Many people who read my blog are looking for answers to recovering from MPFL surgery. Those who have read my posts know that I had MPFL surgery over 3 years ago, I went through a lot of physical therapy, and I had scar tissue removed from knee about 8 months ago to alleviate pain. That seemed to work well for a "locking" and "catching" feeling I was getting in my knee. I would be walking or exercising, and all of a sudden, my knee cap would feel like it locked and released. It was a scary, odd feeling. As for the pain, the surgery didn't do as much. Initially, I thought it had, but I think maybe the pain meds were masking the pain. Here is what I've done since...(Sorry if I'm repeating info from previous posts. I can't remember right now what I've already posted!)
I visited my knee surgeon and one of my friends who is a sports therapist. Both suggested that the pain I'm experiencing may be due to tightness of the IT band. Both recommended a foam roller and some stretching exercises. I will post a helpful video from Spark People about how to use a foam roller to release your IT band. It has helped a lot, but be forewarned...it can be painful depending on how much pressure you use. However, I've found that enduring the pain during rolling helps a lot with the stiffness and pain afterwards. My knee hurts much less when I wake up in the morning if I roll before I go to bed. My friend also suggested a sports massage. Luckily, I live in L.A. where there are many sports massage places. The place she recommended is called L.A. Sports Massage, and I saw a guy named Jason. He was AWESOME. He basically did the same thing that I do with the foam roller, but he used his hands to apply pressure. He gave me tips for stretching and releasing the IT band, and this has been a life saver! He told me (as did the doctor and my friend) that maintaining flexibility in the IT band is an ongoing thing. It's not something that will "heal" and go away. It's not an injury...it's just tightness, and like any tight muscle or tendon, you need to work at stretching it...forever. Okay, that part is annoying, but a small price to pay for pain relief. So, I highly recommend you look into this if you're having pain at the hip or knee joint, especially after prolonged periods of bent knees. The IT band runs from the hip to the top of the knee on the outside of the leg, so the pain may present itself anywhere along that band.
Using kinesio tape also helps! I will also post a video on that. I buy my kinesio tape at Big 5, Dick's, Sports Chalet. It even comes in cool colors now. I like pink. :)
Give these things a try if you're struggling, but as always, consult your doctor first!! These are just a few things that have helped me.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
MPFL Reconstruction--2 1/2 years later
I still get many comments about my MPFL reconstruction, and I'm so glad that many people have found it helpful. I get so many comments, that it is difficult for me to respond to all of them, but I did want to give a quick update to many of the questions that I get asked.
Q: What exactly did you have done?
A: I had MPFL reconstruction and a scope to clean up damaged cartilage in June 2010 after a patellar dislocation/MPFL tear in December 2009.
Q: How many surgeries have you had on your knees?
A: I have had four total: two on my left knee and two on my right. When I was 15, I had both knees scoped with a lateral release. This surgery was unsuccessful in stopping my patellar dislocations. At 17, I had a left knee realignment. From what I remember, ligaments were transposed and are held together at the base of my knee with a screw. This has successfully stopped dislocations, but according to doctors, my knee still appears unstable. I've had MPFL reconstruction/scope on my right knee at the age of 37. A piece of my hamstring was grafted on the inner side of my right knee, and the scope cleaned out damaged cartilage. Although suffering a partial dislocation, my knee is stable and generally in good shape.
Q: How long were you off from work with your MPFL surgery?
A: This is complicated! I work in a school, so I actually scheduled the surgery during summer vacation. Therefore, I wasn't really taking time off from work. I had about 2 1/2 months off from school to recover, but I truly believe that I could've gone back to work the week after the surgery. I wouldn't have been as mobile as I would have liked, but I was up walking around, doing some housework, taking walks...the day after surgery. I had very little pain. At the most, I would have taken two weeks off from work if I had the surgery done during the school year.
Q: Did it hurt? What kinds of pain meds did you take?
A: In all honesty, it wasn't that painful. For the first two days, I took percocet regularly to stave off pain, but those gave me a headache that hurt worse than my knee, so I stopped those after two days. I did have a nerve block which helped, but it left part of my leg numb for about six months. Not painful--just annoying. And, I have full feeling back now. I was also given vicodin, but I never needed it. I occasionally took ibuprofen before physical therapy.
Q: How much therapy did you do?
A: I went to 24 physical therapy sessions--3 x a week for 8 weeks. I also worked out extensively at home--stretching every chance I could get.
Q: How long before you got full range of motion?
A: I could go around fully on a bike at 4 weeks, and I also could bend my knee fully at 4 weeks. This is only because I did the stretches and strengthening exercises religiously at home and at therapy.
Q: Any complications?
A: Yes. I received a cortisone injection last week in my right knee due to pain. The doctor believes it is inflamed scar tissue. The injection worked (yay!), but I have no idea how long the effects will last. I may have to have another scope to find out if scar tissue is blocking my patellar tracking, because my knee is locking in place.
Q: What exactly did you have done?
A: I had MPFL reconstruction and a scope to clean up damaged cartilage in June 2010 after a patellar dislocation/MPFL tear in December 2009.
Q: How many surgeries have you had on your knees?
A: I have had four total: two on my left knee and two on my right. When I was 15, I had both knees scoped with a lateral release. This surgery was unsuccessful in stopping my patellar dislocations. At 17, I had a left knee realignment. From what I remember, ligaments were transposed and are held together at the base of my knee with a screw. This has successfully stopped dislocations, but according to doctors, my knee still appears unstable. I've had MPFL reconstruction/scope on my right knee at the age of 37. A piece of my hamstring was grafted on the inner side of my right knee, and the scope cleaned out damaged cartilage. Although suffering a partial dislocation, my knee is stable and generally in good shape.
Q: How long were you off from work with your MPFL surgery?
A: This is complicated! I work in a school, so I actually scheduled the surgery during summer vacation. Therefore, I wasn't really taking time off from work. I had about 2 1/2 months off from school to recover, but I truly believe that I could've gone back to work the week after the surgery. I wouldn't have been as mobile as I would have liked, but I was up walking around, doing some housework, taking walks...the day after surgery. I had very little pain. At the most, I would have taken two weeks off from work if I had the surgery done during the school year.
Q: Did it hurt? What kinds of pain meds did you take?
A: In all honesty, it wasn't that painful. For the first two days, I took percocet regularly to stave off pain, but those gave me a headache that hurt worse than my knee, so I stopped those after two days. I did have a nerve block which helped, but it left part of my leg numb for about six months. Not painful--just annoying. And, I have full feeling back now. I was also given vicodin, but I never needed it. I occasionally took ibuprofen before physical therapy.
Q: How much therapy did you do?
A: I went to 24 physical therapy sessions--3 x a week for 8 weeks. I also worked out extensively at home--stretching every chance I could get.
Q: How long before you got full range of motion?
A: I could go around fully on a bike at 4 weeks, and I also could bend my knee fully at 4 weeks. This is only because I did the stretches and strengthening exercises religiously at home and at therapy.
Q: Any complications?
A: Yes. I received a cortisone injection last week in my right knee due to pain. The doctor believes it is inflamed scar tissue. The injection worked (yay!), but I have no idea how long the effects will last. I may have to have another scope to find out if scar tissue is blocking my patellar tracking, because my knee is locking in place.
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