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Your suggestions to improve knee bend

Posted , 13 users are following.

susiemah
susiemah

Following this forum has taught me patience is needed post TKR. I am making slow progress but now happy with this. However I would like your suggestions/exercises on how to improve my knee bend. Is it worth buying any equipment? I am 3 weeks and 5 days out and understand it is still early days. I am in the U.K. Still can't lift leg. PT appointment again tmrw and my husband is insisting we tell them to allow me to recover at my own pace. They want to refer me back to consultant if I have not made signiifanct progress tomorrow. They do not have the same mindset as we have on this forum......slow and steady. Any suggestions please for exercises? 

0 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • yusrina27606
    yusrina27606 susiemah

    Posted

    I use yoga strap smile do it with your own way. If you can push harder without pain or slowing it down. I bought the green strap from amazon. Check youtube for knee exercise after surgery
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 susiemah

    Posted

    Hi Susie!

    With my first TKR I had one HECK of a time lifting my leg! It truly felt to be a TREE TRUNK FILLED WITH CEMENT! 😵 The PT who came to our home three times a week for the first two weeks following my surgery had me use a looped belt to slip over my foot so that I could hoist it up onto the couch or bed or ottoman. I actually attached my husband's belt to my walker to use when needed as I moved about the house! Worked GREAT!

    When I began OUTPATIENT physical therapy at week three I worked on exercises to strengthen my quad muscles which apparently were BOTH quite weak. Getting those quad muscles to fire after a TKR can be tricky. At first I couldn't even FEEL where the muscle was in my surgical leg! My therapist had me sit up on the therapy table with both legs straight out. I was to concentrate on flexing BOTH QUAD MUSCLES then relaxing them. He had me put my hands on my quad muscles and press to feel any engagement of the muscles. I was able to engage the RIGHT (non-surgical ) leg, and as I tried BOTH, that RIGHT leg "taught" the LEFT (surgical) leg how to flex!!!😁 It was a VERY amazing moment for me!

    My therapist explained "muscle memory" and how since our body parts are all connected, one part can take over for another and help it make contact again to "teach" (or in this case, RE-TEACH!) another body part!

    Over the next several weeks through these exercises, squats, working both legs on the Total Gym, and balance work, I was able to strengthen both quads and lift my surgical leg successfully.

    Interestingly enough, I had no problem lifting my second knee following my second surgery three and a half months later! I'm guessing that my DUEL WORK at PT with my first surgery strengthened that right leg so that it was ready MUCH earlier to GET GOING!😊

    Make no mistake... lifting a leg after a TKR can be EXTREMELY challenging!! With time, patience, and practice it will come. The surgery is quite involved, and so is RECOVERY!

    You will get there!😊

    • susiemah
      susiemah cheryl90571

      Posted

      Wow Cheryl are you in US? In the U.K. PT don't do home visits, not where I live anyway. I have been really disappointed with their appointments as I haven't started exercise. I do my own at home 3 times a day though. I am going to try your suggestion of using both legs to see if my right can re-teach  left, thanks 

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 susiemah

      Posted

      Yes, I'm in the USA...Ohio.

      Our insurance provides home visits from a nurse and a physical therapist for the first two weeks following surgery. They decide if all is well to begin outpatient physical therapy. I began outpatient PT at week three.

      I hope that you will have success with your surgical leg with help from your other leg!😊

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX susiemah

    Posted

    It's our version of "PTSD": Patience, Time, Strength and Determination...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521

    This is your path for the next year.  Right now, you need these...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-heel-slide-exercises-526213

    After PT, here are your strengthening exercises all mapped out...remember to warm up and stretch...

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

    Stay strong!!!

    • susiemah
      susiemah CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Thanks Chico, I went out today and didn't walk far but swelling terrible when I got home. Do you continue with physio even when swelling terrible? It took hours to get it down. 

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX susiemah

      Posted

      Get the swelling down and do a little less tomorrow.  Find the "no pain point" and increase slowly from there.

    • yusrina27606
      yusrina27606 susiemah

      Posted

      I was lucky my swelling was gone at day 6. Now everytime I walk/work around the house for 2 to 3 hrs it would swell about 0.5 to 1 cm. I eat anti inflammation food. My best shots is a juice of a fruit with ginger turmeric garlic cayenne pepper. No salt and raw veggies and fruit. It'll clean up the inflamation. Good luck

  • chris00938
    chris00938 susiemah

    Posted

    If you're looking for equipment, I've found our recumbent bike to be brilliant and when I started using that at just before three weeks, noticed straight away that the bend felt easier BUT you need to have a certain amount of bend before you can use it or you won't be able to get close enough to reach the pedals on the almost straight leg part.  My bend at that point was 115 and I needed that to be able to use it - less bend and I couldn't have done it.

    I don't know how people are doing the bend bit of exercises, but if I'm on the bed, I lift the hip and toe of the operated leg, and pull the toe up as tight as possible, and then lower hip and foot and that just pushes it a bit closer.  This is the same as how I do it at night, on the recliner too.  I got less discomfort doing it like that than sitting on a chair pushing the leg back.  I think you have to do what works for you.

    Good luck:-))))

  • lyn32416
    lyn32416 susiemah

    Posted

    Hi susiemah. Attaining good bend is very important. So is lifting your leg. We cannot underestimate it. Knee slides on the bed worked for me. I lay flat on my back, bent my knee, used my opposite heel on the bent knee toes and forced my knee up and then took it down, repeated on a silk bed cover so it was easy to slide. Sit on a chair and bend your knee back as far as possible. All this is on YouTube. Without constant movement we seize up and stiffen. I am at nearly 14 months post op both knees replaced Mar 2016. Just starting to get my life back. Stiff when I sit for long and then try to get up. Drives me nuts. But I will never give up. I want to be fully recovered. For that, we need to be maintaining the physiotherapy exercises. It is so important. You have to lift your leg and engage your quads. Yes, it is early days but without constant exercise, scar tissue could inhibit your recovery and range of movement. Ride a stationary bike pedalling in reverse. This worked well for me. Good luck.
    • susiemah
      susiemah lyn32416

      Posted

      Is it better to do knee slides flat on back Lyn? 
    • chris00938
      chris00938 susiemah

      Posted

      I asked this question soon after I had my op Susie.  The answer is, do them any way that's the best for you!  I found doing them on a chair from a sitting position was more likely to get the pinching cramping feeling behind the knee but if you're flat on the bed you MIGHT find it harder, whereas propped up with pillows behind you it MIGHT be easier.  My hospital told me to put a tray under the foot because it will slide easier across the bedding (or the carpet if you're doing them from a chair) but basically do them however you find it easiest to push that bend.  For me it's actaully the recliner but I do a couple every morning before I get up on the bed as well.

  • jenny80029
    jenny80029 susiemah

    Posted

    I found going down straits on my bottom good!😃

    • chris00938
      chris00938 jenny80029

      Posted

      I can see how that would work - what a good idea.  I haven't got stairs but for those who have, they could start with bottom two stairs higher than feet and work down to one!

    • susiemah
      susiemah jenny80029

      Posted

      Do you mean using knees/ legs to guide you down Jenny? 
    • jenny80029
      jenny80029 susiemah

      Posted

      Putting both feet on a couple of steps down and then putting bottom one step down, causing knees to bend more and repeating. Sorry for delay in reply!

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