TKR Left TKR 9/23/19 My Journey

What kind of exercises are you doing? Too often we are given exercises that are more than our knee is ready for. At 3 weeks post op the things you do in the course of the day is enough exercise for your new healing knee.

It’s not exercising that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

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. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.

Note, normal activity is the key to success.
 
What kind of exercises are you doing? Too often we are given exercises that are more than our knee is ready for. At 3 weeks post op the things you do in the course of the day is enough exercise for your new healing knee.

It’s not exercising that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

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. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.

Note, normal activity is the key to success.
I only have 2. One is a squat as if I'm sitting into a chair and the other is more of a stretch with my op leg behind me. The new pt states we go until pain begins and then stop. No overdoing it. I get a lot of rest and ice.
 
I’m sorry, but I disagree with your therapist. Squats like you are doing are bad for your knee at this stage, it puts a lot of force through the knee. I was never asked to do any type of squat.

Also, by doing an exercise until you feel pain you have already passed the “too far” point.
 
I do understand your POV, and don't disagree. My pt likes some movement, but "up to pain, but not into the pain". We work on muscle and other soft tissue manipulation. A far cry from my first pt who was if the "no pain, no gain" line of thinking. The squats are less invasive than the ones my first pt wanted me to do. And I am practicing RICE.
 
Maybe do them only once a day instead of twice. And maybe not every day. :thumb:
 
On your squats, do they emphasize no knee movement forward, just a small bend and all the movement comes from a hip hinge? My PT wants no pressure on the knee, they teach the hip hinge going up stairs also so all the muscle is from your glutes....something we all need to engage, right??
 
@Thatbpguy
Sorry I don't know how to quote parts of a message, so hang with me.

1. Week 4 for me and I am still using a walker.
2. I sleep in 3 hour chunks then holler for "new ice", sometimes I go back to sleep, sometimes I dont
3. Had discussions with more than one PT about backing off and me using the word NO is a very forceful manner.
4. Prescription pain meds at night.

How I feel about all of the above? I DON'T CARE! At least I TRY to not care.

I do Comedic Improv for fun, first rule is " Yes and..." so what ever you get you agree and add more value.

Hard to do but imagine this:

Oh, I slept 3 hours after an oxy.... Yes and I can do 3 more sleeping hours if I (1. Take Another pill, 2. Do a lap around the house, 3. Do my butt clench exercises to Queens "another one bites the dust".... (why has no one else been told to do butt clenches?)

It is not my intent to make light of your experience. My intent is to share that our body will let you sleep when you need to, walk when it's ready, and we can manage pain based on listening to our body.

If I don't care about, when or how much I sleep, I sleep more.

This forum is fabulous! The people helpful and supportive and the more threads I read when I can't sleep, the more I see we all have diverse knees!

Hang in there for you and your spouse!
 
On your squats, do they emphasize no knee movement forward, just a small bend and all the movement comes from a hip hinge? My PT wants no pressure on the knee, they teach the hip hinge going up stairs also so all the muscle is from your glutes....something we all need to engage, right??
The idea is to stretch hip, calf and thigh. If I feel pain in knee, stop.
 
My journey continues. At pt yesterday, I was within 10 degrees on extension and up to 77 on flex. Slowly but surely. I also managed about 4 overall hours of sleep- which is the most since surgery. Still tethered to my walker. I really wish I had found this site prior to surgery. So far I have recommended it to 3 people with upcoming knee surgeries. Not to mention many really good people here.
 
Congratulations on a bit more sleep. For my first surgery, I didn't manage a full night of sleep - 7 hours - until I was 5 weeks out from surgery. More sleep will come, like everything else, slowly but surely.
 
Hi, everyone. I continue to make small ROM improvements with my gentle pt. I'm up to 83. Sleep is still spotty as I can't yet sleep on my side. However, once I stopped taking 1500 mg Tylenol and/or Tylenol PM, the hallucinations stopped. That helps. I am also weaning myself off the Walker- hopefully by mid next week. I will stay home next week and then back to work. Still sweating the possibility of a MUA. Enjoying reading everyone's posts and threads.
 
Remember, you're not even at one month yet. I wouldn't even entertain the thought of an MUA at this point as you'll still have significant swelling keeping your knee from bending. Even if your knee looks like the swelling has gone down, you likely still have internal swelling, and forcing your knee to be bent when the tissues are already injured and recovering will only cause more swelling and thus less bend at this point in time. Give your knee a few months, then reevaluate and see if there's improvement.

When your surgeon did your surgery, he checked the implant function before implanting it and he would not have put it in if it didn't work properly; therefore it's there waiting to use fully as your tissues recover from the assault that is a TKR. Dig deep and find the well of patience that you know is there, and let your knee heal before you decide to allow your surgeon to re-injure it by forcing it to bend before it's ready.
 
Remember, you're not even at one month yet. I wouldn't even entertain the thought of an MUA at this point as you'll still have significant swelling keeping your knee from bending. Even if your knee looks like the swelling has gone down, you likely still have internal swelling, and forcing your knee to be bent when the tissues are already injured and recovering will only cause more swelling and thus less bend at this point in time. Give your knee a few months, then reevaluate and see if there's improvement.

When your surgeon did your surgery, he checked the implant function before implanting it and he would not have put it in if it didn't work properly; therefore it's there waiting to use fully as your tissues recover from the assault that is a TKR. Dig deep and find the well of patience that you know is there, and let your knee heal before you decide to allow your surgeon to re-injure it by forcing it to bend before it's ready.
Good thoughts. My surgeon was concerned about that and prescribed Meloxicam.
 
I'm glad to hear you are not taking 1500mg of Tylenol at a time. That is not the recommended dose - it's 1000mg taken every 4-6 hours for a total of no more than 4000mg in any 24 hour period. And you need to count any other medications you might take with acetaminophen in them like cold and sinus medications and some prescription pain meds to be sure you don't go over that total.

I agree that you're only in the early days of recovery. Slow progress is just fine.....it's progress and a sign that you will probably be able to get your ROM just fine with no manipulation. It's there....it's just that your knee is swollen. Even if you can't see it, there can be internal swelling in that small knee compartment that holds you back until the swelling goes down.
 
I'm glad to hear you are not taking 1500mg of Tylenol at a time. That is not the recommended dose - it's 1000mg taken every 4-6 hours for a total of no more than 4000mg in any 24 hour period. And you need to count any other medications you might take with acetaminophen in them like cold and sinus medications and some prescription pain meds to be sure you don't go over that total.

I agree that you're only in the early days of recovery. Slow progress is just fine.....it's progress and a sign that you will probably be able to get your ROM just fine with no manipulation. It's there....it's just that your knee is swollen. Even if you can't see it, there can be internal swelling in that small knee compartment that holds you back until the swelling goes down.
Thank you. I have received great encouragement here.
 
I'm so glad to hear that! We are always here to address any concerns you may have.
 
Ok, week 4 of recovery is in the books. ROM has decreased a few degrees lately but remains between 80 and 84. General knee pain has increased. Adding to the usual dull ache are now a lot of sharp, stinging pains all around the knee. Still can't sleep on side due to knee pain, but I try a few times every day. Lastly, more and more I have a sensation of a wide steel band sensation around the knee. It doesn't bother me, but it's an interesting sensation. I continue to do my exercises and get 3-4 hours of sleep every 24 hours. I'm weaning myself of the walker and even made a couple of trips to the store. Thanks again for everyone's encouragement and suggestions.
 
Yes, around here we've nicknamed those sharp, stinging pains "zingers." :)
It feels good to get out, doesn't it. Do be sure to pace yourself, though, and ice and elevate when you get home.
 
Yes, around here we've nicknamed those sharp, stinging pains "zingers." :)
It feels good to get out, doesn't it. Do be sure to pace yourself, though, and ice and elevate when you get home.
I just went for my first solo walk with my cane. About 5 blocks. Weathered it well.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,167
Messages
1,596,863
BoneSmarties
39,356
Latest member
JanieMarie
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom