TKR LTKR 7 wks Swelling & Active ROM 90's<

Due to an infection in my knee I was in an immbolizer brace for 4 weeks just a month after TKR surgery. So that meant no bending at all for that time period. I worried that my knee wouldn't bend again, but my surgeon always said, "the knee will bend when we tell it to bend". It was a little stiff when I was allowed to take off the brace, but it bent. I was at 109 when I was released from PT which was all non-aggressive therapy per my OS instructions. My knee was not swollen at all after coming out of the brace because I just stayed off it and elevated. My ROM now is around 120-125 and bends better than my natural, ouchy knee. So, your knee will not freeze up from stopping aggressive exercise. To help with extention/straightening you can let your leg bridge between a chair you're sitting on and a bench or ottoman. This actually felt really good!

http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/extension-how-to-estimate-it-and-ways-to-improve-it.9529/

It's best to hold off on strengthening exercises until you're at least 4 months post op and the bones are totally healed. Walking is great for strengthening your leg.
 
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Thanks KarriB, as hearing your story puts my mind at ease. All this is new to me and the unknown can cause me fear and anxiety. Appreciate your helping me to quit worrying about it.
 
I have now stopped all exercises as you suggested except for heel slides every couple hours and I do ankle pumps or foot rotations when in recliner.
Why except for the heel slides? You don't need them either. And having your husband 'assist' is particularly ill-advised.

As for the ankle pumps, you don't need to do these after a couple of weeks until you are fairly mobile. They're not even an 'exercise' but just anti-clot activities for people who are spending most of their day in bed!
 
My PT told me that for this one
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the idea is not to pull your leg, but use the belt (or whatever) to hold your leg in place for a few seconds while letting your hamstrings relax. You bend as far as you can (without pain) and then hold it. It's really more of a muscle stretch.

As Josephine pointed out stiffness is a form of pain. I always describe what I had as "achy stiffness" that pain meds or as recovery went on, Tylenol on a schedule helped.

Keep listening to the knee!
 
@Josephine
I am doing the ankle rolls because my foot and ankle is hurting to relieve the aching not for anti clogging. They feel good.
I thought a few heel slides were advised on this forum a few times a day. Done lying in bed, 5 Times and hold for 10 seconds. Did I misunderstand? thanks. Thanks.
Btw just read your TKR surgery UK style article. I enjoyed reading it.
Of course my journey has been very different due to ongoing inflammation and not gaining ROM as rapidly as you did.
 
You can go back to doing a few heels slides once your knee has had a good rest and a chance to settle down from the over-exercising. You don't need to do them even once every day - just now and then, when you feel like it. There were days when I didn't do them at all - sometimes I forgot for a week or more.
For now, stop all the exercises. Your knee will still get some exercise as you walk from room to room in your house.
 
I am doing the ankle rolls because my foot and ankle is hurting to relieve the aching not for anti clogging. They feel good.
Ah - okay. That's different!
I thought a few heel slides were advised on this forum a few times a day.
But you don't need them. Your flexion is 93 which, though it could stand some improvement, is okay for 9 weeks. Walking will do the rest. And MUA won't be appropriate at this juncture either.

Glad you liked my recovery stories!
 
I finally spoke to my therapist today and gave him the news that I had stopped all exercises this past Thursdsy and am not doing anymore PT at this time. He responded exactly as I thought he would. He said as long as I am willing to accept the risk of losing ROM that I may never regain due to scar tissue building. He wanted me to come into measure my active ROM. I didn't go as I know I have lost a tad bit of ROM. I am guessing I am around 85 degrees. My inflammation has improved drastically and is the least swollen that it has ever been.
I explained to him that I was confident scar tissue wasn't an issue and I need to focus on managing my swelling.
 
I think you've made a wise decision. What's sad is that your PT resorted to the old "loss of ROM" scare tactic. Let your knee heal for a while and see what happens with your ROM. That will tell you if you need to do anything more. Some people take nearly a year to get to the same ROM other people get in a few weeks. The important thing is to get there, not how quickly.
 
