Day 139 - Aches and Pains

Day 139, and not really any difference. Sticking to my regimen is hard and I don't have the right equipment at home to do my exercises. I want to start doing my regular workouts, but I am finding it tough.

Today I did my functional training as assigned to me by my PT. I am not quite ready to try running yet, but I did put some jump rope into my exercise today. There was stinging pain where the MCL connects to the shin, at the bottom of my scar. I hopped through the pain though. I will discuss with my PT and my surgeon to see why I still get sharp pain in that area only. The knee cap itself feels fine, but my quad isn't firing very well either.

I've added some ball exercises as well. I now do a bridge into a hamstring curl on the exercise ball. I also do jackknives because I need to build up some core strength. It is extremely week since I haven't done any real exercise until now.

These are the only real updates I have right now.

Until the next post,
Steph

Day 136 - Cleared to run!

So I am officially at 4 months and 13 days post op. This week I worked with my PT and was able to go through my progress and protocol. A lot of my exercises are now focusing on my core and butt muscles which are weak. This includes bridges with my feet on an exercise ball and some other slower movements where the focus is to engage the muscles.

Going through the protocol, she said I could start jump rope again and straight line running. Not both on the same day, and only for a short amount of time. Now I just need to find a treadmill! The pool has definitely been helping my knee (and leg) feel better. It's light impact but works the muscles, so it feels nice and relaxed after my pool sessions. I'm hoping over the next few weeks, I can stick to my daily exercise and start seeing some good results. I can't remember the last time I had a proper workout, and as I approach the one year anniversary of my ACL tear, I am ready to kick it into high gear.

Until the next post,
Steph

Day 123

Today was my first day back in a pool in over a year. Even before tearing my MCL and ACL, I can't remember the last time I swam! I was cleared two weeks ago to start swimming so I hit the pool this morning for some lane swimming. I plan to swim three times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday), all lane swims. Some laps I use a flutter board and just focus on my leg mechanics, but most of them I do freestyle (front crawl) to keep track of my SWOLF.

Swimming is a great way to build muscle up again, with little resistance on my knee. It felt pretty good during swimming and even after. No pain to complain about. It's also a total body workout (my arms are dead!) so I'm glad I can finally get back to it. Running, I'm coming for you next!

Here's my stats. They're bad, but not so bad considering it's been over a year with no swimming!

I use the Polar V800 triathlon watch to keep track of all my training, including my physio routine. Can't wait for winter to be gone so I can test out the GPS on my bike (and eventually running)! You can find the watch here.

Till the next post,
Steph

Day 119: Feeling the Burn!

I am happy to say I have progressed to the next phase of my recovery!

Phase iii is outlined as:

1. May progress when the person has full ROM, no effusion or pain. Continue to normalize gait.
2. Goals of:
• Running with no pain or swelling, hopping without pain, swelling or giving way.
• Straight line Running, no cutting or pivoting.
• Lunges, sort cord or theraband, resisted hamstring curls.

I am super excited to have reached this phase, and I can say that I am feeling the burn! The "exercises" I had in the previous phases were to get back ROM and straightening, but now it feels like I am starting to strengthen my quads and hams. It's a great feeling which I haven't felt in my leg for almost a year now!

I have also been cleared to go to the pool, which is something I love. It's great for my leg, but also my arms and back too! Of course it's freestyle and flutter kicking only, no whip-kick. But I am okay with that. Me and the flutter board are going to become good friends in the coming months. Looking forward to testing out my Polar V800 in the pool too!

Below are my current exercises.

Right now my red theraband is my buddy, I take it everywhere, and try to sneak in my exercises with that where I can. Working full time definitely makes this physio process a lot harder! Dedication and motivation are key, otherwise it's an even longer road.  

I also setup a spreadsheet to keep track of these exercises, including the number of sets and reps. For this phase, strengthening and control, here is the table.

