Huh, imagine that... --- So got up today... knee felt meh. Not great, not backsliding... just stiff and sore and wobbly, a degree higher than yesterday. So did the short fast and got into my weird little workout... So, after experimentation... found my knee responded to something that feels like getting that debris out from between the articular surfaces of both bones: bent the knee a bit past 90ยบ (basically touch more than a half-squat), and with the foot on the ground, swung the knee from side to side, whilst simultaneously straightening the knee. About the rate where 3 swings by the time leg's straight. Did this 3x -- could literally feel my knee relax the muscles across it, in response. Another tool to get the knee calm enough to strengthen the quads, which I feel is part of the problem. Wasn't able to go downhill, not comfortably yet. The downhill for the parking structure, is where it all goes to pot -- climbing, is what my knee loves to do, and will do it as long as I don't push into pain. But even the slight incline of the ramps going down? Feels super-weak... and all the strain seems caused by damage to either small muscles which locate the bursa under the patella, or the vastus lateralis / rectus femoris / vastus intermedius, all quads (that f***ing bucket really caught me just right ). So second workout at the park... starts with a gently-increasing downhill... which of course I'd be hobbling at, until the exact nadir... then it was all equally-steep climb and level-out, the reverse of the descent. Later is a short rhythm section, both turning and rising / falling... then a sharp descent to a bridge... a rest with a broad curve on level ground... then a medium climb back to the car. Figured out something else that the knee liked: if whilst going downhill, I purposely held the quad to tense, then gradually let it lengthen whilst tensing... this made the second lap feel a lot better. Copious testing of my 'knee-cleaning' tq along the way... This looked a bit goofy on the trail... but f*** what everyone else thinks. I'm here to both rehab and learn more of my client's exps, with borked ligaments and non-muscular structural damage inside the knee. Gotta do what works, even if it looks a bit crazy do not know -- hurt worst at the start, that tensing-lengthening-quads part... but brought probably the second-best relief from P, at the end of my laps. So the quads have more to do with the knee not progressing faster, than I thought Feels good so far, hours later. More tomorrow, when I push it doing the car up.
