Knee Updates

Enjoying Saturday @ New Belgium Brewery

It's my goal to increase my yoga teaching gigs to a bonafide gig. I was working towards that but slowed down after the knee surgery. I am teaching two times a week to a community center group. The classes are nice because they are small. The participants are fairly new to yoga, so the classes give the opportunities to emphasize teaching the poses and focusing on alignment. I also offer lots of variations for each pose. I've gotten into the groove of those classes since my surgery. I've been able to show the modifications I take for my body; this seems to make everyone more comfortable in making poses work for themselves, rather than trying to achieve what we imagine a pose is "supposed" to look like. 

I've been surprised by how achy my knee and hip continue to be. I have trouble falling asleep at least 3 times a week. I just can't get comfortable. My knee feels pain on both sides of the artificial patella. And my hip joint feels pain because the hip has been compensating for my knee for years. Now I'm asking the hip joint to move into the socket the "correct" way so that my foot points straight instead of out to the side. I can feel the hip click in and out of its socket. Both things will settle down. I know. It's only been 8 weeks. But that doesn't keep me from being disappointed with the pain. 

I'm also disappointed that I have not regained my full range of motion. The doctor is happy with my progress as is the physical therapist. I have achieved between 120 and 125 degrees for flexion. I have -3 degrees for extension. Both of these results are "acceptable" based on the literature. But I really want to achieve 130 degrees or better for flexion. The fact that I haven't achieved full extension adds to the misalignment of the two legs because it effectively shortens the right leg. My right leg also tends to be shortened because my right pelvis continues to have an anterior tilt, bringing the hip joint higher up into the body.

I've been going to one or two yoga classes since about 5 weeks after surgery. I'm worried that I've lost some of the stamina and strength I had gotten earlier this year. But this week I've hurt too much to even consider going. I've had PT two times a week and I've been substitute teaching (a lot of standing and walking) as well as teaching two yoga classes. I hope that between all of this, I'm doing what I need to steadily improve. 

On the plus side, Bill and I have been able to take pretty long walks on the weekend. Two weeks ago we walked up to the local brewery and enjoyed the outside venue. So, I am walking better than before the surgery. And I'm able to walk further too. The results have been successful. I just have to wait out the pain.