Meniscus :

7 weeks - - Posted by afahis (afahis), 21 December 2004

I'm just about to hit 7 weeks post-op from a partial medial removal. I started therapy 3 days a week 10 days after surgery and was told I would be doing it for 4 weeks. Now it is 5 weeks and the therapist said i have atleast another week. He also said he is not worried that it is taking longer then expected. The therapy is fairly intense and the knee was getting better by the day. A few days ago I felt almost completly fine and most of the post-surgery stiffness/pain is gone. However, this morning i woke up and had the same dull pain I had before i had it fixed. It scared me because it feels EXACTLY like it did before i had it fixed. Is it possible that a highly regarded OS missed something in an MRI and Arthroscopy? Maybe it is just gonna be like this after i had a real bad case of Osgood-Schlatter's when i was younger. I was planning on going back to running/basketball this week but I think i should put it off until i see my therapist and/or OS again. Anyone have any ideas about what could be causing the pain?
Posted by sivyaleah (sivyaleah), 22 December 2004

I don't know what is causing your pain, but I am also about 7 weeks postop, medial tear removal and still have a bit of pain too.  

I have had 12 therapy sessions, and the knee has improved dramatically (ultrasound treatments, massage, balance exercises and weight training for the knee and other areas which affect the knee).  My doctor wrote me a 'script for 12 more sessions at my therapist request and mine (my insurance will let me have up to 25 visits per year, yippee!), because I don't feel that I am quite yet were I want to be.  While my ROM is perfect, I am still limping somewhat and definately feel pain at the incision sites which actually has been making sleeping problematic at times.  And I still have some trouble with stairs (I have to take them slowly).

Of course, who knows, the therapist could just be drumming up more business for themselves, but since I agree that I want more, I don't really care too much about that.  The therapist said my recovery is going exactly as he would expect it to and is pleased with my progress.  I see my doctor tomorrow for another postop visit and intend to discuss the pain and sleep issue with him.

I guess everyone is different in their healing process and I'm sometimes amazed when I read that there are people here who seem to have made remarkable recoveries in short amounts of time.  But I think that for the majority, it is a slow but steady pace which gradually gets better and probably takes longer than one would want.  I would mention it to the doctor tho, as I intend to do, just to set your mind at ease.  

Good luck and be well!
Laurie

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