MUA Please Help. What should I do

[Good Girl]

My PT tries to bend knee as gently as possible.

 

[Jockette]

My PT tries to bend knee as gently as possible.

Don’t let him/her do this, it is not necessary.

I suggest you take a step away from PT and home exercises for a while. Have you been going to PT since your surgery?

Many of our members have had a successful outcome by not doing any formal exercises or PT. The movement your knees gets, naturally, as you go through your day is plenty of therapeutic movement for healing.

This is what one of our members, TortiTabby, experienced:

(Just so you know, ADL means Activities of Daily Living.)

“At my six week appointment this is what my OS wrote in my visit summary: "She reads an online website called Bone Smart which states to not push through pain following knee replacement. If she were to follow this direction, she will have to learn to live with a knee that only reaches to 85 degrees of flexion. I believe this website is very misleading."

It has now been 20 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks (where I am today): 110
I am so thrilled it keeps improving and improving and I know now that I will get to my goal of 120 (or even better, dare I say!)
So, if a OS or PT bullies you into thinking your ROM will not improve over time they are wrong. By the way, I haven't been back to see the OS since that horrible appointment at 6 weeks, but I sure am going back when I reach 120 just to say, "Ha! You were wrong, BoneSmart was right!" “

And,

“Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better. “

 

[Jockette]

I take Paracetamol, Codien and the Dr prescribed oral morphine but none seem to work

The most effective way to take Tylenol is 2 x 500 mg tablets every 6 hours, to a total of 4,000 mg (4 doses) in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up the levels in your bloodstream. If you just take the odd dose now and then, it's far less effective.

Check all other medications you're taking, to make sure there is no Tylenol/Acetaminophen/Paracetamol in them. If there is, scale back one or two of your regular Tylenol doses, so you stay within that safe 24 hour limit of 4,000 mg.

 

[sistersinhim]

I try my best to do exercises but am struggling with the pain and stiffness of the knee.

Your knee is telling that it is not ready to do what you have been for your knee. Many of us never even took formal PT, we just walked around and did our daily activities. Normal things for your knee would be what you have to do to take care of yourself, your family, your house, your yard, etc. It isn't normal for your knee to be doing many repetitions of the same movements over and over. I did great, along with many others, that used our knees the way they were created to do.