A Faster Path To Knee Recovery

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Mark’s rehab after his knee replacement was accelerated by a protocol that included the Class IV laser, HIVAMAT 200, and strength and balancing exercises.

The roots of endurance horseback riding were planted more than 100 years ago, when six experienced equestrians set out to prove that they could do what the pony express once did and complete a 100-mile run from Nevada to California in less than a day.

In the years since, endurance riding has evolved into an international sport, but as longtime competitor Mark Cocking explains, these marathons for horses have yet to catch on in the same way that other equestrian events have.

“It’s kind of a niche sport,” Mark expounds. “One of the reasons is that you must have a certain kind of horse to be able to go fast and win that kind of a race. But those who do have that kind of horse can finish a 100-mile course in 18 or 19 hours.”

Mark, 67, has competed in endurance races as well as competitive trail riding events, where the horse’s health is evaluated at various staging areas along the course.

Unfortunately, Mark’s health was once impacted during a horse ride.

“This happened several years ago, when the horse I was riding suddenly took off on me,” Mark remembers. “By the time I realized where the horse was trying to get to, which was back to the barn, he had run my right knee into a tree.

“I wound up having arthroscopic surgery on that knee a few years later, and it was fine until about two years ago, when it started bothering me again. It eventually got to the point where the more I exerted myself, the more that knee bothered me.”

In seeking medical help for his knee problem, Mark learned that the cause of his pain and discomfort was “bone-on-bone arthritis” and that the knee needed to be replaced surgically. He also learned that his left knee had a torn meniscus.

The meniscus is cartilage that cushions the area of the knee between the tibia (shinbone) and femur (thighbone). The meniscus can tear with a forceful twist or turn of the knee, but as it was with Mark, those tears can be repaired surgically.

“The knee with the torn meniscus was actually hurting me even more than the knee that needed to be replaced, so the doctor did that surgery first,” Mark reports. “I then had the right knee replaced on December 18 of last year.”

The physician who performed the two operations is Michael W. Higgins, DO, and as he often does with patients, he recommended that Mark rehabilitate his new right knee at Regional Rehab in Spring Hill.

“We work with Dr. Higgins a lot,” says Charles C. Donley, PT, founder of Regional Rehab. “We not only work with his joint replacement patients postop, but we also work with some of them preop by preparing them for surgery with exercise and strengthening programs.”

Signature Tools

Asking Mark to visit Regional Rehab was asking a lot. After all, he lives more than 30 miles away in Floral City. But Mark was so impressed with the evaluation and treatment plan that Charles laid out that he agreed to follow the doctor’s recommendation.

“I started off doing some in-home rehab and exercises with a company, and then I went to Regional Rehab for a follow-up,” Mark offers. “They told me about these two devices they use that expedite the healing process, and I was really impressed by that.”

The devices are two of Regional Rehab’s signature tools. One is the Class IV deep tissue therapeutic laser. The other is the HIVAMAT® 200 deep oscillation device.

The laser uses wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate nerves and the body’s natural ability to heal damaged cells. It does this by triggering a release of nitric oxide, which reduces inflammation, promotes healing and increases blood circulation – even in the nerves in a way that has proved effective for stroke victims.

“The Class IV laser, in particular, is an impressive and versatile tool,” Charles says. “We use it for burn and wound patients as well as for all the musculoskeletal issues we typically treat, such as acute, chronic and postoperative pain.”

The HIVAMAT® 200 deep oscillation device creates gentle impulses that relax muscles and penetrate all tissue layers to remove inflammatory byproducts from cells that cause pain. Along with the laser, it is used as part of a treatment protocol that typically includes stretching, exercises for balance and range of motion, and manual therapy.

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Mark Cocking

Back to Normal

Mark received his first laser and HIVAMAT treatments a couple of days after Christmas. At the time, he was still suffering from a great deal of swelling and had very little range of motion in the knee with the new joint.

“The swelling was quite extensive,” Mark laments. “That knee was twice as big as it usually is, and the muscles in that leg were very sore. But the treatment I received with the laser and the HIVAMAT really helped with that.”

Mark says the swelling in his knees “has gone down to the point where I am very happy with it,” and his range of motion is almost back to normal.

It wasn’t just the laser and the HIVAMAT that got him there, though.

“A lot of people think flexion – or the ability to bend the knee – is the most important part of rehabilitating a knee, but it’s also important to focus on gait stability so the patient doesn’t lose his balance and fall,” Charles notes.

“That’s why we have our patients perform strength and balancing exercises that are designed to strengthen the quadriceps, the hamstrings and the glutes. We also do hip extensions and hip abductions, so we’re strengthening the entire inside of the thigh.”

When Mark first arrived at Regional Rehab, he was walking with a single-point cane. His treatment protocol was designed to rid him of the need for that cane, and he reached that point after two months.

“Now I’m back doing the exercise classes that I was doing before I had the surgery, including yoga and tai chi.” Mark says. “I think the work they did with me at Regional Rehab with the laser and the HIVAMAT really helped me with that.

“With every one of those treatments, I felt better because they really helped to heal the tissue, and that moved that whole process along much more quickly than it normally would have. I am very happy with the treatment I received at Regional Rehab.

“They really do great work there, and all the people are very friendly, so I’d recommend them in a minute. In fact, I’ve already mentioned them to someone who isn’t happy with his physical therapist. I told him, Well, we love ours. Maybe you should try Regional Rehab.”