Chondromalacia Patella

THIS is the knee ailment I am currently recuperating from. It's the fancy way of saying, "damaged cartilage under kneecap." The next step involves my starting physical therapy. My physician is currently in the process of setting this up for me.

Three Lessons Can be Learned from this:

1. No matter how long you have been working out, you STILL have to watch your form: If you're doing switch-leap-lunges and they remind you to watch your knee placement. Don't just assume you do this naturally.....MRS. MEL B! I'm not going to attempt to write this out because this is something easier shown than said. If you've got questions regarding what's correct and incorrect in regards to proper knee placement, I suggest you consult a physician.

2. See post on workout shoes below. I still can't comprehend on how I made such a mistake. I've been in sports long enough to know the correct information on which workout shoes to wear. Goodness gracious.

3. "Increase intensity gradually. Avoid sudden changes in the intensity of your workouts." - This is going to be my lesson going forward. This helpful information was found on www.mayoclinic.com. Once I get over this injury, I really need to HEED this advice. Normally, I'd jump back into my usual routine. I'm really going to have to work hard at maintaining a safe pace to get back to my normal level of activity. For someone who has been as active as I am for as LONG as I have...I need to be careful. Naturally, I've got some creaks and funny noises coming from my knees after years of wear and tear from sports, dance, cheerleading, etc. Going forward I need to adjust workouts slowly to avoid any sudden changes that could cause further injury.