TKR Judlepip has Turned a Corner!!

[Chihuahuan]

@Judlepip
Hi Judith: I have begun to exercise at a gym (attached to a PT facility) where they modify exercises for individual issues. It has really helped to strengthen my knees, and hip, so that everything is staying in place. They focus on the core musculature and in my case on the quads. It is hard work but is making a huge difference in all-over muscle tone. I wonder if that type of exercise would help you?

 

[Pumpkin]

I was hoping you had turned the corner on lasting improvement, maybe next time.

 

[Judlepip]

Thanks Chihuahuan and Pumpkin. I don't know if we have those physic facilities here in UK, but I can ask. thanks Chris, well, I still feel it's an improvement and maybe I can 'manipulate' it similarly again! I still feel positive about it.

 

[Josephine]

It's truly amazing. If all it took was that bit of manipulation why on earth didn't one of the specialists I've seen sort that out long, long, long before now?

LOL - and so easily done? Well I'm truly very pleased for you but you're expecting rather a lot from a simple human being! They have lots of skills but I don't think clairvoyancy or second side are included!

 

[Majic]

There are facilities like this in the UK. There is a gym near me deals with post op patients, a nd the PT I went to also sent me to the hospital gym. Admittedly this is a private hospital, but a friend was referred to a gym by his Dr after an MRI scan to correct the findings. This was on the NHS. Perhaps you could ask your GP for a recommendation.
Love, jackie

 

[Judlepip]

Thanks Jackie. I will look into it. I'm still amazed that 3, yes three, eminent surgeons didn't explore the possibility of manipulation. Having been on Bonesmart, I had heard of MUA, but as it wasn't mentioned by the specialists, I assumed it wasn't appropriate for my particular problem. It would have saved the NHS a lot of money (3 different specialists) had just one of them looked at other possibilities. I had CT and MRI scans and I had X-rays; the NHS did me proud. I believe it was the specialists that let me (and the NHS) down!

 

[Chihuahuan]

At my first gym session the trainer assessed how I did squats. Didn't hurt at the time but the quads hurt like crazy for several days afterwards. The whole quad system must have been "glued" together --knee feels a whole lot better since it became unglued. Now I just have to keep doing the exercises so it doesn't stick itself back together.

 

[Judlepip]

Squats are certainly beyond my capabilities! I exercise each day with walk aerobics, that keeps the muscles supple, but I skip on anything that looks like squats!

 

[Chihuahuan]

I do "squats" with assistance of a strap system so that I only squat as low as is comfortable. Each day it gets easier and better. I have found that my continued discomfort has been mostly from soft tissues etc that needs stretching out. Perhaps that type of thing would help your knee to stay better aligned. It's a slow process but is working...

 

[KYata]

You are doing lots of squats, each time you sit and stand that's a squat. Trick is to only do them at your level so you don't do more than your legs can handle. That's what the machines are for, to adjust difficulty. I can handle my body weight down to a particular angle then I do supported squats on a machine to move through more range of motion be able to squat lower as I heal and get stronger.

 

[Judlepip]

My biggest problem following TKR is that I couldn't, and still can't, stand from sitting, or indeed sit, without heaving myself up and down using my arms. I don't know how to improve that and I can't afford to go to a physio. 18 months on and I'm no better in that respect. I don't think we have the same level of support following TKR over here in UK as you appear to have in the US. Having said that, we are blessed with the NHS and there obviously is a limit as to what it can pay out for us. (I would like to point out here, that our NHS is not free, as so many seem to think, but is something we pay into all our lives. So the use of it is only what we paid for. Sadly that is limited with so many people using (and abusing it).

So do you think if I continue to try to do squats that might improve for me? Usually, I just avoid them!

 

[PolarBear60]

I'm having that problem, too, Judlepip. The exercise they gave me that seems to help is to hang off the kitchen sink (or some other firm structure), bending as low as I can comfortably go, then pull myself up to standing. Hang onto the sink, standing back at arm's length, slowly bending knees and lowering as far as comfortable. After holding for a brief time, pull yourself up to a standing position. They had me do thirty reps of this, and it did feel good.

I also did squats in the pool today, going as low as possible and standing up. Time will tell if that's going to be helpful.

Standing from sitting now hurts at the 3-4 range of pain vice 5-6, but I only did that series of exercises once. I guess I should try it a few more times, eh?

 

[Chihuahuan]

I do similar exercises in the kitchen also. You have to imagine yourself sitting in midair while holding onto the kitchen counter. It stretches the quads and releases some of the pull on the knee. I also gently pull my foot towards my rear (bottom). It's a matter of very slow improvement.
Maybe over time it will naturally release whatever is hanging up in your leg/knee. One can but try!

 

[Chihuahuan]

My gym is not covered by any insurance. If I needed PT it would be-- but with a hefty co-pay. My family don't seem to know what they pay into the NHS!

 

[Jamie]

Judlepip....do you have pain when you try to stand or sit? Or is it more a matter of muscle strength? I'm betting it's the latter and you might benefit from some physio. Can you get your GP to order that for you?

 

[tigz]

Thanks for that exercise @PolarBear60

Just copied it and posted it into my thread for future reference! Something to try later.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Judlepip]

Thanks @PolarBear60 Info tucked away for reference. I shall try it as soon as. I have a friend staying at the moment so difficult to do such moves in private! @Jamie - well it may be muscle strength, but i would have thought I'm pretty good on that score. I do walk-aerobics each day which include kick-backs (hamstrings), knee raises, kicks as well as side steps etc. I always work up quite a sweat so feel I'm doing some good! I think my muscles are good actually. All the specialists have commented on my 'range of movement' (as being good). I haven't been able to squat since my TKR with pain in the knee. Also in the un-operated knee as that needs doing too, but it won't be - I'm firm about that!!

 

[Jamie]

It depends on the exercises you're doing. It takes quad strength to stand up from a seated position. You aren't necessarily working all the quad muscles with walking and maybe not even with whatever kicking you're doing. The best exercise is to do some type of squats. They don't have to be deep and shouldn't be when you're starting out. The information PolarBear60 provided is good....use support to start if you need to. Unless you're having pain when you do the squatting or standing from seated movement, I'd say this would be something to work on.

 

[Judlepip]

OK Thanks, @Jamie I'll certainly give it a go. I'd thought it was irredeemable, but maybe not? I've realised you're in the US, so no doubt you'll have heard of Leslie Sansone? I do her walks for about an hour each day. Great exercise, but I always do something else if anything resembling squats turns up! I must think again, I'm sure I can do them- if just not deeply.

 

[PolarBear60]

That one session in the pool has helped already with standing from a chair. Pain is down in the 2-3 range, and I don't have to use as much upper body strength to get out of the chair or off the commode. (I complained about this on Thursday, and my PT asked if I was doing my squats. I told her I wasn't. Not gonna lie, but doing them in the pool was easy, and it appears to have helped.)