k2 and I get calcium cravings I'll be out of luck, I can't tolerate dairy. The only calcium rich foods I can have are sardines and nuts which don't get me to RDA. I suspect my gut bacteria has never been great (c section birth) so I probably have had low k2 forever.

I've also had a hair test, coming soon with ARL. I think I will just follow their recommendations for awhile. But I think I've been feeling good on the sups I've started, a lot more restful.

You will stop this intolerance i think. You just have too much Ca in tissue i think. That's why You have this dairy intolerance. K2 alone will pit this Ca into bones

 

[MNK99]

Just some info.
For sure meat anti inflammation especially high quality carnivore regenerative farming meat and grass fed butter or ghee and I guess the other fat sources from beef like tallow…

Definitely have less arthritis days without coffee .

Honestly may take nada and only do carnivore but I mean I have time sensitive studying. Work, and trading and foreign. Business … and that and creative stuff a bit more… the school and some work isn’t gonna wait for me… hence some HRT and dex.

Cant take 10 weeks off to quit Dexedrine or 4 weeks I guess tho ya I quit a year or 2 sometime.

Usually really sick tho or depressed when quit a long ass time and it helps my literal disability even if others don’t particularly “get it.”

I mean raping ADHD, mood, and ability to avoid dangerous accidents , and injuries… just to being small dose of dex down to zero, isn’t worth it.

Vacation time, more life, and relationship stability… sure I can quit.

Did quit coffee 55 days I guess earlier this yr and no carbs especially gluten and the like no processed ones, some rice 2-4 x a mo not bad.

Gotta go phone call.

 

[Aleksandr]

Alright checking in about a week of doing the supplements (wtf it's only been a week?!).

Don't want to jinx things yet but I think I'm feeling improvements. I used feel pain in my knees sleeping and that seems to have improved.

It feels like when I do the physio exercises, or go for a walk now, I can still feel some pain, but it's less and it feels like I'm actually recovering somewhat afterwards, rather than just degenerating.

I'm really hoping this just continues as is, I just get better and better and the knee pain becomes a thing of the past to the extent I can get back into sport. It's been 2.5 years of this shit and this is the first Ray of hope!



I was hoping I'd have my hair test back by now but I haven't heard from them yet. Shame it's such a slow process.

Even if my knees heal up, I'll still follow the supplement protocol and diet as best I can for the next 2 years. But it seems I've kicked things off well. I also feel I've been sleeping way better, and even look a bit younger in the mirror somehow. I think mostly my eyes look much less tired.

 

[Aleksandr]

You will stop this intolerance i think. You just have too much Ca in tissue i think. That's why You have this dairy intolerance. K2 alone will pit this Ca into bones

hmm how come you think i have too much Ca in tissue?

as far as i know the Oligoscan is a tissue measurement, and the HTMA is a cell measurement.
the previous HTMA tests i've done have shown Ca on the lower side, and the Oligoscan shows it on the lower side too

not sure if i'm a "true" fast oxidiser or more of a "3 lows" or "4 lows" type, possibly just the accutane sped me up and wasted all my minerals or bad diet / lack of good bacteria.


---

Symptom Update:

Anyway, another thing i just noticed today: my teeth feel a lot stronger. I guess teeth are bones so it makes sense. They weren't feeling strong, they've historically looked a little see-through and yellow and loose, but they feel like they've strengthened up lately. Like they're not as loose in my mouth. Maybe they even look a little whiter too.

I've even bounded a bit, plyometric type movement, in a rush to get something yesterday. I did this without thinking, just instinctively in a rush, and nothing hurt. This is coming from a guy who can't run or has had to actively avoid dynamic plyometric-type movements like the plague for the past 2.5 years!


I'm also waking up out of bed every day with NO aches and pains. Literally none. I mean i haven't played sport in 2.5 years so I guess this could be expected, but this wasn't the case until i started the supplements. I was still in pain from walking. Knees ached, and usually my achilles tendon or something like that also. Admittedly I haven't been pushing lots of walking lately, but still i'm getting a bit on the weekends and woke up with no pain on monday.


