Knee Pain Due to Chondromalacia Patella: Symptoms & Exercises

Chondromalacia Patella, also regarded as runner’s knee, causes knee ache due to excessive running or jumping. In this condition, it is very challenging for the sportsman, athletes, or active people to give up their activities. Hence, you must know the exercises that heal the knee pain due to Chondromalacia Patella. 

The Causes of Knee Joint Pain 

Chondromalacia is a condition where the shielding cartilage covering the kneecap gets damaged due to overuse and high stress levels and leads to bilateral knee pain. Hence, it makes it challenging for the kneecap to glide efficiently within its channel. 

The friction in the knee joint causes pain and swelling at the kneecap's front and back. Sometimes the pain and inflammation in this condition worsen that it restricts a person’s ability to stretch knees. 

Some of the chondromalacia triggers include walking up and knee pain going downstairs, sitting in a squat position, kneeling, jogging, jumping, wearing high heels, or bending the knee for a long duration. 

The Treatment 

Hence, for effective management, the best approach is to avoid these triggers as much as you can. Other recommendations include the following RICE, i.e. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. You can also support your leg with a knee brace that will ease the movement. These remedies help condense the symptoms but do not heal the underlying condition. 

You must also know that the leg and hip play a crucial role in supporting the knee cap proper movement. The constricted or soft tissues and muscle imbalances can lead to significant issues. Hence, doing special chondromalacia patella exercises is very important for long-term relief. 

Helpful Exercises to Defeat Chondromalacia Patella 

The central concept behind chondromalacia cure exercises is to strengthen the leg and hip muscles without surging the pressure between the kneecap and the channel of the thigh bone. 

Lifting Leg in a Straight Position 

• To perform this exercise, you must lie down on the floor with one leg fixed at 90 degrees angle with your foot resting on the floor. 
• Fully stretch the other leg 
• After this, stiffen the thigh muscle of the stretched leg and elevate it to a 45-degree angle 
• Let the leg remain in the position for one or two seconds and then gradually lower it back to the floor. 
• Practice 20 repetitions for one leg. 
• Two to three sets each day are recommended. 

External Hip Spin 

• Lie down on your side with knees slanted and bent at a 90-degree angle while the hips arched at a 60-degree angle. 
• While keeping your heels slanted and hip anchored and erected to the floor, lift your top knee as much as you can. Then hold it for one or two seconds and then start lowering it. 
• Repeat this exercise at least 10 to 15 times on each side 
• Practice two to three sets each day 

Wall Slide 

• Start by standing on foot heels almost six inches apart from the wall and feet almost one foot away. Make sure that your body back and buttocks are pushed against the walls. 
• Gradually move hips down the wall unless knees are bent at an almost 45 degrees angle. 
• Remain in this position for almost five seconds and gradually move up to the beginning position. (Perform this exercise at a slow pace as rapid movements may irritate the knee)
• Repeat this motion at least ten to fifteen times 
• Perform two to three sets daily 

Thigh Muscle Contraction 

• Lie down on the ground and stretch both legs straight in front of you
• Place a rolled cloth or blanket below one knee so that it is bent to some extent
• Lift the foot in the air until it is in a straight position 
• Keep the knee in this position for almost five seconds. After this, relax the quadriceps and eventually lower down the back of the leg to an inactive position 
• Repeat this exercise ten times for each leg 
• Perform this at least three to five times a day 

Dumbbell Deadlift 

• The deadlift is also a recommended workout for this knee condition. It will only be effective if performed in the right way. For this exercise, you will require a barbell along with weights. When you start, you may need to use a raised rack to restrict pressure on the knee cap. 
• Lift the dumbbells and keep them in front of you. while standing, your feet should be almost shoulder-width away 
• Gradually lower the dumbbells by hinging on the hips. Keep your chest and head upright, your back straight, and weights near the body. 
• Slightly bend your knees. The bend should be minor than done in a squat. 
• After you have lowered the weights as much as you can without bending the back, you will need to reverse the motion. After this, gradually stretch the knees, hip, and waist unless you stand straight with shoulders dragged back. Ensure that your abdominal muscles are involved in this workout all the time. 
• Repeat this exercise at least six times if you are using bulky dumbbells 
• Perform three to five sets daily. 
• You can do more repetitions if you use lighter weights.  

Cardio Exercises 

Some cardiovascular exercises for chondromalacia are efficient. They put the least amount of pressure on the knee, like swimming, a brilliant full-body exercise as water outs minute stress on the joints. 

Other safe exercises to effectively treat this condition include walking, skiing, paddle boarding, yoga, minimum-impact Pilates, handrail exercises with certain exceptions, aquatic aerobics, rowing, rollerblading, and using an abstruse trainer. 

A few experts also suggest riding a stationary bicycle. People suffering from chondromalacia should position their seats relatively high and use low resistance setups. Actual biking or cycling can be highly stressful for the knee joint. 

People who wish to strengthen their muscles can use hamstring curls or a leg press machine. The caution while performing this is that when you press your legs, you need to be careful not to allow your knees to bend more than 90 degrees. 

Sufferers should not include any of the exercises in their routine unless the pain and inflammation have decreased. It would help if you also stretched and warm up before practicing the exercises mentioned above. 

It would help if you practiced various exercises as it will prevent muscle imbalances and stress over the same joint and muscles. 

Exercises to Avoid 

As chondromalacia workouts are a highly effective approach for treating the condition, there are a few exercises that can aggravate the condition rather than improve it. Plunges, deep squats, and leg extension machinery place a lot of pressure on your knee and muscle.