Managing pain through rehabilitaion
The Beginning of Prehab:
And so it begins…. With a diagnosis of a torn meniscus and a pending operation sometime in in the next 2-3 months, I have the choice of sitting around waiting or setting up an active prehab programme. I am aware that the former will be damaging to me physically, emotionally as well as for my mental well-being and extend my recovery period. Too much exercise and I will experience pain caused by muscle spasms / bracing as the leg fights to compensate for the injury.
I am not sure when was the exact occurrence of the injury but after 40 years of playing tennis to quite a high level plus a number of other sports it is possibly not surprising. The MRI revealed a small tear in the meniscus in the left knee as well as a small amount of osteoarthritis. There is discussion on the internet over the need for surgery for such an injury, but I will discuss this in relation to me in a later post.
And so, I find myself recovering from running the slowest Park Run (5km) I could manage – 35mins to avoid the impact of my leg. It feels good with pain levels around 1-2. This compares to the 7-8 I was experiencing when I was still playing tennis and my whole leg was reacting to protect my knee. This made sleep problematic which was one of the main drivers for seeking a diagnosis. Now, playing infrequently I can manage my injury but still am very aware of the limitations it imposes on me. This is not how I want to live my life going forward so, knowing I have surgery on the horizon I am determined to get as fit as possible to be able to return to active sport a better player as well as enjoying the process of prehab / rehab.
My first purchase has been a single / fixed gear 6KU Urban Track bike. My aim is to learn how to ride the bike set up as a “fixie” i.e. a single-gear bicycle that has no freewheel, so that its wheels cannot move unless power is applied to the pedals. Why good for prehab– cycling removes the load bearing and pounding that aggravates my knee whilst building my quads and hamstrings – the two major muscle groups that stabilise the knee. Thanks to Roger for the initial advice to kick start my programme. So, after two bike sessions , a evening of volleyball and a slow 5K, the leg is feeling a little sore (pain scale 2-3) but I am feeling physically tired and content that I have challenged my body enough but will be able to function tomorrow. Day of rest then back on the bike on Monday.