Snap Cracle & Pop

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RICE KRISPIE KNEES

While the “Snap, Crackle and Pop” stuff can still be fun at the breakfast table, it is a major bummer when the noise comes from your knees and not from your cereal bowl.  And it is even worse when you get accompanying shots of pain underneath or on the sides of your knee-cap.

KRISPIE KNEE CHARACTER

Knee-cap pain is often called “chondromalacia.”  This means that the smooth Teflon-like covering on the underneath surface of your knee-cap has become like your frying pan that you’ve mistakenly used a wool brush to clean:  rough.  Therefore, when you use your knees, particularly going up and down stairs or getting out of the car after a long drive, your roughened knee cap grinds instead of glides over the knee bone.  This is results in pain and inflammation.  If the grinding goes on long enough, you can begin to get those awful cereal noises.

KRSIPIE KNEE CAUSES

Chondromalacia has a number of common causes that can occur in isolation or in combination:

·         Hamstring & quad’s flexibility imbalance: this affects the knee-cap glide over the knee.

·         Arch & ankle biomechanical imbalance:  this can affect the knee-cap alignment.

·         Inner Quad muscle weakness:  this allows the outer quads muscles to also pull the knee-cap off alignment.

·         Knee-Cap Shape weirdness:  this can just plain old rub your knee the wrong way.

KRISPIE KNEE CONTROL

Here is a basic plan for curbing your Krispie-knee pain:  (1)  Work hard on your quadriceps and hamstring flexibility.  Usually stretches after a brief warm-up are best.  Remember to take your time stretching as quicky stretches are basically useless.  (2)  Try using ice on your knees at least two or three times a day when they are sore.  Frozen gel packs which can be wrapped around the knee are great. (3)  Try some alternative exercise for a few weeks.  For example, swim instead of run hills to give your knee-caps a rest.

KRISPIE KNEE CARE

If your self-help recipe isn’t panning out, you are not baked because you can see your physical therapist.  In addition to basic care such as interferential stimulation and ultrasound, he may treat you with a special knee brace which can help the knee-cap track better over the knee bone.  Or, he may provide you with a knee-strap or taping technique which can alter the pressure of the knee-cap on the knee.  If you knee problems are related to your feet, your PT may also conduct a dynamic gait analysis using a Footmaxx digital analyzer and fit you with custom- made orthotics that will restore proper biomechanics to your feet and knees.

Brent Kassian, BScPT, MCPA, MCPTA

Executive Director

Capilano Rehab Centre

phone:  466-1104

hit their hip website @ www. caprehab.com