PKR 6 Week Post PKR

[Christine62567]

Good Afternoon,
I am so happy to have found this group! I had PKR on 9/6/19. I am very frustrated with the whole process. It has been 6 weeks and I am still walking with a bad limp, can't bend my knee fully and can't extend it fully either. I can't sleep at night because I can't find a comfortable position. To touch my knee and my calf, is very painful and I randomly get awful spasms in my knee. So bad that it makes me cry out "OUCH"! I am doing PT 2 times a week, and I feel like all they are trying to do is get me to bend my knee and then extend it. I can't climb stairs normally, from what am told by PT is that I should be doing that already. I feel like I have this bubble in my knee that if it were to pop it would make everything all better. I see my doctor for a 6 week f/u on Thursday 10/24/19 and hoping he can give me some insight on all the pain and frustration I am feeling. Any advise would be great!
Thank you all for listening,
Christine

 

[Celle]

Hello @Christine62567 - and to Recovery.

Please will you tell us the full date of your knee replacement and which knee it is, so we can make a signature for you? Thank you.

I have moved your post from the Forum Rules and Staff area, where you posted it, and put it in the Knee Replacement Recovery Area, where it more properly belongs.
Please continue to post here from now on.

I have a few comments about your post.
1. Sleep. I'm afraid that sleep disturbance is very common after a knee replacement. Your knee will probably hurt less at night if you scale back the PT and exercises.
There's an article about sleep disturbance in the recovery reading that I will give you.

2. PT. This should never hurt, at the time or later. It's your knee and only you have the right to say what happens to it, so tell your therapist you knee is not yet healed enough for what she/he wants you to do.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

3. Climbing stairs. Very few people can climb or descend stairs normally at only 6 weeks post-op. It can take as long as 4 months before you can do this - and that's perfectly normal.

4. Bending your knee more. Your knee is still swollen, internally and externally. That swelling is preventing your knee from bending more. It's pointless and harmful to try to force it to bend before it's ready and before the swelling has gone down somewhat.
Try not to get involved in your therapist's obsession about Range of Motion (ROM) and the numbers. It's still early in this year-long recovery and you have plenty of time.
There's no need to rush to get ROM (Range of Motion) because it can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement. There isn't any deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

 

[Celle]

Now, here are the recovery guidelines and the helpful articles I promised you:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Care In Hospital​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[jeffjob]

6 weeks in you are still early on in healing. I had both knees done this year and the first healed very fast and in two weeks I was walking w/o a cane and driving. The second I was still limping at 4 weeks and no driving. So all are different.

Listen to your body but try and do more each day. That's what I did and it helped my healing and recovery. PT tries to force bend but it is healing and your daily activity that will get you there. Stay as active as you can, do PT but do not let them hurt you. Your body will let you know when you are ready for more.

Be well.

 

[LindaO]

Welcome to recovery! I am sorry you are having issues but as others have said, you are still early in your healing.
I am doing my own PT and one thing that has helped tremendously is walking heel to toe. Slow and steady! Best wishes for improvement soon!

 

[Jockette]

Were you expecting a quicker recovery because you had a partial? I had a partial, and that’s what I was led to believe. It was not quick at all for me.

Which partial did you get, lateral, medial or Patellofemoral?

 

[Christine62567]

flwrysmile my full date of my PKR eas September 6, 2019 and it's my right knee.