Week 3

Working with the substitute PT guy and it was tough!

My bending is getting better. We measured it at 95 degrees, with me sitting at the end of a bench and holding it back with my left leg. This is great because it meant that I was able to get on the EXERCISE BIKE!!! I am not yet able to make a full revolution so I have to rotate the petals forward as far as I can and then backwards as far as I can. This will help me to back to a normal range of motion (ROM).

So although my bending is progressing, my extension is not. And this is bad. I am still at zero. And we tried a new test. When I hyperextend my left leg (the normal one) I am able to make my heel naturally just pop up off of the mat. It occurs really easily (try it at home!) but it requires me to be able to contract my quad muscles. We tried this test with my right leg and my heel didn't budge at all. So this is something that I am really going to work on. My VMO (vastus medialis oblique) is the quad muscle that I need to get to fire to make the hyperextension occur. This is the muscle that I have been working on by doing the quad sets. But it is not strong enough.

So I have a LOT of exercises to do this week:

1. heel props 10 minutes every waking hour (can heat back of knee with a heating pad)
2. quad set every waking hour
3. straight leg raises
4. side-lying his abductions
5. calf raises
6. patellar mobs
7. seating knee bending
8. practice walking in brace
9. heel props with ice
10. exercise bike for 15 minutes

Well, I am going to do these exercises because it feels really bad and frustrating to not be able to do something. I don't like feeling like I am not progressing as fast as I should. This makes me nervous.