TKR New knee newbie<<

[Jockette]

You have increased swelling since the MUA and with the exercises you are doing.

My PT was saying its because I won't bend my leg,

This is not true, like you said, you are trying. It is the swelling that is holding you back.

Physical Therapy can be helpful, but is NOT necessary for you to recover from a knee replacement. Not all surgeons prescribe PT. It all depends on their opinion about it. And there are many opinions. Which means there is not just one way to recover. Which then means that you get to choose how you will rehabilitate your knee.

Many people have not gone to PT but have used the movements within the normal course of their activities to rehabilitate their knee. It’s done as they are able, as they heal.

Also keep in mind, it’s not exercising that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle,
and Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

The MUA caused additional trauma to your knee that it has to recover from. Take some time off to rest your knee and just do your daily activities.

Take a deep breath, try to relax, and rest you knee. It’s the best thing you can do right now.

 

[MJ61]

OK now that I've calmed down, I have a question. Is there a reason why you don't put heat also on the knee?
My muscles are really really tight I've tried to massage them but they won't let go.

 

[kneeper]

Heat on the muscles is ok, just not on the knee itself as it tends to lead to more swelling. I used a heating pad a lot on my hamstrings after my tkrs.

 

[Jockette]

OK now that I've calmed down

I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better.

I never had an MUA, but I did have a major set back at 4 months post op. We visited friends for a weekend and I struggled all weekend with their standard low toilet, with no raised seat and nothing to lean on to help me get up. I seriously don’t know how I managed. There was a small grab bar on the wall on both sides, but they were up too high and just not in a good position to be of much help, but it was all I had.

By the time I got home I could hardly bend my leg. My calf was sooo tight, though I didn’t really have much outer swelling.

I tried a heating pad but didn’t position it right and it ended up too close to the underside of the knee. My knee reacted with a lot of pain!

I ended up just waiting it out and my leg finally relaxed, but it took a few months.

I have since bought a portable raised toilet seat, that is not going to happen again!

 

[MJ61]

@Jockette I hear you about not having a grab bar for the toilet. I went to a friends house and her grab bar is on the left side. Everywhere you go where there are grab bars in the toilets its on the right. It made getting up really hard. I told her the bar was on the wrong side she said they didn't want to rotate the toilet ?? I have some small heat packs that I can put in the microwave I might try that for my muscles below my knee.

 

[MJ61]

Tomorrow will be 12 wks since my TKR and 13 days since my MUA. Friday at PT I was able to get to 85 degrees Thats only 10 less from what PT got me in the hospital 24hrs after the MUA. I said I'll take that. I see my Dr tomorrow I'm interested in seeing what he says.
I'm still very stiff and in pain I'm taking my pain meds every 4hrs and of course Ice and elevate. I'm having to really watch how I walk cuz I'm back to limping and that really kills my lower back.
I was just reading about wraping the plastic wrap around your leg at night found that very interesting. My nights are very restless I'm up every 2-3hrs then about 4am my leg starts hurting doesn't matter if I"m up on my pain meds it just hurts. I'm wondering if the wrapping might help. Might have to try it.

 

[MJ61]

I saw my Dr yesterday and I ask him if anti inflammatory would work in taking down my swelling. I've been icing and it just seems way too swollen. He seemed surprised that he hadn't given them too me.
So have any of you taken them and are they working for you? I think the selling is really holding back anything I try.

 

[beachy]

"He seemed surprised"
That sums up the last few months I've had with docs. You must be your own advocate these days. Or maybe it was always like that. I don't know. Thank goodness for Bonesmart or I would never know what to do to prepare and what questions to ask. And I'm pre-op. OS, allergy doc, primary care doc, dentist, insurance company, etc. It's a part time job! Without pay.
Hope those anti-inflammatory meds help you!

 

[kneeper]

I found no difference in how quickly the swelling went down with NSAIDs (knee #1) and without (knee #2).

 

[MJ61]

Here I am 3 months in RTKR and 3wks post MUA, and I know that restless/ sleepless night are kinda the norm during recovery. But when does it end? The most I can get sleep wise is 2-3hrs straight mostly 2hrs at a time. Then my bladder decides "well since your awake..."And trying to get comfortable is hard, I have one of those "Dr lounge" leg cushion and it works really well but I'm a left side sleeper. I've tryed sleeping on that side but can only stand it for maybe an hour.
Am I looking at close to a year before normal sleep patterns come back

 

[MJ61]

@Jacimarble I had the same thing happen to my shoulder when I had surgery 2yrs ago. I just wouldn't move then after 2 months it worked. My knee the same thing . when I realized I had the same thing going on with my knee I knew it would take 2 months. It frustated my PT because he had never had anything like that before. And true to form 2 months and 2days my leg started moving. I figured it had something to do with the anesthesia they used. I was worried aout when I had my MUA that it would happen again. and I think it has a little but not like before. So hang in there it will start to move when you least expect it. Just keep trying.

 

[MJ61]

OK So I haven't posted in a while. But this are moving along.
I returned to work yesterday I'm a teacher aid in the classroom so mostly I sit and listen to 1st graders read and sometimes move around the room. My job is only 1.5hrs a day. I get this call from our district that I need to go for a "fit for duty physical" because I had surgery I'm confused because they didn't do that when I had shoulder surgery 2yrs pryer oh well. In my job description I have no weight requirements but I do need to be able to bend crouch/squat & kneel.

OK question can anyone here crouch/squat & kneel after their knee replacement or get down on the floor. Most that I've talked to say they don't kneel haven't heard about the other. I've never been able to squat even 45+yrs ago in High school.

 

[MJ61]

KNEELING

Yes? No? or it just feels too weird to do it

 

[Dzina]

Yes but only on a padded surface; when cleaning bathtub kneel on a nice hearty stack of towels, when getting up off floor after stretching kneel a second or two on padded mat, when beginning planks kneel on a padded mat. Do not think I could kneel on a hard surface.