11-week Recap
- Saw my surgeon on Monday – he said my knee looked great! Still a little swelling, but it should go away soon. The pain under my knee cap is caused by weakness in my quad, and it will eventually go away. No running till 16 weeks – my surgeon said even professional athletes that do rehab every day shouldn’t be running till 16 weeks – too much risk of stretching out the graft.
- Surgeon also said I could wear heels now if I wanted – he said it just depends on if I am willing to risk wearing them! Obviously more risk of twisting my knee… I asked since I have several weddings to go to this year, and he said I can wear heels, but dancing should be my biggest concern.
- Â Told PT my hamstrings have never really been that strong, so we worked hamstrings a lot this week – the back of my leg bruised a little bit, so I am taking a little break
- Had a skype session with Sargam Mishra, and she performed (long distance) Pranic Healing on my knee from India. I should start to notice a huge difference in the next few weeks! The rest of the day after our session, my knee was really hurting. .This morning, though, it feels pretty good!
- Flexibility is back and my Bikram Yoga classes are getting easier!
PT Exercises
- Elliptical at the beginning of my workouts, 10-15 minutes
- Side-lunges while holding onto TRX band – 3 sets of 10
- Single-leg squats while holding onto TRX band – 3 sets of 10
- Balancing on Bosu-ball on injured leg, ball side up. Holding 4 lb weights in each hand, 1) punch forward, slowly, 30 times. Rest. 2) Punch to the side (left & right), slowly, 30 times. Rest. 3) cross-punch in front of you, slowly, 30 times. Rest. 4) balance on bad leg and bring other leg as far out diagonally behind you, then to the other side. 1x 30
- Balancing on Bosu ball, ball side down – lower into a squat and reach down and to the side like I am trying to touch foot, then back up and around to other shoulder (twisting) – 2 x 30
- Plank hold, lifting one leg up, then the other while balancing on bosu ball, ball side down w/ankle weights– repeat 10x each leg for a total of 3 sets.
- On injured (left) knee – holding 12 lb weight in right hand – then lean forward, balancing on injured knee w/weight hanging down (think warrior 3 position) – 2 sets of 15
- Lunges w/twist to side – lunging forward on a bosu ball w/ 12 lb ball – 2-3 sets of 20
- Monster walks to the back/side (stand looking forward with a slight squat, side step left leg & to the back – so stepping not to the side or to the back, but in between) – 10 each side, 2x
- Without stopping – 15 seconds leg press, 15 second hold @ 90 degrees, 15 seconds leg press (on injured leg) – 3x
- Sliders – in plank position on hands, bring one leg out to the side and back. repeat on other side. then bring both legs out & back. Repeat 10 times, 3 rounds.
- Lay on back w/sliders under my feet. Bridge stomach up, then slowly slide one leg out and back. Repeat on other leg -2-3 x, 30 seconds
- Lay on back w/sliders under my feet. Bridge stomach up, then slide one leg out and back. Repeat on other leg , going as quickly as you can, non stop -2-3 x, 30 seconds
- Workout at gym 1-2 times a week, doing PT exercises above
- Stretching after every workout
- Bikram Yoga/Yoga (1x a week, if I can find time)
Now that its confirmed I cannot run for another 16 weeks, I am a little bummed… its been so hard not doing cardio! At the same time, I have been reading about people running at 12-14 weeks, and they have a lot of issues from starting back too soon. So maybe it is a blessing in disguise!
I have the house to myself this weekend, and I am planning on lots of sleeping, reading and meditating. I am also going to a yoga inversion class! Now that I feel comfortable enough to do handstands again, I want to really start working on getting my balance even better. Below is a pic pre-surgery!
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Interesting note about the relationship between quad strength and kneecap pain. I finally noticed my kneecap pain going down after I seriously ramped up my workouts.
Re: wearing heels, definitely try wearing them around the house for a little while before you venture out and tuck a pair of flats into your bag just in case. I wanted to wear heels around the three month mark, but it was painful after a few minutes of walking in them. Had to continue wearing flats until the 4-month mark, but am happily back to my stylish shoes again!
Good to know! Thanks for the heads up! I will def try around the house first, thanks!
are you able to do any biking? I just had my surgery yesterday, and my dr had warned my absolutely no running for 6 months post op. I like crazy last week to prepare myself, but I know I will miss it!
Liz – I did stationary biking around week 2 or 3! I think my PT said most ppl can bike when they reach 110-120 degrees flexion. I don’t have a bike, but I could def do biking outside if I tried right now. 6 months no running?? I can run at 4 months… I don’t think you will have to wait that long. Just listen to your PT and you will recover great :). And honestly, it’s been super nice not working out a lot. Enjoy your time off! Your body needs time to repair.
Reblogged this on Sargam Mishra and commented:
It was nice to connect with Nina for pranic healing for her post ACL surgery. Wish her all the very best !! Love
Hello, I’m sure by now you’re way pass %100 healed post-ACL surgery. I had my left ACL repaired using my hamstring graft Nov 26 last year. I’m right at 11 wks and really appreciated reading your blog. There is still swelling going away gradually but seems like forever. I have been going to the gym using the lyptical and stationary bikes for cardio 20-30 minutes. I also use the leg machines, press, extension and calf things. Haven’t worked up the courage to use the hamstring machines yet. How long was it before the swelling totally went away for you?
Hi Matthew! I think around 11 weeks I had been going to heated yoga classes for about a month, and those really helped with my flexion/swelling. I don’t think I was able to use the hamstring machines until a few months out – it depends on your PT/surgeon + your progress on what you can progress to. everyone is different! I would say i had swelling until 4-6 months after my surgery.. not really noticeable, but after a long day of walking, there was a little swelling. I iced pretty religiously every day, which really helped. Even after one year, I still notice a little swelling after hard workouts, but that’s pretty normal. Stretching the quads and hamstrings has really helped with that, though! just give it time, it sounds like you are on the right track!
I am just now 6 weeks post surgery, and your blog is a LIFE SAVER and also makes me feel not so alone. I have been using some essential oil blends for the numb spots on my legs and swelling, but what oils have you found most successful? I also get splotchy at the numb spots when I work out and get hot, so I am assuming its normal!
Hi Ashley! the splotchiness when i worked out eventually went away. I still get a pins and needles feeling on the one side of my shin, but I didn’t spend as much time massaging that area as i probably should have to get better circulation. I personally used aromatouch, followed by peppermint to drive it in + really massaged that area. You could even use a foam roller or a lacross ball to help get some blood moving in that area after you put on the oil! I can’t really recommend any specific oil for healing, as i think it is so specific and personal to each persons body. I would say try out a few oils or oil blends, and see if you notice any difference after a week or 2 of using them. Its almost trial and error, since our bodies are all so different! I pinned a few things on my pinterest ACL board that give a few good blends – https://www.pinterest.com/ninaeliseh/acl-surgery/ – I hope this helps! if you have any other questions, please let me know. the recovery period can be so confusing and frustrating, but it sounds like you are doing great!! 🙂