PT Help Tightness?

[tinypoms]

Does PT help with the tightness in the knee after a TKR or is it mainly for the bend? My bend is just fine now but I still have the tightness (stiffness) around the knees. I am 3 months out with my right knee and 1 month out with my left. I finished PT at home and the therapist said it is great and I really don't need to go to out patient PT. I can't really afford going to the therapist but I will if it helps with this horrible tight feeling.

Joanie

 

[Jamie]

The tightness may be more swelling than anything. Icing and elevation and anti-inflammants will help with that. Since money is an issue, you could make one appointment with the therapist and have them give you a set of exercises to do on your own. That's what I did. You may want to tell them up front this is what you want to do to be sure they agree. If you are disciplined to do exercises on your own, that can work well.

 

[Linda2]

At six months I still have swelling that makes me feel stiff. I must admit I'm not so good about using the ice as I used to be. Maybe I'll order that Torex thing that one of you suggested. It looks like less of a hassle and goes all the way around the knee.

 

[Jamie]

At 10 1/2 months, I too still get swelling and tightness across the knee joint. Have had it for the last few days and finally decided to iced last night when I went to bed. You know, my whole life I preferred heat to ice, but it felt so good last night!!! It is better this morning too....not well yet, but better. Mine comes when I do some kind of "twisty" motion with my leg.....movements that you just DO sometimes. Maybe this won't be forever, but at least I know what it is and don't worry about it. Oh, and I've been taking my Aleve (anti-inflammant) too.

 

[Josephine]

Could also be an ilio-tibial band (ITB) inflammation. It's very common for it to get hammered and feel tight. If you search around, Doug offered some exercises that helped him.

 

[Doug]

Here's one site.
broken link removed: https://www.howtostretch.com/iliotibi.htm
My IT band gave me fits. I'll warn you, you have to stay with it. I found it best to warm the legs up well prior to stretching. DONT BOUNCE when you stretch..
Also, I'm at one year post op. I was on my feet a lot today on a tile kitchen floor...and like a Floridian, I was bare footed...dumb. My leg is pretty stiff now..
But then, I did spend one hour on an elliptical trainer today.
Hang in there. It will be so good in time.

 

[Josephine]

Yay! I knew Doug would do the biz here!

But hang on - a whole hour on the eliptical? Jiminy! What do you do for distraction?

 

[Doug]

This new gym has T.V.'s mounted all over the place with a different channel on each one.
A little device is mounted on the aerobic equipment that you simply plug earphones in to.
It has a button so you can select which T.V. you want to watch.
Most of the time though, I listen to my Ipod.

 

[tinypoms]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I looked at the exercises and that is the way that I sit anyway. I am not comfortable sitting like a normal person. That is what is killing me right now. I can sit like that with my right leg and I am almost there with my left.

So, it seems that the tightness will go away on it's own in time without further PT. My OS was happy with my bend but said that the tightness is swelling and would go away with PT. I didn't think it would after reading this forum.

Joanie

 

[Josephine]

Oh gosh - didn't think we'd given that impression for that is certainly not the case. Almost anything will improve in time. Our suggestions were simply to expedite the improvement.

 

[tinypoms]

So, PT will help with swelling or does it just take time?

Joanie

 

[Doug]

Ice,elevation, and time will help with the tightness related to the swelling. If the tightness is from lack of flexability, the P.T. will help it.