TKR Grateful for Bonesmart

[sporti9]

Been having a lot of pain left side of RTKR. Could it be the hamstring? I've been doing straightening exercises - lying on my stomach and letting my leg hang off the bed, very painful. Been icing lots today.
Thanks for the ongoing support.

 

[tiredwife]

@sporti9 Anytime you do painful exercises you will get pain in some part of your knee, tendons, etc. Make sure that if your whole knee isn't hanging off the end of the bed you put a rolled up towel right above your knee. You don't want that kind of pressure on your new knee.

 

[sporti9]

Hi All, well I'm back to work and so far doing ok. Mornings are difficult and painful so I put ice on my knee as soon as I get to work. Trying hard to remain patient, really want my knee to feel good. My main discomfort is still in left/inner knee area. It only hurts when I am walking, the bending back as I walk is painful. I took the day off from home PT, think I've been doing too much. I have been riding my bike (I put my road bike on a stiationary device) and ride it for 5 minutes a day. Could that be hurting my knee?
Thanks as always. I'd like to change the name of my thread if possible to "Grateful for Bonesmart". Can one of the moderators change it please? Thanks as always, Marc

 

[1ELISEA]

I'd like to change the name of my thread if possible to "Grateful for Bonesmart

Wow, luuuuuuv that name.

 

[1ELISEA]

I have been riding my bike (I put my road bike on a stiationary device) and ride it for 5 minutes a day. Could that be hurting my knee?

Well, I could give a response, but I'm a hiker. This response calls for a biker. He's in the UK so it might be a day before he responds. He always has great ideas and timelines for incorporating a bike into recovery.
Paging @Roy Gardiner

It does take awhile for things to heal. Sounds like you are well on your way! Excellent!

 

[Jamie]

I changed your thread title for you. Thanks so much for the kind words about BoneSmart!

I do think you may be doing too much too soon. You are not even 2 months out from your knee replacement yet. You're back at work and doing exercises. Could you delay going back to work for a while longer? You know we usually recommend that folks wait until 10-12 weeks and then go back on a phased in schedule that allows you a day of rest in between work days.

If that's not possible, then I recommend that you stop any therapy and exercise at home. You'll get all the exercise on your knee that you need getting ready for work, getting there and back and then doing whatever your job is. Ice as much as you can and take Tylenol for the pain. With the Tylenol, take 1000mg at a time up to 4 times in a 24 hour period. Be sure you also count any acetaminophen in other over the counter products like cold and sinus meds. You don't want to go over that 4000mg daily limit.

Don't run any errands after work or do other activity. Come straight home and ice/elevate/rest during the evening. You might also try icing through the night both front and back of your knee.

Most people have pain at this stage. Your knee is most likely swollen. Even if you cannot see it, there can be swelling inside the really close knee compartment. It doesn't take much fluid in there to hurt and inhibit your ROM. The pain is a signal to slow down. I know it can be furstrating when you want to just move on with your life, but remember that all this is temporary. You do need to pay attention to the pain and pull back until it's under control. To do otherwise and try and push through the pain may cause you to develop chronic pain issues with your knee and you really don't want to do that.

 

[sporti9]

Thanks Jamie for the great advice. I am going to take your advice and slow it down.

 

[sunny-island]

Hi @sporti9 I'm a few weeks ahead of you and have been guilty of overdoing it (accidentally!) so my comments stem from that. If you must go to work, try to limit the number of hours or days per week if you can. Your healing might slow down a bit from all the activity. Waking is a great exercise, think of it as your physucal therapy on the days when you go to work and don't put your knee through too much more. I've been using a recumbent bike in PT for ten minutes. It's good for my knee. Well, something Jamie said clicked with me, she said we want to get on with our lives... It was exactly that kind of thinking that had me trying to ride my regular bike a couple of days ago. I didn't expect a problem because I've been using the recumbent bike. Faulty thinking. My bike puts my leg at a different angle, which hadn't occurred to me until I made one painful rotation. Oh my goodness! It felt awful, forced my knee beyond my ROM, I guess. Maybe I need a road bike like you have!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

What Jamie said

lying on my stomach and letting my leg hang off the bed, very painful.

Don't do it. See my exercises thread (sig, below) for some extension work.

It only hurts when I am walking, the bending back as I walk is painful.

Is it when your operated leg is behind you, or leading? If it's when it's behind, and the pain is in the back of the knee, it's quite possibly a stretch and good for you! Walking (gently) with a long stride is good for extension.

I have been riding my bike (I put my road bike on a stiationary device) and ride it for 5 minutes a day. Could that be hurting my knee?

