I had tkr on July 12, 2016. I'm having a difficult time keeping my range of motion. Any suggestions?I go to therapy 3xs a week, I have a cpm at home, and a flexonator. I go to gym and water exercise. I have used heat and ice. My knee is still stiff. Help me out.
Have you had your surgeon apply manual manipulation under anesthesia? I work out in the pool as well. Best thing so far
Hi Phillip,
I found that after 12 weeks of therapy 2x a week, the best thing that worked for me was water therapy with a therapist in a pool!!! I'm so much better!
If it's still swollen it will be stiff or a tight feeling.
Yes they did that too. Water therapy works best but once I sit down and rest it stiffens back up.
I love water therapy but it doesn't keep rom afterwards.
Phillip - doing my exercises In the pool really helped me. I did that as soon as I got the ok and my rom really increased. I had my tkr a week before you and my rom is 130 and my straightening is 0. I have my last pt tomorrow - can walk without any pain but I'm very stiff and sore when I stand up after sitting or in the am. I'm taking Advil as I need it. I understand that soreness and stiffness takes a long time to go away. All we can do is keep doing what we are doing - exercise, ice and elevate! This surgery is such a bear! Best wishes
Barb
What can I do to keep it from taking everything back
Flexonator? Is that like a Flux Capacitor? No?
NO HEAT!!!! Just ice. Like Bill says...if it's swollen, it will feel stiff. Plus, there can still be: a. a slightly swollen look; b. stiffness; and c. clicking/popping noises for up to 18 months post op...all normal. Here are some more tips...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
Keep it up...you're only 7 weeks post-op. This is gonna take a while.
Hey Phillip I'm 6 weeks post op RTHR. Just getting away from crutches but it's good to be pain free. So what does that have to do with your knee, you might ask. We're at about same time frame, early in recovery.
I had both knees done been almost two years and they are good, but at 8 weeks like you are I still had swelling and stiffness. Ice after workout and Elevate, I was always sore from physical therapy which went on for a year. You reach a ROM but then you have to maintain it. I used a yoga strap on foot and pulled as hard as I could to bend knee for 15-20 seconds at a time. Pretty common exercise I believe. Another thing I felt helped was the stationary bike with seat set to as far as knee would bend without pain. Then you gradually move it closer. This was like a warm up, followed by treadmill. Then squats with medicine ball. Knee bending again but I wasn't doing squats at 8 weeks! Keep working for the little gains and you'll get there. Good Luck! Dave
pool is best. No impact. I used to go to the Y. Insurance will pay for membership most times for a year. It's cheaper for them than PT.
Thank each and every one of you for your encouragement and support. I didn't mention that I had two patella rupture repaired in each knee prior to the TKR. I also had limited range of motion in the knee i just got surgery on.
Hated that stationary bike at PT. OK at first then he added simulated hills. Learned to not like that thing. Lol. But it helped
You've got more going on than just the knee replacement. You're really early in your recovery sounds like your doing good. My second knee replacement, 3 months after first, my patella was fractured vertically during surgery. They bend your knee after the new one is in while you're still under, apparently my knee cap couldn't take the stress of trying to stretch tight muscles. So I have a screw in my knee cap as well! Doesn't cause any problems now but put me back 6 weeks on physical therapy. Keep working out and you'll be fine. One thing I was told never to do was kneel down on hard floor with my knees. Always put a pillow or pad down to put your knee on. Sounded like good advice to me. Dave
Ouch. Sounds like my brother. Then the screws came loose. Had to go in and tighten them.
Hi Phillip,
it's still early days, don't be hard on yourself!
gong to gym and water excersises? You sound to be more than on track.
Don't try to run before you can walk, so to speak.
A year after my second TKR, and I've had unrelated surgery, which put my walking back, and my knees stiffen up after sitting or lying down for too long.
you will find this, but things will improve, it takes a while, be patient, keep icing, and keep excersising.
Really, you are still very early. A couple of months is just the start of long term rehab. I might suggest you slow down A little. In my opinion you are working it too hard, too much. Leave the heat alone. It can cause set backs. I now it "feels good" but it doesnt heal. My therapist who is a a PhD and certified sports therapist, has shown and proven to me what damage heat does. Slow down and hydrate well. Let your muscles rest. This every day all day stuff doesn't give your body time to heal and itvwont heal without rest. The body no brain was designed to work all the time. The are no gold stars given for pushing yourself too much because there Really isn't a first placed In this race. We are call different in our healing so find your pace and not someone elses. I've been through this so many times and found each of my 5 rehabs have been unique one to the other. This is a marathon.....not a sprint.
Really, you are still very early. A couple of months is just the start of long term rehab. I might suggest you slow down a little. In my opinion you are working it too hard, too much. Leave the heat alone. It can cause set backs. I know it "feels good" but it doesnt heal. My therapist who is a a PhD and certified sports therapist, has shown and proven to me what damage heat does. Slow down and hydrate well. Let your muscles rest. This every day all day stuff doesn't give your body time to heal and it wont heal without rest. The body and brain wasnt designed to work all the time. There are no gold stars given for pushing yourself too much because there Really isn't a first place In this race. We are all different in our healing so find your pace and not someone elses. I've been through this so many times and found each of my 5 rehabs have been unique one to the other. This is a marathon.....not a sprint. Remember some basics...good nutrition, lots of water and good rest. Common sense is much more important than an extra couple hours working on the leg
Thank you for your encouragement and support!
Well, stiffness with happen. It takes a long time. I just would keep flexing my knee like I did prior to surgery. Even 1.5 years later I'd notice it especially when walking down the stairs in the morning. But now, almost 2 years later, I feel like most of the stiffness has gone away. I also worked on it while reading or on my laptop (which I often do on my bed with my legs out in front of my. So I alternate between pulling my knees up and holding it there for a while to having them out flat, straigh in front of me. I hope that helps you some.
-Mo