Guest viewing is limited

Loss of ROM

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nana55

member
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
160
Location
United States
I need some advice. I am still in PT and after reading posts it sounds like most folks went for short periods of time , I think Simon was also in PT for five months (from another post). Friday the PTA said I was back at around 90 from 110 so I am stressing out (there goes my hair)!!!!

I do know that I am stiffer because I sat so much last week at work buy there was no way to avoid it but I did go to PT pool and rode bike at home plus did full PT two days. 90 degrees of bend doesn't get it for me because I LOVE to do lawnwork, clean the driveway and sidewalks with a pressure washer etc.

I am discouraged because I currently really don't have anymore bend than I had before surgery and because my monies are going fast since my health coverage benefits for PT ended about 2 1/2 months ago.

How others gone back and forth like this?? We are limited here on any type of private exercise gyms and a trainer would be more expensive than PT. Other suggestions???
Thanks
Nana
 
Re: Lost of ROM

Nana, I would discuss it with your PT and see what options they feel might work from an exercise point of view. Surely they could recommend something you could do yourself at home after all this time. If you aren't satisfied with what they say, maybe it would be good to have your surgeon check it out. I can't recall....how far out of surgery are you? Do you have any pain and/or swelling? That can impact ROM.
 
Re: Lost of ROM

Hi Nana Sorry. Not sure if this would help or not but it cant hurt. I was up until a few days ago going to PT, but with up coming surgery again I choose and Dr Advised to save them I only have 9 left. Anyway I have been going there forever and never knew that as long as I am a active patient, and only went 2 times a week, that I actually have access to everything, anytime to everything. Gym part, the pool. But on the days that I just go in on my owe i wont have a PT. But I can use everything there anytime. Maybe yours might have something like that..Just on your off days for PT, then maybe stretch out to 1 day a week with PT but still get full use of everything. Sorry this is so long but it was great money wise and I didnt even know it.......please take care of yourself and get well.
 
Re: Lost of ROM

Nana
Hi. I feel your pain. Really I do. I was in PT for 8 weeks, 3 times a week. Due to some nerve bruising I had no use of my foot and limited use of my leg. I fianlly got a ROM of 120 after a lot of hard work. I have been home on my own now for 2 weeks and seem to have gone backward.
 
Re: Lost of ROM

Joyan, sorry to hear that you've had a bit of a setback. Are you still experiencing problems associated with the nerve bruising and limited use of your leg? How is your activity level during the day now that you're out of PT? How about your pain and swelling?
 
Re: Lost of ROM

Hang in there...one my first TKR I was in PT almost 6 months. Then I had my second TKR.
Since my ROM on the second was immediately better than the first, the PT kept working on the first as well. We still made gains even 8-9 months out. In fact, I made some nice gains at that point. My ROM on the second knee will always be better than the first (130 on the second, maybe 115-120 on the first). Your ROM before surgery is usually the best indicator of your ROM after.

At a certain point, doing home exercises is maybe just as good. Bike, knee bends, you probably know the exercise drill from your PT.

Have you spoken to your OS about manipulation? I didn't have one, but many report good results.

Best wishes.
 
Nana,
I have a suggestion for you for an exercise to do at work. Get a ball about 6 inches round that you can roll back and forth under your desk from heel to toe working on your ROM. Doing this exercise will prevent the excessive stiffening up you are experiencing. Others have suggested a skateboard to use under the desk but it is rather bulky....... Try it!
Best,
 
Thanks for the advice. Missed PT today and I am going to hit the bike, stairs, and ice tonight.
Texas,
Hope things are going okay.
 
Nana ,
I keep working, riding the bike and walking more and more. I think it helps with my strength but I'm not sure about the ROM. Mine is not as good as before the surgery but I still have hope.

Jamie,
sorry I took so long to answer but have not been on for serveral days. With nerve damage I have not had a lot of feeling in my leg at all no pain in that part or anything else. The nerve is now getting better and I am feeling stinging in the leg and they say that is a good thing. As for the swelling my foot and leg stay swollen. I have stretched all the shoes I have tried to wear. I'm not sure when that will go away but I hope it is soon. I am now working on retraining the muscles that I have not been able to use and hope they are quick learners.LOL.
 
Joyan....no problem about the length of time to respond! People DO have lives outside the forum!! I am glad to hear things are slowly getting better. We always want them to improve like....NOW. It's good you are being patient and keeping a wonderful sense of humor!
 
I devised my own little exercise for flexion ... I'd sit on my (now infamous!) settee with my behind on the edge. Then I'd pull my foot closer and closer, using my hands when my foot wouldn't do it, and at the same time, I'd lean forward so my knee was even more flexed. At the point of most extension, my foot would be under my seat.

When I got to the point I couldn't stand it anymore, I'd use my good foot to help it out straight again by just pushing on the heel with my toes or lifting it with my hands! I used to do this for about 4-6 reps x 2-3 times a day.
 
