Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Verdict

What's up with the Elbow and Knee?

Arm/Elbow - Got X-rays and had a quick follow-up appt in which I received the green light to resume normal activities. If it bothers me in the future, come back, otherwise case closed. That was good news. I was good about following doctors orders: resting it and doing my mobility exercises. I think this helped speed up recovery.

Knee - Same diagnosis as in 2008. Chondomalacia Patella (irritation of the back surface of the kneecap) from Patellofemoral Syndrome (kneecap scraping on the femor). Essentially, this is a chronic issue that is never going to go away completely, but it is manageable.

Treatment plan - He gave me a cortisone shot yesterday which hurt like crazy, but is supposed to provide short term pain relief by tomorrow. I will start a series of 3 Euflexxa injections spaced out one week apart beginning on the 16th. My patella tracking doesn't seem to be much of an issue, so no PT this time, but I should keep up with the PT exercises from before for maintenance.

What is Euflexxa?

Euflexxa is a particular brand of medicines for HA therapy.

Essentially it helps replenish the joint fluid, providing cushion & lubrication to the knee. This works for my issue, because it gets the kneecap up off the femor so that it stops scraping. It normally provides relief for 6-12 months. In my case, it was wildly successful treatment last time, providing relief for nearly 18months. He said he's never had a patient report such long lasting results. I'm optimistic that it will work for me again, although I'll probably consider going back sooner if I have even mild symptoms because once my knee started bothering me it went downhill fast and the wait to get in for treatment is rather long.

What does this mean for Training/Racing?

I don't expect to be able to resume run training until mid August. If you follow me on FB, I posted a note yesterday with my thoughts on specific upcoming races and a half-baked training plan for the interim. When I figure it out completely, I'll fill you in here.

All-in-all, I'm encouraged. Just a bit anxious to put this all behind me. Mid August seems like a long way off.

17 comments:

  1. Glad to hear things are progressing nicely!

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  2. I am hopeful for you! time flies and August will be here before you know it. Hang in there!
    As for the insoles, they come in full sizes so I trimmed mine to match the existing ones to fit.

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  3. Looking on the bright side, you're mobile again!

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  4. I hope it all goes smooth for you and you're back to training in August. All us injury ridden people need to stick together. lol

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  5. Great news about the elbow. Hopefully that knee will recover for you quickly.

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  6. Ouch!!!! Needles in the knee. Hopefully it will all work out ok.

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  7. that shot sounds like not a lot of fun. youch! I shouldn't say anything, I spent two hours in the dentist's chair yesterday.

    Glad you are on your way to healing!

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  8. so hard to be patient - but you know it's the way, you've done it before. Sending 'heal fast' vibes to your knee!

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  9. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you:) Just keep doing those mobility exercises for the elbow and hopefully those shots will do the trick for your knee. Hang in there Lisa!

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  10. Haven't heard of that knee treatment, but WOW... hope it works.

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  11. Mid august isn't that far out. Feel better.

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  12. Sounds like a plan. Congrats on the elbow and that there is a definite plan for the knee.

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  13. Sadly (and I say this as a teacher) mid-August will be here before you know it.

    Glad that you're better (or getting better!)

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  14. So sorry to hear you are on the injured list! Just take it easy and hopefully you'll have another 18 month success story to report! *hugs*

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  15. (Blogger isn't letting me post!)

    Now that you know how the injections work for you, will you be having them yearly? I guess the bright side to your issues is that there is something that helps, and that's a good thing!

    Glad to hear the elbow is good to go!

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  16. Glad you know what it is and where to go from here! HOpe it all feels better soon!

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  17. mid-august will be here sooner than you think! glad the verdict is workable - hang in there!

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