i am allergic to NSAIDS every thing you say is true my right knee is so screwed up i am on second a custom made brace measured a fitted by an or tho. . this one's called the unloader they do work but are between $700 and a $1,000 my insurance has paid for them but i am bone on bone on that knee.roadtripmom wrote:"Instead of directly facing down to the hill, turning slightly sideways may help to balance but the stress on your knees is still there because of your body weight and your backpack weight that you carry. And yes, trekking poles are super helpful for decreasing that stress and protect your knees. Highly recommend that you start using poles from your next trip because we want to make our hiking life last longer."
I agree,I have had bad knees since I was a teen and the side step and long trekking poles makes a big difference. I also take "summit ibuprofen", 600 mg before I head down.
I think Crusak has nice newer version he uses.