I haven't done any posting about my pool exercise. I've been going to the pool sporadically over the past 2-3 weeks. When I left the hospital, my doctor in rehab really encouraged it as the best way to rehab. It requires a lot of energy to get dressed, get there, and come home and shower, but afterwards I'm always glad I did it. Exercising is tons easier in the water because the pain is so much less. I do my regular exercises, plus others I have learned in the past from water therapy for a back injury. My biggest problem at the present is my extension or straightening of my knees. The right is not so much a problem, but the left one is. I have really worked on the straightening exercises that are no fun on land, but are so much easier in water. I have been using a noodle under my heel to extend my leg and stretch really good behind my knee. I have also spent lots of time walking backwards in the water. My therapist was real pleased to hear that I had been doing that. (I read about walking backwards in my knee book that I recommend.) Two days ago, my therapist did a lot of stretching of my left knee that was definitely not fun and left me hurting the remainder of the day. So I was motivated yesterday to go to the pool and work especially hard on straightening my knees. Today I was rewarded with great measurements. The right knee measured 4 degrees--0 is the goal. The left knee measured 7 degrees-- down from my last measurement of 15!!
I belong to the Y, so I am using pools that belong to the Y. I have since learned that the Church Health Center has a heated pool that is therapeutic for arthritics. The Y is 84-85, but the warmer pools are about 5 degrees warmer. I would choose the warmer pools if I had a choice. By the way, my husband wanted to do a video to jazz up my blog. No way my blog is going to sport me in a bathing suit!
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