5 weeks after surgery

[Sylvia]

Boy, this has been harder than I imagined. My PT says I'm doing fine (she can manipulate my knee to 105 degrees) but I feel like I am not progressing. I diligently do my exercises but cannot see a lot of progress. As hard as I pull, I do not seem to be able to get my knee bent passed a certain degree. Some days are worse than others. Any suggestions?? Sylvia

 

[Jamie]

Welcome to BoneSmart, Sylvia. You don't say when your surgery was.....my guess is that you are still fairly early in the recovery process. Oftentimes there is swelling with a knee replacement and swelling means you won't get as much range of motion (ROM). But swelling goes down eventually and things do get better. Try to focus more on what you can do with your new knee and not on the number.

 

[brs0660]

Sylvia
Welcome to BoneSmart. You have come to a great message board full of people who have been down the same road you are traveling. We laugh at our funny experiences, cry when someone is having problems, try to help each other thru thru the good bad and ugly of recovery. You have found a home. Our two most knowledgeable moderators seem to have a vast number of resources...Jaimie and Jo.

If you are five weeks out and are bending at 105 you are doing very well. Seems like the docs never do a very good job of telling you what to expect of this surgery. They do not tell you to expect to be depressed because you have to rely on others to help you with easy tasks, or that the anesthesia makes you tired for so long, or that for a long time the swelling is VERY uncomfortable, or exactly how long it WILL take you to return to normal. Each person recovers at a different rate...but most of us have found that at about six weeks things begin to return to a new normal.

I am about almost six months out and still have some swelling with activity. I am looking forward to having my left knee replaced sometime at the first of January. I am still using a cane..It is my security blanket.

Thanks for joining us..post anytime.

 

[Sylvia]

Thank you for the words of encouragement...I need that. However, while my leg will bend at 105 degrees with a great deal of pain and my PT pushing on it with all her might, it sure won't do it for me alone. I guess that is where the dicouragement comes on. However, reading posts of others with the same problem is proving to be very beneficial.

 

[cindy88fan]

Sylvia...try this. Do you have a rocking chair? Put your foot under the chair...as far back as you can get it. Then rock forward SLOWLY until you feel a bit of pressure. Hold it for a count of 10 then do it again...few days later hold it for a count of 20.

Also you can "polish the walls". Put your bed up against the wall (if possible) get on your back with your butt as close to the wall as you can get it. Put your feet up on the wall. Slide one foot down as far as you can go then with your other foot push down on top of your ankle...SLOWLY AND LIGHTLY until you feel pressure and hold for count of 10 repeat.

105 is good for 5 weeks after surgery! Don't be discourage! You are doing great!:thmb::thmb::thmb::thmb::thmb::thmb::thmb:

 

[FrogFeathers]

Thank you for the words of encouragement...I need that. However, while my leg will bend at 105 degrees with a great deal of pain and my PT pushing on it with all her might, it sure won't do it for me alone. I guess that is where the dicouragement comes on. However, reading posts of others with the same problem is proving to be very beneficial.

Hey, now... if it will make you feel better- at five weeks out, I was barely bending my leg to 55 degrees. The PT would push and stretch me and lean into my leg with her body... all causing me great discomfort. And even then, I only got to about 65... maybe. Then, before I was even home, the leg would stiffen up again.

So, at five weeks, 105 is very good progress. My PT ended altogether when I reached a 95 degree bend (I can bend further now).

You're doing great.

One thing I did (because we don't have a rocking chair) is I'd sit on my porch swing and use my surgical leg to push my body to and fro in the swing. Each time, I'd let it bend a little further. I'm sure it helped. I still do that sometimes (weather permitting, of course).

 

[Texas]

Hi Sylvia really if you are 5 weeks and can bend 105 wow that is great i couldnt get passed 68.......That was horrible...........5 weeks you are still swollen......I think you are doing just fine.............5 weeks way way early............good luck to you........do you take your pain med before PT dont forget it............)

 

[Josephine]

That's excellent at 5 weeks! Stop pressuring yourself. You still have plenty of time to get more, even up to 2-3 months and more. And if you force it too much, you'll only make it swell more thus providing a mechanical obstruction to the flexion. And pain causes swelling just as swelling causes pain! That's why we always say ice, ice, ice, ice! And keep taking your pain killers regularly.

 

[calling_all_angels]

Sylvia,
You really are doing fine!! Cross my heart!!! I do not even
have 105 ROM yet with my left knee and it has been 6 months
and days. So don't be so hard on yourself you are doing great!!

 

[Sylvia]

Thank all of you so much for your support. Today I went to PT and had a whole new attitude. I still work very hard but am trying to not be terribly concerned with numbers. However, I have my post-op doctor's appointment on Thursday and wonder what he will say about my progress. I'm sure going to the doctor in the morning when I am fairly stiff is not going to be a good thing. There I go being negative again !!!

Thanks again for all the support.

Sylvia:thmb: