Hey BBM team! 29 YO Male, 180lbs 5’9. Partial menisectomy of cleavage-tear lateral discoid meniscus(left knee), performed 8-26-19. My knee can only be passively extended pain free, and periods of walking/standing lead to soreness/swelling. I am able to squat and deadlift very lightly, and try to do so every 2-3 days. although i have gotten impatient and tried 200lbs for 5s in both and my knee was sore and swollen for a few days after… My concern is that recovery is not coming, and that this acheness/reluctant and painful extension is the new norm. I’ve read these procedures tend to have 2-4 week recovery time, and am getting more and more discouraged as i am coming up on 8 weeks. Is there anything you reccomend i do different? Am i expecting too much too soon? Any response is greatly appreciated.
Yes, it sounds like you are attempting to progress through rehab more quickly than you can tolerate, as evidenced by your symptoms.
If you are looking for individualized guidance through this process, we would recommend a consultation with our rehab clinicians.
Otherwise, our free podcasts and videos on the topic would be recommended resources. The main thing is going to involve finding movements that are tolerable (even if some symptoms are present), and progressing more slowly than you’d like. This may require starting out with higher reps and/or tempo component to the lifts, and potentially some modifications to exercise selection altogether, depending on your individual situation.
Thanks for the feedback! I am looking for new movements/variations and submitted a questionnaire for your services. Much appreciated.