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MUA 7 weeks post TKR and the difficulties are evolving.

Tavishbrown said:
The PT has massaged (torture). I have used a rolling pin on all aspects of the thigh with some good effect.
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Torture is not the way to help your body heal from this surgery. What painful PT does is maintain, and increase, inflammation and swelling, which will limit ROM and prevent it from improving. Take a step back from this effort and let your body heal.

Stiffness/Tightness is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue has been disturbed and is healing...and full healing takes a full year or more.
 
By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

bonesmart.org

How can I find my threads and posts?

There are a couple of ways you can find categories of threads on the forum. You are able to use links in the main forum toolbars at the top of the screen to quickly access certain types of threads: your own threads, threads with your posts in them, and watched threads. You can also use links...
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Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
A manipulation is pretty brutal and definitely re-traumatized your knee and all the soft tissues in your leg. So, it’s not surprising that you have tightness. I suggest you ask your therapist about using pressure point therapy. You may need to find a new therapist that is trained in this procedure. It is very effective and not painful like the massage you describe. When searching for a therapist, be sure they are a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT appears after their name). These folks are trained in diagnosis and treatments such as pressure point therapy and passive motion therapy.
 
The MUA has reinjured your leg, often causing some sort of setback to your recovery, by default. You will need more than these 4 days to recover from the MUA. Rest, ice and elevate, and be very gentle with your rehab for a while.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Images for monthly surgery lists - 2 threads merged


@Tavishbrown, you have been officially added to the August surgery list! You are now officially an August Hotshot!

Welcome to the BoneSmart forum. We’re so pleased that you have joined us here. We want to share your journey with you so please start a thread of your own in the proper forum. By starting your own thread, you and your questions and concerns will receive the attention they deserve.

For additional help, look in the white heading under the blue, click on "Help & Info", then click on "How to Use This Forum". Lots of info there to help you navigate the forum.

We are here to help in any way we can because We Care!
 
No, I had my TKR July 1. Now 7 weeks post op
 
@Tavishbrown You'll see we've listed the original TKR surgery and MUA separately in your signature. Having an MUA can set your recovery back to square one so you should think of yourself as 5 days into recovery from the MUA, rather than 7 weeks post TKR, and go back to the week one recovery protocols of icing, elevating and taking pain meds while you heal from the surgical trauma.
 
Tavishbrown said:
Ok, but my original surgery, right TKR was on July 1
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benne68 said:
@Tavishbrown You'll see we've listed the original TKR surgery and MUA separately in your signature.
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Here is your signature, that shows on every one of your posts. You are now listed in both the July surgery list, and the August surgery list, because you’ve had 2 surgical procedures.

[Bonesmart.org] 7 weeks post TKR and the difficulties are evolving.
 
@Tavishbrown I copied, and moved, some posts our ours out of the August Monthly thread so we could explain to you why you are listed in both July and August surgical threads. Posts in this thread, #26 - 32 are that conversation.

I’m sorry this has been confusing to you and I hope you now understand it better. :flwrysmile:
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Two months since your TKR and two weeks since your MUA.
I hope you're doing well and making progress.
Have a nice week! :)
@Tavishbrown
 
Hi Tavishbrown,
One month to date since the MUA. How are you doing?
Please leave an update next time you're on the forum, we'd love to read about the progress you're making.
Hope to hear from you soon. Happy Weekend! :)
 
Today I am 10 weeks post op Right TKR, with a MUA at post op week 6. I have been able to ride the stationary bikes (recumbent and upright) at the gym, which I have been doing for 45 minutes every other day and have been swimming as well. I stopped going to PT because I had rebound swelling every time I went.
My current problem seems to be ridiculous muscle cramping/spamming centered mostly above and behind my knee which occurs for no particular reason. Today I walked slowly down the driveway and sat myself on a big rock to take photos of my dogs for about 15 minutes. When I tried to stand up my right knee felt like it was out of alignment and would not support my weight. I couldn't completely straighten it or bend it. I felt NOTHING out of the ordinary while I was sitting on the rock taking pictures. It just happened out of the blue. When I look at my knee it looks enormous and round as a ball and HARD. It comes on so fast it can't be swelling, can it? It feels and looks more like a big muscle cramp.
Have you heard of anything like this?
 
