AFR

Augmented Fibrotic Release....
Sounds pretty technical, complex, state-of-the-art and expensive. Truth is, it's none of the above. At least not in how it relates to the following.

As an aging athlete (still competing) my knees aren't what they once were. Infact, they're a lot more! A lot more stiff, a lot more achey, a lot more problematic. When I had my Orthopaedic doc take a look at them, of course an X-ray was in order. His diagnosis was not a torn meniscus as he somewhat expected. Rather it was much simplier, and much more dire. Dire in the fact that there wasn't much that could be done other than NSAIDs. He said I had early arthritis. While the NSAIDs helped, I had this feeling that there was something I was missing, or something he was missing or simply something more that could be done.

I had begun a physical therapy exercise program on my on. Exercise that I had researched that might provide some help. Exercises like; "closed chain Terminal Knee Extensions" and some others. I spoke with a physical therapist friend and asked her what her take on this was. She replied that she wasn't that up on knee stuff and suggested I contact another PT who was supposed to be "the knee-guy."

A few months went by, but I finally did make an appointment for a consultation and evaluation with him. He said he didn't find much to indicate any arthritis, but that I had ALOT of .... can't really remember his term exactly, but "Calcified Synovium" is close enough. "So, what does THAT mean," I asked. "Well, it means there's alot of synovial fluid that has built up around the patella, and has hardened. Grannulomas. It also means there's alot we can do to help you" he said.

OK !!! That the kind of answer I like to hear. "Let's get on with it then, what do we do?" He said, "we'll start you on a therapy protocal of Ultra-sound, AFR, prescribed exercises, and a stretching routine." Sounds benign enough, although protracted, but I was ready for almost anything to hopefully get back a feeling of younger knees.

He started by examining my walk, that's right, my walk. He said that was a big issue in itself. I already had prescribed orthodics in my shoes, but he said that my gait was severly uh...."messed up." I stepped "hard" and with little knee flexion. He said that if that wasn't changed, I would have a lot more problems down the road. So, he spent about an hour adjusting my orthodics, watching me walk. Giving me tips, pointers and suggestions on how to walk. "Walk with an attitude," he would say, think about really flexing your knee when your foot strikes, and when you push off."
We went through all that for a number of sessions and also with me working on it on my own.

We also started the AFR in the first session. It was preceeded by about 15 minutes of "ultra-sound" therapy to help break up the calcification.
But the real fun started with the AFR.
OMG...that was THE most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life!
I've had a number of broken bones, smashed fingers, tatoos, objects to the head requiring up to 100 stitches, etc., etc.
But, never AFR !
He started by having me lie on a table, pushing my knee-cap around and drawing
little lines on my knee. Then, he had my lie back, and said "this might be a bit uncomfortable," (understatement of the day) and proceeded to drive the blunt edge of a pair of hospital scissors into the places on my knee that he had makred.
Drive and push....
Grind and move....
Over, and over, and over....
All told it seemed like the AFR lasted about 15-20 minutes.
15-20 minutes of "hell on earth."
After that, my knees were iced for about 20 minutes, then I was instructed on a stretching protocal specifically for the knees.I spent about 20 minutes being instructed on and performing some specific exercises and those I was to continue on my own 3-4 times a week.

I thought about what I had just experienced on the drive home.
NOT PLEASANT !!
But, I was also wondering what the end result would be.
I looked at my poor knees. Red marks all over...slightly swollen.
Still hurting...although not as bad.
I was more than happy to tell everyone the rest of that day about the hell I had just gone through and I was having SERIOUS doubts that anything positive was going to come of it all.
I mean, I AM a believer in some non-traditional medical practices, holistic medicine and body-manipulation. Trouble with those are (not that a licensed PT falls into the catagory)one never knows what they are really getting. Some are good and knowledgable, some are not.
At any rate, the pain of the experience slowly went away as the day progressed.
Early in the evening, I had to go upstairs at my home for something and when I started down our staircase (the point where I usually had the most pain and made the most compensatory movements for my knee pain)
Something was CLEARLY wrong !!!!
I took another step down.....
"Yep, there it isn't again ! "
"This is WEIRD !!!"
I was descending down a flight of stairs, the activity that usually had the greatest manifestation of my knee pain, yet, as I took another step down, it became more clear...."This sh#@ is REALLY working!"
I was going down a flight of stairs with NO knee pain!!

I continued with the AFR and all the other aspects of the regimine for about 6-7 weeks. It did wonders for me. I did discover on one visit though that it definatley DOES make a difference WHO performs the AFR on you.
An assistant did it one time and while it wasn't NEARLY as painful....I also gained NOTHING from the visit. She just wasn't aggressive enough with it, and/or wasn't nearly as good as the therapist at identifying the spots that needed it.

It's been about 3 months since my last sessions with the AFR. I can tell by my knee pain I need to go back. I also need to do the stretching routine more regularly. Trouble is I am now re-habbing from 2 shoulder surgeries which has made tending to my knees basically impossible. Competition season is approaching and I have A LOT of work to do, once I'm fully able, to get back the strength and performance I've lost during recovery from the shoulders.

It's a vicious cycle and a staunch reminder that we really do get older and our bodies don't perfrom as they once did.
I for one however, intend to fight it and prove that the human body can indeed continue to perform at a fairly high level even as we age.

As for you, the reader, if you have any of the knee symptoms I described here, find yourself a GOOD practitioner of AFR, you'll hate AND love every minute of it.