SO, today was the end of my four weeks of therapy at the new Out-Patient center in Parkesburg. I have really felt like, while doing the exercises and getting to each appointment, that I was not making a great deal of progress. There were days when I was being measured to see how well that I was doing that I was only seeing a degree or two improvement. And with the really cold weather here the last couple of weeks, the knee was really feeling stiff and puffy.
Today was right around 32 degrees when I left the house. While it was freezing, it almost felt balmy by comparison. I went into therapy and began with the normal bike exercise. I do not do a complete revolution because the new knee does not quite bend that way, but I do rock back and forth to the farthest limits of the new knee and it gets it warm and loosened up.
Then Heather sat down with me and began to manipulate the knee. It really feels good until she starts pushing. Her goal is to get my knee completely flat... 0 degrees and then get it bent 120 degrees. She pushes down on the knee to stretch it out. It is fine until she passes by the level I can stand, but as they say, no pain, no gain. And she is not doing damage, she is just pushing the edge. The last time I was measured, I was able to get to an 8 degree bend without aid and a 3 degree bend getting the leg straight. Today, I was able to get to the 3 degree bend alone and she got the leg to 0 degrees with aid.
But the biggest improvement was in the bending. I was only able to do an 87 degree bend alone and a 97 degree with help. Today I was able to do a 95 degree bend without aid and she got the leg to a 102 degree with her pushing. I am thrilled. It is quite the improvement! And here I thought I was not doing well!
I guess there is a light t the end of the tunnel after all!
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