I've had this for ages, and was wondering if others do? I've started jogging on the treadmill a couple of times a week, working up from 30 seconds every 5 minutes to 2 minutes every 5 minutes during an hour workout. My goal is to run in a 5K race. But I'd like to be able to walk in my golden years, which are approaching faster than I want. So I'm wondering if there's a particular kind of knee brace that supports the patella and keeps it in place while you're running.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hi Sheila! I've had this problem for years and it's a real pain! I saw an orthopedic doc at least 10 years ago, and did some PT for it. What it all boiled down to is you need to keep your quads in good shape. They hold the patella in the right place. In addition to a regular legs workout, I do isometric exercises, which conveniently can be done in bed! Just tensing and holding quads for 10 sets of 10. In the original PT they also had me doing those leg lifts/lowering you may remember from HS. I've just begun doing more squats which should help too. Between my knees and being overweight, I find it hard to squat down to do anything like weed the garden, or rummage in a lower cupboard. And I suspect I'll never be able to do anything that requires me to actually put weight on the patella due to the damage - but hey, who needs to crawl around on hands and knees anyway? As to braces, I've used the ones they make for volleyball players, with the pad removed, with some success. And I avoid anything like some aerobics moves that require you to land on your leg with the knee twisted - yowch! And my last piece of advice - keep moving. My knees get really stiff if I'm sitting more than a hour, like happens at work all the time. I need to remember to get up and move around at least once an hour.

I echo everything that Pat said. One thing that can help is quad extension exercises at the gym. You need to focus on the last 15 degrees of extension to get the right area of the quad. Don't use too heavy a weight though at first.

Squats are good too, but have someone watch your position at first, they can make things worse if not done correctly.

Good luck.

No squats or quad extensions until all the inflamation is gone. If you still have inflamation, see a physiotherapist. When I had inflamed runner's knee (Chrondromalacia Patella) last year, my physiotherapist gave me a bunch of really low impact floor exercises. No weights were involved at all.

My DD has Patella Femoral and getting orthotics to put in her shoes has helped tremendously... I'm not sure if PF and CP are the same though. The Doc had also recommended strengthening of the quads, (which she has never done, she's 15, she does what she wants ) The orthtics have helped her the most...

Sheila, thanks for starting another interesting thread.

I have a dodgy knee too but I'm not sure if it's the same as yours. It just doesn't want me to run. And I want to!

For what it's worth, my podiatrist (who's working in conjunction with the physio) has found that fit people (me! and probably you too!) need to stick at the exercises much longer for the body to adapt. I'm going along with it for the time being.

Calf stretches in bed twice a day (engage knee and pull back foot for the count of 10). Ten times each side.

Leg lifts (like Pat mentioned) also twice a day. I start lying down, engage knee and pull foot back and lift leg. Alternating legs. From 10 times each leg down to 6 times each leg. Then I sit up, put my hands either side of the leg and, alternating legs, do the same from 10 reps down to 1.

Good luck!