ACL tear - I start my long journey to recovery!

[grapplingdude]

Day 31: Had a good day in the gym today stepping up the game with one legged balancing on unstable surfaces and single leg mini squats as well as more advanced training for the obliques. Good day in all 

Day 32: Did another long tough gym session today including all my advanced exercises and stepping up the sci-fit to 3 x 12 mins hill profiles. Did my longest best stretching session yet and for the 1st time could bring my heel to touch my butt - just 

[JeffG]

I had my surgery today, got home ok but there is a surprising amount of pain. I took the pain meds but they didnt do anything. So im just sitting here with my leg raised and on ice. Im glad to see your recovering well and hope to follow suit.

[grapplingdude]

Jeff - sorry to hear about the pain - give it a few days buddy.... I am still going strong just hoping I am not overdoing it!

Day 33: Felt tired all day and had a day off the exercise

Day 34: Knee feels stiffer than expected after my rest but feeling generally quite energetic so I go to the gym over lunch and did quite a long routine including obliques and legs.

Then did another short session at night in the other gym I go to to use the balancing board, the sci-fit machine and do my stretches - the knee really is a bit stiffer but I can still just touch my butt 

[PiotrS]

Just remember, the graft is at its most fragile state from week 6 to 12, so take it easy on the exercises! I am just about 6 weeks into rehab, and the knee feels better everyday. My OS on Monday confirmed that the graft is exactly as it should be, and allowed me to start driving (which is nice!)

I still don't have full flexion (I am about 20cm short of my backside), but it gets a little bit better everyday. Doing a couple of rounds of squats, hamstring curls and calf raises everyday, as well as 2 physio sessions per week, which involve a lot massaging of scars, stretching, cycling and other exercises (this week concentrating on restoring proper walking gait). The walking is not yet perfect, but again, gets better every day. I am developing a bit of clicking in the knee this week, but hopefully that will pass. Pain is definitely all gone, and stiffness is much reduced, even compared to last week.

Also following your example on taking a day off from exercise here and there to let those muscles recover! Good luck with the rehab.

[grapplingdude]

Piotr - you're right about the graft strength but I have been wondering about the attachments to the bone. Some sources seem to suggest that they start integrating aafter 6 weeks so should be getting stronger - is it just the actual graft that s at its weakest 

Day 35: It was 5 weeks today on the dot and speak of taking it slowly. Went to the gym in the morning but had limited time so only did 2 x 10 mi ns sci-fit and 6 mins cycling plus 2x foam roller and 3 x balancing on the wobbly board on 1 leg

Felt unexercised in my lunch break so went to the gym again to do my full leg workout and some more cycling plus cross-trainer. Then did stretching and could pull my heel at the end - just again!

Then kneeled down and lowered my butt down for the 1st time  - it went surprisingly well - NO pain and little discomfort until they almost touch but that's as far as I went!

Some observations are that the outer lower hamstring is still very very stiff  and the knee overall is still quite stiff  . An observation I made today when doing hamstring curls with the rubber band is that for the 1st time there is almost no pain at the back of the knee when I pull beyond 90 degrees and I am finally starting to work the hamstrings with it 

One last observation I have made is that when I do my step-ups or overs on a high surface, as I go up (surprisingly not down), I have a weird sensation at the back of the leg much further up than the knee more ranging from middle hamstrings to where they attach to the glutes. It is absolutely painfree and feels more like a weird shifting, moving sensation as if something - the hamstrings  - was being displaced...

Any ideas anyone?

[PiotrS]

Can't help on the weird shifting in the hamstrings, I seem to have more of an issue with pain on straightening rather than benidng.

In terms of graft strength, you are right, the fixation should be stronger, but on the other hand the graft material itself is undergoing a transformation from being a tendon to being a ligament, and apparently the next 6 weeks are the critical time in terms of strength. So perhaps since the fixation is stronger, overall the risk is not any higher My OS said that as long as I don't do anything stupid, there should be no risk of damage.

I am finding that the hamstring strength is proving much harder to recover (which perhaps is not surprising, given that we have a bit missing!), while the quads are coming along nicely - also thanks to the fact that I live on the fourth floor and there is no lift!

[grapplingdude]

Day 36: Saw the physio early this morning and he says how well I have progressed. He gave me hamstring curls on the swiss ball to do and a weird type of deadlift. Other than that I am meant to keep doing my single leg and oblique work as well as cardio.

