Back in 2015-16, I did the aggressive PT 3X a week for hours where they forced my knee to bend and made me scream/cry/beg. We did it for months because I bought into the "if we don't do this, it will never bend fully and you won't walk normally again" mentality that is simply WRONG! All it got me was a knee full of adhesions because the joint was never allowed to calm down and just heal. My TKR surgeon (my NEW surgeon!!) did my TKR 6 wks ago and made a point to tell me and my husband how my knee was absolutely
full of scar tissue---e
ven after it was cut out in 2016 and then manipulated again (8 days later) in 2016 ....all because of aggressive PT after both of those procedures that were "supposed to fix me." .
Fast forward 3 yrs----after my recent TKR 6 wks ago, my new surgeon was strongly against anything more than PT 1-2X a week and ONLY for 1 hr, maybe 75 minutes----and NO FORCED BENDING!!!!!
It just makes the joint angry and causes a cycle of inflammation/pain that is hard to break and limits range of motion. I thought I was doing fine, but at my 4 wk checkup, he had me cut PT even more and do less repetitive bending because the joint was too angry/swollen. I was going 3X a week for 2 hrs each time, but she was not forcing the bend, as she knew he and I were both against it. We aren't even doing much strength training this time around in order to gain range of motion first and not anger the new joint. No daily exercises except using my knee in daily life--and I'm 46 with a 12 yr old, so I have plenty of "daily life" to help rehab this knee.
Guess what this has gotten me???? A much happier knee and more bending in just days time.
Less pain, much less swelling, less pain medication, better sleep, better range of motion across the board. All from doing less.
My surgeon has been doing TKRs for 20+ yrs and is a revision/reconstruction specialist, so he sees it ALL---the good, the bad, the weird. In the last few years, he's told more and more patients that less PT is better after TKR, and he has a lot of patients stop PT after 4 wks. He's simply tired of dealing with the problems overly forceful and overzealous PTs are creating for him.
Also keep in mind I had complications after this TKR where I was on forced bedrest form Days 5-9 with no bending allowed, no standing allowed---only bathroom visits. This was because of severe swelling and too much mechanical stress in the joint (his words, not mine). At 3 wks post-op, I was only at 66 degrees flexion and +6 extension.
He wasn't worried though.
I was only at 89 degrees at 4 wks, and am now around 98-100 degrees at 6 wks post-op. He's still not worried, as long as I'm making progress. It's coming slowly and THAT'S OK!! I'm off almost all the pain meds except at night, and my flexion is getting better every 2 days or so. I finally rode a bike normally today for 7 minutes. That's progress, regardless of the ROM number. It's better than 3 days go and night/day from 2 wks ago.
Please don't keep buying into the "more is better" and "no pain, no gain" mentality. I think it has already done you a huge disservice.