Oops…I guess I forgot to come back here and let y’all know how that physical therapy appointment went… Sorry.
That first appointment, along with the subsequent three appointments went well. At the first appointment, it was the standard procedure of doing the initial evaluation—gathering information on the injury, taking range of motion measurements, strength measurements, etc. Then the fun began—they bent my leg much further than I had previously bent it, and boy did it hurt! However, once they did that, I had all sorts of increased mobility. They also had me work through three exercises that they wanted me to do at home (twice a day). I have a sheet detailing the exercises, if anyone is interested. They made a big difference for me.
The second, third, and fourth appointments were involved a brief warm up on the bike, followed by a series of exercises, though these were different than my home exercises, since I was a good patient and actually did my home exercises before going to PT. Anyway, the exercises all focused on gradually building the strength back up in my leg. From one appointment to the next, sets were added, resistance was added, and perhaps a new exercise or two.
Following the second appointment, I was cleared to walk as much as I wanted, and to return to the gym for upper body strength training, as long as I took care not to lift anything too heavy, and not to carry the weight away from my body. I did the walking, going 2+ miles a couple of times between the second and third sessions, but I didn’t hit the weights just yet.
The third appointment was more of the same, and I was given the okay to get on the exercise bike on my own, but with no resistance. That evening, I finally did go to the gym for upper body strength training, and I rode the bike for a total of 20 minutes. The weight workout went pretty well, though it was awkward at times, as I tried to use some of the equipment, without using my legs. I cycled two more times between the third and fourth appointment, 30 minutes each time, and I also did some more walking (which was actually more of a workout, considering I wasn’t allowed resistance on the bike).
This past Thursday was the fourth and final physical therapy session. I knew it would be slightly different when my warm up on the bike included some resistance. Sure enough, everything else included a lot more resistance, too, and we added exercises. At the end of the session, the therapist said that depending on any swelling, I’d be cleared to return to the rest of my activities. AWESOME! Well, of course I needed to get some clarification, and what he really meant was this: if the knee didn’t swell much over the next couple of days, then I can start on the elliptical Saturday afternoon. If that goes well, then I will be allowed to ease back into running, but I have to check in with him first. I was so psyched!
I took it easy the rest of the day on Thursday, and returned to the gym on Friday for more strength training and cycling, this time with some resistance—and I finally broke a sweat! The swelling has staying down, and yesterday I hit the elliptical. I managed to get a good 25 minutes on the elliptical, followed by 5 minutes of walking on the treadmill, and 5 minutes of spinning on the bike—it all felt good. I followed that up with some of the strength exercises I’d been doing in PT.
This morning the knee looks great, and feels great! I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning, after which I will stop by and check-in with the therapist. I can’t tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to finally be getting back to some real physical activity, especially running, and even riding my bike. I promise to keep you updated on how it goes.