I'm so sorry - I never got the alerts and I also forgot to put this thread on watch which is usually
always do when I've left The Questions!!
1: pain level is on average a 5 to 7. Pain level increased after doing heel raises and slides.
Well that's a red flag! More about that later
2: I am taking 37.5/325mg of Tramadol - 2 every 4 hours. Was setting my alarm at night to take them but have stopped doing that last 3 nights. Have taken a few gravol to deal with nausea. Have started stretching taking my Tramadol to every 5 hours (I only see my surgeon next Tuesday and may run out)
Why have you stopped taking them at night? And at 3 weeks, it's too soon to be cutting back. Weeks 2-7 is the very worst period for angry tissues.
I am icing at least 6 times a day andI elevate all the time
okay. But you can ice a lot more if you want to. Ice is nature's pain killer!
5: the day after my surgery my ROM was at 90'. I see my PT on Monday and suspect it will now be much lower. My extension is fine. Had problems with ROM with my LTKR. Surgeon kept threatening MUA.
Well, do remember the most common reason for poor ROM is swelling. Swelling is invariably caused by too much exercising.
6: I only walk to the washroom right now. The rest of the time, I am either in bed or recliner elevating the leg.
You need to be a little more active than that. Activity is what gets your ROM going. Did you read the articles left for you earlier? There was one titled
Activity progression for TKRs which you should read again. For week three it reads
"
Week 3 - Lengthen the walks around the house walks to about 5-10 minutes maybe 4-5 a day if it doesn't cause your knee to swell or be painful.
Activity: prepare yourself a small meal or a snack"
Your exercises - my comments in
bold
2 sessions per day -
make it one
Quads over roll with assistance x 5 reps -
what assistance? if it's more than just a strap over yiour foot then don't do it
Quads over a roll, no assistance x 5 reps. I find this one very difficult and painful -
then don't do it! Never do exercises that cause you pain: pain causes swelling. Swelling is painful and blocks ROM.
Heel slides x5 reps -
you said earlier they hurt. Never do exercises that hurt. And just doign them twice a day is pointless. Read this Heel slides and how to do them.
Assisted knee bending with towel x 5 reps -
you're doing heel slides, you don't need these as well.
3 times a day
foot and ankle pumps -
these are just anti-clot activities, good but they don't count!
static gluteal/hamstring strengthening, static quad strengthening -
how are these achieved? One thing I do know is that now is not the time to be doing strengthening exercises. Your muscles are not weak they are injured. So let them rest and maybe save these until later, week 10 at the earliest.
Short summary is that you are doing too much exercising and not enough simple activity like gentle walking around the house.
Canada
