TKR 17 days post -op aches and pains are expected

[sistersinhim]

I changed mine every day. I probably didn't need to do it that often, but I just dumped it when I put the new water bottles.

 

[WFD]

I find that I need to change the water every day, or the water gets slimy and filter clogs.

If crud starts to grow inside the tubes and pad it is a real pain to clean out.

Changing the water every day is much easier.

 

[JusticeRider]

I agree that changing the water daily is ideal, but when I was still using the walker and/or crutches, I found it too difficult to try to carry the machine. My husband changed it when he could, which was probably about once a week. We were fastidious about keeping our hands and the water bottles very clean, and once a week worked ok for us. Since being more mobile, I still only change it out every couple days.

 

[panammaniac]

Daily is probably a good practice come to think of it. A lot probably depends on the chlorine and mineral content of your local tap water. In the hospital I remember my wife asking how often the water should be changed and the nurses said “you never have to change that. Just change the water bottles when you need to.” Haha kind of scary coming from a hospital. Of course one of the main reasons they try not to keep you overnight these days is to minimize your risk of getting a staph infection, so hospitals aren’t necessarily as clean as most of us like to assume.

 

[sistersinhim]

I found it too difficult to try to carry the machine.

I used the seat on my rolling walker to move the water tank to the sink to dump it. When you're by yourself you learn how to accomplish things the easiest way you can.

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope all is going well and you're enjoying steady progress.
Let us know how you're doing as time allows. A great week to you!
@Hippin CC

 

[Hippin CC]

I’m still here! Just at 7 weeks now, last week seemed to be a turning point overall. Starting to feel like myself again. Im in PT 2x a week, going to the gym as of last week as I can now do a full turn on the bicycle, and just had my follow up today with my ortho. My knee is stiff, I’m doing my exercises, trying to push as much as I can tolerate~ and ROM doesn’t want to move past 95. I don’t have any swelling In my knee. It’s at a 5 when it comes to straightening it. My hamstrings are really tight as well as my IT band.

l read through a bunch of ROM posts and I feel better about it now!! Thank you for all those who had said that the ROM will happen., and to not feel so flustered after I leave PT.

My doc said heat will help the bend, so it’s time for the pool, jacuzzi, and heating pad. He wants to see me again in 15 days to see where I’m at. He talked about the manipulation of bending my knee… and they would put me “out” for that, NO THANK YOU!

I still have restless, pain at night making sleep inconsistent, and 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon a couple times a week. ( pain due to movement, exercise, stairs, walking, pretty much anything still!). Melatonin does help with the sleep- not taking any more hydrochodone, and trying not to take ibuprofen.
This has been a journey that’s for sure…..and this forum has been helpful! Thank you.

 

[Jockette]

Im in PT 2x a week, going to the gym, and just had my follow up today with my ortho. My knee is stiff, I’m doing my exercises, trying to push as much as I can tolerate~ and ROM doesn’t want to move past 95.

pain due to a lot of movement and exercise, stairs, walking, pretty much anything still!

It seems like you are overworking your knee, which can be counterproductive. At “only” 7 weeks, you are still in the early healing process. Cut back on some of this exercise, give yourself some rest times with elevation, and try to relax about the ROM. Lots of bending efforts do not equal faster ROM improvements. You need to give your knee some time to just “be.” Don’t look at slowing down as doing nothing, look at it as giving your knee the best opportunity in which to heal.

He wants to see me again in 15 days to see where I’m at. He talked about the manipulation of bending my knee… they would put me “out” for that, NO THANK YOU!

Even if you slow down some of your exercise efforts, you’re not going to see a drastic improvement in 15 days. Healing takes Time.

Regaining our ROM does not require forceful bending or painful exercises.
Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

You have the final say about an MUA. You don’t have to have it if you don’t want it.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

 

[Jcx]

@Hiippin CC. It's going to be a journey that you have never taken before to full recovery. Little steps and little victories will get you over the finish line. Keep posting and reading old post and have a rant when you need it. Take care Jcx

 

[Jockette]

An MUA was designed to break up adhesions, which would therefore improve your bend. However, adhesions at 7 weeks are rare. This is why Bonesmart usually recommends waiting quite a bit longer, to let your body heal and improve on its own, which it often does.

An MUA is not a magic treatment to get your ROM to improve fast. If it was, we’d all have one, and be done with recovery. If there are no adhesions, an MUA won’t help you, but it will cause some new trauma to your healing leg, and cause some amount of a setback, and you’ll have to recover from that, before moving forward again.

Even though you don’t seem to have much swelling, you do have a lot of upset soft tissue that is healing, and yours may be healing a bit slower than some others. Try not to worry about your ROM, and try not to let your medical team cause you stress about it. We all heal on our own timeframe. Unfortunately, your doctor seems to have a one size fits all recovery protocol. There is no Window of Opportunity to regain our ROM. Mine continued to improve well into my second year, and even some more in my third.

 

[Jockette]

This is what one of our members, TortiTabby, experienced:

(Just so you know, ADL means Activities of Daily Living.)

“At my six week appointment this is what my OS wrote in my visit summary: "She reads an online website called Bone Smart which states to not push through pain following knee replacement. If she were to follow this direction, she will have to learn to live with a knee that only reaches to 85 degrees of flexion. I believe this website is very misleading."

It has now been 20 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks (where I am today): 110
I am so thrilled it keeps improving and improving and I know now that I will get to my goal of 120 (or even better, dare I say!)
So, if a OS or PT bullies you into thinking your ROM will not improve over time they are wrong. By the way, I haven't been back to see the OS since that horrible appointment at 6 weeks, but I sure am going back when I reach 120 just to say, "Ha! You were wrong, BoneSmart was right!" “

And,

“Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better. “

 

[sistersinhim]

I don’t have any swelling In my knee.

Maybe you don't see any swelling outside, but you can be sure that you have it inside your knee. There is very little space inside there and even a small amount of fluid will inhibit your ROM. I suggest more icing and elevating. Heat feeds inflammation, so be careful with that. If you see or feel increased swelling within the next 24 hours of using heat, don't use it again for another month or so. I found that heat felt really good at the time, but a day afterward I swelled way up and it took a couple of days of icing and elevating to get it back down to where it was before I used the heating pad.

You can not force your knee to heal any faster than it is going to. That includes improving ROM. It will happen all on its own. But, you can slow down and worsen that ROM by doing too much and aggravating an already aggravated knee causing more inflammation. That means you'll have to heal from that to get back to where you were before you overworked it. Easy does it = better ROM!

 

[Hippin CC]

Hi all,

I talked with my naturopath physician today about my knee, the stiffness, my ROM and how I do not want to have an MUA. She suggested an injection that she has done on other patients and has had great success with range of motion after the injection she said sometimes one injection is enough up to three injections. Has anyone heard of this has anyone done this? I am considering it to increase my from ROM, sooner then later. I am at seven weeks and was able to get it to 97 on Monday. Before surgery I was at 90.

After reading all of the articles in the forum about MUA and agree, I do believe that my ROM will happen in time.
I must say my PT was not happy when I said I wasn’t interested in having an MUA… and said I should get a second ortho docs opinion about it.

Side note: I got in the pool a couple of days ago, it felt great to do some leg exercises and move around in the water! Yay!

 

[Jockette]

I have never heard of an injection that will increase ROM. And, 7 weeks is too early to be putting a needle into the area, unless it’s medically necessary. It doesn’t sound like this doctor is very knowledgeable specifically about knee replacement recovery.

You can’t just increase ROM “sooner rather than later”. This healing doesn’t work that way. 7 weeks is very early in a recovery that takes 52 weeks (one year)

Be patient and your ROM will improve in time.

Great job in the pool, just take it slow, don’t overdo.

 

[Flashlight]

If your knee is swollen your ROM is not accurate because you can't bend your knee. Even at 7- weeks you have to elevate and use ice. To think about a MUA at 7- weeks is a mistake and an injection might cause an infection. At 7-weeks your knee might look healed from the outside, but you have a way to go for the internal healing. I saw a big difference at the 4-month mark. You need to give your knee more time to heal.

 

[Layla]

Hi Hippin,
It's early days in the entire scheme of things. Please take it slow. While your range of motion is currently limited, it will naturally increase as the swelling subsides and the pain eases. Give it time. Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Best Wishes in the New Year too!
@Hippin CC

 

[robg]

This is what one of our members, TortiTabby, experienced:

(Just so you know, ADL means Activities of Daily Living.)

“At my six week appointment this is what my OS wrote in my visit summary: "She reads an online website called Bone Smart which states to not push through pain following knee replacement. If she were to follow this direction, she will have to learn to live with a knee that only reaches to 85 degrees of flexion. I believe this website is very misleading."

It has now been 20 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks (where I am today): 110
I am so thrilled it keeps improving and improving and I know now that I will get to my goal of 120 (or even better, dare I say!)
So, if a OS or PT bullies you into thinking your ROM will not improve over time they are wrong. By the way, I haven't been back to see the OS since that horrible appointment at 6 weeks, but I sure am going back when I reach 120 just to say, "Ha! You were wrong, BoneSmart was right!" “

And,

“Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better. “

So I'm new here and just had TKR, 12.19.22 and it sounds like most everyone here is more about taking time in the recovery process instead of what conventional wisdom from Dr's and therapists say to push hard and push thru the pain?
This is a question for all.
It does seem kind of hard to not listen to what Dr's and therapists have been telling us to do all along.
Are there any studies to back this method up?
Thankyou.

 

[kneeper]

My attitude was to challenge myself a little but not go to the point where I hurt intensely. My PT told me that if doing exercises made me hurt for more than about an hour or two afterward that was a sign I was doing too much and to back off a bit. Reduce the number of repetitions or put a pause on a particular exercise. Then try again in a few days. For me it was all about not just laying around but also listening to your body.

 

[JusticeRider]

@robg welcome to BoneSmart! I can only speak for myself. I am an active, athletic, driven type and have always thought that if you’re motivated and you work hard you will improve faster. That was somewhat the case with other surgeries I have had. This one has been a whole different animal. I am a believer in pt, and at the beginning, I did what my pt and my surgeon told me to do. I worked hard, and when they started pushing me to do more and push through the pain, my progress stalled and then I had a big setback from doing too much in general. The more I pushed, the worse it got. The surgeon and pt were pressuring me to hit certain milestones and shaming me for not trying hard enough. I am not a wimp. I do endurance sports and climb mountains and run a farm. I can deal with things that are hard. But my knee was not having it. Maybe the aggressive approach works for some people, but I didn’t start seeing any consistent progress until I slowed it way down and stopped trying to force it.

 

[sistersinhim]

With tens of thousands of joint replacement members, we at Bonesmart gathered the experience of these people in recovery. The vast majority recover fully and with less pain using the gentle PT approach. Many don't even take formal PT and do their own thing at home with their natural, daily activities as their PT. There is no one set way to recover and all are free to try what they would like to do. But, if finding that the pain and swelling increase with aggressive, and forced bending, it's time to stop it and go to the gentle, natural way.