questions

[jacques1]

Hi

I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate a little info/advice.
My surgery was two weeks ago, and I start physio tomorrow. I have been doing a few excercises at home. I had a problem bending and straightening my leg before surgery and of course now, that is why I had a TKR right.
I know everyone is different and recover at different times but how difficult is it on most to get that knee going in both directions? How much pain,
can I do damage if I force too hard, although I don't think I want to.
When will I know I am done with cane? Like I said I know everyone is different but I would appreciate anyone's experience.\
\
\Deb

 

[Josephine]

No doubt about it - that PT hurts!! And will hurt for for some time.What's that saying - no pain, no gain? Especially true for knees. And I don't blame you for not wanting to do it - doubt I shall relish it either!

But no, you cannot hurt the prosthesis at all. It's a tough little so-and-so. It's only the ligaments and other soft tissues that can get inflamed and require all that ice and pain killers and such. How much pain? As much as you can cope with and then a teensy bit more each time. And each time, you should find what was almost too much one day becomes kind of okay the next and so on.

So far as how important, well the more the better but in the final analysis, you need as much as you need to do what you want to do. For some it will be a bit more, for others a bit less - all depends. Like when to lose the cane - when ever you feel ready is the short answer. Is entirely up to you.

 

[JenniferG]

How difficult varies. As far as the cane, PT will help you learn how to walk correctly without it and/or it becomes a nuisance more than a help and one day you just inadvertantly forget it or ditch it.

 

[1jt@atime]

Deb, what Jo said above..... You just have to push as much as you can. It will be very painfull and I think that is why this forum is so popular. We've all wondered if it is really supposed to be like this! Keep pushing and before you know it, you will get your ROM back and hopefully a little more. MOST IMPORTANT: Make sure you take your pain pills prior to PT.

As far as the cane? That is something only you will be able to decide. I have had both knees replaced but I still have a hip and an ankle to go and those joints often give out on me. I wanted to make sure I was really strong before I let go of that security blanket. I think I was about 3 months post op before I gave it up but most will give it up much sooner then that. Karen

 

[Jamie]

I agree with Karen and Jenn! You must push yourself with the bending and straightening of your leg. Since you had trouble before surgery, don't be surprised if it takes a little longer than some folks here on the forum. There is no "normal" in terms of time....you didn't get to your problems in a short period of time and getting to what works for you will take a while. But the good news is, during all that pushing and pain in therapy and exercises, there somehow is a "good" feeling to the pain. It is NOT the same thing you've been experiencing and you will understand what I'm saying in a couple of weeks once you experience it. With proper pain medication to help, you actually WANT to push yourself!! And as for the cane....you'll just start "forgetting" to pick it up when you're tooling around the house and then you gradually think it's more trouble than it's worth when you're out. Your body will probably be ready to let it go long before your mind thinks you're ready, so test yourself in safe places to gain strength walking without it. You'll be a pro at this before you know it!!

 

[edk]

If you go into surgery with a 80 degree ROM thats what your body is used to so when you come out thats what your body wants to do. To get more you have to push it.

 

[maggy]

Hi Deb! I'm happy for you that you're starting physio. As you know I'm one day ahead of you but started physio last week so I'll share what little I know. Today I doubled my pain meds and took them an hour before physio. This helped a lot. Yes you do have to push yourself and they all tell me, as Jo said, that you can't hurt the knee. I do still kind of worry though. I'm slowly finding out that I can do more than I would have thought e.g. 10 minutes on bycicle and leg presses on the weight machine. Just think one exercise at a time. You'll be working out your "toughness muscle" but you really do get used to pushing yourself to the max.

As far as the cane. Today they said I should use it a little because I was limping and it was aggravating my back. I thought I was walking straight! Take it slowly because you don't want back problems believe me.

Good luck,
Mag

 

[edk]

I think a good rule is to push yourself at home, but not to hard. But when you go to PT work as hard as you can on what they tell you to do. It's like don't try this at home, they're professionals. Two things I would do is while I Internetted at the kitchen table, I would put my foot on the floor and slide the chair forward until I couldn't stand to go farther. Continue playing on the computer until it hurt too much and then slide the chair back. Mostly at home I stretched for ROM rather than strength stuff at home first.

 

[Jamie]

I agree....a good bit of my recovery time was spent at home doing stretching type of movements with my new knee. Not only does it help ROM improve, but the stretches just feel good. I guess it's cuz you are tight in there and it helps to loosen things up. It was never anything radical, just constant.

 

[jacques1]

Thanks to all of you for such good advice. I actually started physio today and I managed to get my ROM from 90 to 97 by sitting on this big ball and pushing forward so my knees were bent, I did that for 12 minutes. I start next week, two times per week for 1 1/2 hours. I am so glad I came across this site. All of you have helped me to believe that this surgery was a good thing and if I can put up with pain a little longer I will get good results. I think I have a fantastic Physiotherapist also, I think she will motivate me. I hope that I can help someone down the road too.

Deb

 

[hollie9]

I didn't have pain with my extension or pulling knee in, so it's not always painful.

I did hate that feeling that there was a strip of leather under my skin that made it hard to move the knee around. If you are two weeks out, you probably have that happening.

My big pain was from the bone cut aching that took about a month to go away.

Hollie