Jo - you WERE being good and doing exercises all the time, even though you pretended you weren't!

What's the significance of the fish bowl?
 
[Bonesmart.org] Loss of ROM


Nothing much. I love aquaria and for sometime had a lovely tank. Even bred fish. That image is supposed to be animated but seems to have lost its 'go' somewhere in the translation.
 
Hmm...I was told at PT that the Rom you achieved on your own without their help. you won't lose..which was true for my Feb 08 rtkr...it even got a little better over a year...with a revision which is what I had in Jan...ROM was 90 and is now 125 depending if I warm it up or not..my OS is very pleased.. so am I, but with this one it feels like stuffing inside the knee which he told me could go away or always be like that...scar tissue from the lst tkr...all I need to hear is scar tissue and I'll be doing ROM exercises forever...but once I hit a mark in PT I always kept or improved it. I was also fortunate this top doc will do a manipulation early on whether you need it or not as a big time jump start to PT..lucky for me since I had stem end micro movements which ended PT...when I went back to PT in 6 weeks..no difference in ROM or extension and they sent me home..so I never lost a degree...
 
To nana 55: I am 4 months since surgery & still going to PT w/o much more success than when I started. I had a manilpulation last month and tho the Dr said he bended it to 110.. I couldn't get there one day after the manipulation. Now I have a dynasplint that i'm suppose to sleep in but I can only lay on right side all night... I can't do this as I am like a fish and flip flop all around all night. I could achieve same results wearing 4-6 hrs "every" day. Gees-Louise I am just about done with this knee thing and ready to say this is as good as I'll get. I can't squat, that bothers me.... I can't get off the floor unless I crawl (on my butt) to a chair and lift myself. But I can take a bath!!!! I have my own way of getting out. I am 56 years young and hate saying I am discouraged but I think some of us just do not achieve as much as otthers. I was very swollen before surgery for 6 months, I don't know if that's keeping me back? At least I am pain free and that is a blessing!
 
Yes being swollen or not having good rom before surgery does make a difference, Atleast thats wat I was told. I am having a hard time because I had previous surgeries as well. If you wear the thing all night does that keep your leg straight wouldnt that make it harder to bend in the morning? Is it worse in the morning or night or no different? Sorry just wondering for down the road.......But I know how you feel about the whole knee thing but maybe like jo would say ice and elevate to try to get that swelling down. Hope you feel better soon......I will ck back to see how you are.......Kim
 
I guess I am an odd person, not the first time I have thought this or the first person I am sure. But, I do not like PT. I went three times after bilateral TKR a year ago today as a matter of fact. I do just as well on my own, even my doctors have to agree with me on this one. I came up with simple exercises on my own and some of them anyone could do anytime. The funniest I came up with because we had a new puppy that my husband got me the day I had the BTKR, it is his birthday today. I was paper training him and had put the papers in my bathroom and I put it clear up to the front of my toilet. When I would go to the little girls room I would sit in there and slide the paper (clean) back and forth. No matter what I was doing or where I was sitting or laying or standing I worked out an exercise to do that strengthened my legs and helped with ROM and extention. Since I have fallen and hurt my left arm and shoulder I do the same thing and it is working, my arm is slowly getting back to normal. My only problems arise when I do too much. I must say I have to admire the people who go the PT for weeks and months, I would be crazier than I already am. The last therapist I had was a gal who was as wide as she was tall and couldn't do any of the exercises she wanted me to do. I think the very least they could do is be able to preform the exercises. Her big draw was, "See this little scar, (about an inch long on her ankle) if you rub vitamin E on your incisions you will have as nice a scar as I do." Good luck, Rowdy

PS By the way my range of motion and extention are normal and I have no pain and have been like this since about the third or fourth month after BTKR. While I had pain after the surgery it was no where near what it was before so I have been a happy camper so far as my surgery is concerned and I am in no way putting down PT for others, I think we all have to do whatever we need to do to get where we want to be. I mainly wrote this for the people who are running out of PT visits so they can see that even on their own they can get better if they work at it. I don't mean to put down PT or anyone who is going to PT.
 
Hi Texas,
I got the Dynasplint through insurance and I wear it to work the "soft tissue" while I'm inactive 4-6 hour period. It is to subtly help with the flexion. But because I've done out pt. therapy since Feb 1st 09 & still doing it I am just tired of it "all". The splint keeps my leg in the bend position making me have to sit for 4-6 hrs every day! Talk about gaining weight!!! I have gained 20 lbs since my surgery, and that's hard on both good and bad knees. Also after wearing the knee is quite tender and I than have to take Vicodin.
 
Thanks Rowdyy its good to know I just cant afford it anymore.....Glad you are so far healed from this Gives me something to look forward to................Thanks Kim..
 
Oh sorry ablout you shoulder I think I remember you talking about that on here but I was going into surgery a the time. I hope that gets better.........Kim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom