TKR Aggressive Physical Therapy

[Jockette]

Don’t feel bad about expressing how you feel. This is a tough recovery even without the extras you have had to deal with. Here at Bonesmart we all understand and you will find a lot of compassion from all the members. We are here for you.

Hang out here with us, Bonesmart has a wealth of advice, information and support.
We will offer helpful suggestions,

Cheer your accomplishments

And send hugs when you are feeling down.

Best wishes!

 

[Reader525]

@wander03 There should be a limit to how much we have to go through, because if there were, you certainly have surpassed it. The fall on top of everything else‍, it's too much!
I might be wrong but if I were you I might just do the recumbent bike to keep the joint mobile and ADLs. I'm not sure why your muscles have decided to tighten up as they have, but maybe muscle relaxers would help.
I think calling the OS for hip injections might be a good idea too.

 

[ski_bum]

I used my recumbent bike last evening, and this afternoon I did one of the exercises that Daniel told me to do. My hips hurt so much afterwards that I can only sit 4 or 5 minutes without excruciating pain in my left hip. It has been painful for months, but it is worse now. I have to get up for a bit; then I sit back down for a bit. I am taking ibuprofen, and it seems to help some. But not enough. The right hip hurts when I walk, but that pain is not nearly as bad as the pain in the left hip.
I plan to call my OS on Monday and ask if he can do something such as give me shots in my hips to help with the pain. Several years ago I had a shot in my right hip after which I did not have pain. However, i was not bob-on-bone in both hips as I am jaw. I’m quite certain that I will have to go in and have x-rays again. I’ll do whatever is required to get something to help alleviate the pain.
I feel bad about whining about how I feel, but I hurt constantly and am finding it very difficult to deal with.

Check with your Dr. and see if you can take CBD Oil. My Dr. suggested for Pain, Inflammation & sleep. It took over a month and I spend all night in bed and maybe helps with pain. Now everyone I talk to is using CBD Oil for everything & anything. Just a suggestion but check with your DR.

 

[hawk2go]

I had such hope for Daniel. Sorry about the new pain.

 

[wander03]

Thank you for your comments. I called my OS yesterday and today for an appointment to go in this week and have x-rays made since both of my hips are painful. I was told that he will be unable to see me before the appointment I have on November 16; that if I want to see a doctor about the pain in my hips before then, I will need to see my primary doctor or go to a walk-in clinic. I plan to call my primary doctor tomorrow. My daughter will be with me for my appointment on November 16, and she plans to tell the OS what she thinks about his not being willing to see me after a fall after which I have suffered excruciating pain. And she will!
I plan to talk to an OS at Mercy Medical for the expected surgeries on my hips and left knee. In addition to his unwillingness to see me this week, I was not satisfied with the current OS‘ attitude to the situation created by Baptist Health’s physical therapy personnel. However, I am very satisfied with the faint scar from my knee surgery, I hope the other surgeon I use does such beautiful work.

 

[Mrty2019]

Two years ago when I had my left TKR, I bought in to this idea of the need for PT to prevent scar tissue and started PT on my third day following surgery. I could barely stand and thought I might fall off the exercise bike and was told if I didn’t straighten my leg they would sit on my leg. I was subjected to having free weights piled on my knee and being strapped flat to the PT table. Along with constant measuring of my ROM. I could barely walk after each session. This was done at a large teaching hospital. After finding this site, I quit PT and proceeded at my own pace And my ROM is fine. No PT for me with my right knee. Stay strong.

 

[wander03]

Mrty2019, I wish I had chosen to quit the outpatient PT program earlier. Elite Home Health has made very little progress in resolving the problem with the taunt muscles and tensions around my knee. I understand that the process will take quite a while, but I thought there would be more progress.
I have an appointment with my primary care doctor at 11:00 tomorrow/Thursday morning for x-rays. I was awake and crying with pain in my left hip for over two hours last night, so I really want to know what damage was done in the fall.

