TKR One Year Out

[Jamie]

This is a very good report, even though you haven't reached the full flexibility you want yet out of your knee. It can still come in the coming year, though. You may need to just do some stretching exercises to continue to gain ROM and some quad strengthening exercises for that soreness you're feeling. What you're experiencing is very normal. I am impressed with your ability to walk 15,000 steps. Now that's something to be proud of!

 

[Rockgirl4]

I just wanted to add that I bet you keep seeing improvement over the next year--at least up to the 2-year post-op mark. I had major changes happening at 10 months,14 months, 18 months, especially up to even 2 yrs after my surgery. That knee was really trashed from 7 prior surgeries, and I wouldn't have believed this was possible without experiencing it. I knew my ROM could improve over time, but I hadn't realized I would just keep getting more and more normalcy back, AND my range of motion. Getting up from a chair became simple again, and so did standing around, just shooting the breeze with someone in the grocery store.

I'm glad I have my old post-op thread to go back and compare to, as my left TKR is coming up, in 2 weeks. Best of luck to you as you keep healing.

 

[Toothfairy]

I just wanted to add that I bet you keep seeing improvement over the next year--at least up to the 2-year post-op mark. I had major changes happening at 10 months,14 months, 18 months, especially up to even 2 yrs after my surgery. That knee was really trashed from 7 prior surgeries, and I wouldn't have believed this was possible without experiencing it. I knew my ROM could improve over time, but I hadn't realized I would just keep getting more and more normalcy back, AND my range of motion. Getting up from a chair became simple again, and so did standing around, just shooting the breeze with someone in the grocery store.

I'm glad I have my old post-op thread to go back and compare to, as my left TKR is coming up, in 2 weeks. Best of luck to you as you keep healing.

I agree. I definitely continued to improve for at least two years after both of my knee replacements.

 

[marmarmish]

Those are some very encouraging posts ladies - thank you so much! Yes, I am doing exercise regularly, indeed it's important for continued rehabbing the knee and overall health.

@Rockgirl4 - I hope your upcoming surgery goes well and healing from it will be smooth. Sounds like you've had your fair share of them!

BTW - can the moderator please change my "headline" to "One Year Out"? Thanks kindly.

 

[Jamie]

Thread title changed for you.

 

[marmarmish]

I'm baaaaaack! Been a while since my last post. Everything was progressing nicely, as per my last post. Summer came and I started walking for about 1 hour. Very little to complain about. Then went on a trip to Europe in October, and all we did was walk! Hours of walking! I'd be sore at the end of the day, but a good night's rest and I was ready to go again the next day.

So when I got back in the fall, I was ready to join a gym and start a more formal exercise routine with weights. The leg exercises I started with were the same ones I had done in rehab, and I started with pretty low weights. The knee specific exercises I was doing were the Leg Extensions, Leg Press and rowing machine for 15 min. After the first 1.5 weeks, my knee was in a lot of pain. So I took the next week off to recover, and when it felt back to "normal", I started up at the gym again, and this time I halved the weights; Leg Extensions - 10 lbs, Leg Press - 5 lbs. I was doing this 4x/week and my workouts including stretching, upper & lower body weights andthe rowing machine was about 60-70 min. long, so clearly not over doing it.

Well, after a week I was in real pain! Funny thing, it didn't hurt while I was doing it, nor the next day. But after the week when I took the weekend off is when the pain kicked in. It got so bad I almost pulled out my cane. I stopped doing any leg exercises and 3 weeks later I am still in pain and my ROM is terrible! I feel like I am back to the early months of recovery.

Went to my doctor and saw the PA. She told me to cease and desist all leg exercises and has sent me to get a bone scan. Unfortunately getting appointments takes a long time and that won't happen until mid-Feb. This is so depressing and I'm really, really frustrated! Has anybody had this experience? You think you are pretty much healed up, and then it feels like you are back to square one?

 

[Jamie]

Try not to get discouraged. You probably don't have any bone or implant problems, but have just made your soft tissue very angry. As you've found out, gym machines can be really tough on a recovering knee. It's MUCH different than walking. And it almost never hurts while you're doing it; it's always later.

Your tissues are likely inflamed and swollen and impacting your ROM. Are you icing and taking something for the pain? If not, I suggest you do that.

This routine may not seem like overdoing it to you, but starting out at 4 times a week for the length of time your were doing it seems like a lot to me. I would have started out with just one or two exercises with as low a weight as possible and maybe 5 minutes on the rowing machine. If there was little problem after a week or two, you can always add more gradually to see how you do. I would also suggest that you start with two times a week to give your knee time to recover from a workout for the first several months.

Sorry you have to go through knee pain again, but it should get better with some TLC and time. Congratulations on having a good PA who advised you well and is checking just to be sure there is not something else going on. Please let us know how things go.

 

[marmarmish]

@Jamie Thank you Jamie, that is very encouraging! I will take your advice, and slow down on the weights. I thought I had taken it slow enough considering I am 13 months out of surgery. I'll update here when I have more information after the doc has been able to determine what is going on. Thanks again.

 

[mendogal]

Hi @marmarmish

I love gym workouts with machines, and was likewise cautious about resuming post op, waiting for ten months. So I do have specific advice on how to resume once you're over this soft tissue setback.

1) No more than one set of each exercise. Multiple sets with a few minutes rest in between seems more aimed towards bulking up (muscle hypertrophy) than simply gaining strength. Try no more than ten reps, focusing on good structure and on moving as slowly as possible in each direction. This maximizes "time under load," a key to strengthening.

2) Jamie is right: no more than twice a week!

3) Increase resistance by no more than 10% at a time, and allow at least a couple of sessions at the new weight before increasing again.

4) Try to eat a high protein meal or snack within an hour or two after working out.

 

[EalingGran]

Once you are cleared for exercise- have a look at my pilates teacher's free classes on YouTube. Google Katja pilates.
She has a side lying glute strengthening one with no squats that is my regular go-to exercise class. I do add light weights or a band now but don't start with that.
@Jamie and @mendogal are probably right- that you have just overdone it and annoyed your knee rather than done real damage. The lesson of listening to your body never really ends unfortunately.
At two years plus I can pretty much do anything but I still treat my knee with a degree of respect.
I irritated my knee at about your stage when I wore high heels to a funeral and ended up standing too long on uneven ground.
Good luck. I hope the scan goes well.