TKR 6 weeks since left tkr

[Jockette]

My bend of heel to bum is tough. I do heel bends in bed with a band but only go to pain level 4 or 5. I do this a few times a day.Doing stairs is tough as well. At 5 months is this OK to be at this stage.

Stop trying to bring your heel up to your bum, and stop doing heel bends in bed to a level of 4-5. These things are not necessary to have improvement.

Stop doing stairs foot over foot, since that is still tough. Wait a few weeks and try again. If it’s still tough, wait some more and try again.

I had the same issues at 5 months that you do. Your knee is not yet even halfway healed, and pushing these things is not helping it.

All you need to do at this point is your daily activities, try to relax (which I know is very hard, I was very worried my whole first year) and give your knee time. I cannot stress the time thing enough.

If you really want to do exercises, these are the only ones you need:
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Heel slides and how to do them properly

I wasted way too much time worrying about my ROM the whole first year. I had a lot of improvement in my second year as I continued to heal and my whole leg continued to relax.

 

[FCBayern]

Jockette is 100% right @Schnautzer, you have already experienced the fact that swelling is reducing your ROM and pushing exercises to a 4-5 is going to cause more swelling this early in recovery.

 

[Schnautzer]

Should I continue to rock on the bike to try to go backwards. I will be so happy when I can accomplish that one small thing. Then I will know I am on my way.Or will this be too taxing?
You have no idea how much this web site is appreciated. With no hydro therapy or physio therapy available and docters so busy, this is a trying time. At least I have had the experience of having tkr last year but am still frustrated and befuddled with what or what not to do.
So thank you sooooo much❤

 

[FCBayern]

@Schnautzer you can sit on the bike and rotate the peddles back and forth to gently stretch the knee, just don't force it or cause pain. I used a set of floor peddles that way and it helped to very gently work on ROM.

 

[Schnautzer]

I will do that. Will not induce pain.Many thanks.

 

[Nana26]

What are floor peddles, may I ask?

 

[FCBayern]

They are just a set of peddles on a stand that can sit under a desk etc. Some have a way to add resistance that work better than others but I was only looking for ROM so I got the cheapest set I could on Amazon @Nana26.

 

[Schnautzer]

Me again
I need more encouragement AGAIN please.
I am at 6 months post tkr.I have been following the Bonesmart philosophy. Proper heel slides lots of icing etc. Walking has been pretty easy but going down stairs too difficult. Upstairs tough but manageable. Doing a rotation on bike painful.Very little change for a month.
Talked to surgeon 3 days ago. He does not see patients only phone call. Told him I was still stiff and uncomfortable and could not peddle. He says I need to increase rom(duh)
He recommends bending the knee to point of discomfort and leave for many minutes. Do many many times a day. Also try physio for suggestions. I tried this holding the bend for long periods(several minutes) and now I am back to trouble walking due to the pain in knee cap. This happened 3 months ago when I tried this long bend. What is this pain in knee cap.??. I expect it will go away as before with rest.
I expected that at 6 months I would be further along. At least to be able to peddle.
Will this eventually improve. After the other tkr(2019) I was slow to peddle but was able to by this point. I can ,right now do 5-7 peddles back but with discomfort. Should I pursue this.
My fear is that I never will be able to cycle again
Many thanks

 

[Jockette]

I tried this holding the bend for long periods(several minutes) and now I am back to trouble walking due to the pain in knee cap. This happened 3 months ago when I tried this long bend.

If it was me I would not do that bend like that, you cannot force your knee to heal, it is on its own timeframe.

I think @liam2015 wasn't able to peddle a bike until her seventh month.

If you want to do exercises, these are the only ones you really need:
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Heel slides and how to do them properly

People are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

 

[Jockette]

Oh, I forgot to add, my ROM was poor my whole first year. I saw a lot of improvement in my second, and even my third, year. It’s way too early to give up hope. Some of us just take longer than others. I know @FCBayern also saw improvement in ROM, in his second year.

 

[Schnautzer]

Thanks for answering. But is it possible to not do enough or do the wrong way and NEVER get enough rom to peddle. My pain is mainly on outside of knee but does not affect walking only peddling but IF I do too much pain is in knee cap.I have no swelling and usually no heat.But I still ice. What is the pain and discomfort from?I am in the 7th month so am scared as I feel little ( not no) progress for awhile.I have obviously improved from the beginning and I estimate rom just more than 100 or so. Hard to tell Should I keep trying the bike. It seems the only way for me to judge improvement

 

[liam2015]

yes as @Jockette mentioned it took me 7 months before I could pedal all the way around and go up and down stairs comfortably. I was not good or consistent about doing the home exercises, which I think helped as I didn't have pain at that point, just kind of a stiffness or stoppage where I couldn't bend any further. (now I'm at an early stage of recovering from broken femur and working on bending my knee again).

 

[Schnautzer]

Hi Again
I am nearly 8 months post my second tkr.
I finally can peddle my stationary bike at the correct height (I think) The first 2 minutes are very painful but pain subsides and today I did 15 minutes on a low level. No pain in knee after. Going up stairs is still painful but in hip and knee cap. Going down. very tough with pain behind knee.My rom still not very good even with all the heel slides.
The pain in knee cap did not present itself with first tkr nor did pain in hip and lower back.
The lower back pain is my main concern as it affects everything. I stretch in the mornings which helps me get out of bed. The pain is right across my lower back.
Do you have any idea why this is and is this common.I can walk comfortably and wonder when I will be able to do stairs, bike outside comfortably and stand up after sitting without horrible back pain.
So frustrating still having knee pain etc. Would love to feel normal
Any advice???
Thanks