Important question
Posted , 10 users are following.
My tkr on my left knee was 3 months ago. I was so lucky to have almost no pain after surgery but PT has been hard! I am a 69 year old female a bit overweight because of the lack of activity for months before my surgery. Anyway I was out of shape and muscles had gotten weak making PT harder. I was doing well, my ROM is 115-118. I have no problems with it going straight. The PT has gone to more intense. I have a hip that needs replacement as well as my other knee. I did very well at first and was almost ready to give up the cane, I often did not use it at all in the house. Now after them adding the bicycle and heavier weights at PT I am almost ready to dig out my walker! I can barely walk and put a huge amount of weight on my cane. At home I ice and elevate as often as possible. Every weekend when I have not had PT for a few days I begin to improve and feel better. My question is am I doing too much at PT? Should I be slowing down with it or will that hurt my recovery long term? My surgeon said PT was up to me now as he felt 118 was good enough. My therapist wants me to do a few more weeks and reach 120 and build more strength. I would agree but am getting very depressed with the pain. I used to leave PT feeling energized and limber, now I leave in pain and holding onto my cane for dear life. Hubby is about to have back surgery and I have taken on a lot more work at home then before. Not sure what to do, need opinions from those of you who have done both. I have a pool at home that I have used once or twice a week, but weather is changing and not sure how much longer that will be possible. I also have a recumbent bike and was doing 7 minutes on it but it is one of the things that really gets my hip and knees aching. A lot of my pain is coming from the bad hip and bad knee but some comes from back of calve of lower tkr leg. Help this has me ready to quit PT.
1 like, 17 replies
Alison_Weaver peggy15811
Posted
Maybe not the answer you want but:-
listen to your body not pt.
in December I had knee surgery, I was pushed hard at what was. called joint school, and week 2 not instructed correctly which led to tkr on the 24th
August.
Hurts like mad, 2 operations in six months.
listen to your body, you know best, and in your pace
do what you think, you know your body,don't push 2 hard, you know best, and do it in your pace
CHICO_MARX peggy15811
Posted
Sounds like you're doing great. 0 / +118 at 3 months? Most excellent. Pain is relative but most people are beyond the worst of it in the 3-6 month range so you seem to be on target.
You could have some post-operative depression (a known condition which the docs never talk about) but if your depression is about the pain then I'd say work on the pain. You should be past or almost past the opioids but some people use them longer. Tramadol and 800mg Ibuprophin TID are the next step down in pain killers plus try some Voltaren Gel (RX)...best topical anti-inflammatory out there. Ice and elevate.
If you're depressed about the time this is taking, again, don't be. Everyone will tell you that this is a marathon not a sprint. Takes a while to recover from a TKR and everyone's experience is different. Then again, there are lots of similarities...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
I also had a hip done 8 years ago and the difference is striking. The hips is much less painful and the rehab can be done fast and aggressively. TKRs are slow and steady recoveries with, for most people, lots more pain. Don't feel bad about it...normal. You can do a hip recovery almost immediately in a therapy pool while a lot of TKR docs won't let you submerge the knee for 6 weeks. Bummer.
Tip: Do some meds before PT to ward off some of the pain.
So... Everything you're saying sounds about normal for 3 months. DO NOT give up PT until you have full flexion. Then hit the gym to rebuild quads, glutes, calves and core. Rock on!!!
NZJENNI peggy15811
Posted
Hi Peggy - I am only in my3rd week post TKR but I would suggest you need to notch it back a step and keep the exercise at the level that was comfortable. It sounds to me as though you are doing really well especially when you take into account your other body issues. My OT said we are all individuals and we need to act on what our body is saying. The PT will be wanting to tick the 120 box as her / his achievement in your recovery. 2 degrees does not seem wort the agony at this point and you will get there eventually anyway if you have a less brutal regime.
Enjoy what you have achieved - it sounds amazing to me
All the best,
Jenni.
hope4cure peggy15811
Posted
You have been doing everything possible to recover from surgery. The hips and other knee is what has put things and heeling on hold.
Rest when needed exercise when needed. Don't push it with the other joints I suspect are creating pain . Only do what is comfortable. The Physio can help with the other joints you have pain from too.
You may need help when your husband has back surgery. Hire someone to come in and clean every other week, order food from reliable take out no junk food. Stay with a good diet and exercise in water daily.
