Concept2 Forum

Sob story:
So, I ordered a new model D/P4 Tuesday. Wednseday, I injured myself playing basketball (sprained ankle, torn ligaments, possible bone chip, swollen foot/lower leg). My rower is scheduled to arrive today or tomorrow.

Input?
Anybody rehabbed an injury like this using a rower? Anybody tried rowing 1 footed? Anyone have any suggestions/ideas here? I am obviously anxious to use my new rower and will want to verify it works properly within in the first 30 days.

About me:
Yes, I am new to the forum and to owning a C2. However, I have been using them for the past 9-10 years. I am in shape and knowledgeable about fitness. I will consult my orthopedic before attempting any exercise with an injury. I will not over exert myself or continue with anything that causes abnormal pain. Not seeking any: "consult a doctor" comments. I will not hold anyone responsible for ideas given that don't work.

Also, I am excited about trying out RowPro (in the future), making friends on this forum, and racing.

Last year at about this time I had two fractures in my right fibula and then an operation on the right knee to take out some meniscus and pieces chipped off the femur. So it wasn't a good idea to either put pressure on the fibula or to bend the knee. I put a roller skate on the leg and rowed 1-legged for about a month or so. On the one hand I thought it was better than nothing, but on the other hand my lower back felt at risk of developing problems for the asymmetrical load. I've seen others do much the same thing that I did by getting one of those sliding boards and propping a cast on a pillow and letting it slide back and forth while rowing 1-legged.

There is no good solution until everything is healed, but it can be done if insanity is the alternative.

I bought my rower in March, and then broke my right ankle in May this year. My break was due to rolling the foot toward the inside (inversion). Broke a chip off the fibula at the attachment point of the calcaneofibular ligament, completely tore the anterior talofibular ligament, strained a bunch of the small stabilizer muscles in my lower leg.

I used rowing as a major component of my rehab. In my case the injury wasn't in the main load-bearing portion of the ankle, and I atrophy at an alarming rate, so my puny legs didn't leg me push hard enough to cause discomfort. My range of motion was massively limited at first, and I couldn't go back much farther than knees at a ninety degree angle at the start of my first session. By the end of that first session (which lasted a whopping six minutes) I could already almost go back to full extension. After my third session, I had full range on my ankle as far as rowing was concerned.

Cycling was also quite helpful for me. It required less recovery time for me, and I could do one while recovering from the other. As far as the full range of motion of a healthy ankle, both rowing and cycling are somewhat limited, but I felt like it got me that far a lot faster than I could have otherwise, and helped me to recover enough strength to start doing other things that weren't so inherently stabilized.

I had decided to do this before my first scheduled PT after getting my cast off because I was pretty much going nuts. I was extremely happy with how it went, and when I did see my physical therapist for the first time, I asked him about it, and he said rowing machines are one of his favorite forms of PT to assign for ankle injuries. My rate of improvement was also very fast, and I graduated after 3 visits to PT.

So, definitely give the rowing a shot. If it's no good you'll know instantly, and if it's good, it'll help speed you along.

But, wait until you're healed up enough, or you'll make things much worse. All of this that I did was after I was out of my cast. The cast wasn't there for the bone, it was there because I needed good immobilization for the sprains and strains to heal. When I was in a brace before that, that amount of motion caused bad enough swelling that my foot felt like it was going to explode. If you're just in a brace, wait until the swelling goes down to a reasonable level and you can wiggle your ankle around outside of the brace before you try it.

Sacrin wrote:Sob story:

Input?
Anybody rehabbed an injury like this using a rower? Anybody tried rowing 1 footed? Anyone have any suggestions/ideas here? I am obviously anxious to use my new rower and will want to verify it works properly within in the first 30 days.

Also, I am excited about trying out RowPro (in the future), making friends on this forum, and racing.

I started using a Concept 2 while recovering from Achilles surgery. I was in a cast for six weeks and then in a boot for six weeks with no load bearing and on crutches all that time.
I rowed with one leg pushing and not putting pressure on my left leg but I could bend it. When I got out of the boot I slowly added my left leg into my exercise routine. Also entered a few indoor races which were fun. Here is an old link describing some of my first experiences with indoor racing. Click Here

Check out Carole McNally

Her love of life and sense of humour also made her unique. When she broke her leg it became her trademark - bright pink "pot" and hat to match, she rowed one-legged to a medal at the Scottish Championships.

Check out Carole McNally

I just read this link. Great article. Thanks for posting. Amazing the impact you can have on others in such a short period.