PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHTS
PT After A Total Knee Replacement
“No Pain, No Gain!”
“Over30yearsago, I tore theACL inmy rightknee. Igotalongall thoseyearsby keeping my leg strong and staying active, but, in spring 2019, my past caught up with me. My knee never stopped hurting. I could hardly hike and didn’t dare wade a river, and I knew it needed work. As luck would have it, the doctor took one lookat theX-rayand toldmemyonly recoursewasa totalknee replacement. The operation took place on July 29, 2019. Avenues PhysicalTherapy was there for me when my wife called to arrange for therapyaweekorsobefore thesurgery.Evenbeforemyfirstvisit twodaysafter surgery, they had booked me for 6 weeks of therapy, three times per week, just as the doctor ordered. One thing any new knee recipient will learn, from your doctor to your therapist to others who’ve had knee replacement surgery before, is that your ability to recover range of motion, strength, and normal function is directly related to your commitment to physical therapy after surgery. I had never done intensive PT before, but this new knee certainly needed it. Along with what I was able to do for it at home, Kelsey and the crew kept me working on everything from bending and straightening to hamstrings, quads, calvesandhipflexors. Iworkedonmybalance,performed lightweightworkouts, and rode their bike. As the proud owner of a new knee, one thing you get VERY familiar with is the exercise bike! It does wonders for loosening up tightness and reducing soreness. I saw my doctor at the six-week mark after surgery. What I heard was “you look like you’ve been out of surgery 3 months, not six weeks!” That’s a compliment to my own commitment to PT, but even more to the folks at Avenues PT. They expanded my types of exercises, measured my progress, and continually challenged me to try new things or add 10 more reps. Importantly, they knew what to tell me to expect, reminded me to be patient, and did it all with a smile. At 7 weeks post-surgery, I am not yet quite able to be wading rivers or hiking mountains,but Iwillbebefore too long.Andas Iget there, Iwillalwaysappreciate the services of Avenues PT. To Kelsey, Linda, Tawna and Donna, thank you!” - Pat T.
After four total hip surgeries (two hip replacements and two surgeries to pop it back in thesocket), Idecided togivephysical therapya110%chance.Fortunately, AvenuesPhysicalTherapywasveryconvenient forme.Theirdowntown location is fantastic. I did not know what to expect, and I was a little nervous before my first visit. I knew I wanted to build leg strength and walk with a walker again but had no idea what that would mean. However, the Avenues staff made me feel very comfortable. The level of care, concern, and professionalism they gave me from day-one was outstanding. They truly cared about my improvement– almost more than I did. Kelsey and Tawna began with easier stretches and movements to get my hip and leg used to being full strength again. It was painful at times, and I even thought about quitting and giving up on the idea of ever using a walker again– but guess what! Today, I am using my walker to walk again. I even have used the leg press, which I love. Hard, but worth it! But I don’t get all the exercise balls? I disliked the balls and I was always trying to pop them. I told Tawna and Kelsey that I was going to bring in an ice pick and pop them, but I didn’t. They are a great strengthening tool. Through their slow (but effective) start, to progressing with each visit, my goals have absolutely been met. I may never rock climb again (which was my passion), but I can now live with added physical quality and less pain because of my work and because of the dedicated staff at Avenues Physical Therapy. Would I recommend Avenues? Absolutely I would! I could end there, but one more thing– I love their “TEAM” approach.They were never bossy. If anything, I was the bossy one. They never demanded that I do one exercise over another. They are experienced and knowledgeable, but they let me be a part of the process and ask questions, and through that “TEAM” effort I’ve become a lot stronger, able to use a walker again, I am emotionally uplifted, and more involved in making good health choices. Remember,pain isachance togrow. “Nopain,nogain.”Averymindfulstatement. Bring good from the pain. - Gregg C.
Kelsey Kean, PT, MPT Tawna Bovero, PTA
Eric Nelson, PT Linda Froelicher, PT, MSPT
www.avenuesphysicaltherapy.com
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