Knee problems - Chondromalacia Patellae - advice?

add595

Hi all.

I have had 'sore knees' on and off for a long time, at least a few years. Been to see GP's about it several times, no real answers. Went a few days ago and was diagnosed with Chondromalacia Patellae, which sounds right after reading up about it. Clicky: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Chondromalacia-Patellae.htm

I have been given some anti-inflammatory tablets and been told to rest the knee's as much as possible for at least a month, which is difficult given the nature of my job.

I am quite fed up right now as I love biking and would hate to have to give it up, especially at the ripe age of 26.

Does, or has, anyone else suffered with this and how do you go about keeping it under control?

Thanks in advance.

focus123

I have lived with this for 20 years. Had 2 ops seen 3 physios, neither of which helped. I have found that patella knee straps are the only thing that works for me. I have used them for 10 yrs now, without them I would not been able to ride. These are the ones are a band that fit just under the knee cap, fit them fairly tight,( I use vulkan straps but there are many different brands for sale on ebay). they will not cure you but they will keep you on the bike. Also good for hiking and and days when the knees just ache for no reason. The knees still get sore on long rides but recover after a day or so, if you have to drive home after a ride keep them on till you get home,.

stevewj

speedplay pedals

add595

stevewj wrote:

speedplay pedals

Care to follow up on that a bit more? I have read conflicting information on whether clipped-in pedals are better/worse than flats for this...

@focus123, what straps do you use? I have looked at these and will be purchasing some.

focus123

These are the vulcan straps http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vulkan-Patell ... 1261wt_905 but if you search ebay for patella straps ther are many similar ones.

Gunwitch

Had this problem since 1988, is what i was medically disharged from the army with.
I've had 10 key hole operations on each knee to remove the flakes, unfortunately this only cleaned them out until it happened again.
What i did after getting sick to death of being on crutches for a week or two after each op was this after being given advice by a physiotherapist, and this is only advice, so do with it as you please.
Built up the muscles above and below my knees, thighs and calves. This strengthened the muscles and helped keep my knees in place instead of mashing about.
I went swimming to help build up strength and after a couple of years took up hiking.
I'm now back in the forces, i tab over 6 miles with 20kg on my back, can cycle up to about 20 miles without feeling pain and haven't had major problems in over 10 years.
I still use a brace every now and then when the weather is cold and deep heat (bad stuff), but i keep myself active.
It takes time to do this but perserverance is the key. I still get aches in both knees, mainly when it's wet and cold, but nowhere near as bad as i used to.