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Hi everyone,
I ruptured my ACL a while ago and I'm due surgery this March. To keep myself sane, update friends and share some information with people in a similar boat, I've decided to write a blog.
There's only a couple of posts so far and definitely not much climbing, but my aim is to share my thoughts, feelings and rehab for anyone who is interested.
I'd be really grateful for some feedback too,the sorts of things you want to see more of and what you'd like see less of etc
https://liamdervey.wordpress.com/
Thanks to anyone who has a read.
Liam
Edited for spelling
I ruptured my ACL a while ago and I'm due surgery this March. To keep myself sane, update friends and share some information with people in a similar boat, I've decided to write a blog.
There's only a couple of posts so far and definitely not much climbing, but my aim is to share my thoughts, feelings and rehab for anyone who is interested.
I'd be really grateful for some feedback too,the sorts of things you want to see more of and what you'd like see less of etc
https://liamdervey.wordpress.com/
Thanks to anyone who has a read.
Liam
Edited for spelling
Post edited at 22:03
3
In reply to Dervey:
I'm just recovering from my second ACL reconstruction. I personally strengthened my legs with mountain walking and climbing easy routes, rather than in the gym. But what ever works. I found the blog hard work to read with lots of gym based jargon which isn't my thing. I'm climbing again now some 6 months post operation. I've started with lots of volume at an easy grade. I'm not able to run or jump yet so falling off the wall is also off the menu. Good luck with it all and keep up the physio.
I'm just recovering from my second ACL reconstruction. I personally strengthened my legs with mountain walking and climbing easy routes, rather than in the gym. But what ever works. I found the blog hard work to read with lots of gym based jargon which isn't my thing. I'm climbing again now some 6 months post operation. I've started with lots of volume at an easy grade. I'm not able to run or jump yet so falling off the wall is also off the menu. Good luck with it all and keep up the physio.
1
In reply to JIMBO:
Thanks for the feedback. I'll definitely be getting out as soon as I'm able, unfortunately the gym is all I've got at the minute so I've thrown myself into that.
Hopefully in the future I'll be able to talk a lot more about climbing and fellrunning, which is what it's all about after all!
How has your general experience been with the whole process? Anything you hadn't considered, limitations etc? Also, what kind of graft(s) have you had?
Thanks for the feedback. I'll definitely be getting out as soon as I'm able, unfortunately the gym is all I've got at the minute so I've thrown myself into that.
Hopefully in the future I'll be able to talk a lot more about climbing and fellrunning, which is what it's all about after all!
How has your general experience been with the whole process? Anything you hadn't considered, limitations etc? Also, what kind of graft(s) have you had?
1
In reply to Dervey:
The first time I had a hamstring autograft and it was quite a quick recovery. Got back to climbing quite fast but heel hooking took ages to return. The missing hamstring was by far the most limiting factor.
This time I've had a quad to patella tendon graft plus a section of IT band used to stabilise things more. The missing quad has made walking hard and climbing steps difficult. The hardest part is going down hill. The IT section missing is the most painful and I can't kneel on the knee at all.
The main impact after the first time was the psychological effect of not trusting a simple jump off a boulder or onto a bouldering mat. I'm also not keen on egyptian moves or hard heels.
My recovery started with trying to walk up the nearest local hills including the county's highest, some hilly coastline walks and then I've worked up to simple Welsh mountains. The mountains I've done have really helped strengthen the leg.
The first time I had a hamstring autograft and it was quite a quick recovery. Got back to climbing quite fast but heel hooking took ages to return. The missing hamstring was by far the most limiting factor.
This time I've had a quad to patella tendon graft plus a section of IT band used to stabilise things more. The missing quad has made walking hard and climbing steps difficult. The hardest part is going down hill. The IT section missing is the most painful and I can't kneel on the knee at all.
The main impact after the first time was the psychological effect of not trusting a simple jump off a boulder or onto a bouldering mat. I'm also not keen on egyptian moves or hard heels.
My recovery started with trying to walk up the nearest local hills including the county's highest, some hilly coastline walks and then I've worked up to simple Welsh mountains. The mountains I've done have really helped strengthen the leg.
2
In reply to JIMBO:
I'm getting a hamstring graft, so it's reassuring to know you can be back to things quite quickly. I see from your profile you've onisghted up to E5, do you have plans to return to a similar level?
Any top tips for the couple of weeks immediately post-surgery?
I'm getting a hamstring graft, so it's reassuring to know you can be back to things quite quickly. I see from your profile you've onisghted up to E5, do you have plans to return to a similar level?
Any top tips for the couple of weeks immediately post-surgery?
In reply to Dervey:
Hi.
A long time ago I twisted one of my crux tendons in the back of left knee at a friend's birthday party....