I have 2 hip joint replacements and one knee and back issues. I am mr hopes care giver so I have learned how to scale down thing to improve my workload. It's a matter of organizing time and pain management.
many heeling blessings sent your way and to mr Peggy . What type of back surgery is he having?
peggy15811 hope4cure
Posted
Thank you for your advice. Hubby had L4-L5 back in 1998 when in military. As they tell us now it affects the upper disks. He has several disks causing severe pain and has lived with it until it affected his urinary flow, feels like a kidney stone for him (ouch). Anyway he can't take it any longer and they are basically cleaning up around all those disks. Nothing too invasive other then it being around 3 disks. I do ALL the cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping now. I cook or go pick up take out since cooking really takes stamina. We have no healthy take out here (Las Vegas). I do try to do a big salad with chicken and egg in it once a week. I make spaghetti, but we also order pizza and I grab subs or burgers occasionally too. Hubby is a picky eater, won't eat veggies at all other then the salad, so I do the best I can and my ability to work around it is not so easy during my recovery too. Hubby doesn't understand and thinks I should be fully recovered by now. Neither of us had the big picture ahead of time. I do now know how long this recovery is but hubby tells me to just grit my teeth, do the PT and get on with life, that I am being ridiculous letting it lag on this way, so no sympathy there.
NZJENNI peggy15811
Posted
My Dad was military and the no pain no gain motto was big in our house
Your man sounds very difficult. I would be tempted to leave him to fend for himself for a week and go away to a friend / family member for a break !!!
I hope this does not offend it is said with kindness.
renee38282 peggy15811
Posted
Wow you are superwoman! Recovering from TKR AND doing all the housework and shopping? For heaven's sake honey. You need to take care of yourself! I can't believe he can't or won't help you and you're in constant pain on top of that. I feel really bad for you since he's not giving you the emotional support you need. Nor lifting a finger or running to the store. I wouldn't push myself anymore. At this point you're really active and need to rest up and be healthy to take care of drill Sargeant hubby! My husband has been helping me during my recovery. Not a great job with housework but I can do what absolutely needs to be done. He does the grocery shopping too. I'm not a big eater especially when I'm in pain. So he kinda fends for himself and I nibble here and there. Mostly fruit yogurt and salads. But I think your progress is amazing and the PT will push you to achieve their goal. They cause too much pain and you have to tell them NO!! Take care of yourself. Just do what you've been doing and you will get there. Prayers and hugs.
renee38282 NZJENNI
Posted
hope4cure peggy15811
Posted
I think you may want to try a food service swann or blue apron. They deliver food you choose online. We love blur apron. But swann the meals are all cooked and mr Peggy would definately like their menue he can pick them.
House se cleane helped me so much as mr hope is handicapped & I am his care taker. Some one comes once a month. A huge help Also a Roomba is the best investment we have ever made. it just goes and goes can program it as many days per week as needed. Easy care and maintence.
Keep it simple and add tub handles.
lisa02204 peggy15811
Posted
renee38282 lisa02204
Posted
That doesn't sound right. It sounds like something else is wrong. How many other doctors have you been to? You shouldn't have to suffer like that. I would keep trying different doctors. My heart goes out to you.
peggy15811
Posted
I forgot to mention. I am Diabetic and have low kidney function, so cannot take any NSAIDS including Ibuprophen. My doctor says no one should need pain Meds past 6 weeks, so those are gone. I do ice and elevate often, it helps but I still have pain. It just feels like too much sometimes. Overall I know I have done well, just need to know whether to continue with the PT when it causes so much pain afterwards. With hubby about ready to have spine surgery I am doing everything at home. Grocery shopping right after PT about killed me! I seem to have trouble walking very far. I had read to work on the bend and the walking would come naturally, however I'm not so sure. I know I need left hip replacement too but after this feel very reluctant to have it done. I'm sure I am depressed because of the pain and I know it will go away but have to get through this and hubby's surgery first!
NZJENNI peggy15811
Posted
I cannot use any pain relief other than Paracetemol . Have you tried it ? I find it takes the edge off as long as I keep it up regularly. I would try having a break from PT for a week or two as a mini holiday and see how you do. I hope you are not doing any heavy lifting as I was warned against that !! If you are pottering around the home doing all that entails that will mean you are moving and keeping the mobility going. Do your basic at home exercises but please be gentle on yourself you are going through enough with out the extra pain and the stress that gives
lynn15111 peggy15811
Posted
I'm still taking pain meds, which I use right before therapy because of the push to get more ROM. I would listen to your body. My RA thought I still needed them so I listened to her not the surgeon. Besides, the pain will cause problems with your diabetes. So since you already see you do better when you have a few days without PT, I'd say stop the PT. You can still get more ROM up to a year after the surgery. And by now you know how to push for more bend on your own.
Laura3333 peggy15811
Posted
If your PT is making you worse, don't do it! You know your own body, they don't.
Do your own PT at home' if you are happy with your range of movement, and you sound to be doing really well, that is enough.
One of my new knees doesn't bend as much as the other, but it serves me well, and is good enough for my needs.
No way would I let anyone push me so far that I was in more pain.
We are all different.