Good for you! That's the way to do it. Be polite and assertive and ignore the threats. He's just scared that you're swimming up stream, that's all! Funny how they get all steamed up about that yet don't feel any responsibility that their aggressive approach is doing exactly what they are scared of - but that's okay, isn't it? :doh:
 
Yeah for you for standing up for yourself - and your new knee! I think you will be much better off in the long run if you let your knee rest and heal up. Be patient as it may take time for the inflammation to subside to where you might see some improvement. I don't have much more flexion than you (on a good day) and our surgeries are just a day apart and I have seen a small improvement in the past two weeks since I quit doing so many exercises. Before that I was regressing - and an emotional wreck. Hang in there and enjoy the time away from PT. :wave:
 
Good for you! I imagine in the next week or two you'll see a marked difference in how you feel and how the knee bends.
 
Good for you! I am glad you did what you felt was best, not what the PT thought was best. No one knows your knee like you.
 
I don't have much more flexion than you (on a good day) and our surgeries are just a day apart and I have seen a small improvement in the past two weeks since I quit doing so many exercises.
Good luck in your progress. It will be interesting for us to follow each other's recovery since we're only 1 day apart on our surgeries.
I am a little concerned since I have lost some ROM since stopping exercises despite some improvement on inflammation.
My knee is very stiff but no pain to speak of. I have started elevating it higher which I believe has helped.
I have never been a patient person so this recovery is going to be very trying on me. The days seem to pass so slowly when I wish time would fly by faster so my life would return to normal sooner.
 
I'm not patient either -- I didn't see any progress for at least a week or more after I cut back on the exercises and the progress I have seen in ROM has been slight. I find the heel to toe walk with long strides to be helpful for getting a good stretch and getting rid of some of the stiffness, particularly in the mornings. I would encourage you to try to enjoy the additional rest and the reduction in inflammation. It is a hard transition to go from being a "doer" to a "rester" but we'll hope the outcome is much better. I was doing so much previously it was almost too stressful - felt like a job to get all the exercises in. That part is much less stressful for me now. Hang in there - enjoy the 4th!
 
Well I stopped all exercises and PT 2 weeks ago and do lots of icing and elevating. Good news is inflammation has improved quite a bit. I feel confident that I am on the right path to recovery. All thanks to Bonesmart!!! Thanks to you all for helping and advising me.
My depression is under control as well.
ROM will follow and improve. I no longer worry about it. At 9+ weeks and guessing low 90's. Anticipate at 12 weeks ROM will be better and inflammation too. Much of the inflammation is inside.
Go back to surgeon in 2 weeks and bracing myself for a butt chewing for stopping PT. Oh well. My life, my knee and my choice!
 
Don't tell you OS anything. Very many on this site never took PT or did exercises. I'm one of them. I've had 11 knee surgeries, which I would consider 7 of them serious, not just scopes, but invasive, and I never did PT or exercised. The first week after my tkr, when I was down more, I did the ankle pumps to keep my blood flowing and once in a while some heel slides. But, to add to that, I had to take care of myself. So, I did daily activities. That is all your knee needs. It doesn't need PT telling us how to rehab our knees. Our bodies know how to do it. My OS just asked me to show him what I could do with my knee and he was happy at my 1st. month checkup. He gave me a prescription for PT and I took it, but never went. He has no idea, but is happy with the outcome of his work, as am I!

Many enjoy being able get out and go to PT and, as long as they aren't hurt or caused to swell more, it's a great experience for them. But, it is not medically necessary to take PT or exercise!

It will take at least a week or more before you can see any results of your cutting out your exercises. That's why we say to give it at least a month. Your swelling will go way down and you ROM will go way up! And btw, it's not the numbers that count, it the functionality of your knee! Concentrate on what you can do and not those numbers!
 
Good report Iowa Girl! Glad to hear that the inflammation is subsiding and that you are feeling better. I have my 3 mo OS appt in a couple of weeks as well - much less stressed than for the 6 week as I know I'm on the right track - small improvements in ROM - bigger functional improvements, and much better emotional state - except when the sleep doesn't cooperate. Hope you continue to improve.
 
Good going, Iowa Girl! I did a hybrid of BoneSmart and PT: I bossed my therapist around and told him what I would and would not do. And then I only did the PT exercises while at PT (twice a week); at home I didn't do them! None. Zero exercises. All I did at home was walk for increasing distances outdoors, and do my daily activities. That's it. At my six week check-up, my OS was happy with my ROM and signed off. I see him in a year. He told me to just keep doing what I'm doing at home. PT not needed. I don't think I ever needed the PT.
 

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