Pre - Op physical therapy

[newnee]

I have discovered after being fitted for crutches and having a crutch class that I agree with Tim. Upper body also needs to be worked prior to surgery. My arms are so sore and I only used the crutches for about 30 minutes yesterday. I certainly hope I am able to be slightly weight bearing after the scope. I am certainly glad I lost some weight too. My upper body was always weak my strength had always been in my legs. Pushups killed me in PT, I could run and do situps but was happy when I pushed out the minimum number of pushups tp pass the test.

 

[ruppbike]

I approached my pre-hab as if I were training, like I had many times, for an upcoming bike race or triathlon. I set a 13 week schedule up and did what is called periodization. I built a base of endurance, tben strength , followed by speed and then rest. Using indoor and out door bikes and training equipment. Leg lifts, quad strength and upper body work as described by others. General endurance may be the biggest factor in being able to do an active recovery without "overdoing" it. Your level.of activity in pre-hab will depend on how active you were and how active you want to be after recovery. If you are in better shape you can do more without over doing it and recover more quickly when you do over do it. At least that is the justification I used. Being proactive has stress relieving mental benefits to some of us as well.

 

[Murray]

I'm scheduled for Oct 4 left tkr and have an appointment 8/8 for a pt evaluation. I want to do as much up front strengthening as the pain will allow.

I have a gym membership since last Oct (wouldn't want to count the visits), recumbent bike gathering dust at home, all kinds of free weights......sound familiar?

How important is the "up front" work in everyone's experience?

Exercising prior to surgery is VERY important, IMO. For six months prior to my surgery (LTKR July 13 2011) I went to a gym at least twice a week, sometimes three or four times a week. I spent at least an hour each time, doing leg presses (@140#); leg lifts; using weights on pulleys against the knee (@40#); and at least 30 to 45 minutes on the recumbent bike (NuStep). All this was to strengthen the quads and hamstring area. I also used pulley weights for my upper body, because I knew I'd have to be pulling myself up and down a lot and using a walker (at first) and then a cane. BTW: at this time, pre-op, I was taking one 200 mg. tablet of Celebrex every day.

The results? I was in the hospital for only three days, but I went to physical therapy each day. I was walking with a walker on the first day (granted, not all that much--just a few feet); and my ROM was 100 degrees....it is said that 120 degrees is as good as it gets eventually, but now after PT for all these weeks, both at home and at a PT center, my ROM (range of motion) is 123 degrees!) Laying the knee straight, at the hospital the angle was 17 degrees, but I have gradually worked that down to 2 degrees. I'm still going to PT three times a week, and I have two more weeks of that before I'm discharged.

Within two weeks after surgery I discarded the walker and began using a cane, which I am still using in public but not around the house or in the yard. Walking is normal, except for the aggravation too much of it causes---then I find that using some pain meds (I've gone from Percocet at the hospital and first few days at home, to Vicodin, now to ibuprofen), icing, and elevating the leg work best.

Everyone associated with my recovery says that it would not have been so rapid nor as successful without the pre-op gym work. If I have to have a RTKR I will do the same thing, work out for at least six months prior to the surgery.