11 Best Home Remedies To Cure Chondromalacia Patellae (Runner’s Knee)

Are you an active person who workout and go for running? Then you might have suffered from pain in the knee. Chondromalacia Patellae is a pain syndrome, common just called as “Runner’s Knee”. So what is runner’s knee and how to fix it? Chondromalacia Patellae is one of the most common exercise related injury. More than 50 percent of athletes suffer from runner’s knee once in their athletic career.

So how common is runner’s knee? and should i worry about surgery? Most of the time people avoid it by assuming it as normal after workout pain. However, Patellofemoral pain syndrome is more common than some of the most frequently occurring running injuries. You are more likely to get Chondromalacia Patellae than plantar fasciitis, tibial stress syndrome, iliotibial band friction syndrome, damaged ligament, and meniscal injuries of the knee.
Deterioration of the patella is the leading cause of chondromalacia patellae. While running if there is chronic friction between patella and femur bone then you may experience acute pain. Injuries caused from acute ligament tension can also trigger joint issues such as SI joint pain, ankle pain and knee pain.

People suffering from arthritis of the knee can also get patella injury.  Active young athletes are at higher risk of developing runner’s knee.

Chondromalacia Patellae Symptoms

To treat runner’s knee syndrome, it is important to understand the basic difference between patellofemoral pain syndrome and common knee pain. The signs and symptoms of runner’s knee include(1):

• Tenderness with mild swelling below, behind and radiating outward from the injured knee
• Mild to shooting pain in the knee area
• Clicking sound from your knee when you move
• Grinding and cracking sensation in knee when you stretch your legs
• Feeling of your knee is giving out or weak knee
• Throbbing pain in affected knee
• Sudden rush of pain
• Aches like pinched nerve syndrome
• The discomfort and pain increases when you are walking, running, jogging, squatting down, climbing stairs and while bending knees
• Trouble in lifting weight or keeping weight on shoulder

So how to fix a runner’s knee? Fortunately there are natural ways to reduce the symptoms of chondromalacia patellae.
Here are some of the best home remedies for runner’s knee.

Natural Treatments for Chondromalacia Patella

1. Cold Compress

Cold compress is helpful in providing pain relief from damaged cartilage under knee cap. Coolness will reduce the blood flow which is beneficial for reduction of swelling. It is easy to prepare and probably the most inexpensive cure for chondromalacia patella.
Cold compress is helpful in reducing the warmness of kneecap. Restricting the constant flow of blood has soothing effect on painful and broken ligaments. Athletes often take cold shower after workout to reduce body temperature.
How to use cold compress to fix runner’s knee:

• Soak a clean towel in cold water.
• Wring out excessive water and keep it on affected area.
• Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and repeat it several times in a day.
• Use this simple remedy 2-3 times in a day to get best result.

2. Turmeric

Turmeric is an effective ayurvedic treatment for chondromalacia patella. It is loaded with pain relieving properties. Due to curcumin, turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory natural agent. Ingesting turmeric will boost immune system while topical applications are helpful in reducing pain and swelling of affected knee.
First of all, focus on improving your health from inside and for that you will have to increase the turmeric intake. Mix 1 tablespoon of roasted turmeric powder in one glass of milk. Drink it daily before going to bed. It aid in digestion and help intestines to absorb nutrient more efficiently from food.
How to use it:

• Take 5 tablespoon of olive essential oil and mix 3 tablespoon of turmeric powder.
• Mix them together to make a thick healing paste.
• Apply a thick layer on painful knee and allow it to sit for 1-2 hours.
• Alternatively, take handful of turmeric roots.
• Crush these roots to make a paste.
• Use it as runner’s knee cream 3 times in a day.
• Take 4 hours of gap between remedies.

3. Avoid Irritating You Knee

Recovery has three steps, first one is taking medicine, second is allowing medicine to work and lastly rest. Irritating your painful knee may not help be the best remedy. Allow your knee to process the medicine and let it heal.
Many times runner’s knee heal on its own without medicine or natural treatment. All it need is rest and no disturbance. Our body is made to repair internal damage naturally.
Give enough time to your inflamed knee to heal. Avoid walking or running for a while and don’t lift weight.

4. Stretch Your Legs

Tight hamstrings are also responsible for runner’s knee symptoms(2). We hear it a lot that, after running one must do some stretching exercises. Simple massaging the calf muscle and stretching your knee can treat chondromalacia patellae. Full body stretching such as yoga will help with back pain and hip pain.
Reduce stress on your knees by strengthening your hip muscle and quadriceps. Weak hip leave most of the weight on the kees which can increase the pressure on patella. As a result it ends up being tired and torn-up.
Strengthening and stretching your quadriceps and hamstrings will align dislocated knees ligaments. It help distribute weight on near-by fiber muscle.

5. Use Elevation Method

Are you taking rest and still the swelling of knees are not going away? then you may need elevation. Keeping your legs in a slant way and above the chest can increase the recovery from chondromalacia patellae. It will improve circulation to knee area and reduce inflammation to a great extent.
How to do it:

• You will need 2-3 pillows while sleeping.
• Keep those pillows below your feet while sleeping or laying down.
• Also use the elevation technique during the day.

6. Ginger To Reduce Inflammation and Manage Pain

Ginger is one of the oldest Ayurvedic medicine for swelling of muscle tissues. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties, treating Chondromalacia Patellae symptoms is very much possible. Ginger stimulate the ligament and kneecap fibers and provide relief from pain.
Gingerol is an active compound in ginger which is natural pain reliever. It has soothing and calming effect on nerves. Topical application of ginger is helpful in reducing swelling of knee. Drinking ginger tea will flush out toxins and purify the blood from organic waste.
How to use:

• Pour one cup of water in a saucepan.
• Add 1 tablespoon of ginger paste in the water.
• Bring water to boil and allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.
• Strain and collect this water. Drink it 2-3 times in a week.
• Alternatively, crush handful of ginger root into paste.
• Use it as runner’s knee cream.
• Repeat this remedy for several days.

7. Posture Correction Exercises

Keeping a suitable and correct posture will reduce the stress level on your knee. Movable joints has to handle variable pressure due to changing pressure. Posture correction technique is helpful in reducing the pressure and minimize the rubbing of joint bone.
Talk to a chiropractor. A chiropractor is a doctor of joint movements who study the posture technique. They are expert on treating joint condition by helping them attain correct posture.
Here are some of the good postures one should follow while doing day to day work:

• If you have a desk job then avoid using a chair which has deep curves on back support.
• Keep your spine straight as long as possible.
• Allow your spine to rest for 5-10 minutes then again try to keep it straight.
• Push your shoulder back while walking.
• Avoid getting lumbar back.
• Use your core strength while lifting wait.

8. Healthy Diet & Supplements

People suffering from joint pain should eat a healthy diet. The diet should include anti-inflammatory foods such as green leafy vegetables, beets and berries. Lacking in vital nutrients and vitamins can not only aggravate the condition but also erode ligament permanently.
Take supplements of potassium and magnesium can reduce inflammation by a great extent. They also improve the lubrication in joint that reduce friction between bone joints.
The diet should include beet, celery, whole grain foods, fish, and clean protein foods such as chicken breast and cottage cheese. Make sure to eat probiotic such as yogurt with antioxidant rich blueberries. Have some cranberry juice in a day to improve the joint condition.

Essential Oils for Chondromalacia Patella

1. Castor Essential Oil

Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can provide relief from chondromalacia patella pain. It is easily absorbed by our skin that can regenerate the damaged cells.
Rubbing castor oil on skin improves degenerative ligament and quadriceps. Ingesting castor oil has immune boosting abilities that can increase the healing speed by repairing damages muscle fibers.
How to use castor oil for chondromalacia:

• Soak a thick cotton cloth in warm castor oil.
• Wrap it around inflamed knee. Make sure not to wrap it too tightly.
• Use duct tape as bandage and wrap it loosely around the cotton pad.
• Keep it for few hours then remove and repeat it 2-3 times in a day.

2. Ginger Essential Oil

Like ginger roots, ginger oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that provide relief from pain. Applying ginger oil on affected area will improve the circulation and help the wound heal faster.
How to use:

• Apply few drops of ginger oil on runner’s knee.
• Massage it with light hand for about 3 minutes.
• Allow the oil to sit for 1 hour.
• Repeat it several times in a day to get relief form discomfort.

3. Cayenne Pepper Oil

Cayenne pepper is an amazing source of capsaicin which is an effective natural pain relieving agent. The analgesic properties reduce the reflexes and calm down the throbbing nerves.
How to make cayenne pepper oil:

• Put 3 tablespoon of olive oil in double burner.
• Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder.
• Infuse it by applying heat for 10 minutes.
• Allow the mixture to cool down for 20 minutes.
• Saturate a thick cotton cloth in this essential oil blend.
• Loosely wrap it around your painful knee.
• Keep it on for 20-30 minutes.
• Cayenne may cause little irritation, however, it will reside with time.

What Causes Runner’s Knee?

I have been running from weeks with proper diet, why i am suffering from inflamed knee joint? It is not necessary to have some kind of deformation to get patellofemoral pain syndrome. A healthy adult can also suffer from this joint condition without having a history of arthritis or degenerative disease. Here are some common causes of runner’s knee:

• Irritation of soft tissues or lining of the knee
• Running on uneven platform or terrain
• Excessive training where your joint ligaments can no longer wear the tension
• Sprain in ligaments
• Not stretching after extensive routine of exercise
• History of arthritis in knee
• Starting tough exercise without warming up your body
• Women are more prone to suffer from patellofemoral pain syndrome than men

How to Prevent Runner’s Knee

Being directly related to exercise and workout, there are ways to prevent runner’s knee from recurring(3). Here are some of the tips that can be helpful in preventing patellofemoral syndrome:

• Always stretch your legs after running or heavy workout.
• Allow enough rest to your kneecap before going for another run.
• Make sure that you are also focused on strengthening and stretching your quadriceps.
• Eat healthy and follow a balanced diet plan.
• Increase the intake of calcium rich foods.
• Take some at-home posture correction exercises and treatment.
• Reduce inflammation with cold water shower.
• Soak your body in a bath tub filled with cold water.
• Increase your intake of collagen.
• Collagen aid in tissue repair and protects the joint.

If you are suffering from acute runner’s knee pain then consult a doctor as soon as possible. Home remedies for chondromalacia patella should show results in few days. However, if the symptoms don’t reduce in few weeks then you might have severe chondromalacia patella. Damaged kneecap require proper diagnosis and natural treatments can only reduce the symptoms. Patient diet and attitude also contribute in the treatment of runner’s knee. So stay positive about the condition, take lots of rest and east healthy.

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