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TKR 10 week check up

I like that idea. My flexion is already at 110 at 4 weeks but I sometimes wonder if the heel slides aren't great for me too because I almost think my pain tolerance is high enough that I probably push it too hard. I'm going to try doing it that way for awhile. I love the good ideas we get from this forum!
 
Just tried it. Knee will only go so far. half of what other knee can bend.
Grrrr!
 
Tried exercise. Knee only dropped half of what the other knee can! I'll keep doing it!
 
Do it a couple of times a day for two minutes at a time. It should help.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
I can't hang for two minutes. I think my record was just under a minute. The first time though....It moves in very slow motion!
 
Mine was a minute barely moved but I'll keep trying!
WHY won't swelling go down??
I'm icing and elevating so much I'm goin get bed sores!!!!
 
naynay30 yrs,
naynay30 yrs. said:
So is the point to let it heal in the beginning, knowing that once it's had a chance to heal and calm down, than knee will be ready to be exercised and ROM obtained!!
Click to expand...
Exactly, when the swelling goes down, your ROM will be there.
I noticed you mentioned that it took you a long time to heal from arthroscopic surgery, this will probably be true for you with a TKR.
naynay30 yrs. said:
Housebound and fat from no exercise!
Click to expand...
If you can, plan for short outings, just do one thing, meeting someone for lunch or shopping at one store, not both.
TKR recovery is a Marathon not a Sprint. You will get there.
 
Is your PT doing electrical stimulation to help with swelling?
 
No. I don't know if Kaiser does it but I'm emailing him now!
Are there good results ?
 
Prayers for you. My rom is 114. Yours will come. Just have be patient. But it's roller coaster knee recovery. I am 3 months and o have swelling to. You will do great. Keep up good work. Xxx


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015
 
Does anyone wake up swollen? I can't sleep elevated tried it.
But I do notice my foot and knee are swollen in the morning.
@PolarBear60 I started doing the exercise but my knee gets to a certain point and feels like it's stuck there! Could barely do a minute .
 
Hi Jana, though we're not supposed to compare knees and recoveries I totally understand the desire. Just remember that we all heal differently. I believe I "forgot" how to walk due to many years' worth of OA-associated damage and accomodations. During recovery the physical therapist kept reminding me to "heel-toe-bend", then let my lower leg "swing" forward. So that is how I practiced. This "heel-toe-bend-SWING" movement began to feel more natural after 8+ weeks. Eventually I was able to work on lengthening my stride. Somewhere around 6 months post op I found myself walking and striding quite normally most of the time. Occasionally (rarely) I still limp a little at work- but only after many hours on my feet.

I hope you are feeling good today!
 
Hang in there, @naynay30 yrs. . You're only a couple weeks ahead of me and I'm still swollen too. Both my OS and PT say 3-6 months is totally normal then it should start to improve. We're going to get there.

Roxie
 
naynay30 yrs. said:
Just tried it. Knee will only go so far. half of what other knee can bend.
Grrrr!
Click to expand...
Of course not! At the end it will be at a greater angle than before, that's the whole point. I am all about painless stretching. Next time you do it you will probably start and end at the same angles as you did before too, just over time there is improvement and it is without any force.

I started doing this back when I was just out of the brace after the unsuccessful surgery to stabilize the right patella. I noticed when sitting on the very high commode that my lower leg would be dropping without me doing anything and it didn't hurt. Sort of mesmerizing it was. I didn't have enough strength in my leg to do slides anyway, am now thinking there was a little bit of foot drop syndrome going on as I couldn't move my foot if there was so much as a sheet on top of it either.

Now I know 2 minutes is a good goal I will try to hang the leg longer.

@Clipless, Before reading this forum I didn't know ANYTHING about correct gait. My PT gives me stuff for better hip rotation but heel rolling to toes? I knew nothing and I was actually clenching my left foot for some unknown reason. If I heel strike and roll to toes I don't limp, it is just amazing! And it is my less operated leg that has the problem, not my TKR leg!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes I say heel toe bend or I do marches.
Leg looked darker this morn i was alittle concerned!
It's Sooooo stiff!
Had a melt down in the shower!
It's too the point I don't want to do anything ! Showering washing my hair is exhausting and painful!
This is Not what I signed up for!!
 
I hope you have a shower chair and a spray hose thingy so you can sit down and relax.

Marching feels more about regaining certain reflexes- but that's also good.
 
My PT said not to exceed two minutes for that exercise. She had me hold my thigh and let the leg hang. Convincing myself to relax was tough, but I knew it was "only" two minutes. After two minutes, she had me do some gentle slides. We did about three sets of that -- no more.

I asked about the two minutes, and she said, "What we've learned is two minutes is elastic; any more than that is plastic." To me, that meant, two minutes proved in research to be the ideal time for getting the knee to stretch and bend. After that, it started working against the process.
 
I do to. I can't sleep elivate either. But u can put pillow between knees it does help me.


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015
 
How many of you on here were still stiff and swollen at 6 Wks???
I'm sorry if I'm acting neurotic just wasn't expecting this difficult or long of a recovery!
Docs are really doing us an injustice by letting us think otherwise!
I'm concerned not doing enough exercise with knee being so stif.
Have PT tomorrow and I know my ROM has gone down!
Thanx guys!!
 
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