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Navigating Knee Rehabilitation: A Staged Approach

Recovering from knee injuries or surgeries involves a carefully orchestrated dance—like learning the steps to your favorite song. 🎵 Follow these steps and it’s like hitting the dance floor with newfound confidence. 🕺Let’s break it down into stages, shall we?

Stage 1 Early Moves: 

Protect and Reduce Swelling

Imagine this as the opening act. After surgery, your knee needs protection and a gentle touch. 

Dressings shield it from the world and infection, while elevation keeps internal drama in check (read: swelling; elevation limits internal bleeding and excess fluid secretion). 

But don’t linger too long—those quads need to wake up and join the party! This period can only be for a few days to avoid your quadriceps becoming inhibited.

Acupuncture is particularly useful at this stage to aid swelling reduction. It’s like having a backstage pass to the cool club!

Inflammation Interlude: Ice and Chill

Cue the ice packs and anti-inflammatory medication, for reduction of joint irritation and fluid accumulation. 

Cryotherapy soothes the joint lining, and medications play their part. Meanwhile, bulky dressings take a backstage break during treatment sessions, often consisting of acupuncture and some soft tissue work, alongside early stage exercises. 

Break Down: Adhesion Liberation; Breaking Sticky Bonds

Adhesions—those clingy strands formed in your soft tissue—can lock up the joint. Picture them as stubborn cobwebs. 

Massage, acupuncture and stretching help break them down, preventing them forming into scar tissue. Pay extra attention to the kneecap—it’s like the VIP section for adhesions.

Detective Mode: Early Infection Watch

Superficial infections? They’re like minor plot twists—skin redness, localized swelling, and a touch of creamy discharge. Nothing to be unduly concerned about, but should be brought under control-topical antiseptic and dressing changes. But deep infections?

Emergency alert! Typically the whole joint turns hot, swollen, and red. Swift action is required here, early identification and action avoids septic arthritis. 

Stage 2 Quads Unleashed: Breaking Inhibition

Early Stage: Restoring Range of Motion
The spotlight’s on, but your quads are still hesitant. It's like they have forgotten the words! 

Post- surgery, your quads might play hard to get. This is normal. They’re there, but your leg just won’t straighten, it needs a nudge. Enter quad exercises—the superhero move to activate those muscles.

First on the agenda is to get passive extension exercises going. Passive range of motion exercises (assisted movement of your knee) will keep the joint articulation in good order, but active extension exercises are required here.

Flexion (bending) gets a boost from active assisted flexions, but full extension is the main focus here as this enables you to stand unsupported. No extension lag allowed—this isn’t a cliffhanger! 


Stage 3 Proprioception: Finding Your Balance

Proprioception—your knee’s GPS—needs recalibration. Loss of proprioception (your joints' awareness of where it is) can lead to stumbles and falls.

Balance exercises, wobble boards, and fancy footwork restore that inner compass. You’re not just dancing; you’re choreographing your knee’s comeback tour!

Last Stage Grand Finale: Gait Patterns and Muscle Strength

Time to strut your stuff! 

Normal gait patterns must be restored as muscle strength is rebuilt. Continued limping leads to muscle imbalance and aches and pains, often in your back and other leg.

Increased muscle strength will stabilise the joint, from but can only be developed after the above stages have been followed.

It’s like hitting the dance floor with newfound confidence. 🕺

Remember, this rehab playlist is personalized. Consult your healthcare team—they’re your backstage crew, making sure you steal the show!  🌟

Amanda Pearson:

"I first met Ben in 2017 when I had a shoulder injury caused by over training at a local gym. Ben quickly fixed this and all was going great.

But…then came surgery…

In 2022 I had a disc replaced in my neck, this was caused by wear and tear and probably poor
posture at work. 

Ben helped me post-surgery with rehab exercises. The physio provided to me by the hospital was very little and was in some areas possibly out of date. I had a great recovery thanks to Ben and have had no further problems with my neck.

But then...

Knees! 

I have bad knees, again not from injury but from wear and tear and having a slightly wonky
skeleton!

In March this year I had a half knee replacement on my right knee, this was done by Mr Rees, an
knee specialist at Springfield hospital, he did a great job, before and after xrays attached.

My recovery has been fantastic.

I saw Ben for prehab exercises and treatment which meant my knee was in its best condition before surgery, this is a really important part of preparing for an operation which I think many people are unaware of.

After my op, Ben visited me at home as I couldn’t drive, about 5 days after surgery, and gave me some treatment (acupuncture) and some exercises to start my recovery with. I had been given exercises from the hospital but just a generalised hand out, not specifically for me.

Ben continued to visit me at home once a week which was really helpful, it’s really hard to manage
recovery when you can’t drive and live alone.

Mr Rees was amazed at the movement that I had in my joint at my first follow up appointment, it
was almost as good as they expect to see at full recovery!!

Once I was able to drive I visited Ben either at his facility and treatment rooms in Chelmsford or
Mersea. 

I am now 6 months post knee replacement and have had my final check up with my surgeon, he was again delighted with my progress and has asked for Bens Business card so he can spread the word.

Going through the knee replacement has been painful and at times scary... there were times when I worried I was never going to improve. Ben has been a constant support and cheerleader, both
physically and mentally, answering all my questions and worries with patience, solutions and only the odd eyeroll!!

I even went back out for a boogie this weekend!! I thought those days were long gone for me.

So Big thanks to Ben for getting me through this and back on the dance floor!!"

Sara Hodges:

"The debilitating and constant pain of a diseased joint which can only be resolved by a joint replacement inevitably results in us becoming less mobile - we stop walking the dog, playing golf, getting on the floor to play with the grandchildren.  

We are no longer able to enjoy activities which were commonplace in our lives, walking on the beach, maybe travelling through airports, the joy is sapped out of life and relationships and mental health can be compromised.

So when we eventually get a date for the operation, many of us are not in tip top condition to deal with the pain, and gruelling exercise regime which is essential to our effective recovery and our path back to full health. And that was my problem!

Imagine how delighted I was when a friend recommended Ben to me - I went to see him two or three times a week, 6 weeks prior to my op, and we worked on strengthening my core and legs.  

We worked hard, it was not easy and sometimes I wondered if it was worthwhile. Ben encouraged, reassured and never gave up on me - he talked me through the processes and showed me what to do.   

So when I came to do the many sets of daily exercises post op, my increased strength enabled me and gave me the confidence to push through the pain and I found a determination and resilience which I did not really realise I had. Thanks Ben!

I was back in the studio a couple of weeks after the op, and gently Ben helped me to get back into training, helping to strengthen my muscles and increase mobility in my leg and I continued one to one sessions with him for six months thereafter.

In addition to the rehab training, Ben gave me acupuncture and massage treatments which helped loosen up the stiffness. And gradually my strength and mobility returned. 

With the goal of a walking holiday in the Outer Hebrides six months post op I worked hard, and as I walked along those heavenly beaches, I realised that my new knee was really part of a new me. 

I have continued to train with Ben and his colleagues, and now 18 months post op I am back to playing golf and looking after the grandchildren, (sadly the dog is no more)."

Kelly Dines

Kelly underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy. 

"My knees had become so sore I was wondering if I would have to give up my absolute loves - Golf and skiing!

I was recommended to Ben by a fellow golfer, and started a program or prehab before my op.

The prehab meant I commenced my rehab after my op much fitter than I would have been, and made my recovery so much faster.

Ben's combined acupuncture, massage and exercises had me back on my feet (literally!) so much sooner than I thought I would be.

I have returned to the slopes and fairways, including a win! And best of all, so my wife tells me, stopped complaining about my knee pains!"


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