We established that adductors, inner thighs and hamstrings are currently the weakest areas whereas glutes and obliques are coming along but still require work! I told him about my improved flexibility and the ongoing issues with the popliteus. He did some release work around the popliteus and that was very painful but helped a bit. Supposedly it is the tight popliteus that makes straightening slightly unnatural and therefore I still have the slightest hobble.

I hope I have time for the gym tonight to work on my new exercises

[Bigman78]

I just read though your entire thread at work as needed a break

Seems like you're right on track with your aggressive rehab plan. Reminds me of the early days of my recovery which seems so long ago now (I am around 13 months post op now). It does get easier with time and before you know it you'll be jogging!

All the best with the next phase of recovery.

Cheers

[grapplingdude]

Hey Bigman

I am meant to start jogging in 2-3 weeks if all goes well so hoping for the best 

Days 37-39: Had a couple more good gym sessions doing all thats required. Had a slight setback on day 39. Stepped onto an escalator slightly unawares and the knee got rocked a bit resulting in a slight feeling of instability as I regain my balance  . The other sideeffect was an immediate sharp pain at the back of the knee which subsided quite quickly and half an hour later when I arrived at the gym I had a good session 

I hope that there has been no effect on the graft which has been the biggest worry in everything I do but today there seems to be no lasting impact other than the knee is slightly stiffer and a bit puffier than over the weekend 

[grapplingdude]

Day 40: The knee has definitely been a tiny bit puffier but could that be overexertion or is it due to my little accident....

Well I went to the gym focussing on cardio, foam roller and stretching and not doing much else. I ice at night for the first time in weeks and that definitely seems to have helped! 

[PiotrS]

I would guess it's overexertion. I have had the same a few times after particularly tough workouts. Usually the knee feels much warmer then, and also is stiff the next morning. Do you still have swelling or is that mostly gone now? As for the moment of instability, I get these too, and a similar kind of pain at the back. Last time somebody pushed a chair into my calf and that hurt!

I am going through the stage of breaking through the scar tissue, both in the front of the knee where the portals are, and also at the back (which I guess is the tendon attachment - that area comes up with light bruises now and again. One of the portals is only just now starting to let go and allow my skin to slide smoothly over the bone.

[grapplingdude]

Piotr

There still is some general swelling and very noticeable nodular swelling around the scars. There is some randome swelling on the lateral side just above the knee cap and I need to ask my physio about that.

Days 41-42: The knee was less puffy after taking it easier yesterday and I went to the gym doing lots of leg work again. That felt good and I did some stretching including sitting in the "Butterfly" type position without problems for the 1st time 

Today the leg is a bit puffy again but not bad and I will have a cycling and stretching session tonight

[grapplingdude]

Day 43: I did not have time to hit the gym yesterday so felt like having to make up today. I did ice last night though 

So today I got up 2 hours early and hit the gym for a 1 hour morning session to do some light cardio and foam roller and some stretching. Feels great earning your breakfast 

Then saw the physio and told him about my little accident and he thinks that if anything had happened to the graft I would know about it. He gave me new exercises mainly for the hip flexors and dynamic lunges and jogging on the spot!!

I had another 45 mins session over lunch doing all leg stuff bar the jogging and felt good!

Planning to do some cycling, core, stretching and jogging on the spot tonight!

[grapplingdude]

Day 44: I did end up doing some on the spot jogging last night 2 x 1 mins  . Felt weird but really encouraging. I iced again afterwards and today has been business as usual. Some general swelling remains as well as nodular scarring and a random bit on the lateral side above the kjnee cap.

Got up early to hit the gym for a short session of 2 x foam roller and 2 x 10mins sci-fit and 2x 10 mins cycling 

Planning on having a longer session tonight...

[Bigman78]

Well done on the jogging... I know what you mean about feeling weird but it will get better with time.

I remember going for my first run and how strange it felt! Some good advice which my physio gave me at the time was to jog 200 meters, then walk 200 meters over the course of a particular distance. The distance would increase each week until I got to the point where I was confident enough to run without stopping.

It's a slow and at times frustrating process but you'll have to keep patient! It's great when you start to see real progress

All the best with your next phase of rehab. By the sounds of it you're doing heaps!