Knee pain well over again
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello everyone!
I'm 10 weeks post-op from a tkr. Was doing extremely well and my therapist discharged me from pt sessions on Saturday. Oh I still have swelling and numbness but I was thrilled to have my last session. I don't what happened in the last 24 hours but I cannot lift my leg without a strap. I went to Jackrabbit and was fitted for some snazzy shoes at the cost of $160.00 but amazingly, once I started walking in them I no longer had lower back or hip pain! But I am very worried about my leg because it feels like it weighs 100 lbs. Has this happened to anyone? Just want to say that my leg hurt before I went to the shoe store so it can't be from the shoes. Thank you.
1 like, 9 replies
CHICO_MARX christine_86732
Posted
Did you expect to be pain-free at 10 weeks? Really? Silly wabbit... You've only finished Part One of your journey.
This is next...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527
Your quads, glutes and core are dead...atrophied from months of inactivity. You need an exercise program to rebuild all your strength in order to...and this is important...SUPPORT THE KNEE. It can't take all the pressure alone. All the supporting musculature must be strengthened and brought back up to speed. This takes months and months of work...a real commitment to your eventual full recovery.
You will notice as you progress that any remaining ROM deficiency will start to diminish (I was -1 / +123 after PT; at 18 months post-op, I'm 0 / +133), stiffness and tightness will lessen, and the residual pain will decrease. Most people find themselves pretty much back to normal at 12 months. Yes, it usually takes that long.
Eat healthy, hydrate a lot, lose weight if necessary, titrate off any remaining meds, exercise your butt off (increase gradually) and stay positive. There will be advances, setbacks and plateaus. Push the knee too hard and it will swell like a balloon. Use a pedometer to track your steps every day...gradual increases. If it does swell, note the steps...that's your current limit. Back off and increase gradually.
This will get very boring very quickly but stay focused and on track. Chart your exercise weights and reps. Start slowly with little weight...endurance comes before strength. When you start looking back at your progress, you will be grateful for the charts. Some people think they will bet better from just walking or cycling. No. You need to build a lot of those muscles back. The gym is best; a good set of exercise bands at home can help. Swimming would be fabulous if you have a lap pool around and can do lots of laps. A therapy pool is also good to do squats, leg raises, walking forward and backward and more. Use 2-pound ankle weights for faster progress.
Commit to your recovery and expect it to take some time. Never give up!!! It's warrior time!!!
jessica12540 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Excellent!!!! This helps me to keep going. 11 lbs down. Yes all those muscles are so jello. Starting to do much more than just bike and pool. Times call for remembering being athletic, after nursing the knee and being a major couch potatoe. It's not easy. I'm older now but hey it's something many can not do. Move move move! Carefully of course!!!!
CHICO_MARX jessica12540
Posted
I'm 18-months post-op and I'll be 70 in February with one knee to go. After 45 years of playing hockey, the bill eventually comes due. Metal knee, metal hip, L4/L5 laminectomy, L3-S1 TLIF fusion and an L2/L3 LLIF fusion. Almost five pounds of metal...I'm the TSA's worst nightmare at an airport.
Back in June of 2015, I was in really bad shape and my nutritionist/personal trainer daughter put me on p l e x u s Slim. Over 11 months, I started eating waaaaay better, got my blood sugar under great control and lost 57 pounds. Really helped being much thinner for the TKR.
Eat healthy, hydrate a lot, get rid of junk food and artificial sweetners, exercise and stay positive.
NZJENNI christine_86732
Posted
BUT
I have never done the weights routine.
I am just over one year out from a TKR to my right knee.
It has been a very very long year with multiple levels of challenge along the way.
I am feeling pretty damn amazing now but have had my challenges believe me !!
I do not know what my measurements are but I have just returned from a 5 week holiday in Italy and coped with the 24 hours of flights with no bad effects. I walked miles everyday each day I was away and have lost a few kgs and toned up a lot. I know feel I am ready to take on more serious exercise such as gym work. For me allowing my body to slowly recover has been the key. Patience is my new virtue.
Keep plodding along - there will be setbacks as you adjust each part of your anatomy and your brain lol.
all the very best,
Jenni.
CHICO_MARX NZJENNI
Posted
NZJENNI CHICO_MARX
Posted
Music may even begin to happen again who knows. It was quite concerning going on our trip though - 17 hour flight to Doha then 6 to Venice. I made sure I had an isle seat on the right side so I could stick my leg out into the isle if needs be. I had been told I would be a high risk of DVT even a year out from the op which surprised me. So wore the awful support stockings again and made sure I did feet exercises and had the odd stroll around. Flying cattle class it is pretty hard to do any of thos things at the best of times. On the way homewards we were lucky enough to have a spare seat on both flights so I could stretch out sideways a bit. I was also warned not to use sleeping pills as it can mean you stay in the same position for too long but I only ever get two hours out of them anyway so still used a couple purely for the respite from feeling so close to so many people. Hey we only have 4.5 million people in our whole country we like a lot of personal space
CHICO_MARX NZJENNI
Posted
jenny80029 christine_86732
Posted
cynthia89958 christine_86732
Posted
You have some great advice from others here. Also wonder if maybe you have been overdoing it somewhat an your knee /leg is shouting at you. Exercise and mobility are necessary but take frequent rest breaks and make haste slowly as they say. Don't forget you are still healing inside the leg even if the outside of the knee looks great. If no improvement, I would call the physiotherapist and ask to be re- assigned, or see your doc.