TKR Patience Is A Virtue

[Dezzie]

Hello sanflo, I'm a side sleeper, in fact up until recently was physically unable to lie on my back due to a rotated sacroiliac joint which caused pain. When I came out of surgery I was lain on my side so as not to aggravate the back, and my surgeon said no problem lying on side from day one. Just do what's comfy! I had one knee done & foind it ok sleeping on either side. Sleep is important & you don't want to set your back off. I used ice a lot but without elevating the leg much. Even now it's still hard for me to lie comfortably on my back but i'm getting better as my posture gradually changes & I can do it in short bursts. The only prob with side lying on your side is that it's hard to elevate your leg, you can't really do it on your side. So I had the foot of my bed raised by a couple of inches instead & just hoped this was enough to help things along which I think it has. A friend put a couple of small blocks of wood under the legs at the foot of the bed. Dezzie

 

[sanflo1309]

I love massages. I would get a full body massage every two weeks. I am 5 weeks post recovery and wondering when should I start up my massages and should I stay away from the area of my knee replacement.

 

[sanflo1309]

Well I am one week post "you are not pushing my knee" PT and thing are going well. I am icing, elevating and resting. My ROM has improved from 84 to 96. So that is fine with me. I had some drainage from the top part of the incision but it appears to be superficial no fluid on the knee joint. Just doing gentle exercises every day. So 5 weeks in and I am doing great.

 

[sanflo1309]

Does any know of a real good Ice pack product that I could use to wrap around my Knee?

 

[sanflo1309]

I am six weeks post-op and I have been released by my OS to start home PT. I am excited although I am only 90 flexion and a couple of days ago, +6 in extension. I am doing the exercise routine I learned at PT plus what I learned from my previous home PT. I bought a stationary bike and I am using it daily.

I celebrated being on my own by having a full body massage and it was great. I wish my flexion was higher but I will be patient.

I ice and elevate 2-3 times daily, I am driving and getting back to some normalcy so overall I am blessed to be where I am. So glad I found this website and stop the extreme hurting for the PT early on! Open for suggestions on exercises that will increase my flexion.

 

[skigirl]

I will give you the exercise program suggested by one of our members who is a professional pt @kneesrus . But, at six weeks don't be anxious to move too fast. My OS told me one hour up and two hours down with the leg elevated at this time.

Exercises for TKRs: do-it-yourself exercises from basic to advanced

 

[NuNe4Me]

It takes a year to recover from this traumatic surgery. You need to give your knee time to >>>heal<<<.
Patience.

Elevate! Elevate! Elevate!

 

[1ELISEA]

Hi @sanflo1309
Welcome to the forum!
One more thing to try prior to exercising is to massage it with warm water, such as with a shower massage or something with heat. That will gently warm up the muscles.

My PT also did a gentle massage and stretch of the surrounding muscles which helped greatly with range of motion when I was not allowed to put weight on my knee. If you have a PT, you might ask them about it. I sat with the leg bent and knee hanging from the table and the PT did a very gentle massage and stretch.
Hope that is helpful!

 

[Campervan]

Best advice I can give you is don't get hung up on the flex. Some gain flex very quickly, others like myself very slowly. I found I didn't steadily gain flex, I'd get stuck for a while and then all of a sudden it'd improve. Here's my flex at various points through my recovery.

92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months

 

[Josephine]

I am only 90 Flexion and a couple of days ago -6

That should be +6. -6 is hyper-extension!

Is there anything I can do when I get up in the morning with my knee being stiff?

Just remember that stiffness is a form of pain along with soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching and swelling. Take pain meds.

 

[Josephine]

I also merged your threads as per this request One thread for your recovery please?
Please don't keep starting new threads about your recovery and please acknowledge you have seen this comment.

 

[sanflo1309]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement and for everything. Sorry I did not mean to start a new thread I couldn't find mines initially. I won't do that again. Is reply enough acknowledgement? or should I do something else.

 

[Josephine]

Aw bless you! a reply is all I wanted! Thank you.

There's a 'how to' on finding your own threads here How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[kneesrus]

Best advise I can give you is, don't worry about it. Just take what it gives you and don't force the issue. Life is therapy. Re engage in life's routines and the flexion will come. Getting out of the car is an exercise, getting dressed is an exercise. Just try to be a little more independent each week. 6 deg extension is not bad. It is when it is 10degs it is an issue.
For reference: In the 80's, if we obtained 90 degs of flexion, we were happy. A few times we would obtain 100+. It was a huge success to get someone to ride a stationary bike. Today's procedures are sooo much better.
Best of luck, slow and steady
David

 

[sanflo1309]

Since I am doing my home therapy, I would like to keep track of how I am progressing i.e Flexion degree. What can I purchase to do the measurement? I am happy to report I am feeling the progress although sometimes I get this sharp pain under my knee in the front. But it doesn't stay. Stiffness and swelling still remains but to a smaller degree. So ice and elevation is my friend. I am getting out and driving but not dancing yet. I am saving that for my sons wedding in August. For those who are having problem sleeping I imagine that will take time I am still having trouble some nights finding the right position but that too is getting better and I followed the advise of others sleep whenever the opportunity present itself. So slow and steady is not bad when you have friends like we do on Bonesmart. They keep you encouraged.

 

[kneeper]

I don't know about a tool to measure. I just tried to compare my bend to my other leg visually when doing heel slides. It's hard, but try not to get hung up on numbers.
good to hear that you are doing better at night.

 

[sanflo1309]

I am wondering would it be alright to begin to apply warm compress for my knee. Since I am 2 months in post recovery or should I just continue with the cold compress. I sleep with it elevated and ice once a day but my knee on the left side still feels hard and stiff.

 

[kneeper]

You probably don't need to sleep with it elevated anymore, but do elevate during the day. You could give a warm compress a try and see if it helps loosen things up. Are you taking any pain meds?

 

[sanflo1309]

I taking my pain meds sparingly because my doctor only prescribed 40 Hydrocodone 5-325 to be taken as needed every six hours. This is my second prescription. I am not regularly in pain so I thought that is how I should be taking them. I go back to him on April 13. I was going to ask him about the over the counter medicine.
.

 

[kneeper]

If 6 hours works for you, fine. Or 8 hours. Basically the story on the pain meds is you will naturally decrease as you need them less.