Good morning everyone. I'm just over 3 weeks TKR and I have some questions regarding exercise - I have been given various ones - sliding knee on bed, lifting leg with straight leg, lifting bent leg etc - ideally how often during the day should I be doing these?
Also, if my knee is feeling painful BEFORE doing the exercises (ie on a really bad day) should I still continue and do them?
And lastly, when sitting down, it's really uncomfortable with feet on the floor, it's really uncomfortable - should I be pushing myself to carry on sitting like that or should I just sit with it raised?
I am only 3 weeks after my op too and am getting on leaps and bound due to doing the exercises each day. The best exercise is to walk as that straightens the leg. The most painful part of this op is doing the exercises and one should be doing them 10 to 20 times 3 times a day. But if it is too painful then little and often as I believe listen to your body. No pain no gain is typical post op. I use a step and raise my foot onto the edge of it and push my body forward to bend the knee as far as i can go while holding my crutches on the floor each side of the step. This exercise has been tremendous in getting my knee to bend which i find the most difficult. Make sure you are taking the correct dosage of pain killers too because if you are not then you will experience more pain, and one is meant to be taking them for at least 12 weeks. I am repeating what i was told by the hospital and physiotherpist. Remember to use ice or frozen peas on your knee before exercises with your leg straight out and resting the heel on the edge of another chair, this is also good for straightening the knee.
I also forgot to say that the exercises you do in the 6 weeks after your op will determine your outcome so get doing them as soon as you can. I got up and walked 2 hours after my op and don't use my crutches now and I am only 3 weeks post op
I plan on physio or exercise an hour after taking pain meds. It allows you to exercise well with minimal pain. Lots of ice after. Three times per day
Gosh you're doing well. They didn't get me on my feet until a day after my op. I'm on one crutch in the house and am doing exercises but am unsure if I am doing enough. My leg was like a lead weight and I couldnt lift it up in the air when laying down until a few days ago! (And even now I can only lift it about an inch or two and I can only do that one about 5 times at most)
I sat with my legs up was to painful with them down but dont sit for to long or will stiffen up . i was at only 50% bend at 4 weeks thats when i had my 1st physio . had been doing physio hospital shown me to do put was struggling having to stand to do them n my other knee bad so couldn't take strain, after 1st physio session i worked hard doing it 4 times a day i at 100 % 2 weeks later n they discharged me ,they didnt tell me i had to keep doing them . wasn't till i came on here realised i needed to still be doing them .
1st and most important....take pain meds anywhere from 30 mins to an hour before you start. Warm up slowly and push yourself to the threshold of real pain but not into the level of year producing pain. Do everything with a purpose, Slow and steady. Excercise at a speed that is comfortable. You won't get a hold star because you finished in record time. Some push for 3 times a day. Personally I could never get past 2 x's if I did them correctly as I found myself having to start working again almost as soon as I got done. I continually push hydration and rest. Early into this journey when it started over 12 years ago, my therapist emphasized a tired, dried out body just won't heal like one that's tested and hydrated. 2 weeks from today I am set for my 11th operation and get a new knee inserted where I currently have nothing but a plastic spacer. Even after 3 1/2 months of going without a knee and being limited to a bend that has been slowly increased to 60° I can tell when dehydration is starting to hit me. I'm in the Midwest of the US and summer has finally hit. We are in the mid 90's (f) with high humidity and the sweat is just pouring off me continually. Dehydration can set in quickly especially with pain meds etc. so I keep a pitcher of water close to my chair all day long. Take your time when you excercise, especially when you walk and you will slowly see things falling ing to place. If you weren't a patient person before you started all this you will be by the time you are back on your feet. Rushing through the day just causes more set backs. Stay with this group. They have all been there and can laugh and cry right along with you at every turn.
Should have read "gold star" not hold
Thank you for your advice and very best wishes for your forthcoming op. I really hope it is successful for you.
Our bathroom is upstairs so I had to make myself bend the knee to get up and down stairs...I won't tell you how many times I went when taking water tabs to help with swelling! but stairs are no problem to me. It was straightening and still is. I have walked twice as far today as I did Monday, leg started to stiffen getting back to the car but its OK now. Masssaged and iced when back home. Don't forget to put a towel under the ice pack as this could burn your skin, same with heat. towel under. Just been discharged for 12 months at 14 weeks PO. age 75.
Thanks Hazel. When do you use heat? Does it help?
Stairs were never a problem with using crutches, use good leg, bad leg and crutch going up and Crutch, bad leg, good leg coming down. Now i can just go up as normal without crutches. You are older than me and I take my hat off to you as I am thinking I am not going through this when i reach my 70's. I am only 57 at the minute.
I got up myself at the hospital and walked using my crutches and it was fine. They discharged me after 43 hours which was unfortunate as i was in a lovely private ward on the NHS. Raising my leg was so painful and I couldn't do that one until the 2nd week but keep going with it.
Well I'm 49 and feel pretty useless compared to some of you! I've had years of bone on bone and them putting off the op 'because of your age'. Meanwhile my leg was bent sideways (bow legged) and also front to back so I walked with an horrendous limp.
one tip the physio gave to me to remember for stairs with crutches - ABC going up (able, bad, crutch) and CBA coming down.
Haha - I was in a private hospital with the NHS too - I was desperate to go to my little ensuite loo but couldn't do it till 2 days after. They discharged me on the third day and I was very disappointed that they sent me home just before a lovely lunch was due to be served!
The heat works for me, I have a lavender bag and heat it for 2 mins in the microwave, I use this after icing.. It works for me.
It can be at any age. I was 69 when I had my left knee done. Told me at 55 I was too young to have knees done. My son had a hip replacement at 42!
Dubgirl, I would have to say you are having an exceptional experience. Lucky for you.
My PT told me heat wasn't good for the healing process. But sometimes it was the only thing that made everything in the back of my knee feel better.
Susan, I had the PT come to my place daily (well, 6 days a week) for about four weeks, starting the day after I was released from the hospital - I was in for 6 days. He told me to exercise two addition times on my own.
As others said, definitely some pain meds early enough before to help me get through. And the PT said ice about 1/2 hour afterward, to allow it to naturally cool off from the exercise.
My sofa all of the sudden felt too low to the ground, so I usually sat on my bed, with my leg out in front of me. The nice thing is, because of this I have zero problems with my legs being straight and I would bend them enough throughout the day that I have a great bend as well.
And, your body knows when you need an occassional break. But don't get lazy and take advantage of it. If you are hurting because you over did it the day before, go easy on yourself and do some modified exercises.