Knee replacement

Peter found it on the internet. Google it and you will find a video. It sounded cool so Peter and I are doing it and commenting on this forum every Monday. Join us and tell us what you think of it.

Hi...checked out Google for "church pew" quad building exercise. I was able to get only one video with 2 exercises using a chair behind you...rocking back and forth and TKR leg out in front with arms in air swaying body a bit. Are there more exercises? If so what did you type in to Google to access more than these two?

Appreciate your input.

Janet 16816

That is the right video. What do you think of the exercises?

That's all there is Janet. It's a simple 2 min exercise designed to retrigger the involuntary quad muscles. The therapist reports that prior to a knee replacement surgery the patient can have at least a 20% to 25% quadricep deficit. That deficit can remain a year later and because of the involuntary action, conventional exercises have little to no impact on them.

Mary and I have agreed to try the exercise and report on the results to one another each week. I figured if the results were positive, we could then post it as a new discussion  so that more people could view it and also get involved and report on it. So far we have been doing it for 2 weeks this coming Monday and I have noticed a definite improvement in balance. Think Mary has reported the same. Try it out for a while and let us know what you think.

Hello MCanada! how are doing tonight?

My knee is on fire! what a surgery. One day your up in the clouds and the next your slammed into the ground. haha

How's the forward rotation coming on your bike.

I got myself a new upright bike and am now able to pedal forwards on it.

Have tried a few recumbent bikes and was never able to do them for some bazaar reason.

Hi Peter, I am achy tonight because I went to a meeting this morning instead of the pool. It amazes me how my knee reacts negatively to even a single day of little exercise. I did walk the dog but did no pool physio. I have noticed improvement since I have been stationary cycling but my mobility is still coming slowly. What I have noticed this week is that I am standing more on both legs and even moving my body weight back and forth as I stand at coffee breaks at meetings. This is good! I am finding more and more movements that I can do without thinking about it. I now walk up and down stairs automatically without using the railing. I am now at 3 months with knee 2 and a whole year with knee #1. Wow! Big milestones!

Thats great to hear Mary, keep up the good work and have a great night!

Hi

I've been doing those two exercises that were on the video. They seem so mild...do you think these 2 exercises have strengthened your quads?

janet

Hi Janet, The exercises are not for strengthening the quad. They are to re-engage the neurological pathway that is damaged by this surgery so that the quad will automatically do work. Most people find that they have to focus on what they want the quad to do after surgery and that there is a lag time or refusal to act. This exercise is supposed to improve this. I have found that to be the case. I also have experienced improvement in my balance after 2 weeks of doing them. What did you find.

Mary

Hi Mary! I hab a code. Haha! I couldn't resist.

Actually I did have a cold the past few days but have much improved today.

Will go to physio again tomorrow.

Sleep is still killing me. Last night it was 4:30 by the time I got to sleep.

Tonight I just got out of a hot bath and took a sleeping pill. Will now read for a bit and theory is I should be sound asleep in about 15 min. I sure hope so.

I'm off to bed, Have a Great night!

Peter

Sorry to hear about your code! And hope you rested well. Lack of sleep did me in during the first few weeks when there were no comfortable positions. Cheers.

Thank you, feeling much better today. Went to pool physio today and had a good workout. Actually slept good last night. Up only once for bathroom and right back to sleep. Hope its a pattern that continues but maybe to good to be true. Onward and upward!

Peter 8 wks 3 days

Yesterday I saw on Dr. OZ that a glass of non-alcoholic beer (which contains hops) is great to induce restful sleep. Who knew? :-)

I rode the recumbent bicycle last night for 30 minutes (after my regular 1 hour of morning aquacize and 3 km. Dog walk). In the past few weeks I have increased from 10 minutes at 45 rpm to 25 minutes at 80. I warmed up and cooled down for 5 minutes on each side of that. I iced after each workout and my knee performed well. I am able to do other things lately that I only dreamed of a few weeks ago. I love the slow steady improvement that this routine allows. Sometimes working out is the last thing I want to do but I always love how I feel after! I love those endorphins!

14 weeks plus a day

Cheers,

Mary

That’s pretty interesting Mary. I'm not a beer drinker but might just give that a try.

80 rpms is motoring pretty good. I'm doing 20 min now at some where between 50 and 60 rpms. I agree for sure, the slow steady improvement feels good. Sometimes it feels as though nothing is happening but 1 week or 2 goes by and suddenly you realize how much more you are able to do and normal activities are slowly coming back.

Your doing wonderful Mary. Keep up the good progress!

 

Thanks, Mary...I shall continue these...I am just about 1 yr now since my TKR.

Janet

You are SO FAR ahead of where I was at 8 weeks Peter! I am most impressed. Sometimes we moan on this site and sometimes we are the Mutual Admiration Society but always we lend and ear, a thought and some support. I am so glad I found it. I have told everyone I know who is having TKR surgery to look it up.

Kudos to this excellent venue and some awesome people for group therapy!

Mary

Good for you. The 1 year marker was pretty significant for TKR one (Feb. 5) and the 3 month one for TKR two last week was too. Keep up the good work and enjoy the payoff Janet!

Cheers

Mary

I agree Mary. Great site that has lots of good folks with experience, good

insight, and some real compassion. Hate to admit it, but I sure do my share of moaning and groaning.

Haven't done anything since pool therapy this morning so think I'll hop on the bike for a while. I find if you dont exercise enough, things start to stiffen. Do you find that as well?

Oh, one of the ladies showed me a short video clip on utube this morning that they did a few weeks ago during our pool session but I cant find it for the life of me. Will keep searching though and maybe send it out. Depends how bad I look. haha should be good for a few laughs!

Ha. Peter, you are right! I had to get up and do something regularly so as not to stiffen up in the knee early on but now that I am working harder I need to keep working out so my muscles don't hurt. This week it is my glutes as I started really pushing my cycling. It feels almost "normal" and I am feeling it in the butt and not always thinking about my knee. Love that feeling!

I was just looking over the Exercise book I was given when released from the hospital. It basically says that if your knee is becoming stiffer, you should be doing some ROM exercises every 2 hours. Don't think they are saying to do all the exercises that often but enough to stretch and work your muscles to some degree.

Your very active, with biking and walking and such so that’s great.

It's funny you should mention the glutes. I was limping around the last couple days but not because of my knee, I somehow pulled or strained the muscles on the right side of rear end. Haha. Probably cause I stepped up the bike. It's fine today. Kind of funny but it hurt yesterday.

And yes I think that feeling you mention is a real key. As recovery progresses, you do more, and even though those activities might bring on different pains, you begin to think less and less about the knee and start thinking on other things. All means your getting back to normal.

That's probably clear as mud? Haha

I'm going to try and do a repeat of last night and get another night of sleep in. makes a big diff.

Next time I'm out I might try your suggestion from Dr Oz.

Have a super Mary!

Thats suppose to say "Have a super night". never said I could type. haha

This website doesn't have the greatest set up for conversing by smartphone either. There is not much space if you work horizontally. I have to spell check all the time. Nite Peter..

You have inspired me to do more walking Mary. Have to get my rear end in gear and just get out there and do it.

have you ever had any issues straightening your leg?

 

Oh yes. Check my response to your new discussion question. 28 years ago when I had a tibial ostiotomy it took a LOT longer to recover and gain a straight leg. At that time I did conventional physio and didn't have access to a pool.

Thanks Mary, you continue to be a real inspiration!

Everybody on this site inspires me! TKR is a tough surgery and it takes tough and dedicated people to build better bodies around that prosthesis. I am just trying to add my piece. OFG wrote awhile ago that he broke his leg shortly after TKR so these babies are pretty sturdy: maybe sturdier than our bodies. If we are going to enjoy that gift of a strong knee joint we need to make sure it is supported enough to function as it was designed to function. I do not know how far I can build it but this is my main focus right now. I am blessed with the time to do it. It is up to me. :-)

Just got back from a walk and would be lying if said my knee didn't know it. haha

You are so right. The folks on this site are ALL inspiring.