Wow, talk about getting sidetracked. Over a year ago I wrote a post entitled Is it Sand in the Knees or Chondromalacia? When I wrote the post, it was my intention to discuss possible causes and solutions for the condition. I got a little sidetracked.

Sandy Knee Reminder

It wasn’t until I had to perform exercises to strengthen and retrain gluteal muscles for my sciatica problem did I remember the post. You see, my chiropractor prescribed strengthening exercises. As I was performing the move to show that I was using the right technique, the sandy crunching sound in my knees was almost deafening. Fortunately, my condition is noisy, but not painful.

Fixing Noisy Knees

My earlier sandy knee post explained possible causes of the sandy sound. My chiropractor, not knowing I had written a post over a year ago, gave me a quick rundown of what causes the problem.

Since my knees don’t hurt, he suggested that I start taking glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. He himself started taking it about 20 years ago when he was undergoing severe joint pain. It has helped him tremendously.

Glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM are naturally occurring substances and as with most holistic or natural cures, results are not immediate. It takes about 3 months before noticing a reduction in pain or improvement in condition. In my case, improvement means less noise when sitting/standing or going upstairs.

What Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM Does

If you didn’t click on the associated links, in essence, these substances help to rebuild the joint cartilage and/or slow down the joint deterioration. Here’s another article on how glucosamine and chondroitin work together.

I’ve decided to start taking glucosamine/chondroitin and MSM regularly. Hopefully, I’ll remember to post an update in three months or so.

Word of warning: If you have a shellfish allergy, be careful when selecting glucosamine. Some preparations are made using shrimp, lobster or crab shells. Do your research.