I sprained my MCL medial collateral ligament (one of the four ligaments that help stabilize your knee joint) and my Quadricep Muscle on my left leg in early May.  My husband and I were pushing our riding lawn mower to the driveway to get picked up for repair.  We pushed it about 600 feet, most of which is uphill.  My thighs and knees didn’t seem to happy after this; however, we still had my son’s grad party looming.  And, I love to workout, so continued jogging and doing bootcamp, despite some discomfort.

Listen to your body — is my advice to anyone in a similar situation.  I woke up the day after running barely able to walk, and my son’s grad party was less than a week away.  So again, I continued to garden, clean, weed, etc. which further exacerbated my knee.  I tried to take it easy, and discontinued working out (except for slow-paced walks with a knee brace).

Knee Injury

After a few weeks, my knees and thighs felt better and I tried a slow job.  Big mistake!  My knee was again very painful and even more swollen than when I first injured it.  I scheduled an MRI and that is when I learned I had sprained my MCL and Quadricep muscles in my left leg.

Knee Therapy

Luckily, I am married to a chiropractor so began going to his clinic for laser therapy, adjustments and acupuncture.  I was also given a home exercise program, which I have done faithfully every day.  They recommended a knee brace with steel plates on both sides of the knee pads to provide support.  I also began using a rub for discomfort called Deep Blue Rub that help immensely.  I was advised not to workout for 6-8 weeks.  This was really hard to hear, because it had already been about 4 weeks.

After following this treatment plan, I am happy to report that my knee and thigh are improving, and I was able to start light workouts last week.  This morning, Sherry and I played our Bootcamp Edition, and I was able to do almost all of the exercises with a few modifications.  It amazes me how quickly I lost my strength, and am excited to be working out again to get it back.

Getting Back In Shape

Our name “Fit N Fun” is perfect, because I certainly had fun working out this morning.  We also sported our new Fit N Fun apparel tank tops.  I have missed my workout buddy, my workouts and feeling in-shape.  Even with slowly easing back into my bootcamp routine, I hope to quickly regain my strength and endurance.  The knee brace keeps my knee from turning, and helps prevent reinjury.

Through this injury I learned that I am someone who needs to workout physically, mentally and spiritually on a regular basis.  Listening to my body and preventing injury with proper stretching have become part of my daily routine.  While I didn’t enjoy the forced break from my workout routine, it did help me realize the importance of health and preventing injury.

 

Hugs & Health – Michelle

*Disclaimer:  Please always consult your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program.