best way to get back on form after injury?

[ajlakaos]

Looking for some advise about how to get back to full strength asap for skating.

I dislocated my left knee cap around 6 months ago after a bad fall (i landed knee on wheels) my physio has told me its fine to skate but there's a lot of work I'll need to do before i get back to normal. I've also very regularly been badly spraining my right ankle (was told its due to compensating for the pain in my knee) strangely while not on skates! I only recently started up a new derby team and spending half the time off skates isn't really helping with getting the girls ready for minimums. So the sooner Im recovered the better.

Anyway, my question is this, do any of you know of good strengthening tips to help with sorting out my knee and in general getting back to full strength asap?

(willing to try almost anything lol)

[online inline]

i might be able to help. i am currently seeing a physcal therapist for a lingering knee issue, after seeing a doc, who recommended the phys. therapist.
In addition to doing stretching, i have been doing a lot of "strenghtening" of the knee and IT band areas in order to rehab the knee. That is where i think the stuff i am doing would help - the "strengthening" program for the knee is just what you need.
The phys ther. put me on a program of doing strengthening exercises ideally every other day. His program was super light - like maybe three sets of an exercise to exhaustion, which would last maybe 10 minutes. This doesnt have much value to me so i built an entire leg workout around it, and the workout goes around an hour.
Look up poquin squats. Here's an excellent little utube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-RVt6_KyY
these are great. You can do them as shown, and i also do sets with a 35# dumbell in ea. hand done with both feet (not single leg).
Then try lunges and squats. There is a great variety. This are good ones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FNRPUOMSLQ
There's many types you can do and it's probably best to vary it up. i do sets of several of the different ones.
Then when you are feeling a bit more solid and confident, you could work in step jumps - that is a fixed bench that you leap onto, either on one leg or both. Look up Joey Mantia's blog for videos and workout plans centered on these. Also plenty on you tube.
Lastly, i strongly recommend stretching this area in conjunction with the strengthening. for re-habbing the knee and associated tissue, it is critical.
Honestly, some might recommend circuit training, like the fixed machines that work the legs in various ways. I think you will be much better off with exercises that do not lock you in, and force you to mainain equilibrium and balance. My phys. therapist supports this strategy, btw.
Start slow, and build up. Be patient and don't overdo it. Allow rest days. Muscles and tissues do not grow and strengthen without some down time for them to recover. If you are a fitness junky, use the rest days to work other muscle groups besides the leg and knee (ie.: core or upper body)
Hope this helps.
THis stuff is really beneficial for all skaters, runners, or cyclists, as it builds strength in an area essential to all of the above.
Let us know how it goes, please.

[ajlakaos]

+1

Thank you, that was great, exactly the type of thing i was looking for! I'll give them all a try first thing tomorrow and let you know how i get on after a few days of it

[cass38a]

Finding a big arse stair case and walking up and down lots it does wonders.

Go to 3.40 in this video if just walking up and down steps seems a bit boring and you will get some ideas to ramp it up.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=xdKiY...%3DxdKiY92WE40

[Mort]

Learn to do isometric exercises. Getting a feel on how to actuate specific muscle groups will help. Once you get isometrics down pat you can hold a muscle contraction and add slow movement without extra stress on your joints from resisting inertia on your skates.

Practice form without strength. for some moves you may need to build some speed before working a particular move so you can only concentrate on the precision of the movement without the stress on a recovering joint.

Remember its not just your knee thats injured. An injury affects your whole body. You've experienced this with that ankle.

Just coast and practice moves with a focus on precision. Let the isometrics fatigue you, just dont forget to add slow movement or different positioning to your training.

[73skater]

While I've not experienced a dislocated knee cap, I do experience a bit of chondromalacia (rubbing under the knee cap) thanks to not being 20 years old anymore. I was told the focus is to strengthen the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscles. That's the quad muscle just up and toward the inside of the knee cap...the one that bulges on skaters and cyclists.

VMO specific exercises are often referred to as "short arc exercises". Google this to see images and examples of this type of exercise. These exercises are not very thrilling...I find them easiest to do while watching TV. If you stay consistent and get in the habit of doing lots of them, it will stabilize the tracking of the knee cap and improve VMO strength. Good luck.

[Foot2big]

I tried a liberal application of alcohol both externally and internally, to no avail.....

Time was what finally did it for me. (meaning I have been lucky and haven't fallen on it lately. lol)

[ursle]

Originally Posted by 73skater

While I've not experienced a dislocated knee cap, I do experience a bit of chondromalacia (rubbing under the knee cap) thanks to not being 20 years old anymore. I was told the focus is to strengthen the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscles. That's the quad muscle just up and toward the inside of the knee cap...the one that bulges on skaters and cyclists.

VMO specific exercises are often referred to as "short arc exercises". Google this to see images and examples of this type of exercise. These exercises are not very thrilling...I find them easiest to do while watching TV. If you stay consistent and get in the habit of doing lots of them, it will stabilize the tracking of the knee cap and improve VMO strength. Good luck.

I like this post, I agree with muscle strengthening.
Get on a bicycle, properly fitted, no torque, just repetition, won't take long before you can start to torque, even an indoor bike, three four months of every other day riding and the knee will be the least of your problems

[online inline]

the VMO muscle group is one of the general areas affected by Patellofemural Pain Syndrome (PFS), which is the same thing as the chondromalacia (rubbing under the knee cap) that 73skater has referenced. PFS can be caused by injuries like those of the original poster's, or through overuse, overexertion, etc.

Here are a couple of good online articles discussing the condition and how to re-hab it:
overview: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/p...topic-overview:
http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org...m28-180773.pdf
How-to Re-hab for PFS: http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org...m28-180773.pdf

And i have found that light to moderate cycling does in fact seem to help quite a bit, as ursle suggested. It keeps the area active and flexible without over-straining it, even if the cycling is done later in the day after really beating the area up.

[Fancy-Kerrigan]

After my broken leg I was off skates for 5-6 months. When I got back on them, my knee hurt while skating (having nothing to do with the break) I applied Tiger Balm, took 2 Advil, and put on a knee gasket before skating....that seemed to make it more bearable. Iced down and elevated after. In a few weeks, it was fine again.

IMO - It was simply the act of skating and time that got me back to better shape than before my break. Good luck!

[Foot2big]

@Fancy-Kerrigan did Fonya Harding do it?


(time is the key, the body has to do stuff, and that takes a while.)

[Fancy-Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by Foot2big

@Fancy-Kerrigan did Fonya Harding do it?


(time is the key, the body has to do stuff, and that takes a while.)

LOL! No I was working on doing a one foot spin indoors with outdoor wheels. Back wheels touched down...foot stopped....I didn't. Tib/Fib spiral compound fracture. *lesson learned

[princessfluffhead]

After both of my knee injuries (15 years apart) it really did take time. Knee gasket helped after the second one. The best way to target the muscles you use for skating would seem to be, well, skating.