Knee flexion has improved tremendously though it’s extremely tight and slightly painful to fully flex the knee. Almost full range of motion. I had been doing heel-wall slides to help with this, think it helps.
Still experiencing tightness/dull pain in my VMO+ scar tissue area, especially when walking/standing/going down stairs.
I shared these points with my physio Mark. For my physio session today, Mark did some manual therapy to loosen up my VMO + ITB, and it was straight to rehab work! Mark said it was time to start loading my quads as my left quad apparently has atrophied (shrunk) quite abit. We did some bike work, some light leg press, and some hip stability drills. Mark keeps emphasising ‘strong hips, strong knees. Not the other way round’.
We finished up the session with abit more manual therapy for my VMO as I was complaining of tightness, and he also applied sports tape on my knee which is supposed to help with the VMO tightness.
And it did!! The leg feels surprisingly better with just the tape and no knee sleeve (which I had been wearing before). Mark said he expected me to be jogging by Week 6... which seems unlikely at the moment lol, given how my knee feels still. I think I’ll get significantly better once the scar tissue (a tough little lump under my skin) decided to break up and disappear.
For home therapy, supposed to do some wall-assisted half squats, stand-sit from bed (not sure how to describe this lol. Resembles a half squat but the load is on hamstrings/glute), hip stability drills, calf raises. Hope I get better fast!
Showing posts with label Plica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plica. Show all posts
Saturday 25 August 2018
Saturday 11 August 2018
Plica Syndrome - Day 11 - Stitches Removal
Knee extension is almost 100% (I can straighten my leg), but according to my physio I'm still walking with my leg slightly bent. This is because I feel this little bunch of muscle above my knee being very tight still, which subconsciously makes me bend the leg. Knee flexion is still bad, I can't go beyond 90 degrees much, something tight is pulling me back at the knee.
Physio work today involved riding a bike, some other stretches/exercises that Mark guided me through. More interesting and worth it than lying on a bed and letting TENS zap me. He gives me a glimpse of his 'roadmap' for me, which sounded interesting I suppose, being my first time working with a PT. Looking forward to recovery!!
After the physio session, I went to see Dr Lim to remove my stitches. It was fairly simple, just snip the knot at the end, and gently tug out the thread with a tweezer. I barely felt anything, not even a tugging sensation. Wounds seemed to have healed alright, but still some swelling there.
Recovery will be training the quads to prevent atrophy, getting range of motion back. Will post the next update probably in 2 weeks time (about Week 4) when I visit the physio again. Ciaoz
Physio work today involved riding a bike, some other stretches/exercises that Mark guided me through. More interesting and worth it than lying on a bed and letting TENS zap me. He gives me a glimpse of his 'roadmap' for me, which sounded interesting I suppose, being my first time working with a PT. Looking forward to recovery!!
After the physio session, I went to see Dr Lim to remove my stitches. It was fairly simple, just snip the knot at the end, and gently tug out the thread with a tweezer. I barely felt anything, not even a tugging sensation. Wounds seemed to have healed alright, but still some swelling there.
Recovery will be training the quads to prevent atrophy, getting range of motion back. Will post the next update probably in 2 weeks time (about Week 4) when I visit the physio again. Ciaoz
Sunday 5 August 2018
Plica Syndrome - Day 6 - Regrets?
Day 6 after the op (counting the day of the op as Day 0) I can start to walk without a crutch but with a big limp. There's some swelling on and off, which I realised seems to happen if I remove the light compression sleeve the doctor gave. I'll ice, elevate, and put the compression sleeve back on and the swelling subsides.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have had done the surgery. When I read online of other people who also had plica syndrome and hence went for arthroscopic surgery, their symptoms always sound a lot more severe than mine.
All I had was a persistent discomfort in the knee, the feeling that something is rubbing on the inside of the knee, and the joint gets warm and painful after I deadlift / hurts when I run. Other people have constant pain, clicking in the knee, pain when going up/down stairs. I can even play basketball/sports if I wear a knee wrap!
The problem was the discomfort didn't go away, and didn't seem to be improving after 9 months. I had 2 options:
Option A: Start seeing a new physio and try out another treatment plan (After 9 months of trying many plans) and hope it reduces and eliminates the problem eventually.
Option B: Do the surgery, then see that physio and rehab to 100%.
