Chondromalacia Patella ( Runners Knee)

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Flesh Thorn
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Chondromalacia Patella ( Runners Knee)

Post by Flesh Thorn »

I have been crying like a little girl as of lately. My pain and symptons are consistant with chondromalacia . I am going to try and treat myself and I would like to know what works and what doesn't ? I can Google on my own. I am now taking 600 mg Motrin every 6 to 10 hours and avoiding running and all of the other shit that hurts( like walking down hills) . Are there any specific stretching or quad exercises that may help ?
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66G_RN
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Post by 66G_RN »

Ranger Flesh Thorn, I have this from time to time, particularly if I am pushing myself to run harder than I normally do. If it really starts bothering me, I actually lay off running for a while and will swim instead for a week or two and then ease myself back into running.

Also, you can take the Motrin 600mg every 6 hours around the clock, even if you are not in pain just for the anti-inflammatory effects.

I have a hot tub and use it religiously. You might not be as old as me (I'm pushing 40) but I find it really helps relieve the discomfort. A heating pad can suffice but I really prefer warm moist heat for this type of injury.
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Flesh Thorn
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Post by Flesh Thorn »

You might not be as old as me (I'm pushing 40)
I'm just pushing 39. :D
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Post by 66G_RN »

I'm just over 38. We're not older, just wiser, right? :wink:
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Post by Silverback »

In this case there is only one cure, you need to begin Agressive Testosterone Replacement. At your age there is a tendency for an overload of Estrogen which causes phantom pains and general fucking weakness! :twisted:
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Post by last.tango »

Ranger Flesh Thorn
In chondromalacia patella there is a softening and degeneration of the cartilage underneath the kneecap. Once we hit 30-40 years of age (I'm pushing 50) the osteoarthritis label is usually added.

As Nurse 66G_RN recommended: moist heat. And you may want to try cold alternating with heat, with the cold immediately following activity.

As Ranger Fish suggested quadriceps exercises are beneficial as is attention to foot structure/alignment, orthodics and footwear. The quads play a significant roll in patellar movement.
Also the hamstring muscles are involved in knee flexion. Tightness in the hip external rotator and calves can lead to compensatory foot pronation.

A high arch or supinated foot has less cushioning ability and will cause more stress on the patello-femoral mechanism on striking the ground. So whether pronated or supinated attention to footwear and orthodics is important. Concentrate on leg movement and foot placement, especially when tired. Don't let the stride swing or become sloppy with fatigue.

For the long haul, a supplement you may want to research and consider is glucosamine sulfate/chondroitin sulfate. They are nutriceuticals not drugs and so will take time to see benefit from supplementation. Both occur naturally in the body. Glucosamine stimulates the formation and repair of articular cartilage and chondroitin prevents body enzymes from degrading the building blocks of articular cartilage. Generally a loading dose is taken 4-8 weeks then reduced to a maintainance dose.

edit to add:
OTC topical anti-inflammatory/analgesic gels/creams:
Biofreeze, Traumeel, Arnica
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ma91c1an
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Post by ma91c1an »

One word: Mobic.

It is the shit.

I had never heard of it until a pharmacy that I went to to buy my daily fix of Naproxen was out. I asked for a substitute, and they offered Mobic.

I read the circular, and it looked good. Tried it, and never went back to Naprocin. Been taking it for about a year now.

You have to really work your legs hard. Push weight. You cannot simply focus on the quads, as you also need to hit the hams. While you are at it, hit the glutes (at ease, BrokeBack Ranger), and blast your calves.

I had chondromalacia for years. Now, it is definitely arthritis.

Everytime that the goddamned weather changes, I know it ahead of time.

All those orthodepic problems are better over here, though, because it is so warm. When I was back in the states a couple of months ago, I thought that I was going to die.
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Knee Pain

Post by RGRPA »

Lots of good comments so far,on how to handle this, I would like to add a few:

Exercise: Squats(no squats are not bad for your knees), Leg Ext/Curls, Lunges (Barbell/Dumbell), Seated/Standing Calf Raises, Straight Leg Deadlifts

Supplements: Add Vitamin C and Manganese to your list, these are thought to harden existing cartilage. Try to avoid daily doses of strong anti-inflammatories as they can lead to other problems down the road. Instead use simple meds like arthritis strength tylenol on most days and when you have a flare up use the prescription meds for a few days and then put them aside again.

Foot wear: I do not know how big you are, but if you weigh more than 170 pounds there is an excellent change that you over pronate. Make sure your running shoes are built to support you properly. Have two pairs of running shoes that are designed with your needed support. It is best to have two different brands of shoe, each will support your feet, but will do so in a slightly different manner. This will help to avoid constant, repetative stress on your feet, ankles, knees and hips.

Running: First, don't run when you have severe flare ups; second vary the speed, distance and terrain often. again to avoid constant repetative stresses.

Finally make sure you get a good evaluation and diagnosis, there are other problems that can mimick/aggravate your symptoms. The most common is an irritation of the ITB, a long band-like ligament that runs from your hip to your knee.

Good Luck
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Post by RGR_Dan »

They make an over the counter creme you can put on your knee. Its called gynalotramin. :lol:
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Flesh Thorn
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Post by Flesh Thorn »

Silverback wrote:In this case there is only one cure, you need to begin Agressive Testosterone Replacement. At your age there is a tendency for an overload of Estrogen which causes phantom pains and general fucking weakness! :twisted:
I have started eating litttle kittens......raw. I was told that that will increase the T factore or so Abell9 tells me. :lol:

Fish wrote :
Keep up the Motrin or try naproxen if motrin does not work well. Lay off the running a while, and do quadriceps exercises. If you have a distal malalignment ie feet, you should get some orthotics, that can be the cause of some of your symptoms.
I was doing hill sprints three days a week when the pain started. At 220 lbs and 38 years of age I suppose it could be worse.
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Kurt V
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Post by Kurt V »

Not sure I would go with heat, especially if you have swelling and inflammation. Cold is better. Forget the weight exercises until the pain/inflammation subsides. Start a regimen of bicycling. A cycling machine will work just fine. This allows you to keep the joint loose, but build up the muscles around the knee. You say you are 220lbs. This an ideal weight or can you stand to lose a few pounds?
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Flesh Thorn
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Post by Flesh Thorn »

I'm fat, but not as fat as some........ :)
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Julieanne
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Post by Julieanne »

RGR Fleshthorn, have your symptoms improved? If so, what did you end up doing?

I am having some issues w/ my right knee, I can no longer do squats or lunges, bicycling is quite painful as well. I can do leg extensions for my quads (did a search & as was stated here, strengthening the quads is supposed to alleviate the problem), dead lifts for hamstrings, as well as leg curls for hamstrings too. Kneeling down kills me. Oddly enough, the elliptical is doable - I can feel my knee, but it's not making me cry yet.

If you came up w/ some of your own tricks, I'd like to hear them. Other than eating young animals... raw, that is. :wink:

THANKS!
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