Running several hundreds of miles at a time in some events, ultra runners put a lot of stress on their bodies during the course of an ultramarathon. Especially for those who are genetically predisposed to develop arthritis, ultrarunning can become a catalyst for developing chondromalacia patellae (CMP), which is one common cause of runner’s knee.
Runner’s knee due to CMP occurs when the cartilage in the kneecap becomes blistered, fissured, frayed or even thinned. This condition can be caused by a number of factors, including overuse, injury, hereditary factors or a mix of these elements.
When treating runner’s knee, physicians typically prescribe a dose of RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This helps to ease inflammation around the affected area, removes weight-bearing pressure from the joint, and allows the body time to heal itself. If this doesn’t relieve the pain, other treatments may be necessary, such as physical therapy or surgery.
There are times, however, when no amount of physical therapy can seem to work and the runner continues to experience pain. In the interest of avoiding surgery, usually to escape the incredible amount of time and effort in rehabilitation necessary after a surgical procedure, other medical procedures may provide runners relief from their pain in a minimally invasive manner.
One effective non-surgical alternative that may not be offered by a traditional orthopedic doctor in northern NJ, is hyalgan intra-articular injection. The treatment, which is administered weekly over a course of three to five weeks, involves injecting sodium hyaluronate into the affected area of the knee joint. A gel-like substance, sodium hyaluronate is chemically similar to the synovial fluid in the joint, and lubricates and protects the joint to ease pain.
Hyalgan injections are sometimes also used in conjunction with a prescription to use an unloading brace, which eases pressure on the knee joint by unburdening it of some load-bearing weight. Used together, these treatments can see a runner return to the sport he loves in less time and benefit from long-lasting results.
Doctors warn, however, that hyalgan intra-articular injections don’t work for everyone, and there is a screening process involved. With this in mind, ultra-runners in northern New Jersey who are looking for relief from their runner’s knee condition should see a trained physician who specializes in this orthopedic protocol before consulting with a more traditional orthopedist in Bergen County. The experienced specialist is highly qualified to assess the patient’s eligibility to undergo the procedure.
(Source: Testing Limits, Eugene Weekly, May 22, 2014)