The first month after ACL and medial and lateral meniscus surgery. It was a difficult month filled with a lot of pain and swelling. The first month was challenging mentally and physically. In this 1 month post-op update, I am going to share the highlights from my first month post ACL and meniscus surgery including how I felt, exercises, what I was working on most, and FAQs.
For a full breakdown of my injury and surgery, head to this post.
How I Felt
The first month of recovery was a rough one. The first week was incredibly painful and draining. I spent the entire first week basically in bed with two icing machines going (on top and below my knee). For the first three days after surgery, I took all pain and anti-inflammatory medication on schedule. After that, I only took the pain medication before bed but took the anti-inflammatory medication on schedule. I also used my prescribed CPM machine “23” hours of the day. Yes, I slept (or tried to) in the CPM machine.
After the first week, I went to a follow-up appointment with my surgeon and my first physical therapy session. In the follow-up, she removed my stitches and checked to ensure the ACL repair was stable. They urged me to really focus on extension, because my knee was still quite bent. I then went to my physical therapy session. All they did was prop my ankle up and try to let my knee fall straight. They also did a bit of stim to activate the quad and increase the extension. I finished the session by icing. It was excruciatingly painful and discouraging.
How My Knee Felt 1 Month Post Op
The first month was also not great physically, for my knee. I was in A LOT of pain. For the first week, it hurt immensely to even stand up (with crutches and 0 weight on my knee). Just having the blood rush to it was so uncomfortable. Using the CPM machine was painful. I was in constant pain and had a lot of trouble sleeping for the first month. My range of motion was a big big issue this month. I was struggling to get both flexion and extension, but especially extension.
By the end of the month, I was walking without crutches. However, I was nowhere near to walking normally. I had a very bad limp and could not walk regularly. I only walked to the bathroom, to the kitchen. I could not take my dog for a walk or be up for more than a few minutes without experiencing a ton of swelling and pain. My scars were also very stiff and I began mobilizing them with coconut oil and massage by the end of the month.
Major Events
- 1 week post-op follow up where they removed stitches and told me I really needed to focus on extension as my knee was pretty stiff.
- First physical therapy session.
- Walking without crutches by 3.5 weeks.
1 Month Post Op Exercises
Focus for the first month: Reduce swelling, improve range of motion, begin activating the quad. See some of the exercises I did HERE.
ROM Exercises
- Extend leg and put a weight just above the knee to add gravity to pull it down.
- Biking (trying to get a full revolution with proper form).
- Prone hang
- Wall slides
Strength Exercises
- Shifting weight side to side
- Marching walks forwards and sideways
- Leg press machine (very light weight)
- Leg raise
- Reverse leg raise
- SL Glute bridge
ACL Surgery FAQs- 1 Month Post Op
How long did it take you to walk without crutches?
It took me around 3.5 weeks to get fully off crutches. My surgeon cleared me as weight bearing as tolerated immediately after surgery, even with two meniscus repairs. 1.5 weeks after surgery, I began trying to put more weight on my leg with two crutches. I then went down to one crutch, and then walked without crutches as directly by my physical therapist.
Could you walk normally after 1 month?
No, I could not. I had a very bad limp and could not handle stairs without cheating my hip movement.
Did you have pain and swelling after 1 month?
Yes, my knee was very painful and swollen even a month later. Any activity at all would irritate it further and cause it to swell. My scars were very stiff as well. Overall my knee was still painful, swollen, and stiff for 1 month post op.
How do you reduce swelling after surgery?
RICE. Rest, ice, compression, elevation. I used an ice machine nearly constantly during my first month of recovery and tried to sleep with my leg elevated the best I could.
My Entire ACL & Meniscus Surgery Journey
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6
Month 7
Month 8
Month 9
Month 10
Month 11
Month 12