My IT band (where it connects on the side of my knee) has really been causing a lot of pain for me, so bad to the point where it hurts to try and even straighten my leg. It makes my knee feel super stiff, and causes me to have to walk with a little limp since it’s uncomfortable to fully extend my knee when walking.  Also, the muscles behind my knee – that connect my hamstring & calf muscles – have been cramping up really badly, especially when I try to work on hamstring strength or even massage the area! Luckily, I found someone locally who practices A.R.T – Active Release Therapy.

A short bio from Feet Fleet says: “ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles…. Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART provider uses his or “her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements. These treatment protocols – over 500 specific moves – are unique to ART. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient.”

I scheduled an appointment, and afterwards had no pain. Unfortunately, it takes a few appointments to really work out the problem areas, so the pain was back the next day. I am going again on Sunday, so I will post how well it is working for me in future posts! Fingers crossed!

Also – I went to my first yoga class since the night before my surgery… and it was great! I went to Bikram yoga, which is yoga in a heated room (up to 110 degrees) and 26 poses are performed twice in 1.5 hours. The class is definitely more restrictive than hatha or restorative yoga, but it offers amazing medical healing benefits. I couldn’t do half the poses, and some I could only do on my stable leg. But it is definitely a start! I will continue to do Bikram about once a week, maybe another heated yoga class so I can move a little more freely in different poses. I was worried with all of the sweat I would be slipping, but I was very careful and aware of my body the entire time – I did not ever put myself in a position where I could slip or twist/pivot/sit on my knee. And I had a towel over my yoga mat, so the 5 buckets of sweat dripping off me was absorbed by it 🙂 Some of the poses I would try to go in, thinking I might be able to do it – but would immediately stop. I am so close to being out the red with my knee that I can wait a few more weeks and not do a few yoga poses… I’ve gone this long so far and survived!

A few milestones/things I am working on are below!

• Reached 145 degrees flexion! I do heel slides every.single.morning. to get my knee moving and stretched out
• Still feeling a little unstable when locking my knee out, so working on getting a little more flexibility & strength when balancing
• Started (Bikram) Yoga
• Started taking Solomon’s Seal – it’s supposed to be amazing for healing, so fingers crossed it helps! According to the site, “…Solomon’s Seal (used as a tincture, salve, liniment or tea) may give relief, healing or mending to conditions and injuries related to the below ailments:
  •     Tendons, joints, ligaments, muscles, connecting tissues
  •     Bones (stress, strain, fracture), cartilage, arthritis, bursae, synovial membranes, etc.
  •     Gastrointestinal inflammation and injuries, as well as bronchial issues and coughs.
  •     Feminine issues (such as menstrual cramps, PMS, bleeding, among others)
  •     Blood pressure regulation; gentle detoxification of liver, etc.
  •    Certain skin issues, blemishes and bruises,     & more
• My scars are looking great! I will do a side-by-side picture of my knee today versus a few weeks ago – the pictures above don’t really do justice as to how far I’ve come!
• Still applying oils to the scar area – I just ordered some vitamin E and will be using it every day as soon as it comes in!
• I tried to do a handstand the other day – NOT a good idea… my knee felt really loose and wobbly when I kicked up (I kicked up off my right leg, so my left leg was dangling and it felt loose). I won’t be trying that again for a while, lesson learned!

It’s been a very busy past week, and I am EXHAUSTED. Work has been super busy, but I actually love it because I am learning more and taking on more responsibilities. Sometimes I stay up a little bit later at night to fit in meditation/reading on top of it all. I feel it keeps me more grounded and in a better mood when I take time for myself, quiet everything around me and work on growing mentally/spiritually. I am also starting my Spanish classes next week, which will keep me busy! Lots of newness happening in my life, and I love every second of it.

Improve your range of motion, increase your strength, and feel more confident post-surgery with a 2 month yoga progression plan.