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1 week TKR

Posted , 13 users are following.

julielou01
julielou01

Hi, Im new to this group.I had a TKR last Friday, 19th jan...I do realise this is very early days, but I want to get an idea, of how far I should be out walking for at this moment...I have done a few short walks a day since my discharge on Monday, been doing exercises at home, but feel like I am not moving enough..I dont want to overdo it, and cause issues, but I know I have to push myself..any ideas for distance ?? step counts ?? Would really appreciate some feedback

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  • julielou01
    julielou01

    Posted

    Thanks everyone for your input....From reading lots of other discussions on here regarding TKR, I think I have been extremely lucky so far with pain, as it is very minimal..in fact not using painkillers, just ice....I think perhaps this is why I feel like im not doing enough...Yes, the knee is still very swollen, and I get tightness from the wound, and the dressing...I think however , reading your comments, I am getting ahead of myself....I have a Physio appt next week, because the muscles in my leg have become very weak, so I will have a chat with her
  • jenny80029
    jenny80029 julielou01

    Posted

    As many have already said, just listen to your knee, and dont rush things.

    Are you in UK?

    Stick with supports too until your leg is stronger.

    Range of motion is most important at this stage.

    Best wishes!

  • catherine73953
    catherine73953 julielou01

    Posted

    Don't heat only ice till about your 3-4 weeks.  You need to ask a Dr. about this.  I was not allowed to ice until I was one month.  I am 6 weeks now.  I would do some walking and not to much.  Ice all the time.  Do your stretching until it just hurts, hold it at least 1 minute, let go.  Repeat around 3 times a day.  If it gets really bad, give yourself a day in bed, ice, elavate and watch a funny movie.  Laughing helps

    • julielou01
      julielou01 catherine73953

      Posted

      Thanks Catherine, I haven't been told at all about heat, just ice..and am doing my stretches 3x daily..and thank you

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX julielou01

    Posted

    There is no "how far" or "how long".  Everyone is different.  There are no milestones at certain dates...none.  It's all about the knee and the knee will always tell you if you've gone too tong or too far.  At 5 weeks, I did 8,200+ steps one day...bad life choice.  Had a balloon knee for days.  After that, I backed off and increased my step count gradually.  Never happened again.  By 8 months, I was doing 11,000+ steps (5 miles) with no issues.

    Listen to your knee and chart your progress.  It's not a race...there are no expectations.

    • julielou01
      julielou01 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Thank you Chico, I guess I am just worried that I might not do enough...I know it will be uncomfortable to exercise, I was just seeing if there was any sort of benchmark...thank you for your advise.
    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX julielou01

      Posted

      These are two of the many posts I have on the Forum...

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-recovery-bell-curve--563756

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521

      Ordinarily, people see big changes around the 3 month (out of the BIG pain zone), 6 month (walking pretty well and getting stronger) and 9 month (feeling sorta normal) marks capped off by the one-year anniversary (pretty much over 99% of it all and climbing stairs effortlessly).  This is just a very loose "guideline"...everyone is different.  I'm at almost 2 years and I still have occasional "clunking" sounds and stiffness.  In effect, it's a lifetime recovery.  You have to keep up the exercising to stay strong.  It just takes time, work and patience.

    • julielou01
      julielou01 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Once again, thank you...I have found your posts on your profile, and finding them invaluable..its been a real help.
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