MUA Spinners new knee recovery

[spinnerdiva]

Past two days during my last CPM session I seem to be having restless leg This makes it so hard to get the last hour done!
I am still having what I would call rubber band leg in my quad , I have done a good deal off strength work but it still quakes / quivers at times and when I stand sometimes it has the want to give out feeling . Any one have some times to get over that ?

 

[referee54]

I had that at times after my BTKR---it may take quite some time to regain the stamina. My quads and hamstrings were lacking in stamina for some time.

 

[Celle]

Past two days during my last CPM session I seem to be having restless leg This makes it so hard to get the last hour done!
I am still having what I would call rubber band leg in my quad , I have done a good deal off strength work but it still quakes / quivers at times and when I stand sometimes it has the want to give out feeling .

I think your leg is giving you a message - listen to it and don't try to do that last hour. While some surgeons believe that the CPM machine is helpful, others don't. It makes no difference in the end to the long term ROM results and I think you get better results by bending your leg yourself.
Here's an article about restless legs:
Restless legs following knee replacement surgery
Although I didn't experience it with my two previous knee replacements, I did have restless legs with my last one. They settled down spontaneously after a few weeks.

It's still early days in terms of your overall recovery. We usually recommend not doing much strength training for about 3 months, so ease off for a bit. Much of your energy is still going towards healing your knee, and there isn't a lot left for strength training. This will improve as time goes on.

 

[spinnerdiva]

Thanks !
OS ordered the PCM after my MUA along with my PT . Hoping to be done with it this week
The strength training is the seated raises or lying with the roll for short arcs ,no weights in training.
My pain was all but gone few days after the procedure but has been creeping back , ugh .
Just keep icing /elevating and taking my meds , what a full time job . Would really like to ease of the meds soon !

 

[Josephine]

I am still having what I would call rubber band leg in my quad

That can last for months and is perfectly normal. But it is pain and requires medicating.
"Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee

I have done a good deal off strength work but it still quakes/quivers at times and when I stand sometimes it has the want to give out feeling

You're only 12 weeks post TKR and 10 days post MUA - you shouldn't BE strength training yet.

That's a clear sign that you are doing far too much and asking much too much of your knee.

Just to demonstrate you're not the only one to make this mistake, I recently decided to get back to the gym to sort myself out! I did a few mins on the treadmill and the bike and then went on to the elliptical. As a rank beginner (for the 3rd time this year!) I was scheduled to do only 3 minutes on this but after 1½ minutes was already aware I was getting past my endurance. Nevertheless, I determined to finish the 3 minutes. I mean - 3 minutes. How bad could that be? But when I got off, I couldn't walk! Honestly, my legs - especially the more recent TKR one - felt like jelly and every time I went to take a step, it gave way on me! It took me about 15 minutes to get out of the gym and that only by hanging on to machines as I passed by them! And I also had to get one of the trainers to walk me out to the car because I felt so wobbly and insecure! Once home I had to use my walking stick around the house and it wasn't till late evening I began to feel something like normal again!

So be warned - take notice of these things!

 

[referee54]

So be warned - take notice of these things!

YEs---it is important to listen to your body---especially to your knee and cut things off before they become an issue.

 

[spinnerdiva]

Thank you ! It is good to know I am not the only one ! Josephine I bet you were glad there were things to hang onto!
Rested most of the weekend ( other than the darn machine )
Tried my home upright bike today , that failed ,I was un able to gets rotation either way without major pain ! . So did some slow rocking the pedals a few minutes and stopped.

 

[Josephine]

Tried my home upright bike today , that failed ,I was un able to gets rotation either way without major pain ! . So did some slow rocking the pedals a few minutes and stopped.

Oh we should have told you - everyone has to just rock at first and sometimes for days or weeks. Don't try and rush it. And a warning - the first time you do achieve a full rotation, you will find your breath taken away with the pain!

So be prepared!

 

[KarriB]

But how much are you taking? You need to be taking 100mg Tramadol and 1,000mg Tylenol every 6hrs which is 4 times a day, regularly, on schedu

Here is what Josephine had to say on foodiex2's thread about Tramadol and Tylenol.

