Pearl presented to our Penrith clinic with a very specific concern and a very clear goal. Pearl’s story is inspirational and is a good demonstration of how an active approach can assist someone with a knee injury to live a healthy and active life. This is how Pearl reached her goals:
I had been on one-day bushwalks through the Blue Mountains and National Parks around Sydney, as well as some popular walks, such as Manly to Spit Bridge and Bondi to Coogee. My favourite walk is around the Cooks River in the Innerwest, where I walk regularly from Canterbury to Marrickville. I was immediately inspired to go when a friend told me about The Three Capes Walk in Tasmania. On reading further about it, I knew I could do the four-day walk, despite an injury from a fall when I walked the last 120 km of the Camino de Santiago in Spain last year. My daughter’s interest and excitement in doing the Three Capes Walk with me meant that I did the
walk much sooner than anticipated.
Three months before the walk, an X-ray showed that I had torn my meniscus in two places. An operation was looking imminent; however, with excellent advice from a doctor and some Googling, I booked in to see a physiotherapist, which is where I met the phenomenal Chloe Wang at The Healthy Body Company, Penrith. Chloe examined my knee, treated it with massage therapy and allayed my fears about taking on the walk from my first appointment. She asked what my goal was and then worked towards
getting me there. She was very positive, and I felt very emotional when she said I could one day have a pain-free knee*. This comment was so heartening for me to hear because, for months, I’d been walking with a limp, in pain and feeling very anxious about doing any long walks.
Of course, I loved the deep massage therapy that seemed to have an immediate effect as it loosened all the stiffness around the knee. But primarily, I have now included the long-term benefits of the individualised exercises in my morning routine. Chloe was determined to get me well for the walk. Her approach was warm and encouraging. She started me on simple routines that progressed to a more intense workout, but always within my abilities. After three months of treatment, I was pain-
free and ready for the walk. The most rewarding part of my physiotherapy journey is feeling strength in my legs again and the confidence that healing is within reach.
I was anxious about the walk even as I was setting out. With a backpack weighing about 12 kg, I had to jump from a boat into knee-high water as it dropped us off at Denmans Cove. We walked across the beach and started our first day trekking across the Tunah Plains, which was spectacular. It took us about 2 hours to walk the 4 km. It was pain-free and exhilarating. We arrived at our hut for the night feeling great that we had kept up with all the other walkers. I continued my exercises at the end of each walk and was thrilled to discover that there were back rollers in all the common areas, which is my favourite physiotherapy equipment. The rest of the walk
was more complicated, climbing and descending peaks, with the longest a 6-hour day covering 19 km. I felt confident after each day of the walk and could feel my legs getting more robust. I would never have been able to do it without Chloe’s support and ‘can do’ approach.
Pearl and her daughter on the Three Capes Walk in Tasmania after she sought active management for her knee injury.
My advice would be to surround yourself with positive people and seek support. Accept expert knowledge and do your research. But mostly, don’t be too proud to use props. Sometimes, you may need to scale down your goal and accept that more care is necessary if you have an injury. For example, on the Three Capes Walk, I tried to start my walk early so I would not be the last to arrive at the next hut. I guess it was pride. However, I was almost always among the last to appear because I paced myself and stopped often. But like a determined tortoise, I accomplished the walk anyway, despite my meniscus tears.
Pearl’s story is specific to her and should be treated as inspiration not advice. If you have knee pain, seek advice from a qualified health professional.
