Posted , 9 users are following.
Feel silly complaining after reading about so many dealing with the pain i use to have.
i have no pain walking long distances like a couple of miles or more. My problem us if i have to step up high on a bus or stairway .
The muscle in that knee replacement leg gives out. My question is Do you evet get back your strength in your thigh again?
Im 75 years old.
0 likes, 13 replies
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Alice1947 jill49814
Posted
Hi Jill, I am 9 weeks after TKR.....I am doing well with walking and only taking Paracetamol occasionally. sleepless nights are still a problem.I am 72 and must admit it does take longer to bounce back at this age. I have a knee sleeve 360 and wonder if this would help. My left knee is starting to give pain and I am going to ask my surgeon to give me an injection to help me through this....
jill49814 Alice1947
Posted
Hi Alice,
Happy to hear youre doing so well!
Sleepless nights i remember all too well. Trying to get comfortable to fall asleep was do tiresome!! If took me 12 weeks until i finally had a relatively good nights sleep. Things only get better after that!! Hurray... yours almost there!!
kim2003is jill49814
Posted
Hya!
I'm almost 6 weeks post op and have already got back enough strength to step up ordinary stairs easily and could possibly manage slightly higher I think....... I'm 60 so a little younger than yourself but you do have to work hard at the exercises to regain your thigh strength. it means repeating the exercises 2 or 3 times a day and will involve sore muscles initially but it will do the trick. Try walking up and down stairs several times as an exercise too. Hope that encourages you a bit.
jill49814 kim2003is
Posted
Hi Kim, Thanks for responding. i wish i could go up and down stairs. i live in Florida in a one level house. when i visit my daughter in California i enjoy going up and down her stairs . i feel like my leg muscles are getting a workout!
I probably should join our YMCA and use their leg strengthening machines
Heading to Baltimore today to visit my cousin in hospital in ICU. ill be staying in a house with lots of stairs!.
Sounds like youre doing very well in recovering.
Hardest part for me was that it Took at least 12 weeks to be able to sleep somewhat comfortably.
Wishing you a continuing good recovery and Happy Holidays that are almost here!
Jill
Flic jill49814
Posted
HI jill dont get too despondant My husband had his knee replacement six months ago aged 70. He had a few niggles and each time booked himself into a physiotherapist for advise and treatment This gave him confidence that what he was experiencing was normal in the healing process.He has also found that pilates is useful and he comes with me twice a week .I have had a hip replacement ,shoulder replacement and on the way to having a second hip replacement and find pilates great in keeping my muscles in good shape .Also you can let the instructor know your problem area and so stretches etc can be modified.I think that your first step would be to book into a physio who has experience of post TKR for specialist advice
Good luck Flic
davidjk22 jill49814
Posted
It should improve with time, it's over 20 and 18½ years since my ops and they are still fine. You should have many years left in your knee.
jill49814 davidjk22
Posted
Thanks David gor your uplifting comments!
Jill
PenceJan jill49814
Posted
Hi Jill 😃
I am 2 years post Left TKR and only 5 months post right TKR , and I am dealing with weak thigh muscles too. I have compensated for painful knees for several years, and never realised how weak I had become until now.
I am just coming up on 60 myself.
I am hoping the strength comes back. I am doing thigh strengthening exercises and it does help. I am OK on an smallish step, but if its a steep step I have to try really hard. Sometimes walking right after getting up from sitting is when my muscles go weak and I dip a bit in my step.
I am going to start cycling and hope that helps too.
I am encouraged you are walking long distances well - my one thing holding me back from the full benefit of my shiny new knees is arthritis in my feet - no matter how much better my knees feel, my feet hurt after walking a short distance - I am hoping now this will compensate some and I will be able to go further. Fingers crossed.
Its a long old recovery , these knees.
Good luc
jill49814 PenceJan
Posted
Thank you so much for replying Pencejam. Its helpful to hear othef peoples responses and ideas.
Tomins PenceJan
Posted
i am in a very similar spot. I'm 62 and same time frame as each of your post op knees.
THIS PAST WEEK i went to a pedorthist to see if infact orthotics might help! He feels very hopeful!
He said my ankles are falling in wards and my toes splay out. The result is some grief to the inner parts of
both new knees and a terrible plantar fasciatis right now to my left heel.....
I will invest in new wider shoes to accomodate the orthotics and hope that this resolves some of my issues.
He pointed out that if your base (feet) isn't solid and strong.... it's hard for everything above it to work right.
WISH ME LUCK... AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU TOO! Just something else to consider.
I will be going back to 12 hour shifts very shortly but with hopes of retirement in the near future!
Alice1947 Tomins
Posted
Hi I have been going to a private Physio and was told my knew knee leg is a 1/4" shorter than the other. i purchased an orthopic heel raiser which has proved to be brilliant. i do have good days and bad days also more bad nights than good since I have come off the strong medication and only on Paracetamol. I have a good mentor in a lovely neighbour who has had 2 knees replaced. All i am going through is normal and the tension which I feel if I sit for too long will ease eventually.....it is wonderfull to be able to walk pain free on the actual knee and knowing the healing process will eventually disappear....good luck...
CHICO_MARX Alice1947
Posted
The difference in leg length could be caused by a misalignment of your hips. This is very, very common especially in TKR patients as our brain automatically shifts our weight to avoid pain. This factor can cause great variances in leg length.
The fix is chiropractic. A good one will realign your hips and make sure it sticks over a few visits. No more orthotic as you've corrected the source of your problem. I check in with my chiro at least once a month to make sure I'm aligned properly.
That misalignment can also cause scores of other problems post-TKR...
Other Pain
I had my sciatica episode 5 weeks post-op. Fixed in a few weeks of chiropractic. Find the cause and fix it.
CHICO_MARX jill49814
Posted
I'm almost 72. The answer is: Yes...but...ya gotta do the work...
Muscle Rebuild
A lot of people skip this step in recovery and end up in your shoes.