Shit Happens!

Oops! I did it again!

In February 2014, I tore the medial meniscus in my right knee. I posted about my recovery here.

In July 2015, I injured my left knee! I ignored it for a while, as I was hoping it was just a strain and it was not stopping me from doing much. However, the occasional sharp pain was a warning that something wasn't right and needed to be examined. The MRI showed there was a tear to the medial meniscus.

Feb. 24, 2016
I had my arthroscopic surgery on February 9th 2016, and am now 2 weeks post surgery. I started my rehab work immediately after surgery and it has made an incredible difference. Compared to my other knee, I am about 2 weeks ahead of my previous recovery!

You might think that I should have learned from my first knee injury and avoided a second knee injury. I would think so too!

I did learn a lot from my first injury, and the second injury has taught me more.
  1. Shit happens! If you are going to be active and do things out of the ordinary, there is always a risk of injury.
  2. Proper training in movement and mobility will reduce the risk, but it is no guarantee.
  3. Having trained properly in the first place, recovery from an injury should be exponentially faster with movement and proper rehab.
  4. Movement and rehab work should be started immediately after surgery. The longer you wait to start, the more the tissue will "seize" up and the longer (and more painful) the rehab will be.
  5. Rehab is painful, but it is imperative that you progressively work through the pain. Suck it up, do the work, and you will be rewarded. Avoid it and you may never fully recover. Short term pain for long term gain .... or live in pain. Your choice.
Some may think that it is ridiculous to do things that risk injury. I think it is ridiculous to "sit on the couch" to avoid injury. Lack of movement is the greatest risk of injury there is. The number of sedentary people suffering from pain is staggering!

Having said that, there are ridiculous ways of pushing yourself that greatly increase the risk of injury. Knowing the difference is paramount.


Comments