Tavishbrown said:
have been able to ride the stationary bikes (recumbent and upright) at the gym, which I have been doing for 45 minutes every other day and have been swimming as well. I stopped going to PT because I had rebound swelling
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This seems like quite a lot for 10 weeks out especially as you had a MUA a few weeks ago. I wonder if that is causing the spasms? Are you still icing plenty?
 
At your stage (10 wks post-op), the surgeon from my first TKR in 2019 told me to only ride the stationary bike for no more than 5 minutes. Your knee gets no benefit after that, other than to overwork the joint, increase swelling (especially rebound swelling), and aggravate the healing tissues. He had me riding my stationary bike at home for ONLY 5-7 minutes MAX at 5-6 months post-op...and I am the Queen of Rebound Swelling:headbang:. He wasn't a fan of the "more is better" approach. He had been replacing and revising knees/hips for 25+ years, and warned me it's so easy to overdo things and set yourself back. Again, everyone is different, but he was fed up with PTs and "the masses" telling TKR patients that more is better.
 
Tavishbrown said:
When I tried to stand up my right knee felt like it was out of alignment and would not support my weight. I couldn't completely straighten it or bend it. I felt NOTHING out of the ordinary while I was sitting on the rock taking pictures. It just happened out of the blue. When I look at my knee it looks enormous and round as a ball and HARD. It comes on so fast it can't be swelling, can it?
Click to expand...

Yes, I do believe this is swelling. It definitely can come on very quickly. You are obviously doing way too much for your stage of healing from that MUA. MUAs cause a lot of inflammation, especially when your knee is only less than 6 weeks old when it was done. At 6 weeks, you still have lots of unhealed internal soft tissues, and the MUA disrupts that healing, so you are basically starting over internally. I suggest cutting way back on your exercises and rest, ice, and elevate that knee until you can slowly add one activity at the time. Watch your knee's reaction the next day or two. If it has no negative reaction, then you can do that activity and add one more to that next day. Then wait before doing the two things and see what happens before doing them again.
 
Rockgirl4 said:
At your stage (10 wks post-op), the surgeon from my first TKR in 2019 told me to only ride the stationary bike for no more than 5 minutes. Your knee gets no benefit after that, other than to overwork the joint, increase swelling (especially rebound swelling), and aggravate the healing tissues. He had me riding my stationary bike at home for ONLY 5-7 minutes MAX at 5-6 months post-op...and I am the Queen of Rebound Swelling:headbang:. He wasn't a fan of the "more is better" approach. He had been replacing and revising knees/hips for 25+ years, and warned me it's so easy to overdo things and set yourself back. Again, everyone is different, but he was fed up with PTs and "the masses" telling TKR patients that more is better.
Click to expand...
I am dumbfounded by all the contradictory theories out there! But I'm beginning to SEE for myself that no amount of aggressive PT I do helps. It always feels good when I'm doing it, but later the swelling invariably comes and debilitates me, sometimes for days. I just worry about losing flexion if I don't keep testing it.
 
Tavishbrown said:
. I just worry about losing flexion if I don't keep testing it.
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So long as you keep moving, gentle is fine and you won't lose flexion.
At about 5 months post my PKR I was seriously ill with unrelated sepsis and in hospital, pretty much bed- bound for almost a week. I just kept trying to move my leg as much as I was able.
I didn't lose any flexion.
You don't need to push or test your knee- in fact over vigorous pushing can cause swelling/ inflammation and increased stiffness/ limiting movement.
I found walking and gentle pilates worked best for me.
 
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