 

[spinnerdiva]

Oh we should have told you - everyone has to just rock at first and sometimes for days or weeks. Don't try and rush it. And a warning - the first time you do achieve a full rotation, you will find your breath taken away with the pain!

So be prepared!

Thanks ! I have gotten the recumbent bike at PT around a couple of times , and oh did it hurt !
This one is a different angle and it was a no go !

 

[spinnerdiva]

Here is what Josephine had to say on foodiex2's thread about Tramadol and Tylenol.

Thank you !!!

 

[spinnerdiva]

Well well back for my follow up after the MUA . Not quite on the mark he wanted on the CPM ,
I am though at 109 with the mark to hit if 110. So not to bad . Still having issues behind my knee that stops my ROM . Icing and elevating when not on the machine.
Hoping the hrs on that get reduced or better yet stopped ! But when I was discharged after the MUA the PT fitting it said 6 hrs day / 2 weeks / 110 degrees. However my script in my paperwork says 0-120 for 3 weeks . Ugh ! So not sure what to expect . Pain has been slowly creeping back up .
On thing I do know my projected date back to work of Monday is not going to happen!

 

[spinnerdiva]

Follow up was ok , not great though . No longer have the CPM thank goodness ! Have made some improvement ,which anything moving forward I will take ! Back again to the doc in 2 wks .
My ROM still gets stopped from behind my knee only getting 98-100 .
. So working to get that all worked out . New PT for 3x wk now .
Do walk better this week .
Slow and steady , not what I would like but it is what it is theses days !

 

[Celle]

Well well back for my follow up after the MUA . Not quite on the mark he wanted on the CPM ,
I am though at 109 with the mark to hit if 110. So not to bad .

109, 110 - not enough difference to be worth worrying about.

I think the most important thing after a MUA is to not do too much exercise. Everything should be gentle, so as not to irritate the knee any further.

 

[spinnerdiva]

Thanks ! CMP had me a bit better than I get .
Just going slow and easy now

 

[spinnerdiva]

Sill trying to figure out what it is the grabs behind my knee towards the inside when I get my bend to a certain point. I felt it at PT and stopped , had my PT feel it . When he put pressure on it , it did release and I was able to move more. However the darn thing comes right back . It is really putting up quite a fight ! So just going at it easy , having the MT work on it and taking it easy . Got a little peddle machine from my cousin to use until I can use my Spinning bike at home better. I can get it the peddle machine around so doing it several times a day for short times . The recumbent bike at PT is getting easier, slow but sure !
Hoping when I go back to the OS next week things will be looking up ! ( I am taking it as a positive sign that they scheduled me the morning of my BD)

 

[spinnerdiva]

Small victory today ,I drove myself home from PT for the first time since my surgery . It is about 15 miles , don't think I am up for much more since whatever is still so angry stopping my flex behind my knee just won't give up ! Bike was not my friend today and backed off on about everything
This has been along road , and I am still waiting for my moment to be able to saw I am glad I had this done . But hanging in there and moving forward

 

[spinnerdiva]

Still seem to be having issues bending with the darn grab/pain behind my knee !
Still when I am trying the expertise bike it is very hard to make the rotation ,but I keep working at it in PT .( I have the seat moved back )
At home I still cannot use my Spinning bike ,but can use the pedal cycle I have with very littl discomfort .So I moved it closer today and wow did I feel it !!!
I was hoping by this far along all that would be a memory . When is the moment that you say ,This was a great thing ? It is very depressing . The up side I do seem to walk better ,almost look normal

 

[spinnerdiva]

Little victory at my appt today . Doc measured me at 107 , great for me since last month it was 97. Not great by most of what everyone has at this stage but huge for me ! Taking 4 more weeks off work ,see where I am then .
Seems I am one that has more scarring and getting there slowly ,but at least moving ahead
This had been quite a long journey .
Hope everyone is ready for the holidays , this Spring like weather we have here makes it seem strange !

 

[Celle]

107 sounds pretty good to me!

Yes, there are people who make slow progress, like you. What's important is that you are moving ahead. remember that ROM can keep on improving for a long time. This is what one of our members posted about the slow progress of her first TKR (Thank you, @Campervan!):
"I had a slow recovery. Here's my flex measurements at various points:
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months"