Hi
@Milomann - From what you wrote in your first post,
I think your knee replacement was done on May 1, 2019. Please will you confirm that is teh correct date, or tell us if I have it wrong? Knowing the actual date of your surgery does help us to advise you appropriately.
I have had severe swelling in my knee that is finally starting to go done a bit. I have iced it, used a tens unit on it and did everything my PT people have said. No matter how hard I try I can’t get better than 80 degrees Rom do to the swelling.
Your knee won't bend better until you get rid of some of that swelling. As well as icing your knee, are you elevating it? That's important, too.
The other thing that might help is to cut back your exercising and your everyday activity.
I'm going to ask
@Josephine , our Nurse Director, to advise you about that. She has many years of experience in orthopaedics.
She'll probably ask you a lot of questions. Do try to answer them as fully as possible, so she has all the information she needs, to advise you appropriately.
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself.
People often make the mistake of thinking that the harder they try with exercises, the better the result will be, but that's not the case here. Doing too much can increase swelling and retard your progress.
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
But what bothers me the most is my Doctor says if I don’t show any more real progress in 2 more weeks he wants to do a forced manipulation. I just don’t want that or can see how that would help with all the severe swelling I have. I am at the point were I wished I new had this surgery.
You're correct. Forcing your knee to bend while it is still so swollen would be a pointless exercise.
I suggest you tell your surgeon you would like some more time before a manipulation is done. It's your knee and you have the right to say what happens to it.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?
In spite of what you've probably been told, there's no need to rush to get ROM (Range of Motion) because it can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement. There isn't any deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR