Hi everyone: I have Chondromalacia in both knees and am wondering how many days a week I should exercise since my knees always hurt. I ride a recumbent stationary bike and walk on a treadmill. Any advice? Thanks. Sue

Hi Sue,

I too have chrondomalacia of both knees and the best thing you can do is STOP whatever you are doing as this is a incurable and irreversable condition. This is what I have been told, and I am lucky that I am still walking, nevermind exercise! I am only 45. What have you been told by your doctors? Maybe, you and I can compare notes on this condition. I am in such pain, I want to jump out of my skin. It is worse while bearing my own body weight and walking, therefore, I can hardly get around my own house. I just had another MRI yesterday. I hope it tells me that there is something besides chondo in my right knee, only because it is incurable. Please keep in touch okay? I have not run across anyone else who has it bilateraly. How did you get the chrodomalacia?
Kate

[This message has been edited by Buddhabuoy22 (edited 06-19-2003).]

Hi Kate: I'm sorry you're suffering also. Over a yr. ago I had a lateral release and patella shaving on my right knee. It did absolutely nothing for me. The Orthopedist told me to keep exercising no matter how much it hurt. That was easy for HIM to say, right? For awhile, my pain had lessened, but now it's the same. I'm also dealing with TMJ which got much worse after my knee surgery. I don't know how or why I ended up with Chondromalacia. I'm seeing a PT next week for TMJ treatment, and I'm going to get his opinion on exercise. Of course, we live in a 2 story house and I could cry everytime I have to go up and down the stairs. We can't afford to move. I wish we were allowed to post email addresses on this board, so we could communicate with each other privately. You keep in touch too, OK? Sue

Hi you two....here we are again.
I am the one who has been suffering with aching knees, not swollen or red, but aching. Now they just hurt, more sometimes, not so much at other times. But always there, I finally went to an orthopedist and he said I was correct, when I said I thought I had Chrondomalacia. He said to keep taking my glucosamine every day and walking was good for it. So I have started a 1 mile walking routine every night, my dog begging to go, helps me get out of the house. To easy to say, forget it. I took 3 months of pills, glucosamine sulfate and my pain is less, but I think maybe something is better. So yesterday I started on Syn-Flex. Now we'll see if I get any better...I'll keep you posted. Let's hope we all get some relief, although my pain doesn't seem to be as bad as you two.

------------------
JeanneMarie

Hi JeanneMarie: I wish Glucosamine worked for me, but it doesn't do a thing. Neither does Zyflamend, a product that helped in the beginning. I'm so tired of being in pain, and not just from Chondromalacia!!! I wish we could all find some relief!!!!!!! Sue

HI Sue,

This is Katie. Why can't we give our email address on this site? I would really like to talk with you about this condition in detail with you. I feel bad that you are in such pain too! The steps are the worst thing for chondomalacia. I only come downstairs once or twice a day because it is so painful. I side step the stairs up and down and pull myself up the stairs by holding onto the banister. I asked my husband if we could buy one of those lifts, and he said "has it really come to this?" I just cried. I am so depressed about this. Please try to email me and chat more about this. Okay?
kbl488@msn.com
Katie

HI.
Speaking of banisters, I had my husband install a banister on the other side also. Now with both of them, I can pull myself up pretty well, and at the top, I'm having him put up a grab bar, so I can pull myself up onto the landing. Yes, steps are murder. But the 2nd banister is a godsend, and I think the grab bar will be, as well.

------------------
JeanneMarie

A fulkerson tibial tubercle transfer will relieve the chondromalacia pain.

I had this procedure done 10 years ago for constant kneecap pain (grating, grinding - stairs were horrible)
Though it is painful to undergo and the recovery is long --- it gave me my life back nd no problems since - 10 years later

good luck

(I went thru every exercise program, therapy treatment etc. beforehand with no results at all)

Hi Fuschia: I'm glad that the TTT surgery worked for you and that you're painfree. Did you just need it in one knee? I have a friend who had it done, but unfortunately, it didn't help her. She has 2 bad knees like myself. Thanks for giving us hope. Sue

Yes - I had it done in 1 knee....

Holding out on the other until it really needs it.

It took me approx 1 year to feel good and the screws came out after 10 months

Take care.

Hi group and Sue,

I forgot about having my email blocked. I must have your email address in my computer in order for emails to come through, so if anyone wants to talk privately about chrondomalacia please give me your email via this site and I can add it to my list. Thanks, I would really appreciate talking to someone. I am in a lot of pain and would like someone who has been there to speak to me. I am almost at the end of my rope.

I was encouraged to hear of a procedure that someone brought up, the TTT procedure. Could someone explain what this is? I see the orthopedic doctor this Thursday and would like to discuss it with him. He has really not giving me much hope. He said that surgery is only successful in 40% of patients and he would not be willing to risk it. Well, I am! I am in so much pain I can't stand to even stand up for more than 2mins. at a time. I have to believe that there must be some sort of help for me besides pain management. This is where I am now, they have me taking massive doses of pain medication. This is also my second orthopod in 6 months. Should I get a third opinion? I really need help. Previous to Oct 2002 I never had a pain in my knees ever, then I did a job where they had me sitting in an extremely low chair and I had to jump up and down out of it to do my job. I am not able to work and am in bed most of the time. The orthopod said that I cannot sit, stand, or walk for any length of time, which I already know. But who would hire me under those conditions? He said this was permanent and irreversable condition. I hope to hear from someone and am curious as to know if you all are able to work etc. Let me know.
Thanks,
Katie

