Physical Therapy

I am on Day 21 of my skiing injury and I started physical therapy (PT) yesterday. I was really excited to start, and I was proud of the progress I thought I was making, just on my own. My sports medicine  doctor told me to do lots of range of motion exercises, so I did.  I flexed my leg up and down, several times a day, every day.  I was able to place more weight on my leg, and walk using the brace and no crutches. Likewise, I was also walking more comfortably without the brace and crutches.  I have mastered climbing stairs.  Yay!

I went to physical therapy and my flexion (the amount I can bend my knee so my foot can touch my butt) was at 120. This is a major milestone in one sense, but I have a way to go as my right leg can bend 150 and my foot can touch my bottom.

The one thing I can't do--and who knew this was a big deal?--is stretch my leg out straight.  My extension is less than it should be, by a lot.  No one told me I needed to work on getting my leg straight, or that it was a major deal in being able to walk.

Now my quadricep won't "fire" as my physical therapist said yesterday. I can't flex it at all. I don't even know how to flex it.  I tried, and my physical therapist said, "That's your butt muscle." I never once thought about intentionally flexing that muscle, and now I can't.

Since the injury, my quadricep has shut down, not wanting to work.  My therapist said my knee shut down to protect my knee from further injury.  Who knew?