TKR How long till I feel better and normal after TKR?

[Bosoxjc3]

My extension was much slower coming in than my bend. To aid my extension I walked with a longer than normal stride, heel to toe. It took a while, but it came in just fine. Yours will, too. It just takes time and you have plenty of that!

My extension is definitely lagging

 

[Jockette]

Tightness is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue is healing...and full healing takes a full year or more.

 

[Starsfan22]

@Bosoxjc3 I had a hard time reading your post, actually made my knee hurt. I've had two TKRs and the first one (August 2019) still gives me problems. My newest one is just the best outcome anyone could hope for. First knee I did PT 3 times a week, and twice/day for way too long. I blame extensive PT for my poor recovery and my issues today. I learn quickly and did only gentle exercises and everyday activities with the second tkr and it was an awesome recovery. Was I just lucky? Who knows but I would encourage you to take it easy with the PT. Walking even for a short distances is the best therapy for recovery IMHO. Listen to your knee, it will teach you what is too much for it by swelling and pain level. Complete rest and no PT when recovering from too much is the way to go. Then start exercise/movements again. One of my main issues is when my knee felt better I thought, oh good I can add activity. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It's a learning process! Good luck, hope your outcome mirrors my second replacement.

 

[Bosoxjc3]

@Bosoxjc3 I had a hard time reading your post, actually made my knee hurt. I've had two TKRs and the first one (August 2019) still gives me problems. My newest one is just the best outcome anyone could hope for. First knee I did PT 3 times a week, and twice/day for way too long. I blame extensive PT for my poor recovery and my issues today. I learn quickly and did only gentle exercises and everyday activities with the second tkr and it was an awesome recovery. Was I just lucky? Who knows but I would encourage you to take it easy with the PT. Walking even for a short distances is the best therapy for recovery IMHO. Listen to your knee, it will teach you what is too much for it by swelling and pain level. Complete rest and no PT when recovering from too much is the way to go. Then start exercise/movements again. One of my main issues is when my knee felt better I thought, oh good I can add activity. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It's a learning process! Good luck, hope your outcome mirrors my second replacement.

I am currently in PT 2x a week, on the off days I do home exercises, my knee stays swollen, not as bad as surgery swollen, I ice 3 to 4 times a day and elevate . At night my knee gives me the biggest pains. I am afraid if I don't bend and extend I will head for a manipulation.

 

[FCBayern]

I am afraid if I don't bend and extend I will head for a manipulation.

I'm really sorry you feel this way @Bosoxjc3, because it just isn't true. Too much PT is more likely to set back your recovery and it will definitely lead to a much more painful recovery with NO better outcome. The ROM is already there, it's just waiting for you to stop abusing that poor knee and let the swelling go down, then you will find ROM. It is a long journey but if you stick with the BoneSmart approach the journey will be less painful and you will still reach the same final destination. Ultimately you get to choose the path, the tough rocky road through painful PT, or the BoneSmart path through the meadow with the pretty wild flowers.

 

[Jockette]

I am afraid if I don't bend and extend I will head for a manipulation.

I'm really sorry you feel this way @Bosoxjc3, because it just isn't true. Too much PT is more likely to set back your recovery and it will definitely lead to a much more painful recovery with NO better outcome. The ROM is already there, it's just waiting for you to stop abusing that poor knee and let the swelling go down, then you will find ROM.

I couldn’t have said it better.

Gentle movement is very good for your healing knee. But overdoing that creates more pain and swelling, which inhibits ROM.

Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[Bon Pecheur]

I am 9 weeks PO and had a massage the other day. It did wonders for all my stiff and sore muscles and knee. I just wished i did it earlier.

 

[DEL2021Feb-17]

It really amazes me how some are so paranoid about their ROM. I have been thru this ordeal way too many times. Your ROM will come back just by doing everyday normal activities. If you want to allow therapists to cause you lots of pain with increased swelling just so they can say you improved by a few degrees it's your knee go for it. If you hate pain, (I know I do), do not worry about it, ROM will come back it just takes time could be months, could be longer and for those that think the harder I try the faster I will heal. Good luck with that line of thinking.

Bottom Line no one heals the same we are all different. Just because a Dr., a nurse, or a therapist claims that at a certain period after surgery you should be at a certain degree, sorry to inform you that is false. If the therapist you currently have is causing you too much pain get a different one. He/she is not paying you, you are paying them. Not trying to upset anyone but really, as much info and suggestions on how to proceed after surgery are on this site and then the advice is not followed, go figure on your progress.

 

[chilikids]

My right knee replacement was 12/22...we are at about the same point post op. To work on my extension I just started laying on my stomach on my bed...I scoot down on the bed so my lower leg(from above my knee and down) is off the bed. This gently works with gravity to get that stretch to work on extension. It’s comfortable and gentle stretch.

 

[Bosoxjc3]

My right knee replacement was 12/22...we are at about the same point post op. To work on my extension I just started laying on my stomach on my bed...I scoot down on the bed so my lower leg(from above my knee and down) is off the bed. This gently works with gravity to get that stretch to work on extension. It’s comfortable and gentle stretch.

How often do you do this and for how long?

 

[DEL2021Feb-17]

Depends on you. When it starts to hurt back off do not wait till it really starts to hurt. As your knee gets stronger you can start adding ankle weights. My latest surgery was Dec31st exactly one month ago. Another stretch if you have an ottoman push it out so just ankle is resting on it and gravity will do the rest. Another same idea but if laying on the sofa back against the arm put a pillow under the ankle it does the same as other suggestions. While on the sofa another stretch in sitting position with leg out in front of you as straight as you can push down not to cause pain but to increase extension. As a side note, ROM is the easiest to get back extension at least for me has been harder.

 

[Bosoxjc3]

Depends on you. when it starts to hurt back off do not wait till it really start to hurt. As you knee gets stronger you can start adding ankle weights. My latest surgery was Dec31st exactly one month ago. Another stretch if you have an ottoman push it out so just ankle is resting on it gravity will do the rest. Another same idea but if laying on sofa back against arm put pillow under ankle it does the same as other suggestion. While on sofa another stretch in sitting position with leg out in front of you as straight as you can push down not cause pain but to increase extension. As a side note ROM is the easiest to get back extension at least for me has been harder.

Thanks, when i ice i prop my ankle up on pillows, I have done this for a couple of weeks it hasn't seemed to make a difference with the extension.

 

[chilikids]

My right knee replacement was 12/22...we are at about the same point post op. To work on my extension I just started laying on my stomach on my bed...I scoot down on the bed so my lower leg(from above my knee and down) is off the bed. This gently works with gravity to get that stretch to work on extension. It’s comfortable and gentle stretch.

How often do you do this and for how long?

I added this on to my stretch/exercises that I do 3 times a day. I do this at the end...it’s actually pretty relaxing and feels pretty good to do. I can feel the leg kind of relax and can feel a difference with the extension.

 

[DEL2021Feb-17]

Hate to say this but no matter what you do you will not get immediate results, it takes time. Odds are this is your first TKR based on your questions, this is my 7th total replacement on the same knee and the 20th surgery I have had on my knee. I have been to PT countless times. What I suggest does work over time. You have to have patience, it may take 3 months before you start to feel better. Since it's your first TKR if all goes extremely well, by the 6th month it can be pretty much back to normal, though some may take up to a year. This is all from first-hand experience.

 

[FCBayern]

Thanks, when i ice i prop my ankle up on pillows, I have done this for a couple of weeks it hasn't seemed to make a difference with the extension.

And it won't until you back off and let the swelling go down.

 

[Jockette]

If you want to do exercises, these are the only ones you need:
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Heel slides and how to do them properly

 

[Bosoxjc3]

Has anyone had luck with aquatic PT therapy as opposed to regular PT?

 

[Jaycey]

Has anyone had luck with aquatic PT therapy as opposed to regular PT?

Be very careful if you decide this is for you. Water workouts are deceiving. You are weightless in water so tend to move more. It's only after the session that you realise you did more than your knee could tolerate.

 

[Bosoxjc3]

Hate to say this but no matter what you do you will not get immediate results, it takes time. Odds are this is your first TKR based on your questions, this is my 7th total replacement on the same knee and the 20th surgery I have had on my knee. I have been to PT countless times. What I suggest does work over time. You have to have patience, it may take 3 months before you start to feel better. Since it's your first TKR if all goes extremely well, by the 6th month it can be pretty much back to normal, though some may take up to a year. This is all from first-hand experience.

It is my first knee replacement and only the 2nd ever surgery in my 54 yrs of living , it is a process and I am not very patient, but I will get through this one way or another, I ask alot if questions because it is very new to me, I am trying to Navigate this as best as I can

 

[Jockette]

My PT put me in the pool at 4 weeks, and I was scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays, for the next 4 weeks. My first session was 50 minutes long and involved countless bending exercises, and walking frontwards, backwards, and even sidewards. It was awful, and being the mostly compliant patient I was, I thought they’d never let me out. It took me 3 days to recover from that experience, and that was the end of my compliance.

That’s when I googled stopping “therapy” and thankfully found Bonesmart and learned about a different approach to recovery that is gentle and has excellent results.

As Jaycey said, be very careful with the pool. Some PTs don’t really understand the healing process and they give us way too much PT to do, as mine did.