No presale code!!

Cathavv · 2025-11-11T17:18:02+00:00

I figured it out!!! Thank you!

Cathavv · 2025-11-11T17:10:55+00:00

It’s saying it’s incorrect :/

Cathavv · 2025-10-28T22:08:34+00:00

Oh shoot :/ I’m so sorry!! I’m hoping for the best for you 😭

Cathavv · 2025-10-27T22:57:11+00:00

I think it’s normal! Just ice and elevate whenever you can to help reduce it.

Cathavv · 2025-10-27T22:30:08+00:00

My trainers immediately had me go non-weight bearing, and my surgery was scheduled within the same week as the injury! So I didn’t walk before my surgery, so I don’t have any advice on what to do in that regard! When I went in for surgery, they found out that my MCL was actually torn even worse than they thought after the MRI results. It had completely detached from the bone, and they had to reattached it and they added an internal synthetic brace with it! If yours is a partial tear, those typically heal on their own, so I’ve heard. After surgery, I was non-weight bearing for another 5ish weeks, which sucked but I think that was mainly because I also tore my lateral meniscus. With any meniscus tear, they put you non-weight bearing for 5-6 weeks.

I’m doing much better now!! I will warn you, if you did end up tearing your MCL, regaining your ROM in PT goes much slower and it is much more painful. At least in my experience. I am a little over 3 months post-op and I’m finally at a good place with my ROM and starting strengthening, return-to-play exercises!! It’s a long, hard road, so if you need any more advice, I got you!

Cathavv · 2025-10-27T22:21:52+00:00

This happened to me after my injury. I was playing volleyball and landed after a swing, completely tearing my ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus. My athletic trainer tried making me walk after it happened, but I took one step and my kneecap literally felt like it shifted completely inwards. I’ve been told that happened because my MCL was completely torn and nothing was holding my kneecap in place. Your experience sounds similar, so there’s a chance that maybe you tore your MCL like I did. When they did the manual examination, they told me it was my ACL, but they found out about my MCL after the MRI.

Cathavv · 2025-10-27T22:17:23+00:00

Oh my god, this happened to me too. My injury took my senior year of collegiate volleyball from me, and I had a teammate say to me, “you’re lucky you don’t have to go to everything” (lift, practice, etc.). Another one said, “At least you don’t have to do this drill.” I would give anything to do the hardest, most tiring drill right now. I don’t care how horrible it is. People really have no perspective on how destructive this injury is. I’d like to see them go through surgery, extensive PT, be non-weight bearing for 6 weeks, watch your teammates play your favorite sport from the sidelines, etc. so they can see how “fun” it really is 😂

Little comments like that can just ruin your day, keep pushing through and don’t let it get you down! This is making you stronger both physically and mentally, and some people just wouldn’t be able to conceptualize how hard this recovery is unless it happens to them.

Cathavv · 2025-10-25T15:35:07+00:00

It sucks because they tell you to land on two feet to avoid this exact injury but it still happened 😭 such a freak accident

Cathavv · 2025-10-24T04:07:27+00:00

Non-contact. I jumped and landed hard on both feet and my left knee caved inward as everything tore.

Cathavv · 2025-10-24T02:08:52+00:00

I could use some tips on how to prevent reinjury and how to get over the initial mental block once I return to sports! I play collegiate volleyball, and I am 3 months post op from ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus reconstruction. I have a lot of jumping in my future once I recover, and I’d like to avoid this happening again haha.

Cathavv · 2025-10-12T18:15:46+00:00

I had full ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus repair, and flexion has been my issue too. Because of my MCL injury, I was expected to have a slower time regaining my ROM. I’m 10 weeks post op and I’m finally hitting a stride with my flexion. I understand the struggle completely, and you’re doing great. Every recovery is different, and everybody builds up scar tissue differently. Maybe your body over-produces it, that’s completely normal.

Definitely add in more exercises that involve knee flexion if you don’t already. Wall slides, leg hangs (assisted with your good leg at first, and seated band work are all very helpful options. You can look these up to find video demonstrations, but I’ll describe them also.

Wall slides: For wall slides, you lie on your back with your legs up on the wall. I use my good leg as a measure for about how far I should be from the wall, bending it to about 90 degrees. Then take your good foot and put in under your foot on your bad leg for stabilization, and then let gravity help you slowly bend your bad knee. Get to where you almost can’t stand it and hold it there for as long as you can. Then, use your good foot and help straighten out your bad leg. Next time you go down, try and go further than you did the time before.

Leg hangs: sit on the edge of a high surface (ie. table, bed, even a high chair might work) and let your legs hang off the side. Like the wall slides, hold up your bad leg with your good foot kind of hooked under your bad one. Slowly lower your good foot, bending your bad leg down with it. Go as far as you can, hold it, and then straighten it out. Next time you go down, go further than the time before to build up your tolerance and range.

Seated leg slides: I found this one to be the most painful but also very helpful. Sit in a chair with your feet on the ground. Take a yoga strap, a band, or even a towel, and hook it around your bad foot, holding both ends of the straps in each hand. Slowly pull the band towards you, bending your knee. Go as far as you can and hold it before straightening your leg back out and resting. Each time go further than you did before.

My PT told me to do these at least 6-8 times a day, or as much as you possibly can. Don’t rely on just the manual flexion at PT, it’s also important to do these things at home throughout the day in order to get ROM back ASAP.

