Knee Injury Instead of Knee Catastrophe

In keeping with the “Let’s keep it real” sentiments we have here at Leanness Lifestyle University I have to hang my head in a bit of shame and admit that I injured my left knee over the weekend. Doing what? Playing backyard volleyball at a Summer pool party. I’d had nothing to drink – let me get THAT right out of the way.
Earlier in the day I had done front squats, back squats, RDLs and calves. My legs weren’t trashed. Just a good workout.
I was at the tail end of playing my sixth set of v-ball. The score was 14 to 6 (we were ahead). As it turns out I was in front on the right and had spiked, bumped or set the ball in every conceivable position as we inched our way to 14 points. No problem. And then it happened.
All I remember is I had to do a maximum vertical from an off balance leap (so now I have lateral movement) and I also had to reverse my position in mid air turning about 180 with my back to the net, landed, knee actually collapsed (I did hit the ball over) and on my back I went. Here’s the sick part.
I’m lying there in pain (about an 8 out of 10) knees bent, feet on ground. Everyone around me saw my knee go and were like “Oh my God.” The first thing I thought was “Shit, you’ve got to be kidding me. This is going to be so embarrasing to have to tell my high school girls I’m coaching.” What am I coaching? A speed, acceleration, agility, strength and conditioning clinic (8 weeks in duration and we are at week 6). And what do we preach CONSTANTLY? Injury-free progression. Damn.
Then the next thoughts were — and I kid you not — “Let’s see ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL (the four primary ligaments) or torn lateral or medial meniscus.”
Someone tried to help me up and I said “No way.” I knew it wouldn’t hold my bodyweight. So I sat up on my elbows and started slowly extending and flexing my leg. I could move it but it really hurt. Then, it literally appeared like my tibia (big lower-leg bone) rotated and went back into place. It was probably my knee cap shifting. I’m not 100% sure but it caused an audible “Oooo, oooh” from the onlookers. It was weird. When it happened the pain went from an 8 to a 3 almost instantly.
I let them help me up then and I gingerly put weight on it. To my surprise I could put some weight on it. So I tried a bit more and within a minute I did about 5 full bodyweight squats. Pain was a 1-2 now. I knew it was still tweaked so I bowed out of the game.
As the day went on it got stiffer with mobility really decreasing. Some swelling was occurring but not “blown ACL” swelling.
Spent Sunday mostly in my chair doing the ice/anti-inflammatories superset. Pretty stiff, the limp walk was all I was able to manage. Today too.
Now it’s Monday — 6:30am, time to meet with my girls for conditioning camp. I limped over to the gang and talked to them briefly about improper landings. I said “And what happens girls when we land improperly?” to which they replied “We get hurt.” I said that’s right and injuries suck! But I did get to help them see that by being in shape with strong muscles around my knee I got to, in all likelihood, dodge a bullet and take what COULD have been a catastrophic injury down to a pain in the butt. And that too is part of what we teach — we may still get hurt but we are less likely to have a catastrophic injury if we are strong and in shape using the best biomechanics we can.
Last but not least — I use this quote here in LLU all the time and with me NOT being able to get down and dirty demonstrating various drills and moves as I always do with the girls today I was reminded that we really don’t HAVE to exercise — we GET to exercise.
In health,
David Greenwalt B.Sc., CSCS
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