Return to normal walking?

[Catrin]

I'm just curious how long it has taken those of you who have had a scope and lateral release to return to normal walking?

It's been 3+ months now, flexion and extension is all good, pain is basically gone, but I just CANNOT walk normally or at my old fast pace. I tried this morning and felt like Frankenstein with one leg wanting to go faster and the other knee having obviously reached the limit. No pain, just a mechanical thing.

Hopefully I just need more patience, but it would be helpful to learn if others have gone through this, thanks!

[Pax]

I know I had a different procedure, but like you my flexion and extension are in the range to allow for a normal gait... but it just won't do it! My knee feels like it's wants to do what it's supposed to do, but I just can't get right and left into synch.

[Catrin]

Oddly enough, my flexion and extension are much better than before the surgery. I honestly don't know if I should just be thankful, but then when I'm out walking around downtown it's hard to ignore how differently I walk compared to those around me.

[Pax]

Oddly enough, my flexion and extension are much better than before the surgery. I honestly don't know if I should just be thankful, but then when I'm out walking around downtown it's hard to ignore how differently I walk compared to those around me.

It may be that it feels weirder to you than it looks to others. I was lamenting my "spastic" walk to my honey recently, she said "it must feel weird to you, but to an observer you just have a slight limp".

[emily_in_nc]

Totally different surgery, but when I had my pelvis put together again and had to relearn a normal gait, it took a loooooong time. Gradual improvement probably over a year. And even once I walked normally or felt like I did, it still felt a little strange from time to time. It takes a long time to get to the point where you just walk and everything is back in sync and even longer to get to the point where it becomes so automatic and normal that you don't even think about your surgery or the fact that your two sides are "different".

[Catrin]

That's good to hear Pax and Emily. I've had friends tell me that from the outside it looks as if the opposite sides of my body aren't in sync - apparently it doesn't look like limping. They say it doesn't scream attention to itself, unless someone is watching me in particular. This morning I tried to walk closer to my normal speed to the office and it was SO strange, it really felt like that knee had a mechanical barrier - but that doesn't mean it DOES. Very frustrating, and yes, I am a little afraid that this is my "new normal". Sigh, I need to try and put it out of my mind - but it is so hard to do that since I am literally incapable of walking at my old (fast) pace. I feel like I've had to give up so many of my old activities and I was hoping that I could at least be walking normally by know and use that for exercise. Kettlebells are great, but it is good to have more than a single fitness activity. I can hike, but very slowly as WR can attest to :-)

Thanks for listening to me vent, and the information is very helpful. Back to trying to be positive about all of this. The pain is MUCH better than prior to the surgery so that is a thing to be positive about

[ny biker]

What does your doctor say?

When I had ankle tendon surgery many years ago, the recovery was very slow and gradual, with stiffness and pain lingering for months. Most of my "friends" thought I was faking it, but my doctor and others at his office assured me that everything was normal. About a year after the surgery, I realized that I hadn't felt any felt any pain during everyday activities in a while. But I still needed to be wear shoes with really good arch support for years after that to avoid pain when I was doing lots of walking.

Somewhat similarly, I know someone who just had shoulder surgery, and she expects full recovery to take a long time. I don't recall exactly what she told me, but it was at least 6 months, possibly more.

In a way this can be overwhelming, because it's hard to be patient while things heal. But it's also reason to be hopeful, because you haven't necessarily reached the point where it won't get better anymore.

[Catrin]

Good point NY Biker, I saw my Ortho a couple weeks ago and he didn't seem all that interested in hearing about it. Maybe because there is little that can be done right now outside of time. I've another appointment with him in 2 weeks and I suspect he will release me at that time. Workman's Comp doesn't care so much about athletic performance...

Sorry about your ankle surgery, I had major ankle/foot surgery in 2004 and it took close to 3 years before I could walk without thinking about it...I guess I AM expecting a bit too much to be recovered after only 3 months and one week

[emily_in_nc]

Sorry about your ankle surgery, I had major ankle/foot surgery in 2004 and it took close to 3 years before I could walk without thinking about it...I guess I AM expecting a bit too much to be recovered after only 3 months and one week

Definitely. And since you mention that you haven't even been released from your ortho yet as well. When I was 3 months out from my surgery I had just stopped using crutches and had a big limp. I continued going to PT for strengthening and gait work for awhile after that, and then the rest of it, I was on my own. You certainly need to give it more time and stay positive!

[Catrin]

He wanted to release me a month ago but I keep complaining about my gait :-) I've been on my own for PT for 6 weeks now. I'm starting to wonder if I am going to need to get extra PT for my gait, but it doesn't fit into my budget I'm afraid, so I just walk as much as I can.

Definitely. And since you mention that you haven't even been released from your ortho yet as well. When I was 3 months out from my surgery I had just stopped using crutches and had a big limp. I continued going to PT for strengthening and gait work for awhile after that, and then the rest of it, I was on my own. You certainly need to give it more time and stay positive!

[Blueberry]

He wanted to release me a month ago but I keep complaining about my gait :-) I've been on my own for PT for 6 weeks now. I'm starting to wonder if I am going to need to get extra PT for my gait, but it doesn't fit into my budget I'm afraid, so I just walk as much as I can.

Talk to your ortho and see if he'll try to get workers' comp to authorize more PT. Gait issues can cause all kinds of issues later - (hip, back) so better to try to deal with it if you can! Lots of orthos in this area will be somewhat of an advocate for you with workers' comp - can't hurt to ask!

[Catrin]

I will ask him about that directly, good point. I've been trying to be patient and do try hard to make lemonade, but I do wonder. Thanks!

[Catrin]

Thanks Muirenn! I don't currently have a gym membership. I just train with my KB group (no access to thier other equipment) and my KB herd at home. I hike as much as I can, and there has been much improvement in all but my gait. That is what had me wondering.

Thanks for the comments everyone!

[emily_in_nc]

I think Sheila makes a great point. I would think spinning would be excellent rehab for your knee if there's a reasonably priced gym you could go to for that. Other than that, the PT for gait could be a bit helpful (although I didn't find it to be anything special). And time, lots of time. That's the hardest part of it all -- the patience!

[Catrin]

I had my coach watch me walking outside today and his jaw dropped. It isn't obvious over short distances like when walking across a room but outside is a different story. He said that it's obviously a motor control problem, my GOOD knee is almost collapsing as I try to walk normally because my bad knee doesn't appear to bend much, and this causes my hip to do odd things. My Ortho's assistant told me today that I should be pretty much back to normal by now as far as walking is concerned and he is going get back with me on this, hopefully they can get some gait training approved. This wasn't THAT major of a surgery.

I'm glad I asked my coach outside to watch me walk - I wanted to make certain that it just wasn't some minor thing that felt more than it was.