I have horrible knee probelms. The knee caps do not track properly and surgery has been discussed. I was told to lose weight and that would help ( but not fix ) the problem as it is genetic. Well it has been 6 weeks and I have lost 34 pounds and my knees seem to be WORSE now then before. I was so hopeful that losing the weight would help! Is it because things are shifting around?? Has anyone else experienced this? Michelle

Michelle,

I have a bad right knee and yes, my knee has been kicking up a storm these last couple months. At frist after surgery it was really good (I think that was the pain meds talking) then as time went on it was worse and worse. I think.... part of the problem was that I was taking NSAIDS before surgery chronically to keep the knee inflammation down and now I cannot take those and also the extra exercising, I think that has to account for some too. My doc told me to take liquid childrens Motrin for the pain, that does not really help tho so I am just waiting until that magic amout is lost and my knee feels better. My main issue is steps so I just go up and down steps like a gimpy dork, other than that it seems to be okay for the most part.

I have had 2 knee surgeries. The most recent was last june and I fractured and dislocated my knee cap 2.5 inches. I have lost some weight but now i think the wire has come loose and might require more surgery. I guess genetics are genetics reguardless of weight. Good luck.

I have terrible knee pain also, I cant even walk around my school so I am home-bound, and cant go do fun stuff, so I am HAVING Lap-Band to get the weight off of my knees. I have patella-alta, chronic inflammation, loose patella, and hyperextension and losing weight will help me because my knees are very unstable, so if I lose weight then I can exercise and strengthen them, but I cant exercise at all right now because I am too heavy to be on them (since they are incredibly small bones and joints). After I lose the weight, they are going to go through and check again to see if I actually have a disease or something in there. Just hang in there and be thankful you have had the surgery, my insurance company is claiming that it is cosmetic and unnecessary. Give it time. Your knees are still used to the weight being on them, its kinda like when you hold a heavy box for a while, then sit it down, and your arms still ache because they were getting used to the weight and still havent registered that it is gone. Trust me, youve got to feel better after you lose atleast three-fourths of your goal. Goodluck, oh yea, when they hurt try to slowly work them like bending and stuff to see if they will pop, sometimes that helps mine, sometimes it makes them worse.

Hi Michelle,

I had the same diagnosis as you. I think they called it (and I'm going to butcher the spelling here) chondromalasia. I think that word just means generalized knee pain. But the orthopedic surgeon sent me to physical therapy first. The physical therapist showed me how my knee cap was not tracking in the right groove any more. It VERY common in women because of the angle at which the thigh bone meets the knee.

Anyway, she expalined that basically, there is the quadricept (one of the biggest, toughest, strongest muscles in the body) pulling on the outside edge of your kneecap. While the only thing counter balancing it, to keep the knee cap in line, is this teeny tiny skinny little muscle called the VMO pulling on the inner edge.

I went to physical therapy three times per week for six or eight weeks and they (and I) worked on strengthening my VMO. At the end of the sessions, it was like magic. Pain GONE. And I mean COMPLETELY!!!

See if you can look into some physical therapy before you opt for surgery. I don't know why the weight loss would make it worse, but it can't hurt to ask.

Good luck.

LizzyD