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TKR 9 weeks, stiff leg

Looks pretty good, Fred! Would you agree? Nice and straight and healing well.
Have a great week!
@Fredthegolfer
 
Looking good. Your swelling doesn't look that bad.
 
Had a bit of a set back yesterday. At physio they increased time on the bike to 20 minutes. In addition, they used a metal tool to massage the scarbwhich hurt liue hell. Afterwards I had extreme pain and difficulty walking. I got very little sleep last night. I am not sure if it is common to have these set backs. Not sure if I should cut back today or work through the pain. The lack of sleep is really getting to me. I am able to straighten my knee and have over 90 degrees bend.
 
Had a bit of a set back yesterday. At physio they increased time on the bike to 20 minutes. In addition, they used a metal tool to massage the scarbwhich hurt liue hell. Afterwards I had extreme pain and difficulty walking. I got very little sleep last night. I am not sure if it is common to have these set backs. Not sure if I should cut back today or work through the pain. The lack of sleep is really getting to me. I am able to straighten my kept and have over 90 degrees bend.
Your physio does not know how to correctly rehab a joint replacement and is causing you setback in your recovery. Please request someone that knows what to do. There is no reason to massage the scar. Anything that causes pain is doing you harm, not good. Do not work through the pain, you'll just continue to have more setbacks, swelling, and pain. No therapy is better than bad therapy.
 
What you had was not really a set back, it was a natural ”cause and effect” from a PT session which was too aggressive for you.

they used a metal tool to massage the scar
This is the Graston Technique and it is absolutely not necessary. If you don’t want them to do it, tell them no next time.

Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

Speak up, or find another PT office with a more knowledgeable PT who knows how to work with joint replacement. By now you know what exercises work for you and which don’t, so you could also consider doing your own rehab at home.

Or even skip the exercises and just do your daily activities, which will give your knee all the healing movement it needs. This is “natural PT” and is the best kind.
 
Twenty minutes on the bike at your stage? Sheesh!!!! I'm at four months with a nicely functional knee and can only do 15 minutes!

Your range of motion is fine!

I had a specific area of concern above my scar (hard raised fibrous knot) that responded well to targeted deep massage. There is no rationale I can think of, in term of how bodies heal, to do any deep massage on any normally healing surgical scar.
 
Afterwards I had extreme pain and difficulty walking. I got very little sleep last night.
That is your body telling you that it didn't like what was done in PT. As the others have said, your therapist doesn't seem to have been trained in the proper methods for helping a joint replacement patient.

Please don't let him continue to hurt you! There is NO benefit to you:
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
 
I am not sure if it is common to have these set backs
Yes it is common if you're pushing harder than your healing leg is able to tolerate.
Not sure if I should cut back today or work through the pain.
Please don't ever push through the pain. Recovery from this major surgery does not involve a "no pain, no gain" philosophy. Give yourself and your healing body the TLC it deserves for a successful recovery without any further set backs. Lots of comfort to you today and in the weeks ahead, Fred :)
 
I used the generic ones from Walmart that were the same as Unisom. They helped some. Adding Tylenol PM is a help for most of us, too, but you have to add in that Tylenol amount to your daily limit of it.
 
Has anyone tried using sleeping pills to help sleep?
The active ingredient in those over-the-counter sleeping pills is an antihistamine, so you want to be careful about drug interactions.

An alternative you might want to try first is Magnesium. In addition to promoting healthy sleep, it also supports bone and cardiovascular health and relaxes muscles. Here's an article you might find helpful: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/magnesium-is-a-star.20301/
 
I am now 5 weeks post TKR and I have been noticing that when walking my knee gives out occasionally. I am not sure if this is normal during recovery. I do not recall it happening with my first TKR. There is no pain and I think it just might be muscle giving out. Has anyone else experienced this and should I be worried. I have a scheduled appointment with my surgeon in just over a week.
 
I am now 5 weeks post TKR and I have been noticing that when walking my knee gives out occasionally.
Yes, this is pretty normal. It takes a while for your swelling to go down and the strength.As long as your knee is giving out, you should be using a walking assistance device. You do not want to fall!
 
@Fredthegolfer if you're still having trouble sleeping and your doc doesn't want to prescribe sleeping pills (mine doesn't like prescribing them for seniors like us, and frankly the OTC antihistamines that cause drowsiness, like diphenhydramine, are also not great for seniors) what worked for me was a combo taken an hour before retiring:
1) an herbal remedy for sleep that includes the herb valerian. I bought an herbal tea blend that tasted nice, but valerian capsules are also available.
2) very low dose, sustained release melatonin - 3 mg tablet. It's not meant for long term use and higher doses aren't really recommended. It only works if upon taking it you also go into a less bright room and avoid looking at phone or tablet screens.
 
I am 9 weeks from my TKR and although I have made some progress, I am frustrated about my walking. My physio therapist says that I walk as if I have peg leg. For me my operated knee is still quite stiff and walking is not very fluid. I am walking with any assisted devices, like Cane, etc. My other knee which I had a TKR just over a year ago doesn't have that stiffness. How long do people find it takes to have a more fluid gait? My knee has 0 to 120 degree flexibility.
 
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines

We are all different, as are the approaches to recovery. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart will offer advice and are there to help. The advice may vary, but YOU are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

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

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

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:

There are also some cautionary articles here


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.
 
How long do people find it takes to have a more fluid gait? My knee has 0 to 120 degree flexibility.
ROM quite good IMO. Just keep doing stretching exercises and keep walking would be my take. Nothing fancy, just keep on
 
Hi!
Well that's pretty frustrating, isn't it? Still, at your early stage in recovery and, as Roy points out, good ROM, you've got a great basis for recovery!
Here's a way to work on heel to toe walking - your PT can work with you on this
[Bonesmart.org] 9 weeks, stiff leg

Gentle stretching and ROM movement are indeed your friends. I hope you continue to elevate and ice to reduce swelling.
 
I am walking with any assisted devices, like Cane, etc.
For a better understanding, will you please clarify whether you are, or aren't, using an assistive device currently.
If you aren't using one, we suggest that you do use one if you're limping, until you are no longer doing so.
Try not to be frustrated, I am sure given more time you will be walking with a fluid gait and be back on the links.
Best Wishes, Fred!
 

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