United States
I think walking is the best exercise you can do, and with your walks, that all you need to do. The knee is made to walk and you are doing that! All the other things will fall into place the more you walk.
MUA knee so stiff<<
- Thread starter bland9
- Start date
KnoxKnox
new member
I am 10 days post TKR and have the same sensation. Sausage about to burst is perfect description. The swelling worse now than it was at 5 days. I think I may not be elevating high enough. PT IS pushing some but not too bad. Been doing mostly stretches but now adding a few more ROM exercises. I am at about 5 to 60 range.
Karen
RTK 6/16/17
Karen
RTK 6/16/17
Jennszoo
post-grad
I could not have walked 40 mins at 3w. I'm prob at 30mins now and I'm feeling pretty strong. I walked all over Chicago last week and it was way too much.
As far as work, I'm a speech therapist. Lots of up & down, bending, floor sitting. Right now at almost 10w, if I wasn't facing a second surgery, I'd probably be prepping for a staged return to work. Less hours, lighter client load.
As far as work, I'm a speech therapist. Lots of up & down, bending, floor sitting. Right now at almost 10w, if I wasn't facing a second surgery, I'd probably be prepping for a staged return to work. Less hours, lighter client load.
The activity has a cumulative effect. You might try either shortening up your walks if you want to do other exercises on the same day or alternate days on what activities you do. That said, I was not walking very long at a time at 3 weeks, though I did a little bit each day.
I'm sure the walk did your spirits good, but it was probably too much for your knee. For the first month, you really should only be walking around the house and garden.
Re-read this article, to see what your activity level should be:
Activity progression for TKRs
Too much activity is one reason why you still have a lot of swelling.
I understand the need to feel normal again, but remember that this recovery is a slow one - it's a marathon, not a sprint, and complete recovery takes a full year. No mater how much your mind wants it, your knee can't heal any faster, so try to give it the time it needs.
We recommend taking about 12 weeks off work and then a Phased return to work
With a job that involves a lot of using your legs, you will probably need to take that long.
bland9
graduate
@Josephine please forgive me for not replying and it would be so much appreciated your help and advice , really don't know why did not reply but thankyou for giving me a kick
bland9
graduate
just one big moan but need to vent it I'm really frustrated about this feeling of the band around the knee feeling , like the surgeon left his tourniquet around my knee , really have a feeling like I want to give it a good forceful bend to break this tourniquet , no not going too not that silly but just a silly feeling I have, and the numbness and the electric shock (nerve ) making leg jump is not nice , though on positive side pain is decreasing , walking for me is better than home exercises which are too painful , thanks for reading my moans and groans
flyaway79
graduate
14 weeks and I still have that tight band feeling. It will be there for awhile. I remember having it with my PKR 6 years ago. Don't remember exactly how long it stuck around but I do remember I felt like it was there longer than it should be 
I'm afraid that tight band feeling will be with you for a while, although it will gradually decrease. Here's an article about it:
"Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee
Several years ago, we had a group of recovering bonesmarties who referred to it as "monkey knee" because it felt as if one of those clingy monkey toys was hugging their knee all the time.
The numbness is this: Numb area after TKR: how long will it last?
The electric shocks are just that - little shocks sent out by the nerve endings that were cut during surgery and are trying to re-connect.
I know it's hard, but remember that all this is going to get better and you will have a new knee that is improving all the time, instead of getting worse.
becticu
graduate
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
The questions I want to ask you will all deal with various aspect of the tight band syndrome, so here they are
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)
2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?
3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?
![[Bonesmart.org] knee so stiff<<](https://bonesmart.org/forum/attachments/ai63-tinypic-com_eta39s-jpg.57981/ "[Bonesmart.org] knee so stiff<<")
4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)
5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?
6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?
7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and
8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)
Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
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)
2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?
3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?
4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)
5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?
6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?
7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and
8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)
Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
TchrTina
junior member
Getting that quad control back as a big deal for me too. It seemed to take forever, but once it started to fire it got better each day. You are on your way
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Last edited by a moderator:
jaschembra
post-grad
I describe my band sometimes as feeling like there is a cast on the front of my knee. It will go away eventually but I'm approaching 6 months and still have it but less of it. Please listen to the BoneSmart ways as you may be doing too much for your baby knee.
bland9
graduate
@Josephine
Hi Josephine
1- pain level is low -4
2-soladol 30mg -2 tabs -4 times daily -I'm know just taking 2 tabs morning and than 2 at night
3-on the huge side
4- not been told yet by PT but can bend to 45 degree and leg is fairly straight has been told by PT
5-Nightly in bed for about an 30 mins
6-yes elevating leg very often most of day I would say , thisis just laying on bed , lifting legs on pillows is just to painful
7- doing housework but not a lot just an hour a day this is done with plenty of sitting then again abit more housework so plenty of rest
8- doing exercises - once in morning- afternoon- evening- foot slides 10 reps . knee stretching ie bends 10 reps , straightening of leg and lifting leg 5 reps then 5 rotations on static cycle . then short walks around house and garden when leg not to stiff throughout day , each tasks is separated with a rest of 10 mins before another is started, but to be honest if leg is too stiff then I do very little regarding exercises and just rest it on bed, AT PT do very little but to be shown what to do during week = but PT say I doing well and please with progress
Hi Josephine
1- pain level is low -4
2-soladol 30mg -2 tabs -4 times daily -I'm know just taking 2 tabs morning and than 2 at night
3-on the huge side
4- not been told yet by PT but can bend to 45 degree and leg is fairly straight has been told by PT
5-Nightly in bed for about an 30 mins
6-yes elevating leg very often most of day I would say , thisis just laying on bed , lifting legs on pillows is just to painful
7- doing housework but not a lot just an hour a day this is done with plenty of sitting then again abit more housework so plenty of rest
8- doing exercises - once in morning- afternoon- evening- foot slides 10 reps . knee stretching ie bends 10 reps , straightening of leg and lifting leg 5 reps then 5 rotations on static cycle . then short walks around house and garden when leg not to stiff throughout day , each tasks is separated with a rest of 10 mins before another is started, but to be honest if leg is too stiff then I do very little regarding exercises and just rest it on bed, AT PT do very little but to be shown what to do during week = but PT say I doing well and please with progress
all bonesmarties for keeping me the old boy 
in check I need all your reassurances and the “occasional ” well lots of occasional telling off to keep me on the path
As you know we're almost knee buddies in terms of operation date.
Not a day has passed that I haven't complained to any one who will listen or read (on my thread) about the tight band feeling in front of my knee or "sausage about to burst" sensation. Or the sudden (sometimes painful-waking me up at night or from naps) involuntary knee jerks. Or the zingers.
On top of that all is the (for me horrid) clunkity-clunk feeling I get when I lift my knee to dress, to put on sandals or take them off, and with every other step I take. OS said it would go away. I so do hope so, because it is a constant reminder of this metal contraption in my leg and I just hate, really truly HATE it. I keep thinking the knee parts are disconnecting from each other. Ugh.
Physiotherapist said it's not possible.TThat I'll get used to it. ( hrmmph!)
There's so much healing for us to do still. At 4 weeks we're only about 1 tenth or as folks here say: one 12th of the way.
Not a day has passed that I haven't complained to any one who will listen or read (on my thread) about the tight band feeling in front of my knee or "sausage about to burst" sensation. Or the sudden (sometimes painful-waking me up at night or from naps) involuntary knee jerks. Or the zingers.
On top of that all is the (for me horrid) clunkity-clunk feeling I get when I lift my knee to dress, to put on sandals or take them off, and with every other step I take. OS said it would go away. I so do hope so, because it is a constant reminder of this metal contraption in my leg and I just hate, really truly HATE it. I keep thinking the knee parts are disconnecting from each other. Ugh.
Physiotherapist said it's not possible.TThat I'll get used to it. ( hrmmph!)
There's so much healing for us to do still. At 4 weeks we're only about 1 tenth or as folks here say: one 12th of the way.
You will eventually love your new knee. I hated the pain it caused me at first, but when that was finally almost gone, I loved my new knee. I still do! This new knee has given me back an almost painfree leg! It's so very much better than before!
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
You will love your new knee soon, I hope. I loved both of mine from first bending them in the recovery room, though I got cranky with my left knee later. I'm not sure I have the tight band feeling (I guess I don't if I can't figure out what it is) but the tight knee/sausage knee/incision might burst feeling is familiar! For me that feeling went away around week six. Everyone's different, but the good news is it does go away, probably around that point. Just today I got a video from my OS showing how to massage, manipulate and pinch the scar to mobilize it more. So I figure he knows when the thing is "letting go."
