Knee Surgery for a
Torn Medial Meniscus
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My parents were living in Germany when my mother fell and tore her medial meniscus while on an assignment in London. She had surgery to repair it, but her recovery was long and painful. If you know my mother, you know that she didn't let surgery and pain stop her. She would go up and down the the four floors in their apartment building by putting a trash bag on and sliding down the stairs or scooting up them! She was unable to walk for several months, but my parents were still sent on assignments throughout western Europe, so mom used a wheel chair. That was not easy for a prideful Dane! But even after she quit using the wheelchair, pain and swelling persisted.
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Mom is innovative
Mom using a wheelchair
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I wanted to get my hands on her leg and help speed up the recovery with massage, but they lived too far away. A year later they returned to the US and the leg was still swollen and tender. She said the leg felt like a balloon blown up tight, ready to burst and and she couldn't put any pressure on it - just setting a book on her knee was painful. She was also limited in how much she could move her leg, thus hampering how much she could walk. As soon as they visited us, I put her (with a lot of protesting - she is a also a very stubborn Dane!) on my table and gently began to work on her knee.
Manual Lymph Drainage &
Myofascial Release
on the Scar Tissue
I began with manual lymph drainage to help decrease the swelling. Since her leg had been swollen and tight for so long, I also figured there was some kind of lymphatic restriction caused by scar tissue. When I reached the knee with the lymph work, I began to do some myofascial release. My mom was nervous about me touching her knee because it was so tender. I worked gently, relying on her feedback. I felt a lot of adhesion around the scars, but also several inches away from the visual scars. As I worked on her knee, my mom could feel "pulling" all the way up thigh and down to her toes. As I worked slowly and carefully she could also feel heat. I explained to her what fascia is and how when I am working in one area, even if it is very soft and gentle, she can feel it elsewhere in her body.
As I explained to my mom what I was doing, she commented that my explanations of scar tissue being more far-reaching than the visual scar made sense to her. Mom was a nurse anesthetist and she said that sometimes when she was helping with a second surgery on the abdomen she had seen scar tissues wrapped around the organs. This comment made me excited because I had abdominal surgery many years ago and feel that my scar tissue is the root of some of my problems. But that is entirely different blog post. . .
When my mom stood up from the table, she was amazed at how much easier she could move and that her leg did not feel like a ready-to-pop balloon. Within an hour all of the swelling was gone!
Results!
After receiving massage, mom could hike Walter's Wiggles!
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Mom can hike again!!!
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Two weeks later my parents (who are 74!) hiked Angel's Landing in Zion's National Park with several of their children and grandchildren! (The photo shows part of the trail.) Mom said that her knee didn't bother her too much. Obviously, she can move easier now!
She can also set things on her knee without pain. She can even kneel to do her gardening. Sometimes the knee still swells up, but doesn't feel tight and the swelling does not persist.
She can also set things on her knee without pain. She can even kneel to do her gardening. Sometimes the knee still swells up, but doesn't feel tight and the swelling does not persist.
Each time I see my mom, I massage her knee for at least a few minutes. I can work more aggressively now because it is not tender to the touch. Whenever I talk to her, she marvels at how much improved her knee is. This is why I studied massage therapy: I love to help people live fuller pain-free lives! To be able to help my mom was the most rewarding!
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