MUA MUA set back

[Godbless]

Been to pt 4 days sense my mua and still can’t bend my knee. Quad muscles sore as you know what. So frustrating.

 

[Jockette]

You can’t bend your knee because you have swelling from 2 procedures within a month. Your knee is very upset. Don’t be frustrated, your knee cant help it.

 

[Kandy]

As someone who "fired" my first PT clinic and went to another PT, I have some insight. I personally did much better when I went to second PT who paid attention to what my knee was saying. He said especially after an MUA, swelling and pain are your enemy. He taught me how to listen to my knee and pay attention when it was telling me that I was doing too much. First PT group kept telling me I wasn't doing enough and scheduling me in a group of 2:1 or 3:1 patient to clinician ratio. I did not fit into the first PT clinic's box. My knee was apparently more sensitive than their average patient, and what worked for many TKR patients at that clinic just did not work for me. So, please try out a different PT clinic. Make sure you are seeing a professional to yourself and not sharing your time with 2 or 3 patients to 1 clinician. Make sure they work on massages and are working on your knee to reduce the inflammation. Will PT be uncomfortable? Yes. Should it illicit pain? No. My ROM was stuck at 110 for 8 weeks with my first PT clinic. MUA got it to 120. I went back to first clinic and I lost ROM back to 115. I changed to see the new therapist and I can get to 135 now. Also, my new PT gave me an app where he put exercises on there. I logged in daily to do the exercises and to record pain levels. It was tailored for me and my recovery. I felt like I finally had structure in my recovery. I don't know that I would have gotten to that point on my own without doing tailored exercises.

 

[Godbless]

Thanks kandy.

 

[Godbless]

Can I get my rom back ever? Week 5 and after my mua 8/31/22 my knee is not bending. I keep thinking their going to go back in my knee and do something. Or another mua which would kill me. When is my rom important? I keep worrying and crying uncontrollably. I really don’t know what to do. I never cry. I wish this was over so I could at least mow my lawn.

 

[Zanza]

Don't let them do another MUA! It's your knee, and the last one made you have a huge setback. You just need to let your knee settle down and stop swelling up. I know how it feels to have a setback, I am having a setback right now with the heat wave in San Diego. It made my knee swell up and it's so bad now it just hurts and hurts. I know it's going to get better if I just give it time. It's the same for you. PLEASE just take care of your knee and ice it and try to take it easy. I know you're really upset and I will pray for you to feel better.

 

[Godbless]

Thank you zanza.

 

[Jockette]

You will get your ROM back. “They” want it to happen right away. “They” should realize, it doesn’t always happen right away. After a very slow first year, my ROM improved a lot in my second year. I don’t understand the rush, either, early in recovery by our medical team. There is no time by which you need a certain number.

You do not have to consent to any future treatment proposed, if you don’t want it.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

What your knee needs right now is gentle treatment, lots of rest, elevation, and ice, if that makes it feel better. PT should be gentle. If it isn’t, stop going for a while and give your knee time to heal.

Your MUA was actually done earlier in recovery than most. Your knee has been “through the mill” and needs time to recover from both procedures. Anesthesia can do a number on us, and you had it twice within a month.

Try to be patient with yourself. Your body is upset and it really just needs time.

Many of us have cried more than usual in this recovery, so you’re not alone there.

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

Hang in there, we’re here for you.

 

[sistersinhim]

Please try to have faith that you will be OK. For this recovery, less is more. Less PT is more healing. As long as you're moving around gently, your knee will improve. Remember, you can not force healing but you can set it back by doing too much. Spend more time icing, resting, and elevating. There is no rush. Remember also that your surgical time was set back to the date of your MUA, not your TKR. That MUA undid much of the healing that had taken place after your surgery. You have 6 layers of stitches that have been disturbed and possibly pulled apart some. These tissues have to reheal. This takes time and patience.

Just think of what is happening on the inside of your knee. Closing stitches.

 

[Godbless]

Thanks it helps a lot.

 

[eaglemom]

My goodness I just read through this thread. Your poor knee is very unhappy and that's making you very unhappy. First and foremost you will get your ROM back, in due time. Certainly not immediately but it will come back.

Everything you‘re feeling is understandable, you've been through a lot. You do not have to have "formal" PT. That is your decision to have it or not. Equally if you chose to have PT you’re in charge of what they can do to you. Certainly not pressing on the knee or bending it in anyway. You are in charge.

It was mentioned about icing. Are you properly elevating when you’re icing? Maybe take a week off from the "formal" PT and you do your own thing. Small walks & just daily living are enough movement for your knee right now. Call some buddies & have coffee. Do something different to change what you‘re doing. If after a week you’re feeling like the knee's a tiny bit better keep doing that. Or if you’re inclined then go to PT. I just personally think that you're overworking your knee. I'm not a surgeon/nurse/etc but I've certainly had numerous procedures on my knees. I wish you the best & we do want to help you.

 

[Godbless]

Thank you so much eaglemom.

 

[Odieodell]

@Godbless I felt the same way as you early on. There is so much pressure from the surgeons and PT that we have achieve a certain ROM by a specific timeframe and if we don’t reach it by then, they want to force it.

I’m at 5 months and my ROM hasn’t significantly improved yet. I may be at 100 degrees on a good day. However, my knee doesn’t hurt walking or doing some activities I love such as golf. I’ve even started playing Pickleball. However, I still can’t ride my bike nor am I playing tennis yet. My knee still has some swelling in it because I am staying so active and the knee isn’t completely healed. I’m no longer stressing about the ROM number. I’m letting my knee decide what it can handle and letting my daily activities be my physical therapy. I encourage you not to let anyone to push your healing. You’re the boss of your knee.

 

[Godbless]

@Odieodell if I can play golf at 5 months I will be in heaven. That’s my goal. Thanks for the Encouragement. Hope all goes well with you and your recovery.

 

[Godbless]

Update. 3 weeks from mua (Aug 31) 0 extension 70 flexation quads still tight preventing bending. Trying to stay positive. Leg and stamina getting better little at a time.

 

[sistersinhim]

At least you are seeing improvement. For the vast majority, it is a slow recovery so you aren’t any slower than the majority

 

[Godbless]

Went to post op with OS today. Like’s my extension said bending will come. I was very surprised. 0/80. Knee still is sore and achy at night. Still icing. Off hard meds take Tylenol and ibuprofen. Doc said to keep working hard. Flexation will come. Very relieved.

 

[sistersinhim]

You are doing very well!

Hello @Godbless,
You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as it's best if members in recovery only have one thread. We find it much easier for everyone.
This is because:

• That way, you have all your information in one place. This makes it easier for others to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you start new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. We won't miss your new question as, between us, the staff read all new posts each day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.

 

[Godbless]

Sorry just found out how to find my threads on my iPhone. Have to turn it side ways to get tool bar

 

[eaglemom]

You are doing well, but I fear your putting too much pressure on yourself. The recovery period is 12 months, but after that you will continue to gain ROM and strength. Some surgeons (I'm not saying yours) act like a TKR is an easy recovery. It is for them because they weren't operated on!!!

It is a very fine line between doing enough and over doing. Frankly your knee is in charge of your life right now. That's just the way it is for now. It won't always be that way. Your body is healing and recovering from the TKR and the MUA. It's hard to be patient I certainly know that, but hang in there, it will get better.