The problem with option A is that the recovery is not guaranteed and the problem plica is still there. Well not that option B is guaranteed recovery, but at least the problem is removed and I can actively rehab and feel progress.
My only fear now is that I don't actually return to 100%, and some lingering issue remains to haunt me. Then it will remind me of this $11+k plus 3 months of suffering (the estimated recovery timeline) wasted. oh well.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have had done the surgery. When I read online of other people who also had plica syndrome and hence went for arthroscopic surgery, their symptoms always sound a lot more severe than mine.
All I had was a persistent discomfort in the knee, the feeling that something is rubbing on the inside of the knee, and the joint gets warm and painful after I deadlift / hurts when I run. Other people have constant pain, clicking in the knee, pain when going up/down stairs. I can even play basketball/sports if I wear a knee wrap!
The problem was the discomfort didn't go away, and didn't seem to be improving after 9 months. I had 2 options:
Option A: Start seeing a new physio and try out another treatment plan (After 9 months of trying many plans) and hope it reduces and eliminates the problem eventually.
Option B: Do the surgery, then see that physio and rehab to 100%.
The problem with option A is that the recovery is not guaranteed and the problem plica is still there. Well not that option B is guaranteed recovery, but at least the problem is removed and I can actively rehab and feel progress.
My only fear now is that I don't actually return to 100%, and some lingering issue remains to haunt me. Then it will remind me of this $11+k plus 3 months of suffering (the estimated recovery timeline) wasted. oh well.
Saturday 4 August 2018
Plica Syndrome - Part 3 - First Physiotherapy (Day 4)
Went for my follow-up visit with Dr Lim Mui Hong today when he replaced my bandages and checked on my wound - nothing amiss, except for the $100+ from my wallet. Will be going back one last time in a week's time to remove the stitches.
The highlight of my day was my first visit to my physiotherapist, Mark from The Physio Movement. It's my first time seeing him, and they are well-reviewed online. It's a bit too early for me to leave my review, so I'll save it for a few weeks time.
Mark is a friendly guy, trying to chat abit to break the ice. During the session, he did some manual therapy (basically some massage to release tight muscles), a 15 mins session of TENS, and he ended it off with some advice on walking with crutches (try to retain my normal walking gait, don't overcorrect with a limp), and prescribed some daily exercises to do at home.
He told me that:
- I should walk without crutches in 2 weeks
- After 5-6 weeks he may let me do some light jogging
- Back to normal activity after 3 months
I'm slightly disappointed with the recovery timeline, as my informal Google search showed some people who actually went back to normal activity in 2-4 weeks. Oh well, have to trust the process and just pray for speedy and FULL recovery!
The general progress so far is some slight improvements in knee extension over the past 3 days. Knee flexion entirely depends on how much swelling there is in the knee... today there suddenly seemed to be some swelling so my sub90 knee flexion became a very tight 90. Bearing weight on the knee is still quite uncomfortable, though I can generally survive on one crutch, even no crutch if I limp hard.
The highlight of my day was my first visit to my physiotherapist, Mark from The Physio Movement. It's my first time seeing him, and they are well-reviewed online. It's a bit too early for me to leave my review, so I'll save it for a few weeks time.
Mark is a friendly guy, trying to chat abit to break the ice. During the session, he did some manual therapy (basically some massage to release tight muscles), a 15 mins session of TENS, and he ended it off with some advice on walking with crutches (try to retain my normal walking gait, don't overcorrect with a limp), and prescribed some daily exercises to do at home.
He told me that:
- I should walk without crutches in 2 weeks
- After 5-6 weeks he may let me do some light jogging
- Back to normal activity after 3 months
I'm slightly disappointed with the recovery timeline, as my informal Google search showed some people who actually went back to normal activity in 2-4 weeks. Oh well, have to trust the process and just pray for speedy and FULL recovery!
The general progress so far is some slight improvements in knee extension over the past 3 days. Knee flexion entirely depends on how much swelling there is in the knee... today there suddenly seemed to be some swelling so my sub90 knee flexion became a very tight 90. Bearing weight on the knee is still quite uncomfortable, though I can generally survive on one crutch, even no crutch if I limp hard.
Tuesday 31 July 2018
Plica Syndrome - Part 2 - Surgery + Post-Surgery
Just got home from my knee arthoscopy surgery for my plica syndrome!
I decided to journal my experience so others can have a point of reference.
To read more about my exact condition, you can check out part 1 here.
