Knee Pain (Chondromalacia Patella): Management and Treatment
How is chondromalacia patella treated?
The most common way to treat symptoms of chondromalacia patella is to rest the knee. Other ways to treat the symptoms include:
- Placing of an ice or cold pack to the area for 15-20 minutes, four times daily, for several days. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Wrap the ice or cold pack with a towel.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief—These include ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.
- Topical pain medication— These include creams or patches that are applied to the skin to help with soft tissue pain.
- Prescription pain relievers.
Other treatments or self-care include:
- Changing the way you exercise
- Doing exercises to both stretch and strengthen the quadriceps and hamstring muscles
- Losing weight (if you need to)
- Using special shoe inserts and support devices
- Taping to realign the kneecap
- Wearing the right kind of sport or running shoes
