Over doing it

When you "overdo it", the knee will swell.  That's the key indicator.  Here's your program...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

 

Absolutly. Biggest mistake going is to overdo therapy. Sometime, somehow, the body has to have recovery time. I've been through 5 complete rehab and I've found 2 big concerns. One is to not work because it "hurts"(not talking about mind numbing pain) and the other is to think you are going to get a gold star for finishing first. Recovery is a process and you can't get there any other way. The adage, this is a marathon not a sprit, should be words to the wise. Listen to your body. When it says "I've had enough, stop", it means it. One other thing. You must be extremely well hydrated at all time because you can't work a dried out piece of meat (your body). Slow down, don't listen to the advice of friends and family because some on always knows someone who was trading for Olympic competition in 2 weeks post surgery. Having a reversal because of over doing makes healing harder and more difficult. Find the writing of the sage, Chico Marx. He was smart enough to get out of new jersey so he's wise enough to offer great advice on this forum. Good luck and enjoy your extra rest.

good question.  I've heard pros and cons on that.

My physical therapist told me just yesterday that he is more interested in the frequency I do my at home exercises and not in the intensity level.  So....I’m doing exercises every hour on the hour while I’m awake....pushing myself a bit more each time.

More...  I've had two shoulder impingement surgeries plus a hip replacement aside from the TKR.  What I found out is that your can literally push a shoulder or hip with little to no problem.  Rehabbed the shoulders in a matter of weeks instead of months.  For the hip, I was 10-days post op when I started at the gym and therapy pool 5 hours a day, six days a week.  Full rehab in six weeks total time.  Done.

Thought I could do the same with the knee...WRONG!!!!!!!  The knee is a completely different animal and will NOT be pushed no matter what we want inside our head.  That path only leads to lots of swelling and pain.  Tried it.  Five weeks post-op, did 8,200+ steps on my fit bit.  Had to deal with a "balloon knee" for three days.  Last time I ever made that mistake.

The key is slow and steady progress.  Chart your steps...a very big help.  If you overdo it one day, note the step count.  Back off, ice, elevate and resume slowly.  This is NOT a race.  Get all expectations out of your mind.  Your knee controls your recovery, not the other way around.  This takes time, work and patience.

Yes, because if you overdo things it makes your knee very swollen. It's normally already generally swollen after TKR any way, and part of the healing process is gradually for that swelling to reduce over time, hence the importance of rest, ice, and elevation.

I only over did it once...too much too soon during a PT class gave me a red and painful leg in the evening. Horrible. You only do it once!

😉