First visit to my PT today. Things are looking good. Still some good strength in quads and hips. Hamstring ain't half bad either. Hurray pre-habilitation! The quad lag that worried me is just a little and is small enough that we are starting on straight leg raises right away. Apparently, the lag is not due to lack of strength, but more due to swelling/fluid interfering with muscle activation and that fluid also getting in the way of movement.
Cold extension 4 deg, flexion 103.
I tried walking with one crutch in the office and did pretty well! So gonna use one crutch for two days (until next PT appointment), while trying to make sure I have proper gait. I was actually able to do some walking with no crutches, but I have a limp. The one crutch makes a huge difference. Gotta concentrate on keeping the knee straight, hitting with the heel and toeing-off with my toes.
The plan is to re-evaluate my walking Wednesday and see if I can go to no crutches. If not Wednesday, then hopefully Friday.
Going to keep going to the PT three times a week for the next two weeks. Then we'll scale it down if things are looking good.
Exercises for home include heel slides, towel-assisted knee straightening/quad set, straight leg raises, side leg raises, heel raises, prone hangs. Also light hamstring stretches and light calf stretches.
The electrical muscle stimulation and ice at the end of the PT visit was brutal. OK, I turned it up to a brutal level, and had to turn it down a few notches. Between the pain/discomfort of extending the knee (my heel was propped up) and the electro-stim intensity, it was not a comfortable last 10 minutes. However, it is all good for me!
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