Become an Insider

TKR Jeffs new left knee"

I'm thinking you're doing too much which is why you have so much swelling. A half mile at a month is too much, probably short walks through the day would be better better. At a month out I was just beginning to think about upping my activities. Have you read the activity progression chart?

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-tkrs.14334/
 
I have read it and my surgeon said walk as much as you can. I thought I wasn't doing enough. I am on a cane now and can walk short distances without it. Can I do my own therapy or do I need a physical therapist?
 
I think if you're walking and not suffering side effects from a half mile that's one thing, but you're stiff and swollen. If I were you I'd try resting the knee for a while, get rid of the swelling and see what happens to your ROM. I've read here that a hose full of water won't bend, much like a swollen knee. At a month I was walking around my house, going to therapy and beginning to cook meals. At week 3 I had begun to do some cleaning, dusting, dishes etc. and I hadn't found Bonesmart during my TKR. It was just what I felt capable of doing. Everyone is different, but if your knee is swollen to the point that it won't bend, change something up and see if it improves.
 
Karri.B I think you misunderstood my post. I said it's still stiff but not as stiff as it was and it still swollen but not as was. And it doesn't hurt to the point that I'm red and intense pain. How long does the swelling last? How long will it take before its all gone the stiffness and swelling ?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
When I went back to teaching part time at 12 weeks my knee would get swollen, I'd spend the afternoons icing and elevating. When the swelling wasn't too bad I'd ride my recumbent bike for 10-15 minutes because that dud loosen it up a bit. At 6 months I was riding my bike 4-5 miles a day, working full time and my life was pretty much back to normal. At 8 months I was swimming 20 laps a day and doing a whip kick with my TKR leg. This last summer I was able to do squats in the pool. My ROM continued to improve for over a year after surgery. It's a slow process, but you'll get there. Nothing speeds it up though.
 
I merged your threads as per this request One thread for your recovery please?

It is so much easier to be able to help you and give you the advice you need when we are able to easily see when your surgery was, what other issues you may have had, and what has been going on in your recovery just by looking at one thread instead of bouncing back and forth between two or more other threads.

We also have help articles here, you know! In here How To Use This Forum (it's in the "Help & Info" tab across the top of the page).
The article you want is this one How can I find my threads and posts?
 
Hi Jeff - wondered where you'd disappeared to. Good to hear from you again.

I would just first say that one month is still very early in your recovery and swelling and stiffness (actually being two parts of the same thing if you think about it Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?) is still an ever present issue.

If you don't mind, I'd really like to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery! :no-fin:) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. how swollen is your leg?
[Bonesmart.org] Jeffs new left knee"


7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you describe them like these examples ....

Exercises done at home: 3 sessions a day
Heel slides x10 (reps)
Straight leg raises x10
Steps x10

At PT
Squats x5 (reps) x2 (sets)
Wall slides x5 x2
Clamshells X5 x2
 
I still get swelling in that knee and leg almost everyday since my work involves me to be on my feet 8 to 10 hours a day. I always try to elevate and ice my knee when I get home. It isn't as bad as it was in the beginning but it still happens. I don't know when it will go away totally but if I can do more than before surgery then I consider that a small price to pay.
 
Well my pain had gotten better and the level of pain is about 3-4 now and it still gets stiff.

My swelling has gone down to about moderately but then I could look at it if I go grocery shopping and it could swell more to huge . Then I would elevate it and use my ice machine it is awesome it sends ice cold warter around the new .

I am doing my therapy my squats and leg lifts, heel slides, extentions, heel pumps,. I do these every day on my own and out patient therapy just started and my range of motion was 115. But when I lay on my stomach and bend it's only 85 range of motion. I live alone so I cook, clean, go up stars about 17 stairs twice a day. I walk with a cane.
 
Squats, ugh pain! I refused to do squats at my first pt group. It was just too painful and made my knee very angry. I waited a year or so before doing them again and did them in a pool.
 
Yes they are extremely hard I only do like two sets of 20. I also feel them in my Hips as well. I HAD Both Hips replaced Last Year.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
I would cut back on your exercises, as you are living alone and doing all of the cooking, etc---that is actually much like PT itself.

At this stage of your recovery, you are compounding the issues by trying to do too much, and your surgical knee needs to rest. If you overwork your new knee, it will stay inflamed and your ROM will be hesitant to show up.
 
Thank you, what do I cut down on? Just cooking and cleaning is enough with a few exercises? I do not want to inflame my knee and cause more swelling.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
Remember, it is not about working harder---"Less is more", as you surgical knee just went through devastating trauma, and the harder you work it now, the slower and more frustrating your search for ROM will be. Don't work harder---work smarter.

You may not think that your cooking, housework, etc is PT, but your knee does, and it is trying to tell you something---listen to your knee.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@jebrig3164 I went back to teaching at eight weeks, and I was going to PT twice a week. I also went to the gym on Saturdays---I only did stretching with an exer-band, the recumbent bike on very little resistance, and I sat in the sauna and stretched my hamstrings and quads.

I also iced after PT and during the day at school---and my recovery, I can tell you quite honestly, was slower as I did too much, too soon.

Since you live alone, you "gotta do what you gotta do"---cooking, housework, etc, so PT should be twice week at most (do not feel bad about taking a session off here or there---it is not only good for your knee, but it is good for the rest of your body and you, psychologically, as well) and cut out the exercises at home. Ice and elevate more often and let that inflammation in the knee calm down.

Are you still icing and elevating?

Fight the urge to work and work and work the knee.
 
After not being allowed to bend my knee for a month, just walking around the house, heel slides, steps and stretches got me to the point that I could ride my bike. Then riding the bike really helped to loosen up my knee. One the best things I read on BS is that TKR rehab is not the same as rehabbing an athletic injury. Slow, steady and gentle is what works best for the trauma our knees have gone through.
Give your knee the gift of time, then when it's healed go for those strength exercises if you want, but not until months after.
 
KarriB said:
On the best things I read on BS is that TKR rehab is not the same as rehabbing an athletic injury.
Click to expand...
This is very, very true. I had an ACL PT regimen years ago, and I was very eager to work hard and show the PT massive amounts of improvement. I wowed him.

This TKR recovery takes a totally different type of mindset---one that is opposite of what we have had ingrained in us---"that hard work will help move everything along."

It is actually the opposite in a TKR or a BTKR recovery---hard work makes the recovery more frustrating, slower, and more painful. Fight the urge to work hard and accept the idea the being gentle and easy on the knee will help things along.
 
@referee54: yes I ice and elevate at three times a day. I sleep with both legs elevated in a hospital bed I have at home from my bilateral Hip replacements last year. Thank you very much cause I drive and walk to get my mail everyday and I do what u have to do to live . Shop, wash, whatever. I Will cut out my exercises at home. I have one more joint to replace and it's my right knee. I'm only 47 years old and it all started 3 years ago. Just started hurting everywhere. I use to weight nearly 600 pounds I am now 230 and still loosing due to the way my diet is. Clean eating no processed foods and complex carbs, no sugars . I still set in my chair and work out with the dumbbells. Can't wait to get back in the gym ....

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
@kerriB: just walking around the house ,and heel slides, steps and stretching got you to the point where you could ride a bike? Wow, I have learned a lot. It's the light excise and very minimal and time. Thank you I'm only a month out from surgery and I do live alone. So I do a lot everyday. Thank you . Time is the gift I will give my knee.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

  • Jockette
    Jockette
    Staff member since March 18, 2018
  • benne68
    benne68
    Staff member since February 4, 2022

Members online

Total: 948 (members: 3, guests: 945)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom