TKR Getting back to hiking and climbing.
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rustic
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Hey guys,
Another couple of months have gone by (I'm 22 months post op), and I'm still increasing the range of activities that I can do. There are definitely still some quirks about certain movements causing pain, but they are getting less each month. Definitely not waking me up at night.
I'm exercising at home a lot (I have sort of a playground in my yard at home, including the small climbing wall in the picture). And do big adventures every month or so with my wife. We climbed Mt. Sneffels in CO a couple weeks ago, and that was my toughest thing since the TKR.
PS in the climbing wall picture, I believe that flex is close to 135 and this is about the maximum flex where I can still apply force (i.e. put weight on it, and actually use it). "Functional" range of motion so to speak. I can get a bit farther than that lying on my back when I'm relaxed, but that doesn't do me much good (maybe when getting out from under the covers, lol). I got flex pretty early on, but it took more than a year for my functional range to get anywhere near my relaxed range.
Another couple of months have gone by (I'm 22 months post op), and I'm still increasing the range of activities that I can do. There are definitely still some quirks about certain movements causing pain, but they are getting less each month. Definitely not waking me up at night.
I'm exercising at home a lot (I have sort of a playground in my yard at home, including the small climbing wall in the picture). And do big adventures every month or so with my wife. We climbed Mt. Sneffels in CO a couple weeks ago, and that was my toughest thing since the TKR.
PS in the climbing wall picture, I believe that flex is close to 135 and this is about the maximum flex where I can still apply force (i.e. put weight on it, and actually use it). "Functional" range of motion so to speak. I can get a bit farther than that lying on my back when I'm relaxed, but that doesn't do me much good (maybe when getting out from under the covers, lol). I got flex pretty early on, but it took more than a year for my functional range to get anywhere near my relaxed range.
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Just look at you go! That's what this knee replacement surgery is all about. Your bend is amazing.
bikinglynn
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I've climbed Sneffels (quite a few years ago), and that's nothing to sneeze at. Bravo! As far as your knees go, was the climb or descent harder?
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The descents were harder. The big steps down from rock ledges taxed both my legs towards the end of the day. We took an unconventional route that circumnavigated the mountain as well as summiting, so our day was very long (13 hours). Our 14 mile long route started from the north, and had some other passes to climb over in addition to climbing Sneffels. We spent quite a bit of time wearing crampons and using ice axes (East Couloir route).
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Two year (almost) update. I'm still hiking a lot, and working hard on my "homestead chores." Pics are from a recent Grand Canyon dayhike (16 miles round trip between the Rim and River) and cutting firewood yesterday.
As always, in spite of some pains, I have good function which continues to improve. My strength is improving, but more slowly than I'd like. I still use Voltaren gel once in a while, and "cupping therapy" helps moderate a kneecap "spike" that I get (probably a nerve pain). There isn't much to tell/ask the OS at my two year followup. I suspect he will again offer RFA to quench the nerve pain, but it probably isn't worth the trouble/risk. Hopefully, the x-ray won't show any problems and that will add to my confidence.
As always, in spite of some pains, I have good function which continues to improve. My strength is improving, but more slowly than I'd like. I still use Voltaren gel once in a while, and "cupping therapy" helps moderate a kneecap "spike" that I get (probably a nerve pain). There isn't much to tell/ask the OS at my two year followup. I suspect he will again offer RFA to quench the nerve pain, but it probably isn't worth the trouble/risk. Hopefully, the x-ray won't show any problems and that will add to my confidence.
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Peaches0000
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Your pictures are fantastic, you live in such a gorgeous area, it’s nice to read how well you have been doing with your TKR. Makes me hopeful that mine will someday get past this healing tissue phase and get back to doing some fun physical activities.
klinkmcbear
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I followed Bonesmart quite a bit for a while after my first TKA in 5/2019, but not much since. I struggled with that rehab big-time, and am still not where I want to be, but WAY better than I was. (Took about 9 months to get past 90 degrees - I'm now around 135).
