Initially you will have a therapist who ladens you with hateful exercises, then - like me - you may progress to a biokineticist and eventually you'll be doing your own thing.
I have a love-hate relationship with physiotherapists - I appreciate that the work they are doing will help but holy maloney does it hurt!!! And why must some of them be so dour! Smile - laugh - it eases the stress and discomfort ... truly - as a patient I can attest to that!
In the hospital, physio consisted of bending the knees, flapping the feet, trying to get myself out of bed and walking. Step-down clinic physio ran me through the bendy knee, flappy feet, etc. routine in bed then I walked and climbed stairs and learned to get up from chairs and toilets and out of cars.
Home physio visits were not that much different from the hospital visits initially but we started doing standing exercises as well.
Simple exercises you can start doing prior to going into the surgery to build muscle memory (very important). You will also do these post surgery (always check with your doctor and/or physio before doing these exercises - and remember to engage your core muscles all the time - tuck in your belly button as far as you can):
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - flap your feet (good for circulation);
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - alternate bending your knees to your chest;
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - put a ball / rolled towel under your knee and straighten your leg in the air;
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - tuck your feet up behind your buttocks and then force yourself up into the air (bridge);
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - alternately raise your straight leg;
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - alternately raise your straight leg then sway leg side to side in the air;
- Lie flat on your back on the bed - put a rolled towel under your ankle and push your knee back down into the bed;
- Lie flat on your stomach on the bed - tuck your toes in and push your knees back as straight as possible (great calf stretch);
- Lie flat on your stomach on the bed - bend your legs one by one. This quickly became and still is one of my favourite exercises. Post-op it may initially feel very wobbly and quite difficult to control, but this exercise seems to stretch the muscles over your knees. After a day in the office sitting down most of the time, a few of these in the evening can feel quite blissful!
Absolutely the best was six weeks later when I could get into the pool. I go to the rehab pool at Virgin Active gym, Tygervalley. The water is warm and it is bliss!!! Unfortunately now I have to go at 6.00 in the morning as the pool is full of kids till 8.00 / 8.30 pm at night doing swimming lessons! (I must be very old-fashioned - I reckon kids should be at home by 6.00 pm finalising schoolwork and getting ready for dinner and bed, especially the littlies I see at the pool in the evening.)
I love the pool - you will walk forward, back, sideways - nearly have a heart-attack when a week later the physio suggests you run, do lunges and star jumps ... it was years and years and years ago I did that. There will be stationery and ambient exercises - just remember to engage the core muscles - and smile and laugh with everyone!
You may also start cycling and using the eliptical trainer - eish! The "hate" part of my physio relationship!!
Important tips: Try and do as much of the exercises as you can beforehand to strengthen your body and build muscle memory; Its really sore but keep on doing the exercises two or three times daily post op; Your legs may get sore especially in the beginning - but realise that you have hardly used many muscles in the past; engage your core muscles - will prevent back ache!!
Breath and smile, this too shall pass!!!
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