Jajakio
graduate
United StatesThe big surgical incision healing from early on is behind you. The pain and swelling from this will go down so much quicker than after surgery. Now the knee is right and I'll bet you improve in leaps and bounds.
MUA Ruby's Tuesday--July 11th, 2017<
- Thread starter Ruby9297
- Start date
Fire wolf
graduate
Just stopping by with well wishes! 
jboles
graduate
Checking in to see how you're doing. Hopefully you're getting more "bendy" every day.
OP
OP
Ruby9297
senior
Hi everyone, just checking in. I had my MUA on Tuesday' and was able to achieve 105 degrees of flexion while still in the hospital. I went home on Wednesday, still doing 105. Thursday, I was supposed to be home resting, but my developmentally delayed, autistic son had a crisis, which had me getting in my car and driving to him. It threw me off, physically and emotionally. When I went to my first post-hospital pt session on Friday, my ROM was down to 65. How could that be? I was just so discouraged! My thigh muscles , inside and out, are so bundled up and painful that it hurts just to move. The knee would bend if my thigh muscles weren't so knotted. Pt today and yesterday consisted of gentle massage and stretching. I felt a lot better today after PT, but my ROM was only 75. I am still very discouraged that I cannot do better. However, there are things that PT does not measure that I can see progress with. Examples include the ease with which I can get into and out of the car, and my ability to walk with less of a limp. I'll keep on truckin', but this is hard work!
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Polkadot
graduate
Hi, Ruby,
My MUA was successful, and similar to your #s, in the hospital. By the time I was driven an hour and a half home, my leg had swelled up, and, like you, my ROM at PT was much less than when I was in the hospital.
Once the swelling decreased, my ROM began improving. I haven't achieved the 120 degrees the doctor said he got, but I did gain about 25-30 degrees. I'm now bending to between 100-105. (My extension wasn't an issue.)
So don't be discouraged. You will need to heal from the fresh trauma to your knee, but you will gain flexion. The setback should be temporary. Give yourself some time and some tender care. It's great that you're noticing some differences in your movements, like getting in and out of the car. Keep watching for more. They'll come!
My MUA was successful, and similar to your #s, in the hospital. By the time I was driven an hour and a half home, my leg had swelled up, and, like you, my ROM at PT was much less than when I was in the hospital.
Once the swelling decreased, my ROM began improving. I haven't achieved the 120 degrees the doctor said he got, but I did gain about 25-30 degrees. I'm now bending to between 100-105. (My extension wasn't an issue.)
So don't be discouraged. You will need to heal from the fresh trauma to your knee, but you will gain flexion. The setback should be temporary. Give yourself some time and some tender care. It's great that you're noticing some differences in your movements, like getting in and out of the car. Keep watching for more. They'll come!
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
After an MUA, you kind of start over (not completely, but in the middle more) with recovery. Your tissues were just subjected to some tearing and aggravation. So they're going to swell, and it would be helpful to treat them as if in early recovery for a while: lots of rest, icing, and elevation. As the swelling goes down, which @Polkadot mentioned, you will see your flexion improve. Hopefully, a lot.
That you see differences in your movements tells me you will see better results soon. Your knee joint is moving better, and that is a good thing!
That you see differences in your movements tells me you will see better results soon. Your knee joint is moving better, and that is a good thing!
rubyyarn
graduate
Hiya, Ruby!
You did what you had to do for your son, it's that simple.
This is such a goofy, whacked out process. Unlike a sport or even a sports injury, there is no 'try hard' that will do any good. You can only heal, or rather, watch healing happen. It is probably the oddest experience we will ever have.
You did what you had to do for your son, it's that simple.
This is such a goofy, whacked out process. Unlike a sport or even a sports injury, there is no 'try hard' that will do any good. You can only heal, or rather, watch healing happen. It is probably the oddest experience we will ever have.
Your traumatized knee wasn't able to get the rest, elevation and icing that it needed after your MUA, so it reacted by swelling up inside and out. As you are able to give it what it needs, the swelling will come down and the ROM will go back up. You had 105 before having to drive to go to your son. You will get there again, and even more as time goes on. Susie is right, it's almost like being in the middle stages of a tkr. Your tissues were torn and need to heal.
Pheebs52
big-cheese
@Ruby9297, it just so happens I have a surplus of the large, economy sized, shiny red boxes of Patience in my garage! Would you like me to forward one? I don't think the Pixie Express is overwhelmed with business today, so if need be, they could probably arrive within 15 minutes or so. Hang in there!
OP
OP
Ruby9297
senior
Thanks all! I think you can hold onto to your boxes of patience for now, @Pheebs52. Today, it appears that I have finally turned a corner! My PT session today consisted of some stretches and some deep,massage of my thigh. Boy, oh boy, how knotted up my thigh is! It's better now, but it's still all in bunches. However, three days of concentrated massage have seemed to help the ROM tons! My ROM today measured at 90 degrees. This is a first at the PT clinic. Even though it's not as good as the 105 degrees I had in the hospital , it's progress. I'll take it. I'm feeling more encouraged. I also,saw my PCP today, who prescribed me a muscle relaxant p-- something I've been asking for. So hopefully, that will help. This is such a long, drawn out process. Thanks for all your support!
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Pheebs52
big-cheese
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Happy to see the good report! You're doing all the things. 
Great on your ROM increase! As your swelling decreases, you're going to see much improvement in your knee. It's already better than it was before the MUA!
OP
OP
Ruby9297
senior
Ah Saturday! A day off from PT, and I needed it. I slept in until noon. Since my MUA I've had some serious muscle tightness and spasms in my leg.,it started out mostly in the thigh, but now it's in The calf as well. Doctor gave me a muscle relaxer and it made no difference. I scheduled a massage for later today, hoping that helps. This pain is crippling at times, and it literally stops me in my tracks!
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Last edited:
When you had the MUA, Ruby, some of the tissues in your quad will have been torn a bit. It takes time for that to heal, and it'snot surprising that you are in pain. Treat your knee and your leg gently and make sure you take regular pain relief.
OP
OP
Ruby9297
senior
So do you think that it is ok to get a massage? Will it do more harm than good? I feel that a massage is what I need.
Sent from my iPad
LTKR scheduled on July 11th, 2017 [emoji51]
Last edited by a moderator:
