Range of Motion: I feel like I am struggling with range of motion. The goal of my PT protocol by week 10 is full range of motion but as of last week I was only at 105 degrees. So this has been the focus of my PT this week and I've really ramped up the amount of stretching I do. My therapist suggested I get at least 5x 20 min stretching sessions a day. These are some of the stretches I do:
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| I pull on my ankle until I feel a stretch |
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| I try to move my ankle towards me |
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| I am trying to sit on my heels |
Unfortunately the saying "no pain, no gain" does apply for increasing range of motion. During these stretches I go to the point of discomfort then press a little farther so I'm at about a 5 on the pain scale. I try to hold it for a minute then relax. I do this several times for each stretch. Although it's painful to do the exercises, I feel better after doing them because I'm less stiff. After this more aggressive approach I am now up to 125 degrees by the end of the week. It feels good to be making progress.
I can now ride the stationary bike continuously and fast enough to get the machine to turn on. I will be increasing resistance and endurance over the next couple of weeks.
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| Scar tissue is unavoidable after surgery but it can be broken up |
Physical Therapy: I now go to PT 3 times a week. On days I don't go to PT I do my own workouts at the gym. I also started electrical stimulation (e-stim) of the quads. During e-stim, electrodes are hooked up to the quads and when current is run through them, the muscles contract. This helps build muscle strength and decreases pain.
Here are my workouts for the week:
Saturday
- 20 mins arm bike
- 20 mins stationary bike at level 2
- 3x10 reps leg press, hamstring curl, leg extension on good leg
- 4x15 reps 4-way SLRs on bad leg (3 lb ankle weight)
- 4x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
- 20 mins arm bike
- 20 mins stationary bike at level 5
- Upper body weight lifting
- 4x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
- 15 mins stationary bike at level 5
E-stim of the quadricep - 20 mins arm bike
- 5 mins SLRs/5 mins quad contractions w/ electrical stimulation
- Rolling stool for hamstring strength
- 4x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
- Core work
- 5x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
- 20 min stationary bike at level 5
- 20 mins arm bike
- 3x10 reps hamstring curl/leg extension on good leg
- 3x25 reps abductor/adductor SLRs on both legs (3 lb weight)
- Rolling stool for hamstring strength
- 10 mins SLR w/e-stim
- 4x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
Thursday
- 5x 20 min knee stretching sessions through out day
- 15 mins stationary bike at level 5
- 3x 20 min stretching session through out day
Walking: I am now down to just one crutch which I barely put any weight on. I use it mostly just in case I stumble or to help with stairs. I still walk pretty slow and think about each step I take. I have to concentrate on making sure I'm walking with a normal gait and not limping.
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| 10 weeks post op |
Pain and Swelling: I have a little more pain this week. It's mostly at night and my knee aches and throbs. I think this is mostly due to being back at work. I'm a lot more active than I have been anytime in the last 2 months. Although I try to sit at a desk most of the day, I spent a lot more time on my feet this week. The swelling has gone done a little from last week and it almost gone.
Other Thoughts: This was my first full week back at work. My work is very understanding and I was lucky to be able to take so much time off. So now, no more 2x workout sessions a day. It's difficult to balance work and PT. Getting the 5x range of motion sessions in each day is tough. Luckily I can do some of the stretches while sitting at my desk or take a break in my office. Rehabbing from this surgery could be a full time job but that's not realistic for most people. I rarely have any time during the day when I'm not working or doing some sort of rehab. In the evening when I would be relaxing on the couch, I'm either stretching or trying to rub out my scar tissue.
Atrophy of left leg seems to have disappeared. Good post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. The atrophy is less noticeable when my legs are resting on something like a couch since the skin sort of spreads out. When I stand up it's more noticeable. I'll post some pics next post. I can definitely feel the weakness in my operated leg. I can even see the outline of my femur. While walking is helping to use the muscles, I know I favor my good leg with just about everything I do. That will probably be the case for a long time until I can really do intense weight lifting type exercises to build the strength back.
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