gazelle7777
post-grad
I went for about 3 1/2 months. the first couple of weeks I went three times a week, then it went to twice a week and finally the last month and a half I only went one day a week. I just finished last week.
TKR ROM
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Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
judgar Please don't keep starting new threads. It means that you are not going back to previous threads you've started - since you don't appear to ever post in them but once - and therefore we are wasting our time replying to you.
I have merged your threads again as per this request One thread for your recovery please?
I have merged your threads again as per this request One thread for your recovery please?
referee54
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Recovery from a TKR or a BTKR can take quite some time---longer than many of us---actually any of us---would wish it to be.
You have to be patient and understand that it often took years for your knees to require this surgery---so a few months or so---up to a year---is not all that long.
Also recognize that your knee or knees have sustained major surgical trauma and you will need quite some time for the knee to heal.
I went to PT twice a week for close to five months, and I would go to the gym on Saturdays to stretch and ride an exercise bike, too.
Judgar, I had my surgery the day before you and this past week I know I lost some ROM and my knee suddenly turned black and blue. I did overdo it but have been doing my exercises which I hadn't done in a few days and I'm sure I'm back now. Hang in there. It will get better. 
referee54
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One activity that may help you---it certainly helped me---was to use a heating pad on my quads and my hamstrings to loosen the muscles up; hence,the term, "warming up." Warmer muscles are looser and tend to stretch better.
referee54
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Can you take a shower yet? I was held out of that for about four or so weeks. Anyway, I would go into the shower, sit on the shower stool, and just let the hot water hit my quads---and I could do some mild gentle exercises in the shower while sitting to stretch them out, too.
Today was a bad day. Yesterday I felt great, the knee felt good. Now today that awful tight feeling is back. When is this going to be over with. I am getting so depressed
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Those knees have a minds of their own. Some days good and others not so. It is such a big surgery that it takes a while and it takes a toll on our emotions. It will get there but it does take a while and much patience is needed - the hardest thing at times. Lee
referee54
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Recovering from a TKR is very much like a roller coaster ride. You will have some good days, some great days here and there, and some real stinkers, too. I gave up trying to figure out whymy knees would act up---often, I could not pinpoint why one of them would feel tight or stiffen up on me.
You just have to understand that this is not q quick trip---it is more like riding in a Conestoga wagon and that it will take some time to reach your destination of being fully recovered.
I kept asking myself the same question. It took me five months to lose the pesky little limp and it was eight months before I felt "really pretty good." These things take time and you need to be patient.
referee54
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Please take a look at this article, if you have time. It may help you understand this slowness and th roller coaster ride.
Life in the slow lane
Life in the slow lane
referee54
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I am glad that things helped out some---just keep gently doing it and you will slowly see some progress---remember; we have some good days and there will be some not-so-good-days tossed in there, too.
skigirl
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Here is an article from our library. It was written by Jamie and one of our members who is a pt. I think the exercises are excellent.
Exercises for TKRs: do-it-yourself exercises from basic to advanced
Exercises for TKRs: do-it-yourself exercises from basic to advanced
What is your ROM right now? Well, no matter, because whether your knee is a snail or a racehorse, it cannot be improved through aggressive means. My favorite -- not one I did but one I heard about -- is doing three bends and three extensions each hour, quite slowly and holding the stretch 60 seconds. You go to the point of discomfort but not pain. That's it. ROM is not something that can be hurried; do that and you'll get more inflammation and swelling which stalls progress.
referee54
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Ride an exercise bike---start out with no tension and slowly raise the tension.
Sit in an office chair with casters---keeping your foot of the surgical knee flat on the floor---slowly and gently roll the chair back and forth to the point of discomfort and no further---this will slowly stretch the quads out.
Sit in a rocking chair---again, keep the foot of the surgical knee flat on the floor and rock back and forth---again, to the point of discomfort.
Are you capable of using a heating pad? Heat the quads up before you do your exercises---the heat will allow the quad or the hamstring to gain some flexibility and stretch the muscles.
Again, use a heating pad if possible before you do this---get ankle weights with adjustable weights---after heating the quad---hang the surgical knee for 30 seconds at a time over the edge of the bed or the arm of the couch. You will be stretching the quads; you can do the same thing with the hamstrings by lying face down on the bed, hanging the surgical knee over the edge of the bed, and let gravity do its work.
Sit in an office chair with casters---keeping your foot of the surgical knee flat on the floor---slowly and gently roll the chair back and forth to the point of discomfort and no further---this will slowly stretch the quads out.
Sit in a rocking chair---again, keep the foot of the surgical knee flat on the floor and rock back and forth---again, to the point of discomfort.
Are you capable of using a heating pad? Heat the quads up before you do your exercises---the heat will allow the quad or the hamstring to gain some flexibility and stretch the muscles.
Again, use a heating pad if possible before you do this---get ankle weights with adjustable weights---after heating the quad---hang the surgical knee for 30 seconds at a time over the edge of the bed or the arm of the couch. You will be stretching the quads; you can do the same thing with the hamstrings by lying face down on the bed, hanging the surgical knee over the edge of the bed, and let gravity do its work.
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