From Surgery To Fitness In Just 8 Months

The human body is simply amazing - endlessly adaptable and resilient with extraordinary powers of healing.

And yet medical professionals will tell you that your body "can't do this" or "you should stop doing that". 

If treatments like physiotherapy, osteopath or chiropractor haven't delivered the results you were hoping, you can be forgiven for doubting this bold statement.

So this week I'd like to share my wonderful client Sam's journey from surgery on both knees to returning to teaching classes in just 8 months. I hope her inspirational story will help you see how the body can and does heal, even from a very traumatic injury, if it's given the support it needs.

I started working with Sam on 8th April after her progress with weekly physiotherapy had stalled. At this stage Sam was walking without crutches, but her gait was, in her words, "clumpy, unbalanced and causing my back a lot of aggro" - think Tin Man after a couple of drinks!!

The timeline of Sam's amazing journey:

• October 2023 - Right knee ACL rupture and the discovery that her left ACL was also damaged.
• 22nd January 2024 - ACL reconstruction with meniscus and antero-lateral ligament (LET) repair.to both knees (an unprecedented and probably not to be repeated surgery!).

• 8th April - Our 1st session which lasted 30 mins. Afterwards, Sam walked tall and smoothly for the 1st time post-surgery. Yes, there were tears....of joy!!

• 22nd July - Sam returns to teaching 1 class a week that she can modify safely to her current fitness level
• 16th September - Sam returns to teaching ALL of her classes after being cleared by an Occupational Therapist.

How was this transformation possible?

In just 5 months of working with me Sam's progress was nothing short of astonishing....From struggling to stay upright and constantly off balance to delivering Combat (martial arts) kicks standing on 1 leg like a boss!

Let me walk you through the steps we took to get Sam back to a level where she can successfully role model movement and technique in order to teach her classes.

STAGE 1 - Finding Centre and Balance (April to May)

1. Foot balance - using the toe lines to support the pelvis and hips; weight distribution across the whole foot
2. Pelvis centre and balance 

This stage was initially done lying on a mat, removing the fear of falling and the weight of gravity pulling on the body.

Here we take the body all the way back to when you were a baby lying on your back and figuring out where your pelvis is best balanced. In this way, we start to reset your body, reminding your brain of a time when movement wasn't painful or stiff. 

This rewires your nervous system out of fear and the stress reflexes back into alignment and balance. Now the muscles stop constantly tensing, and movement becomes smoother and easier.

After practising the foot and pelvis balancing exercises on the mat, Sam was able to translate what she felt to her standing posture quite quickly.

She could now feel when/if her feet were underneath her, if her pelvis was pulling her forwards or backwards, and reset them back to centre if they fell out of balance.

The acid test was could Sam apply all this sensory information to walking.

YES, she could!!!!!

Our 1st session lasted just 30 minutes. At the end, Sam stood tall and walked smoothly for the 1st time since her surgery.

No longer Tin Man, now more like Beyonce sashaying on stage!!!!

This really was the catalyst for Sam to believe that she could return to her fitness classes, and one day teach again.

STAGE 2 - Moving and Grooving (June and July)

Once Sam could consistently centre and balance her feet and pelvis for herself, we moved onto Stage 2 - movement.

By now Sam's physio had introduced short runs, gentle impact work, and lifting light weights (barbell and dumbbells).

This brought new challenges which we addressed with exercises and movement explorations for:

1. Foot, ankle, knee and hip alignment - keeping these structures connected as a synchronised team of 4
2. Pelvis centre and balance during movement
3. Increasing speed and confidence

During Stage 2, Sam struggled with trusting her right leg to fully support her bodyweight, as this was the knee that gave way and started this whole process.

So we concentrated on anchoring her ankle, knee and hip above a stable, unwavering foot.

Foot, ankle, knee and hip control and stability was developed with standing balance work on an unstable surface - a BOSU ball. Then we moved onto 1 leg balance exercises - slow to begin with, gradually layering in more speed and complexity to increase endurance, control and confidence.

Stage 3 - Fine Awareness and Motor Control (August)

Sam is now working on faster lateral (side to side) movements and low jumps on and off a step with the physio.

Her concerns are a sense of losing her balance when adjusting her bodyweight during quick changes of directions, and when jumping from 1 level to another. 

