Phew! Ok, I think I'm done with the two week pain train flare up. Overall, I handled it over all much better than my others (mentally speaking) except for two really painful days. I am back at the gym on my normal schedule, and slowly working up my weights on my operative leg again. FLARE UPS: This week I also Skyped with my physiotherapist. Overall she wanted to talk me about flare ups. In general, the knee is becoming more resilient so that these flare ups don't knock me down as before. I was able to still do some walking and gym stuff, not totally couch bound. Maybe a few days versus a full week like before. Over time the flare ups will be less as the knee is more load tolerant. If I never flared up, then the new rehab was too conservative. I could flare up again. Some pain is OK, just don't want it to limit daily function.
HYPERALGESIA: I described how the skin on the front of my knee is very sensitive, as in I can't even wear skinny jeans for a few weeks! Just too uncomfortable. (Thankfully I can wear stretchy pants to work.) She said that is the evolutionary part of the brain telling you to protect your knee because it's injured. It was a survival mechanism. Naturally that pain will lessen, the body wants to heal. Respect it, but tune it out too. RESUMING WEIGHTS: DPT also said when resuming back into weights, work back up a little slower this time around. Also, load is key here, so if I'm having a bad knee day, shortening the range of motion but keeping the load. Then if that is still too much, back off range AND weight. Range will come as I get stronger. I am doing that with most of the moves on the operative leg right now. GOALS! She encouraged me to make some short and long term goals. As in if I felt good right now, what would I be doing today. She said to get back into things within reason (YES waiting for mountain bike trails to dry up). The ACL itself is super strong, strength is what we're lacking. Long term goals would be what would I do if I felt outstanding. KNEE APP: Lastly, knee pain app! She authored a research paper on neuroplastic training and weight training. How augmenting weight training with audio and visual cues helps maximum weight training benefits with neuroplasticity. She turned the science into an app and I am testing it out! I will start it next week. There is some science she piloted with using a metronome while weight training which helps the brain really focus and reconnect those brain wires especially those with pain.
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AuthorA 45 year old active female who tore her ACL in January 2017 (at the age of 40). Reconstructive surgery in February 2017 with bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft. Archives
November 2022
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