You don't need to ride that long. To improve flexion:

1. Set the saddle at a point where a single rotation is a challenge; difficult but not painful.
2. Set the bike to zero resistance
3. Gently turn the pedals
4. Continue until the knee is 'warmed up' and the rotation is now easy, or for 2 minutes, whichever is the shorter time
5. Repeat several/many times a day

 

[tiredwife]

@sporti9 If you feel you must do exercises and work, go back to the gentle exercises from the beginning gentle heal slides and knee presses. Often walking and work are enough.

 

[sporti9]

Thanks all for great advice. Unfortunately I need to work 4 days a week but I am sitting most of the time. I do get up every 30 minutes for short walks which helps. I also ice a couple times a day at work. All the extension exercises really hurt, I can only handle 1 or 2 minutes at a time. My extension is between 2 and 5 so I'm being more gentle and trusting that in time I'll get to zero. I'm off on Thursdays, so I am icing and elevating most of the day. Have a good day all, Marc

 

[Roy Gardiner]

As I said above, please, please don't do the leg-hang thing if it hurts, or push any other exercise to pain. And 1-2 minutes is too long, it encourages the body to resist the stretch. Stretches should be 10-20 secs, ease off for 10-20 secs and repeat, total of 3 goes. Sounds nothing, but you can do it many times a day.

 

[sporti9]

Ok Roy, I'm doing just what you said today and guess what? I feel better. Thanks for your patience and coaching. Yes, I can be a bit stubborn but it seems like my knee is in control, so I'm letting it call the shots.

 

[sunny-island]

@sporti9 You have a great attitude! That makes a difference, I think. You'll get there, it just won't be as fast as you'd like. It sounds like you've figured out a way to work four days a week without causing undue strain on your poor knee. (I'm in the habit of calling mine "my poor knee" among other things!) So really take it easy on the other three days. Oh yes, the knee is in control!!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

it seems like my knee is in control, so I'm letting it call the shots

EXACTLY. One can help a bit (ice, elevate etc) but the thing to avoid is hindering by trying too hard. Well done.

 

[sporti9]

Hi all, well I am definitely making small improvements daily. Had a rough day Sunday, not from pain, just wanted to be more active and felt frustrated and tired of sitting all the time. I love the holidays and wanted to take my 10yr old and wonderful wife to a pumpkin patch but they had to go without me. Not only is my new knee painful, the other knee needs to be replaced and is in very bad shape. Hope to have left knee replaced next August after my right knee has had a year to heal. I get why folks want to have both done at once and get it over with.

 

[jeano]

Here's my perspective on waiting a year--if insurance, finances, work and family logistics permit, don't wait that long. This is just my perspective, but consider. Your new knee will very shortly, if it hasn't already, taken charge and it will be doing more and more compensating for your unrepaired knee. Give it a year and it will be set in its ways, and then have a small hissy fit when the next knee is done. I am having soft tissue issues with my first knee, which was happy as a lark until my second knee and leg got straightened out and asserted itself.

Mr Jeano wanted me to wait a year between knees because he likes to save up his leave for the fall, our prettiest time of the year. I would've done it 2 months after the first (OS's preference. Me, I would have happily done bilateral.) After a few months I had had it with having one good knee getting better, and one awful knee rapidly getting even more awful. I couldn't enjoy my new good knee!

I overrode Mr Jeano and scheduled the second knee for 6 months after the first, then broke my ankle the day before. So my poor left knee ended up getting its head messed with on several different levels due to having to share the load, then compensate, then being on the only weight bearing leg, then compensating AGAIN, this time for a wonky ankle and even worse knee, and now its in some kind of a power struggle with the new knee, which thinks its The Man. I have to think they would've gotten along better if they were closer in age.

 

[sporti9]

I had the best day today since my surgery. My knee almost feels like it's mine, very little pain and good mobility. Is this what the other side feels like? I wanted to share the good news because you all and Bonesmart are the reason I am feeling better. And because of all the good advice, I know not to start running around thinking I'm all better. I will continue to do all the bonesmart things I have been doing since I found this site. I will be 8 weeks out from surgery on Fri Oct 24th, so I know I ain't done yet. Woohoo, now I get why we do this to ourselves.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

so I know I ain't done yet

Indeed; do a little bit more each day, but listen to that knee. If it objects (it may take up to 24 hours for swelling/pain to manifest itself), simply back off.

 

[sunny-island]

@sporti9 What good news! Be careful now. When you start to feel better is when you might overdo it. Just speaking for myself here. Feeling great but not ready to conquer the world quite yet!