chondomalacia

[kristi]

Hi,

Just wanted to see if anyone else is in the same situation and had some words of advice.  I have been diagnosed with chondomalacia in my knee.  I have seen 4 doctors and had 2 sets of xrays and 2 years later this is where I am at.

I am now undergoing physiotherapy for this and I need to know if it is normal to experience pain during and after the physio.  I have stayed off my knee as much as possible trying to avoid anything that would aggravate the pain and now I am told to do all the exercises I have been avoiding.

Is pain normal??  I feel it during and after.  Do I stop doing the exercises or just keep going through the pain.  Will it cause any more damage?

Any advice on this??  I have talked to my physio therapist and she is telling me to take it easy for now.  The problem is, no matter what I do with this knee there is always pain.  So as long as I am not damaging it anymore then does it matter?

Kristi

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Hi Kristi,

So sorry you are dealing with pain.  No PT should not cause undue pain.  It may be slightly painful doing some exercies, but that should go away after.  Especially since the PT is to help reduce the pain.  I would suggest looking for doc #5.  Chondromalacia is something that happens because of something else.  This is not a diagnosis.  Try to get to the bottom of what has caused the chondo.  If you have maltracking for instance, PT will aggrivate things a lot.  You may also be at the point where the back of the kneecap could use a cleaning.  The damaged cartilage would be removed and hopfully allow things to operate more smoothly inside.  Good luck and try to find the real problem.

Milly

[Cynthia1982]

Hi Kristi,

I agree with Milly. There has to be a reason why you have chondromalacia. I had the same problem and was seeing an OS who was telling me try physio and various treatments, all of which aggravated my knee more. In the end I got fed up and went for a second opinion, this OS did an MRI and other tests, my chondromalacia was due to maltracking and the back of my kneecap was rough where it should be smooth. He preformed a lateral release and cleaned out the back of my kneecap. If I was in your suitation I would definitly be looking for another opinion so you can get your knee sorted and hopefully pain free. I have OA in both my knees so I still have pain especially in cold weather, but I think the OA could have been avoided in my left knee if I had got is sorted sooner.

Good Luck,

Cynthia

[Silkncardcrafts]

Hi Kristi,

I totally agree with Milly and Cynthia.

Chondromalacia is not a real diagnosis just a symptom of something else. It can often be due to maltracking or poor biomechanics.

A proper physio program can help, but doesn't work for everyone. I have ended up having surgery on both knees. When you try physio the key is to gradually build up. The problem with a lot of physios is that they give you too much to start with. I have also found clinical pilates to really help. One of best forms of exercise for patella problems is an exercise bike. My left knee is very sensitive and have found an exercise bike to be one of the few things that I can do. Sometimes it does take a while to work out what aggravates your knee and what things don't.

Like Cynthia I now have OA, mainly in the left knee. I think I'd had the right physio to start with my problems wouldn't have taken so long to resolve. The best type of scans for patella maltracking are CT scans.

My advice would be to find a conservative knee specialist that understands patella problems very well. Mine in Melbourne does and makes a big difference. I also see a sports physician that manages my rehab closely.

Good luck with it all.