questions about patella misalignment...

[07KX4-Fiddy]

So it turns out my patellas are being pulled to the outsides of my knees causing the pain that side lined me last season. The doctor said that I need to start speed walking little by little until I can speed walk for 2 hours. I didn't like the idea of having to speed walk for hours on end each day and asked if a stationary bike would be ok, and he said yes.

I am curious. I stopped using my knees for anything other than walking and after a couple months the pain went away enough that I tried the bike again but it only took a little riding and the pain all came back. Now it many more months after that and I can still feel some pain when I bend down.

My thinking is the exercise to to strengthen my legs so the patella gets pulled back to where it should be... but is there damage in there that won't go away on its own?

Thanks.

[b-rabbit]

Dr. Sanders does Patella re-alignment surgery. It has helped my wife immensely

Hers apparently were causing her Knee cap to move in bad directions causing all kinds of stuff to happen.

Shes the blonde in the video on the website doing the wall squats

Thanks again Doc!

[jgbnm]

There are some basic stretching and strengthening exercises that you can try. Any marginally competent PT can help you.

I ended up having a lateral release on both of my knees, which apparently doesn't work for many people, but worked for me as I'm diligent on stretching and strengthening. Otherwise, you can do a patellar realignment.

[07KX4-Fiddy]

I was hoping to find out exactly what it is that is causing the pain when I bend down too much. I want to understand why it hasn't healed with time and why it's still there, seemingly unchanged over the last six months.

[kecapert]

Patellofemoral(pain in region of knee cap and the groove it rides in along the femur) problems are difficult. There can be multiple causes and not all stem from maltracking or misalignment. Can be multifactorial and often hard to treat. You likely have wear and tear of the cartilage on the underside of your knee cap and/or your femoral trochlea where the knee cap rides. This is a cartilage problem and cartilage doesn't regrow, but it can scar. This takes time and is slow and often need to remove the offending activity to allow it to heal and it may not ever go away completely. Your anatomy may be contributing making the problem worse, it may be the main cause. Not the answer you wanted to hear but, go see Dr. Mark or send him any imaging you have.

[07KX4-Fiddy]

Thanks for the reply kecapert. Not what I wanted to hear but I am beginning to suspect that I have bigger problems than a week quadricep muscle.

The doc watched me walk back and forth and said everything looked fine with the way I am built and move. He did point at the inside portion of my quads and said I need to make them stronger.

I am just so anxious for answers it is driving me crazy. I go back to see my doc this wednesday and I am going to press the issue of the crunchiness and pain and see what he says. I'm no doctor but it just doesn't seem like speed walking is going to fix me... but again... what do I know? It would be nice of it does.