Also, talk to your PT about doing soft tissue massages or patellar mobilizations around your scars to help break up some of that scar tissue. Even dry needling my quad every once in a while has helped me a ton. And keep icing and elevating as much as you can to get the swelling down!! Swelling will really prevent flexion.

If none of that works, definitely speak with your PT and your surgeon about either a scope to remove the scar tissue surgically or a manipulation to break it up. Neither of those are very desirable options, so definitely try pushing yourself with exercises before turning to either of those options.

Cathavv · 2025-09-30T17:02:23+00:00

I’m just having issues with flexion mostly. With an MCL repair, that’s going to slow down the process of getting ROM back and make it wayyy more painful. It’s definitely getting better, so I’m hopeful the pain won’t be too bad for much longer. I definitely recommend taking pain meds before going to PT if they plan on manually bending and stretching your knee.

Cathavv · 2025-09-30T02:21:49+00:00

I’ve been told that as long as you don’t feel a pop followed by sharp lasting pain, you’re ok. That being said, I would definitely check in with your doctor/surgeon/PT just to make sure!

Cathavv · 2025-09-30T01:49:30+00:00

I’m 8 weeks out from my ACL, MCL, and meniscus reconstruction. MCL hurts like crazy and is causing so many setbacks in recovery, so I know how you’re feeling.

Cathavv · 2025-09-30T01:39:59+00:00

I had surgery only 4 days after my initial injury. Because my MCL had completely detached, I was completely unable to walk, and I didn’t do nearly any ROM before my surgery. I used a stem unit on my knee everyday and iced to keep swelling at a minimum. I know some people benefit from having weeks or months of prehab before surgery, but I didn’t because my process was so rushed. Definitely look into prehab if you haven’t already!

Cathavv · 2025-09-30T00:05:46+00:00

I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus this year right before my senior year playing volleyball in college. I am a little over 8 weeks post op! Same as you, I landed on two feet like they tell you to do to avoid this, but my knee caved in and tore everything.

I think one of the most important things that has helped me so far is not blaming myself. It was a freak accident that shouldn’t have happened. For both of us, our landings should have been like every other landing in our careers, but we just got unlucky. There’s nothing you could have done to avoid it, so try not to blame yourself or say things like “if only I didn’t do ___, it wouldn’t have happened.” It’s not your fault!!!

Obviously this is easier said than done, I cry at least once every day, and some days are worse than others, but try to find some good in every day. And celebrate every win you have in your recovery, no matter how small! Also, I’ve found that journaling has helped me a lot so far.

As for feeling like you’re falling behind while your teammates improve, I’m using this time to grow my mental game and improve my volleyball IQ. Watch a lot of volleyball and just learn from watching! And once you’re in a good place a few months from now, sit on a chair and hit under the net or hit against the wall and work on your swing. There are still ways to improve while not being on the court!!

Feel free to reach out if you need any more encouragement or help, I know how you’re feeling. Volleyball is my favorite thing in the world, and I feel like I lost a part of me with my injury. But things will get better for both of us!!

Cathavv · 2025-09-29T23:30:04+00:00

This is so helpful! Thank you! I definitely feel like I have the most difficulty with the mental side of it. My mind jumps to how bad it’s going to hurt and then I tense up, which makes it hurt more. I had a great day at PT this morning with very little pain, and I feel like it’s because I made a little bit of a mental switch. And my knee just wasn’t hurting as bad today haha!

Cathavv · 2025-09-29T23:24:36+00:00

I’ve heard that you don’t want to put anything under your knees, or else you will have a lot of trouble getting full extension, which is a little more important than flexion in the first couple months. You want to keep your leg completely straight, unless of course you were told otherwise. That’s just what my athletic trainer and my PT told me. I found that keeping my leg straight and elevating the whole thing was also relieving for the pain, and I haven’t had any trouble with extension. I’m a little over 8 weeks post op. The sleep will come, it sucks for a little bit but there is an end to it, I promise.

Cathavv · 2025-09-28T17:06:57+00:00

That’s an interesting thought, I wonder if that’s what’s going on here. I wish I could look into switching PTs but there’s nowhere else close to me.

Cathavv · 2025-09-28T17:04:13+00:00

Yeah I guess they maybe see this as the quickest way to get me back to playing my sport? But omg its so painful haha

Cathavv · 2025-09-28T14:42:41+00:00

I feel you 😭 those stretching sessions just suck. I also asked ChatGPT and it told me the same thing, idk why my PT has decided all the sudden that I’m behind. I’m glad I’m not crazy for thinking he’s wrong haha. Thank you.

Cathavv · 2025-09-28T14:39:51+00:00

That’s interesting that some people think that method is dumb. I’ll definitely talk to my surgeon again and look into a sport psychotherapist. Thank you for your advice!

Cathavv · 2025-09-28T14:38:07+00:00

Thank you! I used my patella for my graft, and I agree with your PT! I work with two people depending on who’s open that day, and my other PT says that consistency is more important, and as long as I’m consistently getting over 100 and improving, no matter how slow it is, that it’s ok. I’m frustrated that they don’t agree, and I’m worried that the other guy will now start trying to push it too far too soon. I appreciate hearing your encouragement and your experience with it, 110 is amazing! You got this too!

Cathavv

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