Help getting back in shape after knee surgery

June 27, 2023 12:36 PM

I had a knee replaced in February, and recovery has been going very slowly. Part of why it's been so tough, physically and mentally, is having to take months off from the active things I love that help me relax and stay in shape--snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, etc. I'd like to find a professional who can help me get back on track, but not sure how to look for one who has specific experience in situations like this.

I'm slowly starting to get back into things: swimming, lifting weights, walking farther and even awkwardly biking. But I'm more out of shape than I've been in a long time, and on top of that my body is all out of whack since the surgery left one leg longer than the other. (I'm having the second one done this fall.)

I'm realizing I could use help with the physical recovery process--and ideally prepare for the next one--but I'm not sure what kind of specialist to look for. I'm imagining a whole-body approach, working on things like balance and alignment, more than just a regular personal trainer or the physical therapists, massage therapists and chiropractors I've already been seeing. Is there a name for a specialty like this? How would I pick a good one?

Of course, any specific recommendations in the Portland OR area are more than welcome!

posted by gottabefunky to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Were you not sent to physical therapy? whole-body approach, working on things like balance and alignment is what physical therapists are supposed to do.

I think the problem is often that if you don't ask, all you get are the X number of sessions the doctor wrote you up for with a very narrow set of surgical-outcome goals. But if you had decent rapport with the one you saw, you might reach back out and tell them your goals and find out about working on a plan. Otherwise you might shop around for well-reviewed PT practices (and facilities!) that will offer you a better cash rate if your insurance isn't going to, as that is the practical course most people I know have done because insurance is useless.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:57 PM on June 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

I've done a lot of PT, and also Kid BlahLaLa had an extremely serious injury a few years back that meant he had to use a wheelchair for a few months...and then eventually ended up in PT. Based on my experiences, there's a huge difference between PT places that are more like doctor's offices, and ones that are more like gyms. Find a PT place that's gymlike, that is used to dealing with athletes as clients, etc. These PTs are the folks who will get you back up to running/jumping/whatever.

Also, depending on your insurance you may find that you're eligible for additional PT sessions even if you "used up" your initial allocation. If your doc says it's medically necessary, it can often be covered. This was our experience for Kid BlahLaLa because he needed to, you know, learn to walk again. By the end, he was back to being an active teenage maniac, LOL.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:03 PM on June 27, 2023 [6 favorites]

Based on my local experiences at a few places, if I was in need of a PT recommendation I would be calling the athletics department of the nearest college with semi serious sports to find out where they send their athletes. I just happened to wind up at a spot that's about half college athletes and half everyone else, and I've been back there for several issues. They are focused, help me set ambitious but achievable goals, and have a minimum of woo (at another place someone offered to adjust my lymph nodes to treat depression).
posted by itsatextfile at 3:12 PM on June 27, 2023

Best answer: You might want to try looking for a physiatrist, e.g., an MD with a speciality in what's called Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Possible issues: (a) they do tend more to work with people with permanant disabling conditions and hence might just kick you back to PT, and of course (b) whether you could find one covered by your insurance.

(A personal, Portland-area recommendation at a much-less-medically-intensive level: I've been working since Feb. with a personal trainer, and had a knee replacement right in the middle of that [April]. This is someone who has worked extensively for many years with older/senior clients, many of whom are dealing with joint replacements and other chronic pain or injury problems, and really focuses on balance, kinesthetic self-awareness, and functional whole-body fitness. In my experience, she's been very attentive, resourceful, and enormously helpful for me in getting through a somewhat gnarly recovery. You could always have a free 1:1 with her to see if this might be a good fit for you: Lori Vance, [phone], with a private studio in Beaumont-Wilshire.)
posted by Kat Allison at 3:47 PM on June 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Hello fellow PDX-er and knee-replacement-er.
I have had both knees and a shoulder replaced.
I have gone to two different PT practices in the Portland area, and I highly recommend Sean LaRue at Bethany Theraputic Associates.
I've been working with Revivewell Training before my TKRs and since my shoulder replacement. Clarissa, the owner, is very good at mobility and strength training.

Joint replacement is no joke. It sounds like the fountain of youth - a simple surgery, a little PT, and you're back to your early adult self. In my experience that hasn't been the case, but I don't hurt all the time and so that is good.
posted by elmay at 3:55 PM on June 27, 2023 [3 favorites]