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Health Routine:
slight change to my supplement routine. I'm now doing:

• Lunch:
  • 250mg calcium
  • 200mg magnesium
  • 200mcg k2 mk7
  • 2000 UI d3
• Dinner:
  • 250mg calcium
  • 200mg magnesium
  • 200mcg k2 mk7 (@ruprmurchoch thought it wouldn't hurt me to double it)

Exercise routine is as follows, don't think i mentioned that before.
3x a week I do this (with a rest day inbetween):

• x1 60sec stretch left ankle (old injury)
• 120 seconds eyes closed single leg balancing
  • on monday i did this for the first time continously without stumbling for the first time, on both legs, IMO attributable to the supplements too
• x5 reps "hip aeroplanes", taking 10 seconds to slowly go through each rep
• x17 reps, x2 sets, calf raises
  • i do these on a wedge to get more range of motion
  • eccentric lowering to the count of 5
  • targets lower leg (particularly for me the achilles tendon which i've had issues with in the past too)
• x17 reps, x2 sets, single leg step down
  • both eccentric lowering and raising, both to the count of 5
  • targets upper leg / glutes (important for office workers to get those firing from so much sitting)

i'm building the above routine up to x40 reps for calf raises and step downs. it is a very good longevity-focused workout.
high reps, very little risk, keeps hips mobile, keeps you balanced, keeps glutes activated, and works the most important/used muscles in the body.

---

Diagnostics:

Unfortunately i still don't have my HTMA back. I've emailed the practitioner, it should be back any day now. Does anyone know how long they take to do in the lab? it arrived there 7 days ago.

 

[Aleksandr]

My ARL htma July 2025:

Screenshot-20250710-100702-Drive hosted at ImgBB

Image Screenshot-20250710-100702-Drive hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

Interesting stuff. Sounds like I'm on the wrong supplement protocol currently as im just slowing down further!

I'm going to drop it to 250mg calcium, 200mg magnesium and 200iu k2 just once a day at night. I would stop it entirely but starting it (and a Wilson-esque diet) has correlated in stronger knees. I do wonder if it's just all the silica in the onions now (which the oligoscan said i was low in and was the cause of poor tissue repair, along with low zinc).

I've been following the Wilson diet for one meal a day only (still probably getting 5 veggies in that one meal though) + having a more carb-rich meal for the other one, hopefully avoiding taking my metabolism.

 

[Aleksandr]

Bought the ARL supps that were recommended, bloody expensive and I have to wait 2-3 weeks before they arrive which is a pain. I don't want to mess around with it though given my oxidation rate is a slow now. And thankfully im in a better financial position than last time I was running these 2018-2020.

Will continue the supps im on mentioned in the above post until they arrive.

I got 4 months worth, I'll send another hair test off after 3 months consumption though so I have time to get that back + do the next supplement order.

 

[Yura]

You do every test like it's first not retest? Do you think they would recommend different stuff and amounts if it was retest? I wish my hair test looked like yours lol. I have probably zero potassium, sodium, sky high calcium.. How much it cost those supps for 4 months? Once I do new hair test I will just look at what they recommend and will take those amounts just from single supplements.. Much cheaper.. Especially for me living in Europe..

 

[Aleksandr]

You do every test like it's first not retest? Do you think they would recommend different stuff and amounts if it was retest? I wish my hair test looked like yours lol. I have probably zero potassium, sodium, sky high calcium.. How much it cost those supps for 4 months? Once I do new hair test I will just look at what they recommend and will take those amounts just from single supplements.. Much cheaper.. Especially for me living in Europe..

No i just haven't done one in 5yrs, will do next as retest

It's expensive but how will you get those amounts from single supplements? It's so complex it would take ages. I suppose you could break them all down somehow and measure them all out. Hmm

 

[Aleksandr]

Interesting, i purchased this hair serum and after putting it on immediately my scalp itch stopped
"Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Density Boost Serum Fullness Restore"

https://www.amazon.com/Dove-Therapy-Fullness-moisturizing-fortifies/dp/B0CGS2LV6G/146-1694661-6479405?psc=1

its ingredients are "Hair serum for increased scalp care is infused with vitamin B3, vitamin E, zinc and peptides to promote hair density"

 

[Yura]

I don't wanna put anything on my skin from the outside. I think it is great to see where you are for real. IF you get better skin, hair everything gets better..

 

[Aleksandr]

i just had a VERY interest chat with chatgpt, sent it screenshots of my HTMA and asked it to analyise my minerals etc based on joint pain being the main symptom, i asked it to tell me what kind of supplements i should take from an ARL perspective and an TraceElements perspective and based on my symptoms.
i needed some correcting but it was very interesting.

Given the insane cost of following the protocol directly using endomet, i might next time just go via chatGPT recommendations. it did get some stuff wrong though and probably has slightly different interpretations than the actual ARL.

it also recommended silica - which came from the oligoscan too!

 

[Yura]

Well you can follow what ARL/TEI recommends, but just take it in form of your supplements. I say it all the time the their supps are expensive as fuck and not some special quality.. It's just pain in the ass for most people to put together their protocol with different brands of stuff..