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TKR 60 degrees ROM at 2 weeks. No progress at all :-( <

Yes, Palm Springs is a desert. Lots of golf courses with lakes but I don't the golfers would like it if I took my kayak in them :-) My knee doesn't bend far enough right now to get into a kayak anyway.
 
Well there are SOT's so look at that as a possibility. Kayaker gathering errant golf balls . Wear your helmet. There is income there.... I am planning on a kayak trip in FL in March.. and we too have a trailer though its small and not fifth wheel. I wonder come June if I will be able to crawl in a tent. Probably you have thought of that too.
 
I've read multiple times here on the forum that you should never let your PT touch your knee. If that's the case, why even bother going to PT? All of the exercises I've done at PT I can do at home. I'm taking a week off from PT but plan to return two days a week for the last two weeks of this month because I had already scheduled it.
 
True, you don't need formal PT. I had 5 or 6 PT sessions, but didn't really need them. I bought a recumbent bike to use and that's all I do other than walking. Some of the PT I had was hands on with light assist to movements, but there was no pushing. It actually made it possible to go through the movements with less discomfort. I enjoyed those few PT sessions as they showed me the progress I was making and the therapist was pleasant to talk with. I did nothing else, no other exercises on my own, other than ankle pumps at first to help prevent DVT. Both my knees are fully functional and I don't know the ROM as neither my PT or my OS measured it. All they measured was my functionality.
 
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I only went for assessment so my progress could be recorded on my electronic notes. I never had any physio (PT) and never did any exercises but I did walk around in moderation and used my stairs a few times a day. Must have been enough because my outcomes both times were stonking! :) :SUNsmile:
 
I only had minimal PT after my Revision TKR and no formal PT at all after my last TKR.
I also did very few exercises, just some Heel slides and how to do them properly now and then.
In the evening I would sit with my leg like this for a while, to improve extension:


Both my knees straighten fully and bend to over 125 degrees.
 
I'm wondering the same thing.. aside from massage I can do all the rest at home and at the gym.. My husband says I must go cause someone told him PT is necessary

I do all the exercises that I get there at home.. I know what I need... I think I am saying by to PT but she is a lovely person.

However I will see her tomorrow
 
Some people still go to PT because they like the therapist and it gets them out of the house for a while. If you have a good therapist, who doesn't do anything to stress or upset your knee, I see no harm in continuing to go even if it isn't strictly necessary.

Whether you continue to go to PT, or decide not to, the decision should be yours alone.
 
My PT did massage my knee and calf, but not until 4 mo the post-op. It was lovely and if I could have a massage once a week I would still go. It's not good for the PT to push your knee to gain ROM or extension. There are also PTs who will give exercises that aren't conducive to a healing TKR. I was one of those people as Celle said that enjoyed PT because I had been stuck in the house for months and I got to talk to new people. But my PTs were wonderful and I didn't see this PT until I was 3 months post-op.
 
Im sorry we have hijacked bertschb's thread and wonder how his recovery is going.

And want to say that he seems to be going cause he is already scheduled.. We all want to please people but they can tolerate a cancellation.
 
bertschb said:
I've read multiple times here on the forum that you should never let your PT touch your knee. If that's the case, why even bother going to PT? All of the exercises I've done at PT I can do at home. I'm taking a week off from PT but plan to return two days a week for the last two weeks of this month because I had already scheduled it.
Click to expand...
I don't think the comments above really have hijacked the thread. Bertschb posed the question asking what the value of PT might be and that's what the following posts were addressing.....types of therapy activity that did or did not benefit them.

But, I have to agree with you, little red canoe, that going to therapy isn't really needed and if there is no benefit in what they are doing, why waste the time, energy and money (even if insurance covers it, there still is a cost involved).

Bertschb.....were you able to find an exercise bike to use? That and some walking is just about the best thing you can do along with icing/elevating. I used to wake up in the night with my knee feeling stiff and uncomfortable. I'd do a slow 5 minutes of either rocking back and forth or turns on the bike and would end up going right back to blissful sleep.
 
Hi gang! I'm doing ok. Today is 4 weeks post op. ROM hasn't changed in the last couple weeks. Still around 70 I would guess. I did buy a little exercise pedaler that I use 2-3 times a day. I'm scheduled to return to PT tomorrow after a week off. If he's rough on my knee or starts talking about my poor ROM and my need for an MUA, I'll stop going to him.
 
