If the expression “physician heal thyself” applies, never was it more suited to what befell me on April 14, 2018 — the day my active life hit a major road bump.
In Mendocino with 5 other women on our annual retreat, I had gone out to ready my car for all of us to pile in and go on an excursion. As I returned to the house, I put my foot on the step to the entry and immediately felt pain in my right knee. Thinking it was momentary, I tried walking and realized I couldn’t move the knee without experiencing excruciating pain.
Fortunately, the group included two RNs and one physical therapist. Janis, the PT, was the closest to me and helped me back to a daybed located by the front door. The knee was visibly starting to swell. We applied ice and someone went into town for elastic bandages. After a few hours, I still couldn’t apply weight on my knee.
The discussion turned to what to do next. The options were ER, urgent care, crutches, or a walker. Two of my friends left for town to see if they could find a walker and returned shortly with one they found at a local thrift store for $15. The rest of the weekend was spent icing the knee and hobbling around — not what I had envisioned when embarking on this little adventure for sure.
The following Tuesday I was able to see my doctor, who ordered an X-ray, PT, MRI, and a referral to orthopedic specialist. I headed to get the X-ray with a tight and painful brace on my knee. I started physical therapy the following week and an MRI was scheduled for the week after. Turned out I wouldn’t know for 6 weeks after seeing the orthopedist exactly what was going on with my knee.
The diagnosis was a frayed meniscus on each side of the knee, not aided at all by a complete lack of cartilage under the knee cap. And what a thrill — I found out I am a perfect candidate for knee replacement surgery. We agreed temporarily to a cortisone shot, to continue the the physical therapy, and to add in massage and acupuncture. I also purchased a used stationary bike as suggested by my therapist. When I started using the bike, I could barely stay on it for one minute. Before long I had worked up to 30 minutes 4 times a week. I had a follow-up appointment in mid-December and strangely enough, the prognosis was good. The doctor’s surprise was due to the fact that I had been using massage cups every day on the muscles surrounding the knee. Think about it –the massage therapist who uses her treatments on herself! Today I walk without a limp. Now to start hiking again!
To see how cupping might benefit you, please feel free to contact me at (916) 294-9980 or email connie@thehealingstation.net. I absolutely have first hand knowledge.
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