Glad you're not retiring from training people 
And, thank you for continuing to use positive methods with us !
As far as the joint issues - consider locating a health club and a certified trainer in rehabilitation.
One reason that doctors like surgery is that it is statistically "proven" to work with a wide variety of people... even though the results may not always be the best. In contrast, exercise methods etc., may not work with everyone, because people have to have the discipline to follow through and surgery is 'passive'.
With your ankle, in addition to permanent soft tissue damage, you may have some adhesion issues that occurred during healing. With one or two sessions, an experienced trainer may show you exercises - that aren't fun - but that may release the adhesions. In addition, he can show you very specific strengthening exercises. A physical therapist might also know these, but may be more expensive ... or may be covered by insurance. (You can also locate this type of info online... but you can also find dog training info online )
With your knee, there may be some body weight, muscle stabilization exercises that help, and when you've reached that limit, you can explore some methods for re-growing cartilage ... These can help with arthritis type injuries, if you are dedicated and disciplined, because the exercises can be long and boring. Some Chinese methods (Not acupuncture, but Tai Chi, Chi Kung) have shown some clinical success. However, I don't know of any non-surgical methods for torn/damaged ligaments...
If you can get away with it, a massage from a pretty trainer is always a good motivation for rehabilitation...
And, thank you for continuing to use positive methods with us !As far as the joint issues - consider locating a health club and a certified trainer in rehabilitation.
One reason that doctors like surgery is that it is statistically "proven" to work with a wide variety of people... even though the results may not always be the best. In contrast, exercise methods etc., may not work with everyone, because people have to have the discipline to follow through and surgery is 'passive'.
With your ankle, in addition to permanent soft tissue damage, you may have some adhesion issues that occurred during healing. With one or two sessions, an experienced trainer may show you exercises - that aren't fun - but that may release the adhesions. In addition, he can show you very specific strengthening exercises. A physical therapist might also know these, but may be more expensive ... or may be covered by insurance. (You can also locate this type of info online... but you can also find dog training info online
)With your knee, there may be some body weight, muscle stabilization exercises that help, and when you've reached that limit, you can explore some methods for re-growing cartilage ... These can help with arthritis type injuries, if you are dedicated and disciplined, because the exercises can be long and boring. Some Chinese methods (Not acupuncture, but Tai Chi, Chi Kung) have shown some clinical success. However, I don't know of any non-surgical methods for torn/damaged ligaments...
If you can get away with it, a massage from a pretty trainer is always a good motivation for rehabilitation...
