MUA 3 Weeks post MUA- still not getting ROM!

[Celle]

When you have a MUA, it sends you back the "square one" for a little while. Instead of exercising heaps and trying to get the same ROM as your surgeon got while you were asleep, it is better to go gently - rest, ice, elevation and regular pain medication are the order of the day again for a while. That's because, in breaking the adhesions, the MUA also causes some degree of re-injury, which causes swelling, which then prevents your knee from bending.

So, treat your knee gently for a while and try not to worry. And don't let those physiotherapists push your knee at all.

Remember the BoneSmart mantras and treat your knee as if it has just had a replacement:
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!

 

[Jamie]

I agree. If you have a tendency toward developing scar tissue (and that may not be the case here, even though that is what you were told), trying to exercise your knee when it's inflamed will only make things worse. I suggest you take thing easy for a couple of weeks and spend large amounts of time icing and elevating your leg. Take meds to keep the pain under control. The only real exercise you need are gentle bends and stretches a couple of times each day in addition to your general walking around the house to the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. You could do maybe 5 minutes with no resistance on an exercise bike if you have one. I think you will see some improvements if you let your knee settle down a bit.

You will notice that I have merged your latest thread into your past recovery thread on this knee. I see that Jo also had done a thread merge for you. Please consider this to be your official recovery thread and post any new updates or questions here rather than starting a new thread. It keeps more continuity to your recovery story and makes it easier to respond properly.

 

[referee54]

I concur---your knee was just traumatized by an MUA---so it will take some time to calm down.

Take it easy, ice, elevate and rest, and let the knee relax and calm down.

Try a few gentle revolutions on the bike and see how you feel---and resist the urge to try to speed things up.

This is the time to take it easy and to work smarter, not harder in the scheme of your recovery. Avoid getting into the "vicious circle"---working hard, not getting the results, and then working harder, and still no results....it is important that you break that cycle and let the knee simply "catch its breath", so to speak, and become less inflamed.

The more you work an inflamed knee, the more inflamed it will get.

"Less is more."

 

[skigirl]

I will chime in with everyone else. My doc told me so many times that if you have formed adhesions, then exercising on an inflamed, swollen knee would cause them to reform.

 

[meechmom]

Thank you all for your encouragement and advice. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my 3 week follow up to the MUA. I think I need a rest too from all the exercise trying to get it to bend. It is still swollen and I'm still using a cane to walk. I hope the doctor agrees I need to slow down!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[jeano]

It's not the doctor's knee. He doesn't need to agree. There isn't a thing in the world he can do to heal it. He can help you make it worse by insisting that you keep pushing it.

Mr Jeano has a wise saying that applies: 'keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you got.'

 

[Paradise06]

I concur with all the good advice here. I also can speak from experience in having poor ROM, swelling, inflammation, adhesions, Then MUA 5 months post-op and OS said he got 125 ROM. This decreased and I was distraught. But good news is that ROM has greatly improved only in the past few months and I can get more than 125 ROM and its 10 months now post-op. Point is, hang in there, follow the good advice on this forum, don't overdue the exercise, be patient.