I am now almost 5 months post-op with my other knee, and doing so much better - but similar path to what @rustic had (I "met" rustic on a facebook group). Unlike my left knee, with this one, my flexion and function have been great right from the start, but the pain is significant! I'm feeling pretty sure it's related to the popliteus and am following Rustic's ideas.
I see a non-surgical sports medicine doc who's in the same practice as my surgeon. I recently passed along Rustic's article to him, and since have had 2 steroid injections in the popliteus; they seem to have helped tremendously. I'm also doing some of the exercises that Rustic suggested. Additionally, I'm doing a lot of manual internal tibial rotation. I've seen a lot of improvement in the past several weeks. There's still a fair amount of pain, but way less frequent and intense than before the injections.
I've been some decent biking and that feels so good! I can't wait to get back to hiking, skiing, tennis, HIIT, etc. - that's why I had these surgeries - to get back to the things I love and reclaim my life. It's been a while since any of you guys have posted, so I'd love to know how you all are doing..... hopefully amazing! What did you do to help your progress and what kinds of things are you able to do now?
Thanks
@rustic , @bikinglynn, @Peaches0000, @Jockette , @sistersinhim
I am now almost 5 months post-op with my other knee, and doing so much better - but similar path to what @rustic had (I "met" rustic on a facebook group). Unlike my left knee, with this one, my flexion and function have been great right from the start, but the pain is significant! I'm feeling pretty sure it's related to the popliteus and am following Rustic's ideas.
I see a non-surgical sports medicine doc who's in the same practice as my surgeon. I recently passed along Rustic's article to him, and since have had 2 steroid injections in the popliteus; they seem to have helped tremendously. I'm also doing some of the exercises that Rustic suggested. Additionally, I'm doing a lot of manual internal tibial rotation. I've seen a lot of improvement in the past several weeks. There's still a fair amount of pain, but way less frequent and intense than before the injections.
I've been some decent biking and that feels so good! I can't wait to get back to hiking, skiing, tennis, HIIT, etc. - that's why I had these surgeries - to get back to the things I love and reclaim my life. It's been a while since any of you guys have posted, so I'd love to know how you all are doing..... hopefully amazing! What did you do to help your progress and what kinds of things are you able to do now?
Thanks
@rustic , @bikinglynn, @Peaches0000, @Jockette , @sistersinhim
Wow it's been a while since I read this thread! I just copied an acquaintance to this thread, as he's a climber who was told he'd never climb again after a TKA. It caused me to read back through it, I'm so grateful for the support and optimism of this thread. I'm now 2.5 ish years out from my TKA and it has not held me back at all as a climber, biker or skier. I'm not climbing as intensely as I used to (probably more related to Covid than my knee), but I've been on several climbing trips since my surgery and it works just fine. I still struggle with high stepping, I think that's related to a weak hamstring on my surgical side. I have the range but I can't load my leg and start the movement of high stepping. It's like starting a pullup, once the motion is started it's fine, but I can't start the initial motion. Besides that I've done a variety of long mountain bike and gravel rides with no problems, and I've downhill and randonee skied a ton the past few years.
Just wanted to give the active people with new knees hope that you'll get back to your sports eventually. My doctor told me I would be ok to return to most of the sports I did pre-surgery, but not to add new knee intensive sports. The first year feels long and painful, I had an especially hard first 9 months for a variety of reasons, but even with that I'm glad I did the surgery. Keep up the faith!
Just wanted to give the active people with new knees hope that you'll get back to your sports eventually. My doctor told me I would be ok to return to most of the sports I did pre-surgery, but not to add new knee intensive sports. The first year feels long and painful, I had an especially hard first 9 months for a variety of reasons, but even with that I'm glad I did the surgery. Keep up the faith!
