Range of motion...

Love your response! Am trying hard not to panic, just feel progression is too slow.! I will persevere😅

If you are able to get in a warm bath and gently push your bend a bit, that might be something to try. The warmth of the water can be helpful.

Good luck good on your mau. I have a concern with ROM regression following mau -as I can't tolerate natcotics and have come this far on Advil only. I think my 2-6 weeks of no pain meds caused me not to push myself like I should have pushed. Reading these blogs has been encouraging- that PT pain isn't always a good thing. I hope to hear you have had a good response w mau; thanks for your response.

Thank you, I appreciate your wisdom after 8 months. I will keep plodding away. Seems like this surgery has me so focused on my inabilities... I need to keep a positive attitude and just keep moving... You hang in there too!

You are so right, certainly not an easy surgery- and everyone is different. I m sorry to hear of your difficulties. I will keep u in my prayers n remember your advice. I will keep working hard and hope to avoid mau. Hope to hear you are doing better soon.

Thank you Carol. But if you do need and MUA eventually, I meant to add that it was not all that bad - I was scared of having it done in case the level of post op pain came back, but it was not as bad as thought.  I struggle with pain meds, too so that has been one of my issues, plus my GP just wanted me to manage on paracetamol and ibuprofen when I asked for something stronger to get me through physio. I dont't think they realised how hard TKR is  and they must think it is like some other surgeries where you can get of the heavy meds in a short time. Take care.

Thanks Mr Chico!

needed to hear your wisdom n loved your posts. I will get back to work n understand plateaus are part of the process.

my PT is now out of pocket so will need to work extra hard at home.

appreciate everyone's responses.

I don't know of any other way to break down the scar tissue other than having a therapist lean on the knee.  Others have tried massage, oils, machines, etc.  There's really no escaping the pain that goes with this.  Yes, there are the lucky few who do this in a heartbeat...very, very few.  The rest of us have to go through PT hell.  It's the damn scar tissue.

Once you get your ROM back...or damn close to it...get to a gym and follow the exercise program I posted.  Lots cheaper than PT sessions.

What is most important, the bending or the straightening?

since I am pretty much opposed to a manipulation I am working harder than I ever thought I could, but frustrated with this plateau. Thank you for your advice.

 

Carol, why the opposition to manipulation? It's nothing and you get to move ahead. I am so glad I had it done. I really did well after that. You won't be able to get there on your own. Scar tissue can be stubborn. It didn't cause me any more pain! Just do it. Don't fret about it. Many of us have had it done.

Thank you for your positive response. I have heard many horror stories regarding the pain and slower progress after manipulation -as well as those who suffered infection and broken prosthesis from incorrect manipulation. I don't tolerate pain meds so would not be able to control that pain, and also my PT insurance is done. My MD informed me I would need daily PT for 2 weeks after manipulation. Quite an expense. I know those stories are probably the exception and not the rule, but I am about at the end of myself with this TKR experience. I return to see surgeon in July when they will see where my ROM is, and determine if I need manipulation. I will certainly take your positive experience into consideration because I really don't want to be incapacitated by this surgery the rest of my life.   It is good to get as much info as possible and I really appreciate hearing about your positive experience. These next few weeks will see me working hard. Thank u Karen.

Carol, I see where you are coming from, I cried my eyes out when told I needed MUA. I was so scared it would make things worse but I had no hope of regaining a meaningful bend without it seems.

?It is actually only the same as being pushed and pulled by the physio but with the benefit of being put out so free of the pain and stops us resisting the process and, importantly, in the hands of a skilled surgeon who should be able to manipulate the knee safely.

?The after pain was not nearly as bad as post op, though it has been a return to some of the earlier soreness and stiffenss, swelling, only to be expected, but I imagined all manner of things while it was no way as bad.

?I have only had 3 PT sessions (I'm in the UK so only get so many) but have to find the mental strength to do the exercises at home. I am going to try some in water as I feel this may help now.

?I hope your efforts will pay off, clearly if you can do without an MUA, then it is better not to have interventions and extra anaesthetics if you can avoid them. The morphine they gave me after made me very sick and I was on the CPM machine overnight after so had little sleep. But otherwise I was glad of the extra degrees of flexion to work with.

Carol I think a lot of what you are worrying about you don't need to! If you have reached 100 to 105 on your flex at 8 weeks, you will get to 110 to 120 eventually, if not more.

You do need to work on the extension as without a straight leg you will limp, so work on both flex & extension but maybe concentrate more on the extension. OFG has suggested an exercise for that in his past replies. Maybe you can look back & find it??

I was given an exercise where you sit in a chair & put the heel of your operated leg onto a stool or something, with NO support under the knee & let gravity do its job. My exercise sheet says to sit like that for 10 mins! It kills!! Maybe try 5 mins or less & build up. I was lucky in that my extension was just there (1st time in years!), but to make sure I still did the exercise as, in my probably wrong, opinion if it hurt it needed work!!??

Where are you in U.K? I'm in Hertfordshire.

Marilyn

XX

It is so good to read everyone's replies and get information and encouragement! My husband built a knee extension board for me, and already in past week, I have gained extension with use of board at home. 

I live in Indiana, USA. I have some friends in London tho, and my sister lived there for 9 years. It's beautiful there.

I will review those exercises for extension and start them immediately. Thank you, Karen and Cynthia, for your wisdom and kind responses. I always feel less anxious after reading these posts.

Hi Carol,

I'd appreciate if you could please let me know all the details about the knee extension board please. I haven't heard of this before.

TIA

Looks like this.  Search for "knee flex" or something like it.  Google images should have a selection.  WORKS GRRRRREAT in bed, on the floor, at the beach, back of a flatbed truck, etc.  No so good in space on the ISS.

I did the same without a board on my hardwood floor. I wear socks and just alternate legs pulling them up as far as I can and pushing my legs flat on the floor. No need for a board. With socks your legs glide smoothly on the hardwood.

Thanks Chico

Thanks Karen

Google- full knee extension board.

This should pop up with a picture.

DME. Direct .com

after my husband put this together at home I have had good results with extension. Good luck!

Thanks Carol