If you're up to 120 you probably don't need PT anymore unless there are some general stretches or balance exercises they want to show you. I found a few of those helpful. I went to PT 2x a week, but probably could have done once a week.
TKR A week ago today<
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Dmlove
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Took everyone's advice quit PT doing way better. I'm now 6 weeks post op. I'm doing my own exercises at home. I have couple questions. How long on pain meds? I have some days when Tylenol works and days when pain meds hardly work. I know I'm probably over doing it. My second question is about icing. Anyone else have Horible pain after about 10 min of icing?
newlybionic
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Some people take pain meds for months after surgery. I would have to take them sometimes at night especially if I had done a lot during the day. It's normal to not need pain meds one day and need them the next. As far as icing I love doing it and can sit icing for an entire day. Make sure you have something between your knee and any part of your of you leg that touches the ice because that can cause pain.
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Dmlove,
Many take pain meds for 3 - 4 months, everyone is different. As you heal you will start forgetting to take your pain medications and wean off naturally.
If icing causes horrible pain, quit using it. Or try using more layers between you and the ice, so it is not as cold.
Glad to hear you are doing better otherwise.
Many take pain meds for 3 - 4 months, everyone is different. As you heal you will start forgetting to take your pain medications and wean off naturally.
If icing causes horrible pain, quit using it. Or try using more layers between you and the ice, so it is not as cold.
Glad to hear you are doing better otherwise.
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
When I said quit PT I meant quit exercising! Totally! Then you can't over do it!
Of course you will! That's totally normal. But at 6 weeks you will find you need to keep taking a goodly amount of your prescribed meds. Don't only take Tylenol one day and prescription meds the next. Mix and match them. Take a the proper meds 1-2 times a day and use Tylenol in between.
Are you putting the ice pack straight on your skin? If not, what kind of protective cloth are you using?
kayjay
junior member
if you lived in california, i would swear you had the same p.t. person i did. at 5 weeks i had 122 bend. about killed me and gave me days of pain. rest your knee, elevate your knee, ice your knee and love your knee. you've got a lot of years to go with it so go with josephines great advice - she knows what she is talking about. i think for me it has been hard because my injury happened in may of 2015 and it took almost 10 months for w/c to finally agree to the tkr. i had limited activity all that time and i really wanted to get going and getting stuff done. i have to let it all settle down and heal. good luck to you, take care of you and be gentle with you!
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Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
That's okay so long as you also take Tylenol every 6 hours anyway at 1,000mg per dose.
Jolly good!
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Dmlove
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Ok, 12 weeks out yesterday. Still think the best thing I've done. I am still having pain in front and on medial side of knee. I don't have much swelling. Unfortunately , my Dr said I could go back to work at 6 weeks . I know I've been over doing it. Own my own business and have to walk between 5- 12 miles a day . I haven't had any pain meds including Tramadol since 8 weeks due to my Ortho dr being conservative on pain meds. I take 1000 mg Tylenol every six hours. Mornings are horrible lot of pain,once I get moving the pain gets better. During day not to bad. The night is the worst. I ice and elevate when I get home . I know I'm probably over doing it but when you own your business not much else can be done but to work. Is there anything I can do to help stop some of this pain?
newlybionic
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I'm sorry to hear that you are having so much pain and are not able to get any pain meds from your OS. Have you tried asking your primary care doctor for any help to at least get some tramadol so you can sleep at night? He/she might be a help. After my original TKR I would either pick up something for dinner or just defrost something so I could just sit as soon as possible when I got home. I did nothing at home during the week and tried to do some light cleaning on weekends and getting groceries for the week. I also would ice and elevate when I went to bed. I hope you start to feel better soon.
Since you own your own business can you take a lunch break and ice and elevate then during the day? Can you reduce your activities on the weekend to the bare minimum for a while?
I'm sorry you are having so much pain, but I'm going to be blunt. The pain won't stop until you stop doing things that upset your knee. You are asking too much of your knee, and too soon. If you keep doing what you are doing, you run the risk of setting up a chronic inflammation of your knee, which will take months of rest before it goes away.
I do understand that, with your own business, you have to work, but you need to find some way of doing less while you are at work. At the very least, cut back that enormous amount of walking (wheelchair? car? get someone else to do it?). That would be hard even on a fit knee, let alone one that is only 11 weeks old. You realise, don't you, that most people haven't even gone back to work until about 12 weeks? Even at 12 weeks with a sedentary office job, most people experience increased pain and swelling.
When you come home from work, do as little as possible. Grab a quick meal and then rest, ice and elevate your leg, as you are doing. I'm afraid that all that daytime activity is inevitably going to rebound on you with pain during the evening and night.
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Dmlove
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I totally know Agree with everyone's post. I am going to try, and do a lot less walking this next week . It's been a crazy couple weeks. I believe this will slow down.I try to take it easy on weekends. I did ask my primary care physician. I haven't heard back. I'm hoping she comes through. I have read a lot about the trouble sleeping . I have had a horrible time sleeping. Just feels like I'm alone here. My business partner just doesn't get it. Just because l look fine doesn't mean I am. Thanks, for letting me rant!
Maybe your business partner needs to see this, so that he/she realises how much trauma this surgery causes:
TKR surgery - WARNING: real life photos
referee54
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I went back to the classroom at eight weeks, and was excited to do so--I thought that I would be "good to go."
One thing that did help me, though, and I am not sure that you can do this---on Sundays, after church, I did absolutely nothing but rest, ice, and elevate---the entire day.
As for your business partner, I concur---and you can show them this video, as well.
Live Operating Room TKR Video from November 19 2013
Too often folks think that this is arthroscopic surgery and do not realize the trauma that your knee has sustained.
I completely commiserate with you---I even tried to change things up and not walk around so much in the classroom, but it did not work.
I would come home stiff and sore and exhausted. I would ice, elevate, and rest at night, and then start all over the next day.
One thing that did help me, though, and I am not sure that you can do this---on Sundays, after church, I did absolutely nothing but rest, ice, and elevate---the entire day.
As for your business partner, I concur---and you can show them this video, as well.
Live Operating Room TKR Video from November 19 2013
Too often folks think that this is arthroscopic surgery and do not realize the trauma that your knee has sustained.
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Dmlove
new member
Thanks @referee54 ! It has gotten better. I started doing what you said! My days off are resting.
Walkingon
junior member
I had some of that burning feeling as well. My PT said that there are a lot of nerves that are making new connections. I don't have it anymore at 4 months but I can't remember when it went away. Great job on your progress. Those are great numbers. Everybody handles therapy different. If you exercised regularly, you will probably find active physical therapy normal. I was really out of shape. My PT was commenting on how much my leg was shaking when I was doing the leg press machine. I looked at him and said, "that is my god leg" 