Bode1025
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This thread has been so nice to read. I’m 9 weeks out and have a good bend and 0 extension. I’m doing well in pt and the gym on my non therapy days. I’m relatively young and my husband and I love hiking and a lot of our travels revolve around hiking in the mountains. I’m not there yet but this thread gives me so much hope. We do ski but I’ll have to see how that goes next year. I have a similar pain that rustic described on the outside, which bothered him especially when lying on his side with the operative leg on top. When he would raise it he would get pain. I hope that improves because I wake up through the night moving my leg like that. I also have some decent swelling still in my quad. I’ve been in the gym and working with my pt on strengthening but got released from pt Wednesday. I think I can handle it on my own but it makes me nervous. My husband works from home and we are working out a plan for me to rehab at home/gym on my own. I feel like I was on such a good trajectory with strengthening I don’t want to lose it.
How much do you all ice and elevate now that you are further out from your surgeries?
How much do you all ice and elevate now that you are further out from your surgeries?
glidefloss
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Hi @Bode1025 , nice to hear your recovery/rehab is coming along nicely. Hiking and travelling in the future are very good motivators! I know that those are activities that I hope to indulge a lot of again in the near future.
Good too to hear of your good experience with PT ... I too had a great experience with mine and I believe that, along with gym workouts on non-PT days helped me quite a bit. PT ended 8 weeks post-op but I continue to go to the gym almost daily. I'll be 17 weeks post-op on Monday, April 4. I continue to elevate at least an hour each day --- now mainly in the evening, using the cheap inflatable wedge ($20 at Amazon) on the ottoman of my stressless chair. I stopped icing with the Breg Polar Cube at the end of Week 12. I occasionally will use an ice gel wrap around the knee if I overwork my legs.
All the best on your continuing recovery/rehab!
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Hi @Bode1025,
I'm curious as to what strengthening exercises you are doing? I think my favorites are lunge variations, and I do step ups on a high deck outdoors. But, it seems really hard to actually improve. I'd like to gain more muscle on my quads, but have always had trouble in that area. One thing that seems to help me is mountain biking, but I don't do it often enough (a bit of a hassle to get ready, requires good weather, etc.).
I'm curious as to what strengthening exercises you are doing? I think my favorites are lunge variations, and I do step ups on a high deck outdoors. But, it seems really hard to actually improve. I'd like to gain more muscle on my quads, but have always had trouble in that area. One thing that seems to help me is mountain biking, but I don't do it often enough (a bit of a hassle to get ready, requires good weather, etc.).
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I remember that feeling well! Getting my foot up there onto a hold, but not being able to put full weight on it. I just pulled a bit extra with my arms (not good climbing form, I know, lol) as an "assist." Over time, I pulled less and less with my arms. At home, in the kitchen, I'd do deep lunges with some weight on my hands on the counters. I just kept working at it.
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I haven't posted for quite some time. Nothing dramatic has happened. I skipped my 2 year followup, due to COVID risk, and I'm late for the three year one as well. The TKR seems fine, getting less painful each year. I'm having some trouble with my natural knee, so I guess that I'll try to combine the two things in one visit.
This winter, I did a lot of inclined treadmill workouts to get ready for hiking season, and, in-between snowstorms, hiked our local mountains and the Grand Canyon. The dirt roads near my home have recently become snow free (see attached picture), so I've been mountain biking some hills (but no technical single track). I find biking hills gives my thighs more of a "pump" than the strengthening exercises that I do, so I'm going to try to do more of that this year. My legs are still too skinny, lol.
This winter, I did a lot of inclined treadmill workouts to get ready for hiking season, and, in-between snowstorms, hiked our local mountains and the Grand Canyon. The dirt roads near my home have recently become snow free (see attached picture), so I've been mountain biking some hills (but no technical single track). I find biking hills gives my thighs more of a "pump" than the strengthening exercises that I do, so I'm going to try to do more of that this year. My legs are still too skinny, lol.
Wow, look at you! Your tkr is doing fantastic! I know what you mean about your 'natural' knee. Many of us are finding the same thing. Hopefully, we'll be able to hold on to it forever. If not, we know the tkrs work well! It's just that awful recovery time!