Hi group,

I went to the orthopod yesterday and he is going to do an arthoscopic procedure on my knee albeit reluctantly! I am in so much pain and I cannot stand on my left leg due to knee pain from the chrondo. He said that the results of inprovement w/this procedure are very low, about 40% success rate. I am in so much pain that I am willing to try. What do you think? Does anyone else have it this bad? I hope to hear from someone.
Katie

Hi Katie: I wonder if it's the same knee surgery that I had in my right knee where he shaved the patella and did a lateral release. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes. Sue

Hi Sue,

No lateral releases because I have normal alignment and no problem with patella tracking. This will be more exploritory to remove anything shredded or rough surfaces of the patella. Did this surgery help you? Let me know. I know I should not get my hopes up because of the low success rate, but I am in so much pain and not able to stand. I am taking heavy duty pain medication which only lasts for 3-4 hours. It is supposed to last for 12. The more I am standing the more pain that I am in. I have pretty bad atropy from not using my legs. I know I have to build up my quads, but the orthopod said that if I cannot stand then I should not do any of the exercises that include weight bearing. I do a lot of exercises in bed to at least maintain some tone, but it does not take the place of walking.
Anyway, thanks for getting back to me. I appreciate it. Katie

Katie, Sue and whomever else.
Do you know what you did in your lifetime to cause this Chrondomalacia? I read that runners usually end up with this. I did nothing to aggravate my knees. I never ran, did nothing to excess. I never read anything about inactivity, but in my case I do believe that is what caused my Chrondomalacia. 4 years ago when I got this computer, after being retired, I find it very addicting. Can spend most of the day here, but that is not wise. I do feel, that if I had been up and moving around for these last years, I would not have this. No one in my family, has this or ever heard of it. So now, I try to be more active, after the knees are paining me.....and it should have been before. It's kind alike after the horse gets out, then close the barn....

------------------
JeanneMarie

Hi JeanneMarie: I think mine was caused by overexercising. My family history is frightening and I was afraid of dying of a heart attack like my brother did at an early age, so I was always exercising. Everyone in my family had (has) high cholesterol too, so exercise was always important to us. I don't know how I got to be the lucky one, but Chondromalacia affects women more than men. I don't think any other female relative has it though. I'm the lucky one. I'd do anything to be healthy, but it's just not meant to be in my case. Sue

HI JEANMARIE,

My chrondo was caused by jumping up and down from a very low chair at work. I was not given a reg. office chair to sit in, hence the condition I am in today.
Loading your body in this way will ruin you knees, take my word for it. For two weeks I ignored the pain. I have since learned from the arthritis foundation that it can take as little as two weeks to permanently ruin a person. So, avoid low chairs at all costs. I can no longer sit in my living room at all. The only place in my house that is way up high is my bed, so I watch TV in there and also eat in there now. I do not sit in my kitchen chairs either. To sit here at the computer you would not believe how I have to get up! I throw my legs out, roll over and push myself up with my arms and shoulders. Like a cripple.

I am very depressed living in the bedroom. My life has pretty much stopped because of this and I am becomming a burden to my husband. Oh, I see someone for this, and he is also a pain specialist and I am getting adaquate pain medication now (this took months for someone to believe me that I was in that much pain) and he says that I should have someone help me with things, but no one does. I don't know how long I can stand this. My only hope is this upcomming surgery. If that does not work, I don't think that I can live like this for another 25 years in this much pain.
Kate

Hello,
I am just 37 years old facing Chondramalacia since more than six months.
I am neither a sportman nor an athelete but, nobody knows how I got this disease. Now, it is difficuilt for me to use the steps or bent the knees.
I tried glucosamine tablets for 2 months but, didn't help.
Then, I came accross a new non-invasive treatment called RFQMR where they expose the knees to RF waves for an hour every day for 21 days.
It has given me around 40-50 % relief. it seems this treatment regenerates cartilage. In addition to this, I am doing regular exercises & some diet restrictions told by the doctor.
Any other advices how we can get rid of this problem?
Thanks & Regards,
Prashant

Hello everyone my name is Kristen and I am 18 years old. I have been diagnoised with chondromalacia when I was about 13 years old and I have also been diagnoised with arthritis in my right knee. I got my disease when a boy pushed me in the basement of my High School and my whole knee turned black and I was not taken to a doctor. Also, before that I feel in gym glass on my knee cap and hit hard and hurt my knee then. I have had two knee surgeries PT a lot of times. I have tried glucosimine and condrodiant for several months and it did not give me any relief. I used to play track and I can no longer play track because of my knee and I also bowl and it hurts me to bowl but I just can't give that up; that is the only normal thing that I have left in my life dealing with my knee. I am 18 years old I can not live a normal life with all odds against me with my health. Weather chages also make my knee worse. My father wants me to go to another speicalist in Syracuse NY to see if they can help me, but I just don't feel like keep hearing bad news. How did all of you get your disease and does anything help you get rid of some of this pain ?

I've had one arthroscopic knee surgery that realigned my kneecap and scoped it out. I also take Advil. All my joints hurt more in cold weather. Glucosamine and Chondroitin have done nothing for me, but I think fish oil helped. I stopped taking it b/c no matter what form of it I took, it made me nauseous. I still walk on the treadmill or use an exercise DVD. Sometimes I apply Jointritis to my knees when they hurt. Knock on wood, the pain hasn't been real bad for awhile. It used to feel like someone took an ax and sliced through my knees, especially the one I ended up having surgery on. Thankfully, I haven't had that pain since I healed from the surgery. I'm sorry you're having problems at such a young age. It ruly sucks to be dealing with that. I hope you find some pain relief soon.:confused: