I’m now 10 weeks out of knee surgery and what an interesting experience it’s been!
In late January I was away on holidays water skiing at Lake Mulwalla when an event occurred that changed my year. The weather was hot and the water was flat and even though I was a little tired from skiing all day, I couldn’t resist a last sunset wakeboard. Jumping the wake like I have done thousands of times before, I landed and heard a horrible snapping sound. My right leg went to jelly and I collapsed into the water in a great deal of pain.
I was 38 years old, fairly fit and active and never even broken a bone before. The experience I was now confronted with was daunting to say the least. First step was a call to my personal Myotherapist for an opinion on the best steps to move forward. Over the phone we ascertained that seeing a local Physiotherapist the next morning for a diagnosis was in order. The local Physio requested an MRI scan to get some really expensive photographs of the inner workings of my knee. He rang around for me to local hospitals and came back with the news that I was looking at a 4-week wait!
My Myotherapist gave me a call for an update that afternoon and felt that was too long to wait and suggested I call a Sports doctor in Melbourne and book myself in for an MRI as an urgent case for a time slot 3 hours after seeing the Sports Doctor to get a referral for the MRI. What great advice. Within 3 days I had an opinion, referral and some really great shots of my knee to then start planning my life for the next few months and my recovery.
Unfortunately the result was the worst case possible, a ruptured ACL ligament through the centre of the knee, a torn hamstring, a torn lateral ligament and two bruised bones. The fix was a total knee reconstruction taking apart of my hamstring to make a new ACL and inserting three screws into my bones to reattach all the torn parts. Recovery time 12 months! What the…!
This was not in my plans for the year. Luckily risk management planning had me with private health and income protection insurance so financially I didn’t have to worry about paying the bills and could focus on getting the best care in quick time to ensure a successful and quick recovery.
My Myotherapist recommended jumping on the net and researching surgery options via Google Scholar (which I didn’t know existed) and checking out the credentials of the surgeon recommended to me by the Sports Doctor. Within a week my due diligence was done and I was under the knife. My research paid off because the type of knee recon I received even down to the anaesthetic I had and the pain management I elected afterwards all paid off and was different to what would have happened if I had not have been so well informed.
Twenty-Two hours in a private hospital and then home to the couch to watch the winter Olympics! The first two weeks post op was spent resting with my leg locked straight in a brace with my ankle above my head focussed on pain and swelling management. Interesting getting on and off the toilet! I relied heavily on my supportive family to get through this period.
Myotherapy then proved invaluable. Physiotherapy got my muscles back in shape (which wasted away at the rate of 7% per day while I was on the couch) and Myotherapy maintained other muscles in my shoulders and back that stiffened up during the process and helped control swelling and minimize the effects of scar tissue around the knee that results from the surgery. My Myotherapist liaised with my Physiotherapist, who liaised with my Surgeon, to make sure that everyone agreed on the treatment being implemented. I was surprised that my surgeon didn’t know a lot about Myotherapy. When I first mentioned what my Myotherapist advised she could assist with in my recovery, I got a look that said, try it if you like but I’m not sure if it will help much! After seeing the rate of my recover, the rapid reduction in swelling and the small degree of scar tissue resulting from surgery, I suspect he had a new appreciation as to the benefits of Myotherapy.
Thank you to the team at Elite Myotherapy for your involvement, support and great work on my muscles during this challenging phase. Your advice pointed me in the right direction, got me treated quicker and greatly assisted in maintaining my muscles in great shape post op. I have got another nine months of exercise and rehab in front of me and I always look forward to my Myotherapy session to spoil my muscles with some maintenance.
By Mark MackenzieGreensborough, Vic