After a long time of ruminating and consideration, I decided to go for a knee arthroscopy surgery. According to my doctor Lim Mui Hong, it’s a fairly minor surgery with low risk. He seemed quite confident so that was reassuring.
My surgery was scheduled at 9.30AM, which meant I was asked to check in to Mount Alvernia Hospital at 7.30AM. I had to fast for >8h before the surgery, which meant I skipped breakfast and didn’t drink anything in the morning (I read that you can actually drink, just not eat. All the Nurses who asked me a gazillion times also only asked ‘when was your last meal’ and didn’t ask when did I last drink water so.... maybe you can drink? Check with your doctor)
Checking in was pretty fast, and I was changed into my operating gown by 8+ and chilling in my ward. As it was my first surgery, I was pretty nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully the Wife was with me!
Just before 9, someone came to wheel me up to the operation theater. It is time!!
It was a surreal feeling being wheeled in the bed/gurney... slightly disconcerting.
When I reached upstairs, I had to wait again as it wasn’t time yet. It was an uncomfortable (and cold!) 20+ mins as I heard patients being wheeled around me and heart rate monitors beeping out of rhythm. Can be quite unnerving! Not sure why the air con was so cold too, won’t the surgeon shiver or something.
Luckily the surgery was very punctual - at 9.25 my anaestheologist came to me and briefly explained what was going to happen. ‘You will go to sleep, and it will be done!’ He said cheerfully.
THEN he wheeled me into the operating theatre and suddenly like ten different things were happening at once. Someone was preparing the operating table for me, another put a heart rate monitor on my chest, another took my pulse, the anaestheologist was inserting the tube into my hand which my GA would be fed in, and my surgeon was jokingly asking me ‘so which knee ah?’ It was very confusing, but impressively efficient too as each staff worked like cogs of a wheel and had me all hooked up and ready to go within a minute.
I wasn’t asked to count down from a 100, unlike all those stories you hear. I don’t really remember what the last thing said to me was, probably ‘is that bozo still awake?’., I don’t remember dozing off. Next thing I knew I woke up in my ward, about 1.5h later, and my whole body felt like it was still asleep due to the GA still in my system.. I groggily said some stuff to my wife to tell her I’m awake then went back to sleep as the drugs slowly wore off.
I was kept in bed for another few hours (including a lunch break of porridge) and my surgeon came by at 3+ to check on me. Everything went smoothly, and he told me to do some quad squeezing and leg extension/flexion, with the goal of regaining full range of motion.
Currently my knee feels very tight, and I can’t bend it nor extend it fully yet, especially with the thick bandages still wrapped around it. Quite hard to move around without crutches too since the joint is quite weak and stiff.
Hope it gets better quick! Will be going back to see him for a follow up in 4 days time, and also see the physio for some PT.
I decided to journal my experience so others can have a point of reference.
To read more about my exact condition, you can check out part 1 here.
After a long time of ruminating and consideration, I decided to go for a knee arthroscopy surgery. According to my doctor Lim Mui Hong, it’s a fairly minor surgery with low risk. He seemed quite confident so that was reassuring.
My surgery was scheduled at 9.30AM, which meant I was asked to check in to Mount Alvernia Hospital at 7.30AM. I had to fast for >8h before the surgery, which meant I skipped breakfast and didn’t drink anything in the morning (I read that you can actually drink, just not eat. All the Nurses who asked me a gazillion times also only asked ‘when was your last meal’ and didn’t ask when did I last drink water so.... maybe you can drink? Check with your doctor)
Checking in was pretty fast, and I was changed into my operating gown by 8+ and chilling in my ward. As it was my first surgery, I was pretty nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully the Wife was with me!
Just before 9, someone came to wheel me up to the operation theater. It is time!!
It was a surreal feeling being wheeled in the bed/gurney... slightly disconcerting.
When I reached upstairs, I had to wait again as it wasn’t time yet. It was an uncomfortable (and cold!) 20+ mins as I heard patients being wheeled around me and heart rate monitors beeping out of rhythm. Can be quite unnerving! Not sure why the air con was so cold too, won’t the surgeon shiver or something.
Luckily the surgery was very punctual - at 9.25 my anaestheologist came to me and briefly explained what was going to happen. ‘You will go to sleep, and it will be done!’ He said cheerfully.
