Published in Bottom Line News and Views, January 2019 issue
After years of pain, Rhonda Sundberg knew it was time to have her second
knee replaced. “I was stiff, dealing with arthritis and trying to
manage it with medication,” said Rhonda. “Something more needed
to be done.”
Familiar with the surgical process from her first knee replacement in 2017,
Rhonda had a good idea of what lay ahead of her.
Local physical therapy
Rhonda was happier to take on her new knee when she learned that St. Luke’s
Chequamegon Clinic had started offering physical therapy. “I was
thrilled,” she explained. “I’m a patient there and the
clinic is close to Bretting Manufacturing where I work. It was really
convenient for me.”
St. Luke’s was able to add physical therapy to their services after
the 22,000-square-foot clinic was built along the north side of U.S. Highway
2 in the spring of 2018. The space features state-of-the-art equipment
and a picturesque view of Lake Superior’s South Shore.
The journey of recovery
Starting the very next day after her surgery, Rhonda began physical therapy
with Jacey Janz-Vernoksi, DPT. The first few weeks included mostly pain
management and swelling control. Then, Jacey began to help Rhonda work
on her range of motion and build back her strength. Eventually, Rhonda
progressed to riding a stationary bike, balance work and directional exercises
like bending, squatting and stairs.
“The hardest part of physical therapy was working on my range of
motion,” Rhonda said. “But Jacey did a great job of helping
me through. She was a very good judge of what I could and couldn’t
handle.”
Rhonda met with Jacey at St. Luke’s Chequamegon Clinic three times
a week for six weeks. On the days she didn’t see Jacey, Rhonda was
committed to the home exercise program Jacey had given her.
“Some people get frustrated at slow progress, but Rhonda was great,”
Jacey said. “It takes time to rebuild the strength. People want
to get better right away, but it definitely takes some patience.”
The full-length recovery for a knee replacement is typically a year, but
most recovery happens in the first three months. Patients can often go
back to work after 8 to 12 weeks.
Looking forward
With her first knee feeling great after almost a year of recovery, Rhonda
looks forward to her second knee healing just as well. “I’m
so excited to walk the golf course without any pain,” Rhonda said.
Jacey looks forward to Rhonda’s full-recovery as well. “I love
helping people and seeing their progress,” Jacey said. “It
really motivates me to see how happy patients are when they can do the
things they love again.”
St. Luke’s Chequamegon Clinic has been offering physical therapy
since July of 2018. To view a full list of services at St. Luke’s
Chequamegon Clinic go to
www.slhduluth.com/PhysicalTherapy.
BELOW: Rhonda Sundburg and Jacey Janz-Vernoski, DPT