Did you know that knee problems represent the leading cause of disability in the US? On top of that, more than half of those disabling knee problems have some relationship to aging.
This topic hit home in 2009 as I turned 50 and simultaneously became one of those sad knee statistics. At first it was just an annoying pain that flared up each time I ran. Eventually I just stopped running and resorted to low impact activities. By September I was feeling my knee flare up from something as simple as walking my dog. What was this pain trying to tell me?
Louise Hay, the wise author of “You Can Heal Your Life” links knee problems with “ego and pride”. Being the left knee, this is the side associated with receiving, my femininity and motherhood. Isn’t it interesting that this trouble surfaced just as my youngest child turned 18! I know I have an ego that needs reconstruction at times. I also certainly have motherhood issues.
Louise Hay’s affirmation remedy for knee trouble is the following statement:
“I bend and flow with ease, and all is well”
After several months of painful activity in the midst of denial, accented unsuccessfully by new shoes, rest, orthotics and physical therapy, I realized I was too young to walk in pain. Yes, I tried EFT tapping on the ego, flexibility and motherhood issues too and scheduled a few healing sessions with my colleagues. The pain diminished to tolerable most of the time, but would return to flare up unpredictably.
Eventually when things weren’t getting any better, I returned to the doctor who ordered an MRI. My diagnosis was confirmed as a torn meniscus. The doctor quickly steered me to what inevitably was my best option — arthroscopic surgery.
Ten days have passed since my surgery on March 5 and I am happy to report things are moving in the right direction. The surgery itself was an easy, outpatient intervention at the Cleveland Clinic Strongsville that began around 7:30 AM and had me comfortably back home by 9:30 AM. I even received a DVD with a video recording of my actual surgery! I began doing bending and balancing exercises prescribed by physical therapy right away and found them to be reasonable and comfortable.
After surgery, there was minimal swelling, no bruising to speak of, and no need post-surgical pain medication. I used crutches for only two days. All of this was a delightful surprise. Someone having this surgery on a Friday or Saturday could certainly plan to work a desk job on Monday without much trouble.
The two small openings on each side of my knee cap where the scope entered are healing well. The stiches were removed at day 6 and there is barely any evidence of surgery left behind.
I awoke on Day 10 and was able to walk normally downstairs, then comfortably do 20 minutes on my elyptical trainer with low resistence. From here, I’ll gradually work my way back up to my normal settings. I’ve been given the okay to return to yoga class too. Kneeling is and will be my biggest challenge, but I can do most other things easily now. At 30 days, I should be able to resume full activities, but I will do so based upon how things feel. Marching in March 2010 is a real possiblility. Perhaps I’ll try a short run in April?
My advice to anyone dealing with knee pain is to consult with your physician for a diagnosis and your options. Certainly examine how your injury relates to the changes and emotional situations in your life and accept what you have been given. You can drag your feet like I did and spend a whole year dealing with the pain and limits, or you can get the MRI a bit sooner and know whether surgery will help you.
I am so glad to be on the other side of this knee situation. I am FLEXIBLE and FLOWING – and grateful to feel better each day!
