My enjoyment of cooking goes up and down through the years and depending on how crazy my life is. Several years ago I wanted to learn more about cooking and enrolled in a few cooking classes at a local kitchen store. It was really enjoyable, learning some tips and tricks to get a better outcome on a meal. The first class I took was on making homemade pizza. I remember taste testing the pizza at the end of the class and I was immediately hooked!
That weekend, I bought all the supplies and tools I needed to make homemade pizza for my family. My kids were a lot younger then and I’ll never forget the reaction that all three of them had after eating their first piece: They LOVED it! All of them said to me, “This is the best pizza we have ever had!” I felt like a hero, LOL, and on occasion we will still make homemade pizza for the family.
One thing that sticks out to me every time I make the pizza dough is the rolling out process and getting it to the right shape and size. You start with a ball of dough and slowly manipulating it into shape using your hands and tools. At first, its hard to change the shape but over time and with a little persistence, the ball of dough starts to take the shape of a pizza. Each time the roller is applied, the dough is compressed and expands, only to contract and shrink some after the pressure of the roller is removed.
This is EXACTLY how getting motion back after having knee replacement surgery (or any other knee surgery / injury) or shoulder surgery. At first, the joint is stiff and resists movement but over time and with a little persistence the joint starts to move more freely and with less pain. Each time pressure is applied to the joint to improve motion, the joint moves a little more, only to shrink back slightly. But with persistence, over time the joint becomes more free and full motion is restored.
So, when you are recovering from your surgery and trying to get motion back, don’t get frustrated. Think of the joint as pizza dough and you just have to keep rolling it out. Experience with rolling out dough tells you that eventually it will end up in the shape you want it to. Experience tells me that if you keep doing your range of motion exercises at HOME and at your appointments, eventually your joint will move the way you want it to!