@bertschb

I can empathize with a lot of your experience. However, I was lucky that I was flexing pretty close to 90 when I left the hospital at 3 days. I'm currently at 96, but the most the OS got in surgery was 105, so I'm good with that! I just wanted to add that I went to 4 PT sessions and I stopped scheduling new ones about a week ago. I felt they were getting a little too aggressive, even though I loved going. It took me a few days to recover from it and I was limping horribly during that time. So, I do some of the stuff they showed me at home, but most of the time, I just rest, elevate, bend, sit, and walk a bit. My knee is not as swollen, feels great, and I'm walking better than ever! So, I hope you are able to keep your course and see improvement quickly!

Jen
 
I went to PT to just have something to do. I refused to do any exercises that are too tough on new knees though. I also got a 1 month discount to a great gym where they had a pool that was heated to 90 degrees and I would go and do some gentle exercises to try to stretch my muscles.
 
You're in PS. It's warm. They have pools. When you are cleared for a swimming pool, you might want to look at deep water running . It is done in a pool with a flotation belt. (Aqua Jogger Pro belt) A member of our group had a BTKR in August of 2015. He came back into the pool after about 3 months. He was having some difficulty coordinating his "running" His PT suggested that he get some light, 1.25 lb. ankle weights. With these he was able to remain in a near vertical position in the water. His "walking/running" form improved and he was able to get some exercise that was not stressful. Remember, deep end of the pool. Here is an image. Pump your knees to your range of motion and no windmilling of your feet.

[Bonesmart.org] 60 degrees ROM at 2 weeks. No progress at all :-( <
 
4 week update-
I went to PT today after skipping the last week. When I arrived he measured my ROM at 72/10. At the end of the (pretty aggressive) 90 minute session he measured me at 89 while laying on my back under my own "power". I know my ROM will return some day and I know it will take months so I don't expect much progress week to week.

What's funny is my PT guy said that my OS doesn't do MUA's so he recommended that I get a second opinion when we get to Palm Springs next month because he felt that my lack of ROM could turn into a frozen knee if ROM doesn't improve soon. I just smiled at him. I'm not doing an MUA and thanks to this website and all the folks that have shared their stories, I understand my ROM will return when my knee feels like it.
 
Well, good for you! I think that PT's tend to feel they might be held responsible if their patients don't progress quickly enough!
 
bertschb said:
At the end of the (pretty aggressive) 90 minute session he measured me at 89 while laying on my back under my own "power". I know my ROM will return some day and I know it will take months so I don't expect much progress week to week.
Click to expand...
Good for you! My surgeon doesn't expect 90 degrees until about 6 weeks. He doesn't even allow formal PT for the first month post-op. His patients all do well and he hasn't had to do a MUA to help with ROM for the last 4 years.

Don't allow your therapist to be aggressive with the PT. It won't do your knee any good and it could even be the reason why your ROM is increasing slowly. Your ROM is increasing, though, so I don't think you have any need to worry.
bertschb said:
What's funny is my PT guy said that my OS doesn't do MUA's so he recommended that I get a second opinion when we get to Palm Springs next month because he felt that my lack of ROM could turn into a frozen knee if ROM doesn't improve soon.
Click to expand...
Your PT was obviously taught the old, hoary myth that you have to get ROM within a certain time frame, or else. It isn't true. Your knee won't freeze up.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
[URL='https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/rom-its-worth-the-wait-for-rom.10703/']ROM: it's worth the wait for ROM
ROM: it's never too late to get more ROM![/URL]
[URL='https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/rom-its-never-too-late-to-get-more-rom.6185/'][/URL]
As long as you're making forward progress with your ROM, no matter how slow it seems, your knee isn't going to set and stop improving. ROM can continue to improve for a year or more after a TKR, so there's no need to rush.

I think the reason some PTs get obsessed with the numbers game is that it is one way they can show that their ministrations have been effective. Possibly the insurance companies expect such proof. However, I hate to see people worried about their ROM, just because their PTs expect progress according to an artificial, set timetable.
 
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

So here is what my knee looks like at 4.5 weeks. Still seems pretty swollen to me but then I have nothing to compare it to other than my other leg. You can ignore the scar above the TKR site. That was a different surgery from 30 years ago not related to my knee. Pretty knarly looking leg now...
[Bonesmart.org] 60 degrees ROM at 2 weeks. No progress at all :-( <
 
Wow. No wonder the ROM is restricted.
Ice rest elevate and perhaps one of those pedal exercisers
Your knee looks like sausage. I don't mean to offend
 
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