THEN he wheeled me into the operating theatre and suddenly like ten different things were happening at once. Someone was preparing the operating table for me, another put a heart rate monitor on my chest, another took my pulse, the anaestheologist was inserting the tube into my hand which my GA would be fed in, and my surgeon was jokingly asking me ‘so which knee ah?’ It was very confusing, but impressively efficient too as each staff worked like cogs of a wheel and had me all hooked up and ready to go within a minute.
I wasn’t asked to count down from a 100, unlike all those stories you hear. I don’t really remember what the last thing said to me was, probably ‘is that bozo still awake?’., I don’t remember dozing off. Next thing I knew I woke up in my ward, about 1.5h later, and my whole body felt like it was still asleep due to the GA still in my system.. I groggily said some stuff to my wife to tell her I’m awake then went back to sleep as the drugs slowly wore off.
I was kept in bed for another few hours (including a lunch break of porridge) and my surgeon came by at 3+ to check on me. Everything went smoothly, and he told me to do some quad squeezing and leg extension/flexion, with the goal of regaining full range of motion.
Currently my knee feels very tight, and I can’t bend it nor extend it fully yet, especially with the thick bandages still wrapped around it. Quite hard to move around without crutches too since the joint is quite weak and stiff.
Saturday 21 July 2018
My Plica Syndrome - Part 1 - Pre-surgery
It was a seemingly harmless niggling feeling in my knee after running.
I decided nothing too bad, and went for another run the next day. And then walked a whole bunch in Korea the following week.
What followed was a 9 month long knee pain/discomfort that I couldn't really explain for the first 6 months until MRI results showed a medial plica in my left knee that was possibly causing my problems.
My exact symptoms evolved and varied with time, but some of them:
- Tightness in both quads, at the blue spots marked above
- Tightness in hamstrings
- Abovementioned tightness would happen mostly with prolonged standing, and very oddly, when any fabric rested on my knees.
- Rubbing sensation on the inside of left knee (plica)
- Knee would feel warm at the red region after certain exercises (e.g. deadlift)
- Weakness/tight feeling in left knee.
- Tightness can evolve to pain if I keep applying pressure on left knee.
I did everything - see multiple doctors and specialists, physios, even TCM. But nothing helped. I stretched diligently every day, foam rolled. But nothing helped.
So after a long and fruitless battle... I gave in and decided to try for the last resort, surgery. It would be a simple procedure - a knee arthroscopy, where the doctor makes 2 small incisions on each side of the knee, and goes in to shave away the plica.
The thing is, there is no guarantee that this will take away my problems. It is the best hypothesis as to what was causing it, as doctors had ruled out ligament / meniscus damage. I'm quite apprehensive of this surgery, as I've never gone for surgery (or been under GA) before.
My surgery will be in 2 week's time... I'm hoping it will go smoothly, and recovery will be quick and easy. I'll update again then.
I decided nothing too bad, and went for another run the next day. And then walked a whole bunch in Korea the following week.
What followed was a 9 month long knee pain/discomfort that I couldn't really explain for the first 6 months until MRI results showed a medial plica in my left knee that was possibly causing my problems.
 |
| red area is where the pain/discomfort is. Blue areas are where i experience tightness for unknown reasons. |
My exact symptoms evolved and varied with time, but some of them:
- Tightness in both quads, at the blue spots marked above
- Tightness in hamstrings
- Abovementioned tightness would happen mostly with prolonged standing, and very oddly, when any fabric rested on my knees.
- Rubbing sensation on the inside of left knee (plica)
- Knee would feel warm at the red region after certain exercises (e.g. deadlift)
- Weakness/tight feeling in left knee.
- Tightness can evolve to pain if I keep applying pressure on left knee.
I did everything - see multiple doctors and specialists, physios, even TCM. But nothing helped. I stretched diligently every day, foam rolled. But nothing helped.
So after a long and fruitless battle... I gave in and decided to try for the last resort, surgery. It would be a simple procedure - a knee arthroscopy, where the doctor makes 2 small incisions on each side of the knee, and goes in to shave away the plica.
The thing is, there is no guarantee that this will take away my problems. It is the best hypothesis as to what was causing it, as doctors had ruled out ligament / meniscus damage. I'm quite apprehensive of this surgery, as I've never gone for surgery (or been under GA) before.
My surgery will be in 2 week's time... I'm hoping it will go smoothly, and recovery will be quick and easy. I'll update again then.
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