Exercise suggestions????

Marsha_S

Hiya!

I'm having wrist surgery on Wednesday so won't be able to do much with it for the next few weeks. I've also got a damaged knee, so I can't really do exercises with impact (running, aerobics, etc) anymore.

With this in mind, what exercises can you suggest I do while I'm home on leave and in the future? At the moment it seems all I can do is walk my dog!

I'm trying not to be discouraged, but it's difficult to be able to do so little when I LOVED doing my aerobics etc in the past.

Thanks so much all...

hemlock2010

Maybe this is a good time to focus on your core with Pilates and/or a stability ball?

While you're recovering from surgery, remember that you need fat in your diet in order to repair tissue, so don't go crazy with the calorie restriction trying to make up for not being able to exercise. Think of this as a chance to practice living at your maintenance calories!

Good luck. :-)

TrainingWithTonya

Actually, it's additional protein you need in your diet for tissue repair after surgery.

As for exercise, pilates, yoga, and tai chi can all be done without hurting injured areas. You may have to modify some moves, or skip them altogether if they require putting weight on your wrist, but you can still do quite a lot of exercises. Whats going on with the knee? Will you be having surgery on it soon too? Or are you in need of exercises to strengthen it so you can do more in the future?

Marsha_S

Thanks for your responses ;-) Tonya, my wrist, forearm and knee were badly broken in a car accident last May. I have a pin in my wrist, plate and screws in my forearm and two plates with screws in my tibia plateau. My wrist had a lot of damage at the joint and has been very tender since the accident, so they are going back in to see what's going on, and will probably take the pin out while they're in there.

My knee got the worst of it, and though I'm walking again, if I'm not gentle I get shooting pains through my knee as the joint was damaged too. So even if I'm going down the stairs I have to step lightly. They are not going to remove the metalwork in my knee, at least not in the near future. I've had loads of physiotherapy after the accident, but there's not much more they can do. If I walk briskly for more than 10-15 minutes, my leg will be really painful and I start to limp.

I've been battling with keeping my weight down since the accident, as I was immobile from May - October, and now that I'm back on my feet I still can't really exercise as I'd like :-((((

Anyway sorry for rambling on....I hope this gives you a better picture of what's going on.

TrainingWithTonya

Gotcha. Considering the location of the plates in your knee, I'm surprised they didn't do a total knee replacement to prevent future scar tissue build up in the joint. Here's a pic of the knee joint so you can see what I mean:



The plateau of the tibia is basically what the meniscus is resting on, so plates there will definitely effect the joint. You will have to be sure you are moving it through a full range of motion daily so that you don't have scar tissue build up there. Did they have to remove any of the meniscus? Were they focusing on any kind of strength training for the knee? The best way to build back the meniscus (yes, it can be done but needs the extra blood flow to the muscles surrounding the joint from resistance training) is through resistance training so you will need to do some resistance exercises for your knee to get better mobility back.

Sorry if I'm being nosey. I'm planning to be a physical therapist when I finally grow up and get done with school. :laugh: I decided I wanted to be a PT because I was tired of going to physical therapy after accidents or injuries and the PT's being too conservative in their treatment for me as an avid exerciser and former professional athlete. As I got into my studies, I found out that unfortunately, PT's have some limitations in what they can do. First of all, they don't necessarily have a basic degree in exercise science to have experience with people like us who love to workout. Generally, their bachelors is in biology, which is great, but doesn't give them a background in dealing with the sport psychology of working with someone who is athletic. They are also limited in that their training and most of their experience in practice is dealing with the average non-exerciser. They get in a rut in their jobs just like anyone else and tend to stick to the same program for the body part injured instead of personalizing it for the athletic abilities, or former athletic abilities, of the client. As a patient, this is what was frustrating for me so I would use my background as a personal trainer and literally up my weights while the PT's back was turned. Finally, the other thing I found out was that even if a PT has the exercise background before they enter PT school and knows the proper progression and focuses the workout to the psychological and physiological needs of each client, they are restricted by insurance companies. They can only do so many sessions for a specific injury and if you aren't back to 100%, there's not a lot they can do about it because of $. Our medical system sucks! That's why I'm planning on having my PT practice attached to my gym, so when someone's insurance kicks them out they can join the gym and I can still work with them as a personal trainer instead of as a PT. I won't make near as much money on those sessions after the insurance isn't paying, but the point is to help the patients not line my pockets.

So, after my long explanation of why I feel the way I do, my recommendation to you would be to find a degreed athletic trainer or exercise physiologist and see if they can take you on as a personal training client. Notice I'm not saying to find a certified personal trainer. That's because they don't have the knowledge of your injuries to be able to safely help you.

Marsha_S

Wow! I know you'll be a great PT....how much longer before you're qualified?

Thanks for all the info, I wish we could add attachments to these messages, I'd send you my x-rays to have a peek at.

Maybe one day I can afford that trainer. ;-)

Marsha_S

Oh and I'm checking out the yoga and pilates dvds....any particular instructor you recommend?

TrainingWithTonya

I'll have my Bachelors in Exercise Physiology in May 2012, which will make me an exercise physiologist that is legally qualified to work with people with injuries and illnesses. I've already taken most of the classes, though, and only have one semester of classes left and then an internship.

As for the yoga and pilates, I highly recommend Stott Pilates and any yoga by Rodney Yee. You might be able to find them on eBay, but for sure you can find them on www.collagevideo.com. You will have to do some modifications, but if there is a pose or move you can't do, just do a long stretch like where you are laying on the floor and reach long in both directions and focus on your breath until they go to something else you can do.