Clients most often describe knee pain when walking down stairs like this: a sudden sharp pain at one moment — only that specific knee angle bothers them, and when that happens their knee stays irritated / in pain the whole day!

All of these are common symptoms of patellar chondromalacia! Patellar chondromalacia is cartilage damage in the part of the knee where the kneecap and thigh bone meet. And the damage is classified into grades 1–4 (1 – mildest, 4 – most severe).

Why does pain occur specifically when walking down stairs, and why only at a certain angle rather than all the time?

Cartilage is almost never damaged across its entire surface, but only in certain parts. And it is precisely when pressure is placed on the damaged area that pain occurs. As soon as pressure moves to healthy parts of the cartilage, symptoms disappear. The problem is this: CARTILAGE CANNOT REGENERATE!

But that doesn't mean pain will be present for the rest of your life. Strengthening exercises can increase tissue capacity enough for symptoms to disappear completely. During that process it is important not to do exercises and movements that create irritation, and to do exactly what increases tissue capacity — especially quadriceps strength, in whose tendon the kneecap sits and on which it depends the most.

At Top Gym, we guide the entire rehabilitation process, taking into account each client's specific needs and individual characteristics.

Top Gym