hi everyone, found this site thank god, I'm 4 days after tkr and am managing just to bend to 84 but the physio reckons I'm not doing well, I'm up on crutches walking as well, I thought my pain barrier was good but it's obviously not. Any advice would be great.
Ice, ice, ice, ice, ice! And has your doctor set you up with a CPM machine? Being in that all night/day will help with your range of motion and pain. Everyone's experiences are different, but 84° at 4 days isn't terrible! Generally, docs and physios want you to be at 90° before leaving the hospital, so if you're already out, just keep doing those ROM exercises! And don't forget about extension. It's just as important as the flexion and will help things along the more you work on it! This is a process and will take a lot of hard work, so just keep at it! Good luck!
I think you are doing good. I don't even think i was allowed to try to bend my knee like that right away. But I had my surgery in India. Definitely ice. And I think just about every one I've see comment on how they thought they had a high tolerance to pain and this surgery changed all that. Me too! So, in my opinion, you are in good company.
Tell the physio that your knee cant read the book that says it shuld bend more. At 4 days I hadnt mnaged to raise my leg, I did that on day 5. Your pan threashold lowers whan your down and with an idiot of a physio it will feel worse. Exercis and ice 6/7 times a day. Whenever your sitting exercise. Gradually start weight bearing with crutches and move to sticks. Mostly Id say ignore the physio
Thank you, I have had the use of the CPM machine for twenty minutes once a day, and worked my way up to that today. You are right! My doc said this morning when I get to 90 I can go home so I am hoping to do that tomorrow. Home is not where I am living at the mo so I will be relying on good friends to help with the physio. I appreciate and will heed your advice. Thank you
My answer to the therapist, it's your fault then, I'm doing everything you told me to do so you figure it out and let me know. If you don't get it figured out I'll discuss your inadequacy with your supervisor and my doctor.
Thank you for your reply. I am away from home too, and the physio forced my knee up today and since then I have not been able to do even the baby exercises as I call them for the pain. I did read up a lot before TKR and thought I could handle the pain, but obviously I can't, so thank you for sharing your experiences, it does make a difference.
I'm surprised they only have you in it for 20 min! I was in it all day and night non stop and I'm incredibly thankful for that! Once I got home, I only used it sporadically in the day, but slept with my leg in it and it did wonders for my ROM and pain during the night and next morning. I would ask if you can be in it longer, personally. It definitely couldn't hurt! It helps scar tissue from building up which hinders flexion, so worth asking about.
thank you for your reply. It's good to know that others have gone through what I am going through as you do feel as that you are alone sometimes, and hopefully I can learn from their experiences and try and be more positive. Thank you for the good advice.
I think you have a really bad physio, I'm at 3 weeks post op, I only had pkr, on last Tuesday I was on a 95 bend my physio said I'm doing really well, I was up within hrs of surgery as were most, seemed to be doing every thing same as every body else. I would have thumped my physio if she had tried to force me to do any thing, , we all have our motivations to get better, and we all will, don't let them bully you, that's the last thing you need
Well said, couldn't agree more. I think they forget we are not as fit as them hence the operation.
Gill, before you can really get better you have to reduce the pain to manageable. Talk to your docs immediately. They can find you relief as everyone is different and react best to different meds. It may be trial and error but they can do it. 2 things that are important to healing........being pain free and rest, but add to that, hydration. Plenty of water at all times. Fluids allow the soft tissue to streatch this giving the necessary flex
Hi, I am going to ask them to leave it with me today, and only this morning I have managed to get myself in and out of bed using a scarf with a knot to put my foot in and managed that, so I cen see it is improving but ever so slightly. My hubby has come in before he starts work and bought me in a gel pack that slips inside a band that goes around the knee to keep it cold so thank you for the ice pack mention, it is all highly appreciated and also please keep up your good work
thank you for your good advice, my tablets at the moment is cerablex twice a day and solphadine once a day, but after yesterday's little episode I asked for tramadol and they gave me one, so this morning before the physios get here I am going to ask for another tramadol and hope that will help with the pain once they start. I will also need your advice and take plenty of fluids as I did not know this helped as well. It's good to hear from other people how they managed with tkr. Thank you
hi Mandy, because I have other medical issues when it comes to operations I did not even see a physio until 2 days into op and managed to do the baby exercises. I think where I am living at the moment is that the physios read a book and the book says you should be at this stage and that is what they expect and I think they don't realise that everyone is different. They told me yesterday that a woman had a double tkr and was up and walking on the first day and out on the third day, pain free!! I hope the woman is pain free for her sake, but alas we are all different. How did you manage your pain? Thanks for your reply
Ask them if they know they can go to hell for lying same as stealing. What a bunch of bull. Due to the number of times I've been through this I've met a lot of people in and out of therapy and have never met a soul or have ever heard a story like that from any of the therapists I'm around. That therapist should be ashamed coming to work after a long stop over at the neighborhood pub.
Have to be careful what I say as in a country where there are no pubs! However I have just seen a Doctor that I haven't seen befor and he told me that I am where I should be and he went and got the surgeon and they are allowing me home later today. I live on a compound and there is an ex matron there who is arranging for my friends to come in and help me, that way I am extremely lucky to have such good friends around. However, it is still good to talk to people that have gone through this themselves, and it does give encouragement, so please keep up the good work.
Well, I agree that they had me up the day after my surgery. But I thought for sure I was going to pass out...they did too! I did manage to take two steps. The next day they had me walk further. Being out of pain, that is ridiculous. The only way anyone would be out of pain would be because they were on some really good drugs. Even with mine, the pain was intense. And Oldfatguy is right, this therapist is terrible for even saying such things. As if he can guilt you into feeling better. I could barely manage to vertically lift my legs before being discharged 6 days after surgery. And prior to surgery I had been swimming and making sure I was ready for the physical challenge.
How did I manage my pain? Seriously, I felt as if I had the weakest meds available to mankind. I didn't have any of the strong stuff that others got. I was miserable. But the one thing that did bring relief was ice and stretching - sitting with my legs straight out in front of me and touching my toes. So much of my pain was behind my knees. Unti I started having to bend them. Then I thought for sure my stitches were going to pop open. I think the more you can ice them the better. I really wanted heat on the back, but was told that wasn't good for the healing process (sometimes I'm not sure about the doctors in India, but I have heard similar feedback on here). I did use a muscle rub on the backs of my knees and on my thighs...any where that a muscle was screaming and would massage it a bit too.
Well said everyone!
on my 2nd day in hospital my consultant asked me if I could lift my leg up!
I said no I couldnt!
After he he had gone I told the nurse and I felt something was wrong. She said don't worry, should have replied to him,
im not able to lift my leg up, but I can lift my fist off the bed ,,,he's good at his job but never had a tkr.
sue x
That ice pack sounds amazing. In India it's a little more archaic. I had the hard plastic ice packs you put in a cooler. And there were so many of us sharing them that sometimes they weren't even frozen. Makes me chuckle thinking about it.