We addressed these fears by working on:

1. Acknowledging Sam's go-to stress reflexes when she gets worried about her body being able to cope with the movement7
2. Fine sensory awareness and motor control of her feet, ankles, knees and hips 
3. Joint velocity - maintaining the alignment, direction and speed of the foot, ankle, knee and hip joints during faster lateral movements eg. a quick side lunge

At this stage Sam mentioned that she was feeling a little discomfort on the inside of her knee, around the area of the pes anseurine bursa.

I noticed that Sam's right knee was moving more slowly than her foot / ankle below and hip above. This was making the knee rotate inwards, leaving the inside of the knee unsupported and under more strain. 

This was addressed by speeding up the knee so it stayed aligned and balanced above the foot. Once the knee had the support it needed Sam's discomfort faded.

We continued to develop Sam's sensory-motor awareness and motor control by introducing standing balance exercises on a wobble cushion - quite aptly named as it turn out!

At the end of August Sam had a final meeting with an Occupational Therapist (OT) to assess her readiness to get back to teaching. The OT cleared Sam to return to work from 16th September.

Mission accomplished!!!!

A final word from Sam on how she found the process of working with me, and how it's helped her recover from an extreme orthopaedic surgery:

Summary

When Sam and I started working together her progress had stalled. Her physio was pushing her to do more, but she was still struggling to stand upright and walk. Cue frustration all round.

Sam had undergone an unprecedented and major procedure on both knees, and even though the joints were healing, her brain didn't know how to organise her surgically altered body. The trauma of the injury, not being able to do the things she loved, feeling cut off from her class members and losing a large part of her previous identity weighed heavy.

She'd gone from being a fit, confident, strong instructor to being disabled and reliant on mobility aids overnight.

Her physio had helped her bones and muscles to recover from the surgery, but wasn't able to coach Sam how to use or move her new body.

What was missing was the basics - how to use her feet and where to position her pelvis so she didn't topple forwards or backwards.

Once we got her brain reconnected to her feet and pelvis, there was regular steady progress every week.

Sam is an amazing person with an iron determination to regain her fitness. She was totally diligent with her rehab and doing her homework between sessions. This was a HUGE factor in her astounding recovery and return to teaching just 8 months after major surgery.

My approach is totally different, yet also complementary, to traditional physio and other soft tissue or manual therapies.

I use various methods, including biomechanics, somatics, and neural repatterning, to transform how you move and feel about your body. 

The main difference between me and physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and doctors is that I work with YOU, rather than just trying to fix the part of the body that's hurting with stretches, strength exercises or injections.

This creates lasting changes. You feel empowered to take control of your body and pain for yourself.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME

If you'd like results like Sam and other clients have experienced there are a few ways you can work with me to find lasting relief from pain.

1) Unlock Your Body breakthrough session

This is a single powerful 1:1 session designed to help you find the root drivers behind a persistent pain or injury. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of what's triggering pain in your body, and a clear action plan to get lasting relief. 

I have 2x Unlock Your Body breakthrough sessions in September, as well as very limited availability for 3 or 6 month 1:1 coaching.

Apply HERE  and I'll be in touch to arrange an initial complementary consultation to discuss which option will be a good fit for you.

2) Mindful Movement for Lower Back and Sciatic Pain Relief Workshop

Next date: Sunday 20th October, 1.15pm to 2.45pm (6x spaces available). **Bookings open now**

Angmering Village Hall  (The Kings Suite)

A friendly and inclusive small group workshop where you'll discover the common causes of lower back and sciatic pain, why you're not getting the results you desire even if you've tried the usual treatments, and how to find lasting relief.

The session will be a blend of informal group discussion and a mindful movement session, where you'll practice gentle exercises that effectively release muscle tension and show you new ways to move without pain.

After the workshop, you'll have lifetime access to a simple home programme to relieve lower back and sciatic pain in just 10 minutes a day. 

Click HERE to read all the details and how to book your place.

Other ways you can find help with managing pain or an injury are:

• Book into a Stretch or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to the movement explorations of The Befriend Your Body (BYB) Method for pain relief and relaxation.
• Get your copy of my free E-guide "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This introduces the 3x universal stress responses that can keep you stuck in pain, and explains the 4x pillars of The BYB Method. There's also 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your without expensive equipment. Download for instant access HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering movement and pain relief truth bombs directly into your inbox every Monday morning,

You can connect with me through any of these channels:

• Email at norma@unicornhealthandfitness.com
• Follow me on Facebook and DM me on Messenger https://www.facebook.com/norma.pearsonfitness
• WhatsApp message to 07801 867361.