Hi, usually when I sit down I rest one leg or ankle over the other. Recently I have found this more and more painful in my left knee . I feel a constant, low-medium level burning heat most of the time now. Also, I cannot use my new, rarely used, elliptical machine without a feeling of pressure followed by a crack or pop almost immediately. I have to stop and crack it like knuckle-cracking! Every time I go up or especially down the stairs it feels and SOUNDS like cellophane!... My 4th toe on my left foot has been broken for years and has zero strength or stability in it to support the arch of my foot. I am worried that due to the way this has forced me to somewhat scrunch up my toes to support my walking, combined with the weight of my other leg resting on the top of my left thigh when I am sitting, some permanent damage may have been done to my knee cap or the tissues around it? Do I use heat or cold or some kind of strengthening stretches? Thanks for the help.