PKR Can't do exercises<

[sistersinhim]

You are very early in a year long recovery. You aren't even halfway there yet! Time is your best friend right now. I think the ROM will come in after the inflammation goes down.

 

[Josephine]

At worst it was 60 (though I don't think that was a good measurement), at best 90.

If you want to, I can measure your ROM for you. You just need to provide me with a photo of your leg like so

Extension you can assess yourself using this advice
1. put your leg on a bench, seat, bed, floor or anything similar but preferably something fairly firm.
2. with not too much pressure, press the back of your knee down - use your leg muscles, not your hand!
3. slide your hand, palm down, under the back of your knee
a) if you can get your entire hand under easily, it's probably about -10 degrees
b) if you can get just your fingers under, it's about -5
c) if you can get your fingers under but it's a push, it's 0
d) if you can't get your fingers under at all, it's +5 or more


Here's a graphic to explain the degrees involved

it simply seems every time I try to improve flexion, the knee flares up to the extent that I have to not only stop the exercises but minimise all activity for several days.

A few days is not the answer. A few weeks or even longer would be more like it. But I see you have pretty much given up on them altogether!

He suggested I temporarily give up on flexion and focus on quad building instead. In his opinion that should not cause flare-ups, but I found that it did.

And in my experience, they do cause flare-ups! Just as you have found.

which got me thinking maybe it would be better if I was less aware and more gungho.

Actually gungho doesn't do it either.

 

[RobJF]

Thanks @Josephine

It was just that one low measurement I was dubious about. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer when there seems to be some improvement!

A few days is not the answer. A few weeks or even longer would be more like it.

That's really what I was needing to hear, I was beginning to think there was something (else) wrong with me! But I just need to stop worrying and be more patient. Thanks again!

I should have been coming here regularly, reading other's stories and in particular the advice given to them, much better use of my time than Facebook!

 

[RobJF]

Time for an update.

A new physio confidently diagnosed complex regional pain syndrome affecting the knee early in October. The indications were pain, heat, redness and apparently altered hair growth patterns. I now think I've been suffering from CRPS for a long time, on and off, as well as osteoarthritis, with the CRPS prolonging arthritis flare-ups.

There had already been some improvement over the previous 2-3 weeks, apparently due to "overdosing" on ibuprofen (gel + tablets). However, since the diagnosis it has continued to improve despite cutting back on the ibu. There's been a couple of flare-ups but overall the knee is very much better. It doesn't get red now, still gets warm but nothing like as hot as before, the main difference is the ability to exercise without always causing a flare-up, though I still can't walk far.

Last had flexion measured a month ago at about 90, now it's clearly well beyond that.

The consequence is one happy bunny.

 

[Celle]

A new physio confidently diagnosed complex regional pain syndrome affecting the knee early in October. The indications were pain, heat, redness and apparently altered hair growth patterns. I now think I've been suffering from CRPS for a long time, on and off, as well as osteoarthritis, with the CRPS prolonging arthritis flare-ups.

I'm glad you're starting to feel better.

I don't think a physio is qualified to make any diagnosis, by the way! IF you really think that you have CRPS, get that confirmed by a doctor.

 

[RobJF]

Thanks Celle. Yes, I was trying to find the right words for the "diagnosis" but settled for that. My GP knows but seems to feel a specialist opinion would be required. The knee's so much better now though that I don't think it's worth it and I'm fairly sure both physio and GP are of the same opinion.

 

[sistersinhim]

It's great to hear your knee is feeling a lot better. What a long journey this recovery is. It's so hard to believe it takes a year or more when you first go into this. But, after a few months it gets more obvious! And some of us will never be painfree. But, feeling less pain and able to do things for the first time in a long time makes it worth it!

 

[Kyoung]

Evening RobJF
I also had knee surgery a TRKR in Golden Jubilee a few days after you.
I have also had difficulty doing the excercises particularly heel slides.
I have listened to the advice on BoneSmart and only done as much excercise as my leg allowed. When I overdid it or became impatient and pushed it my leg would swell like balloon and I’d have even less range of motion than before. I have done very little PT but tried to move around as much as possible.
Iv tried not to be too hard on myself, there are folk on here who seemed to bounce back almost immediately and others who seem to have every challenge there is during recovery.
There doesn’t seem to be a normal recovery , Just your normal, recovery.
Glad to read your seeing improvements and wishing you continued progress in the weeks n months to come...

 

[RobJF]

sistersinhim, absolutely, I'm now eagerly looking forward to getting bike pedals to do a full circle!

Thanks for the encouragement Kyoung but either you misread my sig, because my surgery was in March and I'm a lot further down the road than you, or your own sig has the wrong date, or you've had two ops this year one of which is missing from the sig... Sorry, confused...

 

[Kyoung]

Sorry my mistake

 

[RobJF]

Sorry my mistake

No prob! Don't know what was wrong with my brain yesterday to make such heavy weather of it. Good luck with the rest of your recovery!

 

[Kyoung]

LoL no problem, I think I just read the 5 weeks bit on your first post and thought you had op just before me.Best of Wishes to you too.