ACL Post Op Rehab - Phase III - February 18 (Strengthening and Control)
Bike: 30 minute warm up
AAROM Knee Extension w/ TENS: 10 minutes
AROM Flexion Prone Knee Bend: 10 reps x 5 sec hold
Step-up Forward: 2 sets x 10 reps w/ red band
Squats: 2 sets x 10 reps w/ red band
Leg press: 2 sets x 10 reps @ 113 lbs
Hamstring Curl: 2 sets x 10 reps @ 10 lbs
Clams: 2 sets x 10 reps (3 sec hold) w/ red band
Static Lunges: 2 sets x 10 reps
Bridging: 2 sets x 10 reps (3 sec hold) w/ heel raise
Sidesteps: 3 sets x 10 reps w/ red band
Lane Swimming: Front crawl / flutter kicks only, no whip-kick strokes

My goal now is to gain strength in my quads and loosen up the hamstring, which is super tight, through the above exercises. The pool should be a great way to do this, swim pass here I come! Once I get some strength and more control, I hope to progress to running by the time spring comes around!

Until the next post,

Steph

I Hit the Wall - Day 88

It's been a while since I've posted, yet again. Unfortunately the same laziness that caused me not to write has been contributing to me slacking on my physio too. I came down with a cold again, so didn't go to the gym all week! I was in a pretty low spot on Friday night as I at thinking about the fact that I've hit a wall in my training. The swelling and pain won't allow me to progress, and I am tired of seeing my atrophied quads. I have decided to push through the pain so I can progress to my next level of the protocol.


At the next level I will be able to start swimming and running again, two things I have been counting down the days to do. I think once I can get back into that, my knee will strengthen up pretty quickly. I have set a goal to get back to boxing and to be able to run. So that is what I am still working towards. The swelling is ever so slowly going down each day, although there is still one problem area. Range of motion is definitely much better. I am able to bend to almost full ROM, and straightening is almost at 0 degrees as well. Straight leg raises are going well, with very minimal pain so that is promising. Some photos on day 88.

I have set a goal to complete an Iron Girl Sprint distance triathlon on August 7th, 2016. This will motivate me to stick to my recovery plan and workout on a regular. I am also doing the Ride for Heart on June 5th, 2016. I am planning to do the 75km distance, but I will see what my knee can handle by then. Let the training begin! 

8 Weeks Post Op - Day 56

I just realized it's been quite a while since I posted an update! That's what happens when you have to go back to work full time. I also came down with a bad cold I can't shake, so I haven't made it into the gym yet.

Yesterday marked 8 weeks since my surgery, and today is day 56 of recovery. I saw my surgeon on Monday and he was very happy with my progress. He said my range of motion is at around 130 degrees flexion. Straightening is going well, I can definitely push to 0 degrees, but I need to keep working on it. The graft is healing well, and so is the MCL. Both are nice and strong. I am still in phase 2, but now doing some exercises to start regaining strength! He told me to do as much as I can on the stationary bike as well because it really gets the muscles going. He wants me to put the seat nice and high to get my going through my range, and getting full extension. I see my surgeon in March for my 6 month follow-up, and he's confident we can start discussing a gradual return to sport then. Working hard now to achieve that.

Here are the exercises I'm doing.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy works wonders! I had a massage 3 days ago and my knee is feeling great! It could also be because I have been in bed for the last two days, suffering of an awful cold. But I did my physio exercises on Friday, and my ROM was way better than it was on Thursday. I was only getting to about 108 degrees flexion, and after the massage I'd say I was closer to between 115 and 120 degrees.


Massage therapy is the manipulation of the superficial and deep tissue in order to promote deep relaxation and release tension. It helps to soothe injured muscles and stimulate blood circulation.

Complementing physiotherapy with massage therapy is a great idea. My massage focused on the IT band, patellar tendon and hamstring areas. The first two were where my incisions are, since they were a bit lumpy under the surface. The massage helps break up any scar tissue under the surface. My hamstring, and the back of my leg in general, are very stiff so the massage definitely help loosen them up a bit. I'll be doing a massage once a week for the next few weeks.