TKR I year anniversary

[dmichael21]

The chair trick only helped me once when I had a nagging hang up in my knee, I knew I could break it free with this method, a friend who had a TKR 3 years ago taught me this unheavenly method.

 

[Celle]

I learned a new way to gain flexion, not recommended for everyone, you stand in front of a chair and put your operated foot under the chair and then sit and your body weight will naturally bend your knee and some pops will happen and wha lah you gain a bunch. I’m gonna try and send a pic and please guess my degrees of flexion.

Please stop doing this to your knee. It's not necessary and you could do harm. It shouldn't be recommended for anyone.

What's your rush anyway? ROM can continue to increase for at least a year after a TKR and it takes a full year for all your knee tissues to heal completely. You can't alter that, no matter how much you'd like to.

By trying to force your knee to bend faster, you could be impeding your recovery. Your knee isn't lazy or unfit. It's wounded after a major surgery and it needs time and gentle treatment, so it can heal.

I’m a exercise nut and I’m within 3 lbs. of my high school weight so I have that on my side. It’s frustrating for sure and the improvements are so minor it drives me to try even harder.I wake up every hour and I just relax my knee and bend it with anger.

You're only 4 months into a year-long recovery. It is what it is, and you can't speed it up by exercising.
ROM is only part of recovery. Internal healing is a very large part as well and doing too much, too soon can impede that necessary healing.
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)

Try to be patient with your knee, and allow it the time it needs.
Instead of forcing your knee, focus your exercise nuttiness on improving your abs or upper body strength.

 

[dmichael21]

I honestly do exercise every part of my body and diet etc. I do cardio as well and I totally understand what you explain and respect your experience.my leg work outs are with very light weight and small reps. I have been using a row machine and stationary bikes and my favorite the stair machine. I promise not to share the chair trick again. I’m actually a whimp and I’m not torturing my self.

 

[Jamie]

dmichael. Look at your face in this photo

It's so red it's almost purple. You may be in good shape and all that, but that's big time stress. Don't fool yourself and think you can't have a stroke letting your BP elevate like that. Fifty-something guys keel over too sometimes....not just old guys. Please don't push yourself like this.

 

[dmichael21]

I do look awful red and that’s my sun burn from a day of yard work, partially. Honestly I’ve been talking to 2 fellow workers who have both had in one case both knees replaced and the other guy 1 knee replaced in the last 10 years and both are active golfers and my age and both could only bend there knees at only 110 degrees , they also walked horribly and both admit they didn’t put enough effort into rehab and both agreed my knee bent further than there’s and they liked my effort. I need to stay active with mountain bike riding etc or I will go crazy.

 

[Josephine]

please guess my degrees of flexion

Michael, I didn't guess your flexion, I measured it properly. IMO you're not doing that fantastically.

I was following a OS on YouTube and he made it clear and simple at 3 months post op you must work on strength and bend 8 days a week and most importantly to forget you even have a new knee.

So you trust this surgeon who you've never met and wouldn't know from Adam!

that’s my sun burn from a day of yard work

Yeah, that's believable - NOT!

 

[dmichael21]

I kinda misunderstood, my flexion is horrible and I thought it could be measured if I sent a pic, my good leg can bend to about 133 degrees and today I’m getting my operated leg within 4 “ of lining up with my good one, if you could give me a in the ballpark number I would be appreciative. I’m guessing I’m 118 degrees and to be honest I’ve never had good flexibility in the 1st place. My goal is to get around 125 degrees so I can enjoy my hobbies.The OS name is Dr William J Bryan of Texas.

 

[Jamie]

Jo's measurements are on the photos in the post above yours. The photo on the left is 105 degrees and the one on the right is 90 degrees. If you had poor flexion prior to surgery, it is possible that it will take you longer to reach your final ROM. So that may be part of the reason for you being slow to regain that flexibility. But....it could very well be all that pushing you're doing too. As an experiment, you could let your knee "rest" from that aggressive bending for 3-4 weeks and see what happens. You just might surprise yourself and gain more ROM faster that way. During that time, I'm not suggesting you not do bends and stretches each day. That's important. But just be sure you don't bend beyond mild discomfort. And watch all the other daily activities you're doing. They may not be formal exercises, but they count.

 

[dmichael21]

This week is my anniversary for my left TKR . I see Dr. this Friday for an X-ray and check up. Rehabbed my knee on average 6 days a week at a gym and finally feel like a normal knee with amazing comfort. Need more strength for my active life style and I’m determine to get it. Flexion has drastically improved as well. Thanks for the help.

 

[Celle]

@dmichael21

Thank you for the update.

You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you. Your one-year update is really a continuation of your knee's recovery story.

 

[Bigs]

then sit and your body weight will naturally bend your knee and some pops will happen and voi la you gain a bunch.

My kinda guy! *bro-fist

But seriously, that sounds a tad dangerous.

If we have a few more volunteers to go ahead of me, I'll give it a try

 

[SteveMinSD]

Hi @dmichael21, I hope you are well! It has been a while since you posted and wonder how you are doing now? Have you been able to return to your active lifestyle? Would you do it again? Any other wisdom you care to share?

Thanks!