I'm 12 weeks out from LTKR. Have been doing pretty good really walking daily exercising etc,. Had a 2 night hotel break this week with partner,Decided to try swimming, found my knee heavy and weird in the water, can only breaststroke so after trying for a while gave up as too painful . Still painful 2 days later. Resting icing ibuprofen and still same,, hopeknee replacement not damaged or dislocated. , 😢
Hi.. Sorry swimming ruined your lovely weekend and left you with pain. You wrote to the right site. Did you ice it for the pain? I think I can speak for most of us here. If you were fine before the swim, I doubt you dislocated the implant. You should most definitely call your doctor.
definitely call your doctor. I'm sure you will be fine. Good luck in your healing.
Thanks Marilyn.I did ice still icing as knee sore to touch. As I can only swim breaststroke that's what I tried but was painful on my knee I've read at 12 weeks breaststroke is ok?? Yea I'll contact doc if no better
Hi Nuala, I doubt that you have injured it with the swimming - likely it is just a different type of exercise and using different muscles. I am 13 months out (Holy!) and am FINALLY feeling like this new knee might actually belong to me! I have recently started swimming again and I have found that ti feels a bit wierd in the water, maybe due to no stress on the joints or muscles and again it "feels like" there might be some lateral movement - but nothing that shouldn't be happening. The strengthening that the low stress exercise helps with tho is great in the long run. Keep at it ... but slowly 
Thanks Donna. Hope you're right?? My partner said same as you, wait n see eh ! Enjoy your swimming. I've missed it so much but couldn't believe how weird and heavy knee felt in the pool!
Hi Nuala I was told by physio that breast stroke is one thing you can't do not with the legs anyway as its the wrong movement! You can do the arms but do another stroke the legs
Hi!
I'm afraid you can't ever do breast stroke leg kick again with a TKR (as advised by my consultant and physiotherapist) you have to do freestyle leg movements eg the crawl! I always did breast stroke but these days with now two TKRs I do breast stroke with my arms and kicks as you'd do with the crawl with my legs! Takes a bit of getting used to but it works for me and no damage to knee replacements.
Glenda
Hi j had four tkr to left leg. Wad told not to do breastcstroke with legs .have you donecdome phydio jn water ? I absolutrly love it
Hmm swimming should have been good I was told - I'm
Braving it today to go - I did get told not to do breast stroke? And let legs trail ? I hope u havent re injured it - good luck ... I really feel for you , it's a long road but we will get there . Sounds like your doing all the right things
Hi Nuala. I'm sorry to hear this too. I agree with Marilyn that you probably didn't dislocate the implant. My physical therapist told me that there's really no way I can damage my replacement unless I fall directly on it. Keep icing, and hope you're feeling better soon.
I will say tho that the knee did feel heavy too at your stage..even taking a bath would stiffen it....it takes way longer than anyone really tells you to get to feel like it is your again.... 😁
You might be doing something different due to the feeling of your new knee. If knee won't tolerate swimming then there perhaps is something to have checked! I walked 5 kms yesterday and carried 7kg of luggage up and down 80+ stairs. Knees told me I'd perhaps overdone it after another 5 kms walk today! Get it checked out!
Glenda I think youre right in your reply to Nuala. I read somewhere else,not a knee forum but a fitness forum,that breast stroke is not advisable with sore knees,let alone replaced ones. I go in the pool often,and to Nuala Id say walk rather than swim,and intersperse it with a few lengths CRAWL,and floating on yoyr back using a cycling motion with your legs. I DO the breast stroke,but only with my arms,letting my legs hang motionless. You still move!! Also when Ive been in the pool I still feel it when I come out,and Im at 8 months now. So most likely youve not really hurt anything Nuala. Just stop doing breast stroke with your legs.
Sorry Nuala only just read this about only doing breast stroke. So maybe walking. How about a few lessons on how to float on your back amnd do cycling motion. If the pool is fairly shallow Im sure youd learn quickly. Also as said do the breast stroke with your arms. You could just paddle your legs to help.
I must thank you all for your input and suggestions. I rested all day yesterday and so far today. Knee still bit sore but not as bad. No breaststroke leg movement for me again just paddle and float. Hole in eardrum have to be careful not water in ear. Breaststroke was ideal for me. Ah well. Thanks again all. Xx
I found the same thing. I love the breastroke, but getting that frog kick wasn't in the cards for me. It was painful. I think it's safe to say that you didn't really do any serious damage - these new knees are tougher than that. I found it hard to even do the regular flutter kick. But I did find treading water to be helpful. And I would use a kickboard more as a float (someone else mentioned sitting on the pool noodles, which would be even better) and doing a bicycle kick while treading water. It allowed my knees to bend and got me moving without bearing the normal body weight.
Hi Dianne I fell directly on my implant on day 8 just 4 days at getting home tripped over the stupid crutches and was first time I was home alone .. totally ripped all internal and external stitching below knee .. was on the floor waiting for someone to get home for over an hour and hubby took me directly to surgeon.. had exrays all was good thank goodness but was readmitted to hospital for 5 days due to swelling and to see how wound would heal with a vacuum bandage and steri strips as surgeon was concerned about going back in as there would've been a very high % for an infection and knee to be redone. Thankfully all ended up fine but at 9mths am still having alot of issues. Cheers Tracey
Oh my goodness Tracey, that sounds horrendous! Great to hear that you are okay now.
Oh man! So glad you survived your fall Tracey! This knee replacement journey is not for chickens. Falling when I'm home alone is my greatest fear. Before surgery, no one ever told me about all the issues we would encounter...thank goodness for this discussion board~take care!