Physical Therapy - Day 1

4 January 2006

I went to my first physical therapy appointment today, and guess what.... NO MORE BRACE!!!

My therapist said that my muscles are strong enough to support my knee and I can "burn the brace!"

She evaluated my extension and flexibility, as well as my swelling, and the strength of the ACL.... I am almost at full extension.... like a millimeter away from full extension. In terms of flexibility, I started out at being able to bend my knee to 85 degrees, and by the end of the session, I was up to 90 degrees. I still have a little swelling under the knee and less on top of the knee.

Then..... the test for the ACL ..... she tried to pull my lower leg away from my knee... it sounds painful.... but it really wasn't.... and the ACL would not give way. GOOD NEWS.... the surgery worked!!!!!

She said that all of the exercises I have been doing in the last two weeks really paid off, plus probably my original fit condition attributed a bit too. Anyhow, it looks like I am a bit ahead of schedule.

I am scheduled for 2x per week of physical therapy instead of 3x per week (the normal amount to start) I think mostly because of my progress that I have made in the last 2 weeks.... I have exercises that I will do on my off days of physical therapy....

NOTE TO SELF - Don't forget about the upper body and abs when doing the exercises at home!

Oh.... some people I talked to who have gone through this have said that the physical therapy is painful... I did not find it at all... sometimes it felt like things were being stretched in my knee, but I would not use the word painful.

All in all... this was a great day..... still, no high heels yet... my therapist just laughed at me.