KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!! Dr: "Knee Pain for the rest of your life, nothing you can do". @1+ year later, rehabbed and pain gone.

[Couchmaster]

My primary physician is a highly regarded and sought after Dr. Was out rockclimbing and blew out my knee @ 2 miles up a canyon on the way to the climb. The urgency care doctor thought I'd ruptured my Patella Tendon, ibuprofen and rest was the suggestion. After months of pain, and literally almost unable to walk down stairs (mandatory holding the handrail with most of my body weight on it worked) I went to my regular doctor and after the usual exam and some x-rays, got the bad news. "Sorry to have to give you this bad news, but plan on having pain for the rest of your life, you have arthritis and there is nothing you can do about it". Now, my crooked fingers and finger pain already gave that news away to me years back. I'm a rockclimber and those steep hard finger cracks I could easily lap in my younger days are now only something I wistfully look at....but don't attempt. Anyway, I'm getting to the real point of this discourse: I asked for and got a physical therapy referral.

I walked in, the little girl (with her Phd and clearly smarter than me so maybe I'm showing my age here) doing the PT exam made me walk through all of the details, then she did the poke and prod thing before she tossed me a huge life ring. "We see this all the time, we'll get you pain free and back to skiing and climbing". Somewhat disbelieving, I was stunned. Stunned and relieved. Turns out that the kind of things us outdoorsy people do all the time forgets the opposition muscles and tendons and one can rehab this stuff. Took me a good part of a year and a loss of a year skiing (the ski folks would not allow the pass to be used the next year so I lost the $# of the pass and I didn't get a single turn in all year). I'm a tad fearful that I might screw it up again, but the folks in the office are use to seeing me flop over onto the carpet and start waving my legs all around during work hours. I'm going to keep at the exercise's and cross my fingers that I don't have that ever happen again.

I'm sharing this tale in the hopes that someone else who receives this kind of horrific news (ie, you're screwed), ignores that advice and takes the next stop to physical therapy. KEEP HOPE ALIVE! I've already bought next years season pass and am back to lapping my favorite local climbing line. (except now I've ripped some rotator cuff tendons as I put on the covid 15 and then overdid that first day out).

 

[eok]

My wife had a similar experience. Horrific knee injury in 2015. Outlook was initially grim. Doctors warned her she may not get any stability in the knee. Ever. The prospect of reconstruction surgery was downplayed. History of arthritis was a factor too.

The doctor let us listen to her MRI narrative. We're not doctors, but the seemingly endless series of injury descriptions was just awful to hear.

But she remained positive and really worked her butt off in physical therapy. She did really well. We added stuff to our "home gym" so she could do additional PT routines at home. It really paid off. In 10 months the docs were shocked at her knee stability. And she can still out-hike me any day of the week. I mean, seriously, when we're hiking she makes me feel my age.

 

[cantunamunch]

I am totally hoping I will have a similar story about my ankle - it is now the 9th month since I was told that it is as good as it is ever going to be, and running or cycling on it was taking a permanently crippling risk. The doc didn't even want to hear about XC. So yeah. Hope alive. Ups and downs but hope alive.

 

[Rod9301]

My primary physician is a highly regarded and sought after Dr. Was out rockclimbing and blew out my knee @ 2 miles up a canyon on the way to the climb. The urgency care doctor thought I'd ruptured my Patella Tendon, ibuprofen and rest was the suggestion. After months of pain, and literally almost unable to walk down stairs (mandatory holding the handrail with most of my body weight on it worked) I went to my regular doctor and after the usual exam and some x-rays, got the bad news. "Sorry to have to give you this bad news, but plan on having pain for the rest of your life, you have arthritis and there is nothing you can do about it". Now, my crooked fingers and finger pain already gave that news away to me years back. I'm a rockclimber and those steep hard finger cracks I could easily lap in my younger days are now only something I wistfully look at....but don't attempt. Anyway, I'm getting to the real point of this discourse: I asked for and got a physical therapy referral.

I walked in, the little girl (with her Phd and clearly smarter than me so maybe I'm showing my age here) doing the PT exam made me walk through all of the details, then she did the poke and prod thing before she tossed me a huge life ring. "We see this all the time, we'll get you pain free and back to skiing and climbing". Somewhat disbelieving, I was stunned. Stunned and relieved. Turns out that the kind of things us outdoorsy people do all the time forgets the opposition muscles and tendons and one can rehab this stuff. Took me a good part of a year and a loss of a year skiing (the ski folks would not allow the pass to be used the next year so I lost the $# of the pass and I didn't get a single turn in all year). I'm a tad fearful that I might screw it up again, but the folks in the office are use to seeing me flop over onto the carpet and start waving my legs all around during work hours. I'm going to keep at the exercise's and cross my fingers that I don't have that ever happen again.

