Hi everyone. me again...just a quick question, how many weeks approximately till we can walk up and down stairs concurrently? I know it depends on how much we exercise that quad, but i can now feel my muscle (whereas it was non existant). Is it a mental thing? I cant remember how long it was when i had my first TKR. I am 7 weeks post op. thanks
Hi Elaine . I'm 7 weeks & can just about walk up the stairs ( with s little difficulty) but still have to go down on at a time just can't put one foot in front the other. Good luck
Hi Elaine, I've just started walking up and down the stairs ('properly'
in the last few days ... I'm 6 weeks post op this Tuesday.
I think there is a bit of a void in instructions on this sort of thing Elaine. Like at what point should we start not just bringing the second leg up to the operated leg when walking on crutches, but taking it in front to get a more natural walking gait? I was told to go on to sticks from crutches at 3 weeks, but when do you go on to one stick? They expect you to walk into the hospital without a limp at 6 weeks but no mention on how far to walk each day until then is made. I've NO idea how much walking I should be doing at 11 days post op! I'm just getting up to go to the loo and having a very quick saunter about when I do that (the loo is about 50 ft from the chair). It all feels very vague and I'd love a sort of plan to give a rough idea!
Should say 'properly' sort of ... very ungainly
At physio this week he told me to walk 100% all the time without crutches. I was 5 weeks post TKR
I'm looking forward to this Tuesday as I'll be 6 weeks so I can finally remove those horrible compression stockings 😊
I've not minded the compression stockings at all, but I think it's because this time they fit me, while last time they kept rolling down. I'm finding them very comfortable. Getting them on after the shower is slightly difficult but husband is getting them over the heel and then I can pull them up easily from there. I actually think I might miss them when I don't need them anymore LOL! Yep, feel free to tell me I'm nuts LOL!
Wow well done. I just can't do it yet, alhtuogh I can stand on one leg and walk around the house without a stick. I think it's a mental thing with me!
I don't think you should be doing very much walking at 11 days! Just a bit here and there and of course your strengthening exercises.
I do think there is an mental element in this. I know it took me a long time, and I had got so used to doing it one by one that it did take a lot of effort to start doing it properly I actually practised on a wooden box so there was only one step ahead of me, going up and down like a maniac. it worked in the end!
I was told to try to walk naturally right from the beginning. . although at first have to say it was impossible! It took quite a bit of concentration to walk normally after months of draggin that leg . . but I think the sooner the better.
My PT had me doing stairs pretty quickly. I did stairs by 3 weeks post op but slowly. I'm now 7 weeks and a little quicker but not normal on stairs yet.
Hi Elaine, I cannot actually answer your question, I wish i could, but - I am now 7 weeks post op too, as I live in a bungalow I dont have stairs to practise on really, but at physio last tuesday, I was walking up and down on a box/step up with operated leg then good leg, then down with op leg etc.: I had120 degree bend : I was discharged from physio and told I didnt need any crutches to walk, but feel I couldn't go outside without one(apart from my own garden), my leg sort of buckles a tiny bit when I am walking and I tense up, I know it just needs strengthening. I can walk up a small step then into through my back back conconcurrently but I would be frightened if there wasnt anything there for me to hold onto if I needed too ; I have been doing my exercises. but I think I need to do more steps exercises my husand has made me a wooden step today.
May I ask you how long ago did you have your first TKR?
Sorry for going - How in general do you feel you are mamanging?
That's interesting Martinarvelo. It was drummed into us in hospital to take walker forward (crutches came the next day but it was the same 'style' and then operated leg and then bring the other leg up level to the operate leg, then crutches, then operated leg and so on. But I found I can take the other leg forward with no problem. I must admit, like Elaine, I feel I'm using the crutches more like a security blanket, but then since they said not to go on to sticks until three weeks post op, I guess that's OK. I'm frightened to do too much in knee bending exercise now because I think the wound is still leaking, but I'll find out tomorrow and then hopefully can do more. I'm just frightened of delaying healing by knee bends at the moment. But I can lift the leg easily, as well as I could before the op and the muscles generally seem better than I expected. I hope I'm doing the right thing by not pushing the bending at the moment, but I'll find out more tomorrow when the dressing comes off, hopefully, then should know what to do next.
No walker provided where I was operated. . they were dead against them! I think I would have felt safer with it, though. I was lucky with the wound . . it seemed to heal magically, and there was never any leakage at all . . and where I had the op, they took the dressing off every day and put a new one. It seems to be different everywhere! We all seem to end up pretty much the same though!
Hi
My Physio told me you need around 115 degree bend to be able to walk up an down stairs . I spent 2 weeks on my stairs using my bum.
Good healing
I got 103 by my physio which excruciating pain but I've managed stairs albeit very ungainly ... just takes a bit of courage and still sometimes I find myself wanting to do it the two foot two step way
Seven weeks is extremely early to think you can do stairs effortlessly. And, yes, it takes a rebuilt quad, glute and core to do that. Lots of gym work required...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527
I also did another post on stairs...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/mastering-post-tkr-stairs-552728
...that seemed to have been quite controversial as the method taught to me in PT was the exact opposite of the one taught to other people (I wonder if it's a US vs other countries thing). Others have written extensively about mastering stairs so there's a lot of information out there.
Just remember that it takes a lot of work to put stair climbing back on the muscles around the knee and not on the knee itself. Takes time and work. I'm one year p/o and stairs are not an issue anymore.
I had my first knee done in march 2015. I had a small step in that hug that I practiced on but can't remember at what stage I was at then. I do feel I'm doing very well they are pleased with me at the hospital and I can sit in a chair normally now walking round without a stick mostly. It's jut the stair element that's annoying me, I think it's all in my mind!
Not hug, house! Predictive test nightmare.