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TKR 4 months out

So sorry to hear how painful PT is, it is so frustrating to feel like you are backsliding because you have to recover from the previous day. Believe it or not, the extension exercise that is so tortuous for you is one of my favorites, I would venture to say it even feels good. That's how crazy this recovery can be-everybody is unique. Get rested up! (I, myself, am about to take a nap!)
 
It's not unusual for extension to take longer to achieve than flexion. That's because you have to stretch the tendons and muscles at the back of your knee slowly and gradually. Trying to force them to stretch faster could result in injury. This article suggests several ways of helping to increase extension.
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Find one or two that you like and do them gently, never to the point of pain. Don't use weights until at least 4 months post-op.
 
Mumu, cant believe you like these extensions! Would like to think down the road i will get stronger. Dont know if i will ever like someone pushing down on my knees. Thats one exercise i will take slowly!
 
Don't let anyone push down on your knees. It's not necessary. I've gone back to my post #22 and added the article I forgot before.

Thank you for your surgery date. I've made a signature for you now. :flwrysmile:
 
1delapsia, you have every right to tell your PT, "Hands off"! I let a therapist push down on my knee exactly once. She never touched me again. When I felt ready I started doing simple extension stretches on my own while watching TV. By the one year mark I was a few degrees minus (slightly backwards-bending), which is perfect.
 
Physio does hurt and I think you cannot avoid it but I lie down with a little support under the ankle and the physio therapist puts a weighted bag on my thigh above the knee to hold things down and its not too bad. She does not push on the knee at all and in fact does not touch the knee.

I am 7 weeks and slow with 105 ROM which my surgeon was happy with yesterday at the post op followup and I can lift my leg up in the air but the physio takes a lot out of me and the bike is something I cannot do well at all. Problem is despite adjustments to the bike I am very short and my foot slips off even with a belt around it so coming up to the chin with the knee is very hard and painful. I watch other people peddling away like they never had knee surgery and still others who can barely walk. I can walk without a can but am wobbly but am walking at home with a cane, walker at night when I get up to the bathroom for safety issues and mostly nothing but the PT said if you walk with nothing and find yourself touching the wall or a piece of furniture that is not good so use the cane.

I did not get into physio until week 3 because half the incision still needed time to heal before the staples came out so my MD said to wait another week. My PT says I am progressing even if its slow. Its just so painful a few hours later so icing and elevation and a pain pill. I seem to spend more time icing and elevating than anything else but I do get out and walk everyday.

I hate physio but what can you do? I never knew anything could be so painful and so exhausting but apparently my knee was not so simple with some muscles having to be cut and other things done before the actual implant and I feel pain more than others I am sure.
 
canoewoman said:
I am 7 weeks and slow with 105 ROM which my surgeon was happy with yesterday
Click to expand...
ALthough you may feel that's slow, a ROM of 105 at 7 weeks is just fine.
There's no need to rush to get ROM, because tit can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement.
canoewoman said:
I hate physio but what can you do? I never knew anything could be so painful and so exhausting but apparently my knee was not so simple with some muscles having to be cut and other things done before the actual implant and I feel pain more than others I am sure.
Click to expand...
You can tell your therapist that you won't do anything that hurts. PT should not hurt.
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM anyway - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself.
 
I always say there is pain (discomfort) and there is pain. Having a PT push or crank on your leg is pain and not only needless, but counterproductive, as you wind up with more swelling.
You aren't very far out from the surgery in the big scheme of things; most of us have found slowly but surely is the way to go.
Enjoy your weekend giving the knee a vacation.
 
Thank you everyone! Getting such wonderful feedback. Getting out of bad pain is helping do more rehab with my knee. So glad with the help of positive people i got the nerve to give it a rest. Today I've done therapy, ice and rest. And i slept pretty good last night - although the more one sleeps the stiffer the knee on wakeup!! Was worth it.
 
I had an in-home therapist like this during the first 2 weeks of my recovery. I had to *fire* her, because everything she did was inappropriate and so painful; ugh! When I saw my OS and told him what happened, he asked if I felt able to go to outside PT at only 2 weeks post-op. I wasn't sure, but I said ok, and he recommended a wonderful therapist. The experience has literally been like day and night. So, there are good therapists out there, but in some areas, they seem to be few and far between. However, if you can't get this one to listen to you and respect your boundaries, find another. Don't worry about taking a day off right now either, just listen to your knee. It knows best!
 
Thank you for that. Im glad you found a good pt. I hope I will end up with a good situation, maybe finding a diff pt myself!
Lynn
 
Stick to your guns, no more painful PT, take a day off. I struggled with PT for 12 weeks, finally got frustrated enough to stop and within 2 weeks my swelling finally decreased significantly. I was told often that increased ROM came form breaking up scar tissue when in reality decreasing swelling is the key.
The people on this site are so knowledgeable, what helped me most was them saying the ROM is already in there just waiting for healing.
One other benefit of stopping PT is I've stopped obsessing on the ROM measurements and noticing my gradual improvement in everyday lining activities. PT always made me feel I wasn't doing enough, was not meeting their arbitrary goals.
 
I like your post. There are really smart people on this site. Lots of positivity!

Heres a question, knee feels so heavy today.Not sure why. Guess its just another sensation that will go away...?
 
1delapisa said:
Guess its just another sensation that will go away...?
Click to expand...
Should go away in a few days, sounds like your knee is asking for some rest, ice, elevation, and medication on schedule as prescribed.
:elevate:
 
I feel thats all im doing and thought maybe my.knee was saying "move me"!! This too shall pass......
 
I think that heavy leg feeling is quite a common part of recovery. I've seen some people call it "log leg".
It will go away, given time.
 
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