I'm sharing this tale in the hopes that someone else who receives this kind of horrific news (ie, you're screwed), ignores that advice and takes the next stop to physical therapy. KEEP HOPE ALIVE! I've already bought next years season pass and am back to lapping my favorite local climbing line. (except now I've ripped some rotator cuff tendons as I put on the covid 15 and then overdid that first day out).

Are the hamstrings the opposing muscles?

 

[Scruffy]

I am totally hoping I will have a similar story about my ankle - it is now the 9th month since I was told that it is as good as it is ever going to be, and running or cycling on it was taking a permanently crippling risk. The doc didn't even want to hear about XC. So yeah. Hope alive. Ups and downs but hope alive.

Didn't hear about this. Hang in there, Tuna. Hope it all works out for you.

I'm dealing with Plantar Fasciitis in both feet right now--too much running and hiking apparently. Hoping I can get a handle on it before too long. It's already impacting my ability to stay fit

 

[Steve]

Tore my Rotator cuff had it scoped, tore again in PT. Nothing can be done, limited ROM the rest of your life I was told.

Swimming, PT, exercise - now have full ROM and some strength.

I think most people won’t do the work and Doctors don’t want to tell them that they can heal and then have patients complain. Lower expectations seems to be the norm.

Those of us willing to do the work will always exceed expectations and outdo most people.

 

[neonorchid]

I am totally hoping I will have a similar story about my ankle - it is now the 9th month since I was told that it is as good as it is ever going to be, and running or cycling on it was taking a permanently crippling risk. The doc didn't even want to hear about XC. So yeah. Hope alive. Ups and downs but hope alive.

Merde! Take it easy on it. You don't want the section of tendon surgically replaced. Time is the best medicine. Listen to your body (easier said then done). Give it time.

 

[Couchmaster]

Are the hamstrings the opposing muscles?

Several things, but I believe that it's mostly IT bands. When I get done the muscles on the upper outer leg and including the outside part of my ass cheeks are roasted.



"Plantar Fasciitis "

Been there done that years ago. Use to free solo a climb. Figured to go minimalist and after topping out just hike the trail down in my no support rockclimbing slippers. Was fine multiple times doing this, but one day: first lap was OK, 2nd lap of the day I start feeling the pain and it just got worse. Plantar Fasciitis for sure. Buddy who was a trainer gave me this advice and it worked.

1st: -Don't jump right out of bed in the am. Stretch and get blood flow to that area for a bit. Reach down and gently move your foot with your hands.
2nd) - Buy the best, most supportive athletic shoes you can find. Look for the best arch support.
3rd) - Check the internet for exercises. I remember a few, one was to roll a frozen water bottle under my foot while watching tv. And /or a tennis ball or rolled up towel.

Good luck!

 

[newboots]

And get heel lifts or footbeds designed to help PF - they make a big difference. And stretch the hamstrings as well as ankle, etc.

 

[martyg]

Awesome stuff. Thrilled to hear.

Here's the thing about doctors: their knowledge base of performance optimization is extremely limited. There are, of course, exceptions. Find that doc who is competitive, on the national level in an athletic endeavor and you will have found someone who knows their stuff. They know their stuff, not because of their med school curiculum, but because they sought it out for their own performance gains. Bodybuilders, for example, have forgotten more about nutrition than a doctor will ever know.

Here's the thing about PTs: find that PT who has completed their fellowship, or PhD, and they will be all about performance optimization. Yes, they may lean a bit more towards treating trauma, or research, but at the end of the say, it is all performance optimization. PTs are also not just for the injured. Having trouble in bumps? Back pain while cycling? The right PT can help immensely with dry land drills to help train your body for that movement.

For those of us that are active, a world-class PT should be your first stop for non-catastrophic injuries.

 

[Mike King]

I see my PT every couple of weeks. I have lots of things for her to focus on. I'm a "maintenance" patient!

Mike

 

[crosscountry]

Find the right doctor. Some doctor think being able to walk from the couch to the frig is "healed". They even tell you you'll never ski again. Find another doctor, he may tell you you can rip bumps all day!

Find the right PT. That's even more important. The worst therapist I've had just treat you as a number. Do the "routine" whether that helps or not. But the right PT nail you problem on first visit, give you a treatment plan, you'll just have to trust them and do the work. Result can be amazing.

When all else seems to have failed? Time also heals! Especially for the older folks. It takes months, or even years, for the body part to fully remodel from the injured state back to full function. I've had injury that only recovered to 80-90% and I thought "I can accept that". But 2 years later, I suddenly got the rest of it back! Certain things I thought I had to give up became doable again. As one of my PT advised me when I ran out of PT quota: "Keep doing what you can as long as it's pain free, you will slowly be able to do more, pain free". One day, you may even be able to do MORE than you could pre-injury!