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DEBBIE | FROM TKA to MUA to ALL BETTER
by Debbie Howell and Mary Elliott
In a recent episode of The Bee’s Knees Podcast, guest Debbie Howell from Springfield, Missouri, shared her challenging journey recovering from a total knee replacement. A nurse by profession, Debbie underwent surgery, but quickly faced severe medical complications.
Within days of her operation, she tested positive for blood clots in her leg and was prescribed a high dose of the blood thinner Eliquis. This medication triggered massive inflammation, swelling, and a large hematoma on her new implant, which temporarily derailed her recovery timeline and forced her to immobilize her leg.
AN MUA | Manipulation Under Anesthesia
Because of these complications and the required immobilization, Debbie’s knee flexion severely regressed. Despite attending physical therapy up to five days a week and fighting through intense pain, she only managed to reach about 85 degrees of flexion after nine long weeks. Desperate to regain her mobility, she underwent a manipulation under anesthesia at the ten-week mark. While this procedure helped her turn a corner and eventually reach 106 degrees of flexion, she still felt physically drained and deeply depressed by the grueling process.
The ultimate turning point in Debbie’s recovery came when a friend recommended the X10 Therapy machine. Although she recognized it was a financial investment, Debbie committed to the process and began using the device up to three times a day. The results were astounding; within just two weeks of starting with the X10, she reached 130 degrees of flexion, which is the maximum capacity of the machine. Debbie credits the machine’s specialized design, which also allowed her to work closely with a remote physical therapy coach to safely incorporate additional strengthening exercises.
X10 | A Unique User-Controlled Stretching Experience
Debbie explained that the X10 provides a unique, user-controlled stretching experience that helps patients avoid excruciating pain. The machine displays the exact amount of pressure it takes to bend the knee, allowing patients to actively dictate the force used and keep the stretch manageable. It features a mechanical “dwell” function that holds the leg in flexion for eight seconds before slowly releasing and gradually increasing the angle. Furthermore, the machine provides detailed daily progress reports, giving Debbie concrete evidence of her improvement and a much-needed psychological boost to keep pushing forward.
DEBBIE | FROM TKA to MUA to ALL BETTER
Today, Debbie is excitedly returning to her active lifestyle, incorporating stationary bike rides and daily workouts back into her regular routine. She feels highly confident about her mobility for upcoming family milestones, including her son’s wedding in August. Her advice to others facing difficult knee replacement recoveries is to stay persistent, put in the daily work, and seek out helpful rehabilitation tools. In fact, Debbie is so convinced by her own success story that she plans to use the X10 machine right from day one when she eventually has her other knee replaced.
The X10 Meta-Blog
We call it a “Meta-Blog” because we step back and give you a broad perspective on all aspects of knee health, surgery and recovery and such subjects as “DEBBIE | FROM TKA to MUA to ALL BETTER.”
VIEW OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE: X10 THERAPY
Voted Top 10 Knee Blog of 2018.
In this one-of-a-kind blog we gather together great thinkers, doers, writers related to Knee Surgery, Recovery, Preparation, Care, Success and Failure. Meet physical therapists, coaches, surgeons, patients, and as many smart people as we can gather to create useful articles for you. Whether you have a surgery upcoming, in the rear-view mirror, or just want to take care of your knees to avoid surgery, you should find some value here. Executive Editor: PJ Ewing (info@x10therapy.com)
