4weeks post knee replacement op.

ThaMk you Tucks xx

Thank you Camper xx

Hi camper, your words are so wise and so trus, just thought I,d tell you.

Thank you Tucks.  Being 70 must have taught me something after all!!  (I have an absolutely amazing family and there was just something about Sues post that saddened me and made me think what I would do if I was alone.  I truly hope she can find some help within her community )

I so agree with you, I think being so alone adds to the trauma of the op. I had my wonderful son daughter in law and 2fantasic grandchildren. I tried not to let them see me when I was at my lowest because I know they were so worried about me. But how I missed those cuddles and cups of tea which my husband would have for me. The op took a part of me away and I can't find that wonderful love of life  again no matter how hard I try. Maybe going to take a while longer yet. Take care

Hi I have a huge balance problem which I had hoped the op would get rid of. My knew knee is very strong and I can walk on it no problem, but icannot walk a straight line I am all over the place like a pair of mad woman's drawers.lol. Just going up and down curbs at the side of the road if there is not a lamp post or  parked car to hold on to. I do balance excersises every day. But they don't help. How do you cope with balance? I desperately want to get my mobility back instead of being a quivering mess, people look at me as sough I am drunk, in fact the drunks probably walk straighter than me anyway. X from tucks

Don't know if it might help? but one suggestion made to me by a friend cos my balance bit awry at times was to go and see a

Craniosacral osteopath to re balance all the changes the op makes to your body. Plan to try it out in couple of weeks time

Morning Tucks and how are you today?  It's gloomy here in my part of the southeast just now so will delay my outside walk for a while.  I have given some thought to your balance problem and I agree with Tess about going down the CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY route.  I have a friend who is an osteopath and he does a fair amount of this particular treatment, particularly when people have been pulled around during major invasive surgery.  The whole body can be misaligned Tucks as a result of all that tugging and yanking and it could be worth finding a well recommended osteopath in your area. Where abouts do you live Tucks?  Are you UK based?  Ask around and Google.  It does sound to me as though Tess could be right.  Was your balance perfectly OK prior to the op?  Has your practice nurse at your GP surgery checked your ears recently?  You ask how I manage with my loss of balance but as mine is due to my MS it's a very different kettle of fish!  Indoors I have used a walking stick and the furniture for a long time and have two hiking poles for outdoor use.  I like hiking poles rather than sticks because they keep me erect.  I hate the thought of stooping all the time as its so bad for the lungs.  I have been known to stumble which is why a family member always walks with me these days.  That's because sometimes my left foot forgets where it is!!!!!!!  Again it's easy for me because I am not alone Tucks I do realise how very lucky I am which is why I urge you to concentrate on finding out why your balance is so awful since the op.  Sort that out Tucks and your mojo will come back in time for the spring and summer.  Be proactive Tucks my friend.

Hi camper, thank you so much for your thought and ideas about my balance. I had not thought of consulting an osteopath or anyone actually but it sounds like a road I should try when I get back from cyprus. I live in the west mids, and have a fairly good GP but on the many times I have spoken to him about my balance he has always checked my ears and gone no further. My balance has never been spot on, I can't swim,although I have had lessons and tried hard I can't control the fear of not being able to grab something when I need to. I can't go out in the dusk and dark on my own because again I need to know I can grab something and know exactly where it is. I don't know why I have never addressed the problem but you have given me food for thought. Also have my knee done has highlighted it. I am a very confident person normally and do not like the idea of being unable to walk a straight line. Take care my freind I am enjoying some lovely sunshine in cyprus at the moment, getting a lovely brown belly, problem is who am I going to show it to.lol x from tucks

Delighted the sun has come out to play at last Tucks.  When you return to the UK it might be a good idea to ask your GP for a referral to an ENT consultant so you can rule out an ear problem completely.  Take care and continue to brown your tummy Tucks because you never know...................!!!

You are so right Don. When I began to use my hot water bottle it was a tremendous help. 

I agree about the heat, but personally found it was only after about seven weeks that I could face the thought of it. . before that, ice. . . Now I find it very soothing!

 

Very interesting how recovery is so personalized. For me at 9 days post op I cringe at the thought of using ice as my knee gets much stiffer after using it! Frequent use of heat has really helped me with the pain (along with pretty much maximizing the pain medication). I now look forward to the CPM machine! It is maxed out in flexion and speed and just short of max in extension. I need to wor on that! My flexion was measured at 118° yesterday so looks like I must be doing something right!

Excellent!   I'malways a bit confused about flexion figures . . is that on CPM or measured sitting on a table. . I have a much better flexion if I can pull my foot back against the floor, (with my own muscles, not pushing with the other foot)  but if it is dangling in the air, quite a lot less.  The 'Kinetec' which was the CPM machine they had over here showed my flexion at 101 before leaving the hospital which was a big joke I'm afraid!

Yea, the difference is if your sitting up your hamstring is already under tension. When lying flat, the top part of your hamstring is relaxed so you'll get a larger degree of flexion. Sitting up gives you a good idea of your hamstring tightness in addition to your flexion whereas lying down gives you a better idea of just your knee flexion. Obviously you you cannot directly compare one to the other. Better to be consistent and only measure one way.

The degrees on the CPM are pretty useless unless it is set up perfectly for you. Their best usage is simply compare one workout with the previous one and hopefully keep increasing the degrees between workouts.

I would then think the best way of measuring your flexion is to lie down on your back and have your PT use one of their guides to measure your flexion. 

Dangling our foot in the air is another method but the only thing you are measuring is the ability of your muscles to pull your foot back, not the maximum angle your knee can actually flex. That also adds the element of gravity into it as you are now fighting gravity once you get it beyond 90°.

Instead you can lie flat on your back and see how far your leg muscles flex your knee and then pull on your knee with your hand or push on it with your other foot to see your actual maximum flexion.

The best thing to do is being consistent with the way you measure your range, and again lying on your back takes out a bunch of variables. (Gravity, chair height, quads etc).

I dont have a PT unfortunately, (at 40 euros an hour I couldn't keep doing it for long!) but I have ordered my own little goniometer!  I'm interested to see how bad my extension is. . I can see it's not good! thanks for the explanation . . 

I don't know whether you have one or not but an exercise but me is a godsend, I think.   also the wobble board which you can get on eBay or Amazon is good for balance.   

Hadn't heard of a wobble board . . sounds fun!  

Wobble boards difficult to use at first but excellent for core strength and balance.   I am collecting a little gym of my own now...lol