I didn't need surgery but I was on cruches for a few months and I did physiotherapy at the local hospital and at home.
Sav
Hi.
A long time ago I twisted one of my crux tendons in the back of left knee at a friend's birthday party....
I didn't need surgery but I was on cruches for a few months and I did physiotherapy at the local hospital and at home.
Sav
In reply to Dervey:
Just before the second break I was back to 7c and E5... I'm sure I will be back to that in a year or two and hopefully more.
Early post surgery is all about swelling reduction and mobility... lots of ice packs (I bought a job lot to cycle through over the day) and gentle bending and stretching.
Buy or borrow lots of climbing films - kept me psyched.
Once I could stand up I got on the beastmaker and pull up bar. Ended up regularly doing 5 sets of 25 reps of pull ups, I was so bored but it was a fun experiment. The plan was to do 50 consecutive but I went back to work and that plan got forgotten.
Just before the second break I was back to 7c and E5... I'm sure I will be back to that in a year or two and hopefully more.
Early post surgery is all about swelling reduction and mobility... lots of ice packs (I bought a job lot to cycle through over the day) and gentle bending and stretching.
Buy or borrow lots of climbing films - kept me psyched.
Once I could stand up I got on the beastmaker and pull up bar. Ended up regularly doing 5 sets of 25 reps of pull ups, I was so bored but it was a fun experiment. The plan was to do 50 consecutive but I went back to work and that plan got forgotten.
1
In reply to JIMBO:
5 sets of 25!
I've rarely reached 20. The next said would be at least 3 less.
15 was always a struggle / plateau point, ... I think i did get 19 or 20 once.
Is that palm forwards?
Maybe i never hit 20 because my max from 25 years ago would have been to full arm + shoulder extension ( wrong way to do them! )
5 sets of 25!
I've rarely reached 20. The next said would be at least 3 less.
15 was always a struggle / plateau point, ... I think i did get 19 or 20 once.
Is that palm forwards?
Maybe i never hit 20 because my max from 25 years ago would have been to full arm + shoulder extension ( wrong way to do them! )
Post edited at 19:38
In reply to JIMBO:
Hi Jimbo.
After I sprained my knee last Tuesday - see https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=657339 - I was doing gentle stretching and bending exercises and I found they really help. I've also been using Ice Packs of sorts and they really work.
Would Yoga be any useful at this stage?
I think traversing would also be a good idea.
What do you think?
Well done on E5!
Sav
Hi Jimbo.
After I sprained my knee last Tuesday - see https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=657339 - I was doing gentle stretching and bending exercises and I found they really help. I've also been using Ice Packs of sorts and they really work.
Would Yoga be any useful at this stage?
I think traversing would also be a good idea.
What do you think?
Well done on E5!
Sav
Post edited at 20:22
1
In reply to Rock to Fakey:
Hi.
ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament
Sav
Hi.
ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament
Sav
In reply to JIMBO:
I'm lucky enough to have a cryocuff. Like an ice bucket, with a hose running to a knee strap. Load it up with ice and it lasts all day. Good shout on the climbing movies and books, any recommendations?
That's an impressive number of pull-ups,
sounds similar to me and Romanian deadlifts. I'm trying to build up to 100 total at the minute.
I'm lucky enough to have a cryocuff. Like an ice bucket, with a hose running to a knee strap. Load it up with ice and it lasts all day. Good shout on the climbing movies and books, any recommendations?
That's an impressive number of pull-ups,
sounds similar to me and Romanian deadlifts. I'm trying to build up to 100 total at the minute.
2
1
In reply to Rock to Fakey:
As Sav said, it's a knee ligament on the 'inside' of the knee. It joins the upper leg to the lower leg, particularly stopping the lower leg from shifting forward and rotating.
Although you can get by without one as the musculature provides something like 70% of the stability for the knee overall (accordingly to my doctor), the lack of intact ACL can lead to cartilage and meniscus damage. This has already happened to me and is part of the reason I've opted for reconstructive surgery.
As Sav said, it's a knee ligament on the 'inside' of the knee. It joins the upper leg to the lower leg, particularly stopping the lower leg from shifting forward and rotating.
Although you can get by without one as the musculature provides something like 70% of the stability for the knee overall (accordingly to my doctor), the lack of intact ACL can lead to cartilage and meniscus damage. This has already happened to me and is part of the reason I've opted for reconstructive surgery.
1
In reply to Dervey:
I bought every uk based film I could find - some for potential beta for a future ascent, most of the grit videos are good for that. The wide boys ones are a good story. I also found on YouTube a film about top climber Alex Puccio recovering from ACL reconstruction herself youtube.com/watch?v=mbAwMDoH1e4&
I also bought films like Nordwand which is an excellent account of an early attempt on the eiger north face - it's in German but I quite like that.
I bought every uk based film I could find - some for potential beta for a future ascent, most of the grit videos are good for that. The wide boys ones are a good story. I also found on YouTube a film about top climber Alex Puccio recovering from ACL reconstruction herself youtube.com/watch?v=mbAwMDoH1e4&
I also bought films like Nordwand which is an excellent account of an early attempt on the eiger north face - it's in German but I quite like that.
1
In reply to Dervey:
Hi everyone,
Apparently posting links to blogs is against the rules, this thread has been allowed to stay as an exception though.
Thanks for looking and for for the feedback I've already had.
Please do keep visiting, I'll be trying to post once or twice a week.
Liam
Hi everyone,
Apparently posting links to blogs is against the rules, this thread has been allowed to stay as an exception though.
Thanks for looking and for for the feedback I've already had.
Please do keep visiting, I'll be trying to post once or twice a week.
Liam
Post edited at 09:01
In reply to Dervey:
Hi Liam.
I don't remember much as it was during my college years.....
During my recovery I had to wear a basic knew sock/protector and I did physiotherapy both at the hospital and at home....
At home the physio was step ups on the stairs but I don't remember what I did at the hospital.
I still wear a knee protector during yoga, climbing at the walls and when I go the gym.
Bye
Sav
Hi Liam.
I don't remember much as it was during my college years.....
During my recovery I had to wear a basic knew sock/protector and I did physiotherapy both at the hospital and at home....
At home the physio was step ups on the stairs but I don't remember what I did at the hospital.
I still wear a knee protector during yoga, climbing at the walls and when I go the gym.
Bye
Sav
In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Cheers Sav,
Nobody has mentioned any kind of protection/brace yet, I think I'll look into it.
Liam
Cheers Sav,
Nobody has mentioned any kind of protection/brace yet, I think I'll look into it.
Liam
1
In reply to Dervey:
I think its a great idea to write a blog of your experience. It will be useful for you and I think to others unfortunate to pick up and ACL or similar injury. I broke my ACL 3 years ago at an indoor bouldering wall and had reconstruction about 6 months later. I wanted to read as much as possible about others experiences and I'm sure a blog like this would have been very interesting at the time.
I think your blog is an interesting read. I did skip a bit over the actual exercise but if I was in the process of recovering I think I would find these more interesting so keep them there.
I'm a pretty low end climber but I have basically fully recovered. I did a lot of exercises post-surgery (and before) at home and at a hospital clinic with others with broken ACL's. The more you can do the better. I am a bit less flexible in the injured knee but possibly more targeted exercises would help if I could get motivated to do them!
All in all its a pretty grim injury, because recovery is long. On the more positive side it is an injury that you can recover from especially if your prepared to do loads of exercise at the right time and the right way - looks like you are (listen to the physio). I think its definitely worth getting reconstruction. Hope it all goes well.
I think its a great idea to write a blog of your experience. It will be useful for you and I think to others unfortunate to pick up and ACL or similar injury. I broke my ACL 3 years ago at an indoor bouldering wall and had reconstruction about 6 months later. I wanted to read as much as possible about others experiences and I'm sure a blog like this would have been very interesting at the time.
I think your blog is an interesting read. I did skip a bit over the actual exercise but if I was in the process of recovering I think I would find these more interesting so keep them there.
I'm a pretty low end climber but I have basically fully recovered. I did a lot of exercises post-surgery (and before) at home and at a hospital clinic with others with broken ACL's. The more you can do the better. I am a bit less flexible in the injured knee but possibly more targeted exercises would help if I could get motivated to do them!
All in all its a pretty grim injury, because recovery is long. On the more positive side it is an injury that you can recover from especially if your prepared to do loads of exercise at the right time and the right way - looks like you are (listen to the physio). I think its definitely worth getting reconstruction. Hope it all goes well.
In reply to Dervey:
Hi Liam.
Thanks.
Have you ever considered stem cell therapy?....
It worked in The States....
They injected the tendon with a solution of Growth Hormone and stem cells.
Do you know about the TV presenter Katie Piper?....
The first time I saw her on TV I thought she had a lot of cosmetic surgery that went horribly wrong but when I liked her up on Wikipedia I found out what REALLY happened....
Her ex boyfriend through acid on her face!....
She underwent a lot of necessary cosmetic surgery and was one of the first people to receive a full stem cell transplant to restore eye sight.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Piper
Bye
Sav
Hi Liam.
Thanks.
Have you ever considered stem cell therapy?....
It worked in The States....
They injected the tendon with a solution of Growth Hormone and stem cells.
Do you know about the TV presenter Katie Piper?....
The first time I saw her on TV I thought she had a lot of cosmetic surgery that went horribly wrong but when I liked her up on Wikipedia I found out what REALLY happened....
Her ex boyfriend through acid on her face!....
She underwent a lot of necessary cosmetic surgery and was one of the first people to receive a full stem cell transplant to restore eye sight.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Piper
Bye
Sav
Post edited at 23:56
In reply to stev1e.wilso:
Hi.
I agree with you 100% on everything.
I am an indoor boulderer/traverser.
One question is it safe to do yoga light yoga stretches/poses/bends with a knee that is a bit swollen?
Sav
Hi.
I agree with you 100% on everything.
I am an indoor boulderer/traverser.
One question is it safe to do yoga light yoga stretches/poses/bends with a knee that is a bit swollen?
Sav
Post edited at 00:05
In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Dear Sav
Are you a doctor? Stem cell therapy sounds great but how would it work with a complete rupture of a tendon that provided no structure for the stem cells to grow along?
Avoid yoga.
Thanks
Bye
Dear Sav
Are you a doctor? Stem cell therapy sounds great but how would it work with a complete rupture of a tendon that provided no structure for the stem cells to grow along?
Avoid yoga.
Thanks
Bye
1
In reply to Dervey:
I snapped my ACL in 2008 (at the age of 37) whilst bouldering and had it replaced with a bit of hamstring tendon. I was back leading 7a (carefully!) 3 months after my op, but it took 2 years to get back bouldering to my pre-injury standard. For a long time, I didn't have full confidence in my knee (it just felt weak and 'lumpy' compared to the good knee), but then I got a dog and walking it regularly, plus running about with it on the beach seemed to work wonders getting close to full mobility back. I'm now skiing again better than before (no brace used), I've just run my first mountain half marathon and my climbing and bouldering grades are higher than they were before the injury. I also use the indoor rowing machine to keep my leg strength up.
Short version - having the injury and op doesn't mean your best days are behind you, as long as you're patient and put the right effort into your rehab.
I snapped my ACL in 2008 (at the age of 37) whilst bouldering and had it replaced with a bit of hamstring tendon. I was back leading 7a (carefully!) 3 months after my op, but it took 2 years to get back bouldering to my pre-injury standard. For a long time, I didn't have full confidence in my knee (it just felt weak and 'lumpy' compared to the good knee), but then I got a dog and walking it regularly, plus running about with it on the beach seemed to work wonders getting close to full mobility back. I'm now skiing again better than before (no brace used), I've just run my first mountain half marathon and my climbing and bouldering grades are higher than they were before the injury. I also use the indoor rowing machine to keep my leg strength up.
Short version - having the injury and op doesn't mean your best days are behind you, as long as you're patient and put the right effort into your rehab.
1
In reply to JIMBO:
Dear JIMBO.
No, I'm not a doctor. I am not sure if they would work in that case.
I think stem cells have been used to create new tissues and parts of organs but in a lab condition.
Why avoid yoga?
Thanks
Sav
Dear JIMBO.
No, I'm not a doctor. I am not sure if they would work in that case.
I think stem cells have been used to create new tissues and parts of organs but in a lab condition.
Why avoid yoga?
Thanks
Sav
In reply to Stuart S:
Hi.
Your story is very encouraging.
Did you snap your ACL whilst outdoor bouldering or indoor bouldering?
I sprained the achilles tendon on my left leg when I jumped of an overhunging problem at Craggy 2 - naughty me.
F7a! Wow! Very impressive!
I think bouldering whether outdoors or indoors is more intense for if climbing than sport or trad.
Sav
Hi.
Your story is very encouraging.
Did you snap your ACL whilst outdoor bouldering or indoor bouldering?
I sprained the achilles tendon on my left leg when I jumped of an overhunging problem at Craggy 2 - naughty me.
F7a! Wow! Very impressive!
I think bouldering whether outdoors or indoors is more intense for if climbing than sport or trad.
Sav
Post edited at 12:54
In reply to Mountain Spirit:
I was bouldering at the Sad Boulders, near Bishop - fell off the last move of a problem onto a pad on a flat landing, and still managed to mangle my knee. Spent the next two weeks hobbling around the Buttermilks on crutches before coming back home and getting the operation lined up to fix things.
I was bouldering at the Sad Boulders, near Bishop - fell off the last move of a problem onto a pad on a flat landing, and still managed to mangle my knee. Spent the next two weeks hobbling around the Buttermilks on crutches before coming back home and getting the operation lined up to fix things.
In reply to Stuart S:
Hi.
Poor you....
Ouch!
I've never heard of the Sad Boulders or The Buttermilks.
I was on crutches for most of the summer when I twisted my tendon at the party.
Bye
Sav
Hi.
Poor you....
Ouch!
I've never heard of the Sad Boulders or The Buttermilks.
I was on crutches for most of the summer when I twisted my tendon at the party.
Bye
Sav
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