TKR Week 7, starting tomorrow

Leec

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Hello fellow TKR friends!
Thankfully I found this website tonight. I thought I'd gotten off to a good start after my TKR January 7th. Well, all but not getting my leg straighter than 6 degrees even after PTs pushed, pulled, weighted, exercised, stretched, scraped and iced! I felt like a "bad girl" and often sat at home with my leg straight and weighted.
I can bike, "run" on treadmill at 2.1 mph, step up and down, walk backwards … you name it, but then go home and almost cry for up to 36 hours: pain, pain, pain. About the time the pain subsides it is time for PT again. Last week I called and cancelled PT, but have signed up to go tomorrow; thinking to ask for the kinder, gentler path.
Sitting with leg properly elevated with ice this evening and hoping that will bring relief from pain that feels like a metal rod wanting to poke out from my op knee (R) toward the outside/right when I walk.
Guess it was not such a good start to come home on day 2 to do most everything for myself. I did have only to warm food the first week as a number of friends brought prepared dishes and also transported me to the dreaded PT. Praising God I've been able to drive myself since day 10 and have been able to take care of all my own needs … but maybe this has meant too much time standing/walking and has brought on some of this pain.
Trying to manage with few NSAIDS (1 Aleve, 1 Diclophenac per 24 hours) as they mess with my blood pressure and 2.5 mg of Oxycodone two to three times per 24 hours ... mostly at night when knee and ankle are almost as painful as walking/standing.
 
Leec: I also had TKR on January 7. I am 72 and will share my journey. Used my walker for first week and walked into DR office for 14 day follow up unassisted (which probably was not a good idea). I had help the first two weeks and I needed it. My heart goes out to our friends who came home alone. Pain was certainly there but manageable with pain meds. My PT experience was pain free. No one forced me. I stopped after 6 visits. I had 4 therapists and they all had different methods. I now do gentle heel slides and quad sets and walking. My best friend is my recumbent bike. My flex is 125 and extension is 2. For my next TKR I will skip PT. I use a BREG V-Pulse ice machine which I am big fan of. Went grocery shopping for first time today. Can’t wait to bike and play pickle ball again. I am getting restless but am forcing myself to give my knee time to heal. Wishing you the best in your recovery. Our journeys are all unique.
 
Welcome Leec, I had my TKR 2 days after you, so we are in the same boat- My leg is not completely straight either- you are doing great- I could only do 15 revolutions on the bike last Friday-the truth is, I pushed myself like you have been doing and have backed way off after reading the moderator posts here, it took a few days, but the swelling has improved tremendously- I still ice and elevate it a few times everyday,I decided am not a superstar PT success story, but I am improving everyday on my own terms, I still go 3 X a week, but now say No to the exercises/weights that hurt my knee.
 
Hi and Welcome!
but not getting my leg straighter than 6 degrees even after PTs pushed, pulled, weighted, exercised, stretched, scraped and iced!
This seems to be the norm, but in reality, it is inappropriate for rehabbing a TKR. Please stop allowing this torture, it is not necessary!

I felt like a "bad girl"
PTs should be helpful and encouraging, not making you feel this way.

Your PTs are giving you far too many things to do in your sessions.

Guess it was not such a good start to come home on day 2 to do most everything for myself.
Doing everything yourself is the best kind of “PT” because it consists of natural movements in a timely fashion, not X amount of reps done in a relatively short period of time.

Since you live alone and do everything for yourself, you are plenty active enough. If you don’t like PT, don’t go. You will rehab your knee just fine, and probably better than what you are currently being offered, doing your normal, daily activities.


I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​


4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Thank you! FL,
Same op day, same age!
Thanks for writing! Sounds like you took the right road!
I, too, can't wait to get back to pickleball! (and waterskiing) I ride my recumbent trike to "run" my dogs! My standard poodle does some of the work … pulling me along about half time. My flex is 128, but I don't think my leg is ever going to get 2, 1 or 0! Something has gone a bit goofy as both legs measure the same but my op leg is "longer" so it is naturally bent if I don't put a lift in my non-op shoe/leg or take op shoe off. I think it is from my crooked back.
All the best!
 
Many of us never took formal PT or did exercises. I am one of them. I had 11 knee surgeries, 2 of them kneecap removals and 1 tkr. Even after those I never took formal PT. But, I didn't just sit around and do nothing. I used my knee as it was intended to be used by walking around to take care of my daily needs. As I healed I was able to do more. Icing and elevation was a huge part of my recovery.

Listen to your knee. It will tell you if you're doing too much by increased pain and swelling. When that happens, I found that resting, icing and elevating helped.

With you living alone, you are getting plenty of PT without going to PT. You are using your knee exactly the way it was created to be used. Walking is best for it.

My extension came in slower, too, as many of us have experienced. The easier way I worked on mine was to walk with a longer stride with a heel to toe gait. This can throw you off balance, so I always had my walker or something I could hold on to, just in case.
 
Update.... 9 weeks post TKR...... Recumbent bike 30 minutes per day.... walking 1.5 miles. Gentle exercises and stretching. Pain mostly gone (knock on wood). This process is SLOW. Icing several times a day seems to help alleviate pain. My goal initially was Pickleball in three months...... I have adjusted that to 6 months. My road bike is lonely.... looking forward to being brave enough to ride again. Best of luck too all.......
 

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