 

[ski_bum]

I also like my faint scar but wish the inside felt like the outside looks, lol.

 

[Mrty2019]

Mrty2019, I wish I had chosen to quit the outpatient PT program earlier

wander01 Like you, I wish I would have just walked out of PT and quit when I was being tortured. I am not afraid to speak up. However, there we are just having gone thru surgery, on meds, barely sleeping, and somewhat woozy. Not the best decision making position to be in. PT should have that in mind, but it seems many/some don‘t.

 

[wander03]

On 11/16, I had the four-month follow-up visit with the OS. Surprise! He said my knee is great; that it is tracking exactly as it should be. Apparently a perfect total knee replacement surgery result. I don’t question that the actual surgery was successful; however, I would have liked for him to address the problems with recovery created by the BH physical therapy. He said he would like for me to have a better ROM, which is about 105. He made no comment when I said I was making good progress before the Baptist Health physical therapy clinic messed up my knee. He said to come back in two months.

During my PT appointment on 11/18, Daniel, one of my current PTs, said there appears to be movement of the components in my knee when he works with my knee. He thinks I definitely need to obtain a second opinion. So I had Baptist Health Orthopedics fax my surgical records to Mercy Orthopedics. I asked them to include the MRI of my pelvic region that was performed on 11/17. The records were received by Mercy on 11/19 and are supposed to be referred to the OS I requested. He will only be in the office on Tuesday this week, so it may be 12/2 before I have an answer as to whether he will agree to render a second opinion. I plan to send a supplemental fax telling him about the complications I have had as a result of the PT and that Daniel, one of his patients, encouraged me to get s second opinion.

The synopsis of the MRI is:
“IMPRESSION:
1. Severe bilateral hip joint degeneration, right greater than left, with grade 4 avascular necrosis on the right.
2. Small right hip joint effusion.”

I hope that my primary care doctor, who ordered the MRI, will contact me to review the MRI results after she returns to her office on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I am taking Hydrocod/Acetam to deal with the intense pain I suffer without the meds. Since the pain meds are addictive, and I don’t want to be addicted to them, I need a resolution to the situation causing the pain. I just completed seven days is Percocet, an even stronger pain reliever.

@ski_bum suggested I inquire about taking CBD Oil. I have checked on the price of CBD Oil online, and the quality of oil that I think might help is relatively expensive. Since my only income is from Social Security and, as far as I know, Medicare does not pay for CBD Oil, I do not have the expendable income to pay for itl. It would be nice if it were an option for me.

I cannot discern any improvement in my knee since September 22 when the results of the overly aggressive PT stymied my recovery progress. It’s difficult knowing I need two total hip replacements but I can’t walk unassisted on the leg in which I had a total knee replacement. It feels like I am not going to improve, and I cry a lot with with the frustration and hopelessness I feel.

 

[ski_bum]

@wander03 Sorry for you issues. How much was your cost for CBD? My CBD does not have any THC and 2 months costs me $60.00 CDN.
CDB sure helps me sleep. I have never stayed in bed past 05:30 AM and today I got up at 07:00 AM. I have friends that take it with a very small amount of THC but I am already goofy and don't want.
I am completely off pain medicine and do have knee pain but don't know if CBD is helping for that.

Good Luck and hope things get better soon.

 

[hawk2go]

It's a shame CBD products aren't covered by health insurance. Also, I cannot imagine trying to rehab my TKR and hips that need some help. I hope you find relief soon.

 

[wander03]

I guess it is time for me to quit whining about the physical challenges I have faced since the Baptist Health PTs created additional problems with my recovery. If anything new develops, perhaps I will post about it, but it does not seem productive for me to repeatedly go over the same problems. I hope I eventually recover, if for no other reason, because I need to have the hip surgeries, and I need to recover from the knee surgery first.
Take care. I hope everyone has successful recoveries without the type of complications I have had.

 

[Jockette]

It feels like I am not going to improve, and I cry a lot with with the frustration and hopelessness I feel.

I totally understand how you feel. I also was hurt by my PT and it doesnt just hurt us physically, it hurts us emotionally. We trust our medical team to know what’s best for us, when we are in such a vulnerable state, and when they don’t, it just really gets to us.

You are still “only” 4 months post op in a recovery that can take an average of a year. I even saw improvement well into my second year. You will improve, even though right now it feels like you won’t.

 

[wander03]

@Jockette thanks for the encouragement. I really need to recover from the TKR, particularly because as of today I am scheduled for a total hip replacement on Feb 7, also on my right side. February 7 is the first available date. Perhaps I need to start a thread under pre-op hip.
I am researching the three types of hip replacement: anterior, lateral, and posterior. It seems that generally each person thinks the type they had is the best way to go. The OS who did my knee surgery only does lateral, so I need to decide if I am okay with lateral because I will need to change the OS if I want either of the other types.

 

[FCBayern]

As long as you have an experienced surgeon well versed in their approach, which approach they use doesn't really make any difference to success or recovery time lines. Anterior has been touted as a quicker recovery, but from personnel experience as well as what we hear from BoneSmarties the recovery seems to be pretty much the same as the other approaches.

 

[wander03]

@FCBayern Thank you. That is reassuring. But I see yours was the anterior approach. A friend of mine in Florida recently had a THR with the anterior approach. Her surgery was on October 6. When I asked how she was doing on November 17, she said she was finished with PT was walking a mile easily. I think that is probably an excellent recovery. She is the on who told me about the anterior approach.

 

[FCBayern]

That is a fast recovery @wander03, but the recovery from THR was much easier for me than TKR. It's still a 12 month plus recovery but mobility came quicker and pain went away sooner, I was pretty happy about that.

 

[BEWITCHED Charm]

@wander03 Hi I really feel for you. I too had problems yesterday with physio. I am 4 weeks on the 28th Nov since my RTKR . Yesterday was my first proper physio appointment ( last one was to measure bend in knee and upday my medical records)
I told physio yesterday that I was struggling to do knee Ben's on the bed. I was then told to lie down and physio pushed and pushed my knee back, I really did wince.. it really hurt.
I then went on to do all sorts of other exercise including walking without support and standing on just surgical leg.
All was fine until I got home then the pain in the front of my shin became terrible, so bad it lasted till 2am when I gave in and took two co codomols and the highest dose of morphine I was allowed ( I haven't used the morphine since week 1!) I was so worried this was going to carry on.
Luckily I woke this morning and have had no real pain ( touch wood) .
But it was awful and I feel rather cross about it all.
I feel I had been doing ok can use stairs walk a fair bit in house and get in and out of a car and some days I can swing my leg over into the bath off my sitting board.. I am proud of my achievements I have been working hard exercising myself at home every day.

I am definitely going to bring it up at my next visit, as it just feels like it should not have happened.
I realise I have to work to get the bend back but I just feel this was a very harsh way and am just glad I felt ok today.. I would have been so anxious if the pain had carried on.

Take care everyone

 

[wander03]

@BEWITCHED Charm i hope that you will follow the advice given by others in this forum to not allow anyone to push your knee back again. Had I know to do so and had I stopped this being done to my knee sooner, I do not think I would be in the dilemma in which I find myself.
I had the surgical records concerning my knee replacement and a MRI of my hips faxed to an OS at another hospital, and I faxed a two-page letter with details about the difficulties I’ve had with my knee after the physical therapy. I requested the OS see me concerning the problems with my knee and doing my hip replacements. I received a telephone call yesterday from the office of the OS and was told he will see me about my hip replacements but not about my knee. I made an appointment for January 4 to confer about my hip replacements. I am still in a quandary about what to do concerning the difficulties with my knee.
I did additional research last evening on the OS with whom I will meet on January 4, and he does anterior hip replacements. He has a video in which he explains why he thinks the anterior approach is better. That is great news to me! Now I just have to deal with my knee.