Crutch Free
Last week I had a followup appointment with the Dr. that performed the surgery and he told me that everything is looking good. He also told me that I could go ahead and stop using the crutch as soon as I felt comfortable.
I used it off and on for the next couple of days and am now crutch free! At first I felt really weird, like my leg was going to collapse at any minute, but gradually my leg felt better and better. Stairs are still a big problem, as is walking down any kind of a slope. Hopefully that will fade as my leg gets stronger.
At physical therapy they’ve had me mostly working on strengthening and balance exercises. My range of motion is fine so thankfully there are no more painful stretches. For strengthening they have me continuing to do the straight leg raises, adductions, and abductions, however now I do them with a 3 pound ankle weight. I’m also doing a variation of the partial squat where you lean against a large exercise ball that is between you and the wall. You then perform the squat as usual. The picture to the left show this (I don’t hold any weights in my hands though).
Also this week I’ve been using the leg press machine to do double leg presses, single leg presses (with less weight), and calf raises.
The hardest strengthening exercises that I’ve been doing is the step up and step down exercises. For these there is a small wooden box placed on the floor in front of me that is about 5 inches high. The goal is to place the foot of your injured leg upon it and then use that leg to step the rest of your body up to the height of the box and step back down. This is really hard to do. What your body wants to do is use the foot of your good leg to sort of launch yourself up to the level of the box so that your injured leg doesn’t have to support as much weight. This is cheating.
For the step down exercises, you start standing with your injured leg on the box, point the heel of your good leg towards the floor, and slowly lower it to the floor. This is really really hard. You can get an idea of what it looks like from this picture only in my version you step down to the side rather than in front.
Overall however I have been feeling great. My leg is pretty stiff in the morning or if I have been sitting in the same position for too long, however the stiffness goes away pretty quickly. I can feel my leg slowly getting stronger, however I have to be careful as there is a tendency to try and do to much. After standing for too long my knee starts to get swollen and so I have to sit down for awhile and ice it for a few minutes.
Filed under: ACL Recovery
I am working on the box step also…. tough! I tried to step down with my good leg, and that was really tough. My most difficult part is getting my knee completely straight once I am up on the box. I think it is straight, but then look at it in the mirror compared to my other, and it isn’t quite there. Slow progress boy. Even though my PT does not want me to, I have been riding my bike around outside (about 2 miles) and it feels so good! It is the only thing I can do where you can feel normal again!
Good news for people out there about to have the surgery. I recently tore both ACL in a motorcycle accident. I had surgery on the left knee first 6 weeks ago and the right knee here just 2 days ago on August 3, 2007. My left knee is doing great with my range of motion almost completely back and I am already walking without crutches on my right knee (of course I have it locked straight right now, but it was the same for my left knee).
Oh, I forgot to mention: the surgery I had was using a double bundle allograft procedure. No other doctor in the country is doing the double bundle procedure yet, as I was told I am the only one to have had it done thus far by a surgeon in Columbia, MO. I highly suggest using the donor ligament rather than using one of your own to transplant. It has less recovery time and the doctor says that I am doing better than any other patient he has had so far. So if you get the option, go to a doctor that does the allograft procedure and ask him if he knows how to use the double bundle ligament transplant as it is supposed to make the knee much stronger. Good luck everyone.
Our Crutch Pals have helped people during their time of crutches. My wish for your speedy recovery.
Gary Moody
www.crutchpals.com
i have recently injured my acl ligament can any1 tell me how long it takes to walk when starting physio pherapy thanku
jav,
It really depends on what type of graft you get and how diligent you are towards your physical therapy. I had a patellar-tendon graft and went to therapy religiously and it took me about six weeks to walk without crutches.
Good luck with your recovery!
Jav,
I agree with leefalin, diligence in physio is likely very important, I was at phyisio 2x week and 1X week with my personal trainer every week between injury and surgery. I also rode my bike on a trainer 2-3 hours / week.
Because of that I get to be the good news guy. I completely tore my ACL and had a 2nd degree MCL on April 28, 2008 (No meniscus damage). I could walk with a cane within 2 days, and ditched the crutches. I started physio at 4 days post injury. 4-5 days post injury I could walk without any help but wore a brace to protect the healing MCL. I was snowshoeing with a brace on flat’sh ground at 1 month, at two months post injury I was doing hour long runs on the beach.
I had a hamstring graft on July 21. I could walk with crutches within 24 hours. By day 2 i could walk short distances with a cane. At day 3 I could walk short distances without crutches. By the morning of the 4th day I stopped all pain medication. At 10 days I’m still limping, but don’t use any support in my house. At the office, I use a cane, and outside I’ve been ordered to use crutches for people defence. Crutches work well at keeping others at a safe distance so you don’t bumped.
Good luck, and happy healing.
Hey There.
I JUST had ACL reconstruction surgery last tuesday, so, 6 days ago.
I had my follow up appointment today with my Dr. and he told me I could ditch the splint and the crutches and start walking. I don’t feel comfortable enough to put too much pressure on my leg yet, it feels kinda weird, but Its nice to have the splint off. I will still use my crutches until I feel more “safe”. but I will walk a little bit each day until then. I don’t think it will take me too long to get to limping and such.
Hang in there! Happy Healing to you.!