Did you ever tell PT to stop, it hurts too bad? I do the leg extended, foot on a chair, with weights at home. I hold for 3 min, rest and do it again.
PT uses 7lb of weight for 7 minutes. It's horrible and I'm in pain and unable to do anything for 2 days. Am I just being a wimp. Im 6 wk out from tkr with 130 bend. and -4 extension. Frankly I don't know how they measure extension when my knee is so swollen.
Absolutely! If it hurts so bad you're immobile for 2 days, then it's too much. You know your own body. Tell him to stop it! Best of luck to you.
I learned the hard way I have to speak up for myself after PT pushed down on my knee for 15 excrutiating seconds causing me to lose 6 weeks of progress. I found a new good PT who understood a 67 year old can't heal like a 50 year old. Most PT's have never had any surgery and have the advantage of youth with limited perspective of going through TKR surgery and pain. We need to be our own advocate and speak up. You are doing fantastic in such a short time!
Its your knee if what they are doing hurts too much TELL THEM !! They do not know how you feel. As many times as I have been to therapy if they put on too much weight and its causes way too much pain I let them know right away. I can tolerate some pain but if its causing me to lose my mind from the pain they are causing they will know right away.
WOW, I would be finding a new PT group!!!! I just came back from PT and had been out to lunch before hand with a friend so leg was swollen and while it normally has been measuring at 0/120 it was -5/120 and they told me that it was due to the swelling...but then end of the hour it was back down to -2/125. So you are right when the knee is swollen you will not get a good measurement with extension. Fire them!
Tell them to stop! With my 1st tkr I had 2 people giving me therapy sessions, the man had me over do it every time until I hurt for days. The woman was so much better at it. I got to a point were I started to say, "no more ".
Thank you for the affirmation.
Thank you all for the validation. I won't let it happen anymore.
I sure DID tell her to stop! I ALSO told them that I felt like I was going to faint ( while standing the night of surgery ). They didn't listen to me, but FORTUNATELY my nurse came in, saw me, held onto me and gently got me seated on the bed then helped me swing my legs on to the bed. She took my blood pressure which had dropped to 80/60 and told the PTs "This PT session is OVER!"
My nurse, Cassie, remains MY HERO!!!
Also my first PT at physical therapy went on and on telling me he was going to push on my knee and that it would hurt, but I just needed to deal with it to recover fully. I told HIM that there would be NO pushing on my still VERY SWOLLEN knee! He passed me to another PT who ended up being SO MUCH more realistic and sensitive to my needs. I made GREAT progress in her care, and once my swelling went down, my bend happened naturally. She also had me on the Game ready machine that iced AND compressed my knee at the same time.
I never regretted telling PT#1 to BACK OFF!
Agree! Don’t let them over weight and over bend you. With my now 6 wk. TKR, this group I started with out in the first week have different philosophy. No more radical bending and straightening. They find that the more they force, the more we resist against it resulting in pain and being counterproductive. Do you have to push yourself? Of course. I’m the one who overdoes being competitive with myself: add a bit too much weight, peddle faster on the bike. Usually, it’s more good than bad as I’m doing it not an overzealous PT. OBTW-mine really take offense at being called Physical Terrorists. If I don’t think I’m being challenged enough, I do an additional set of 20 reps or add a couple more pounds ( not 10!). You have to be your own advocate for your body. You know your limitations. Others here are right-sometimes all you need do is change therapists. If that doesn’t seem to be helping, see about changing rehab centers. As I said prior, the philosophy seems to changing...and as we all know, it can be hard to get some people (PT) to change. That stretch and bend may take bit longer, but it will come. Best of luck.
I am glad you told them to take it easy its bad enough when they start bending and making you do leg lifts squats going up and down stairs etc. but unless you say something they will continue they have no idea how you feel they can only go by what you say. Give your self a pat on the back !!!!!
You are not a wimp I have been doing physical therapy into my surgery and March I still cry I still tell them know when they push too hard and then you won't go but they keep pushing. The pain is real they don't know. I am far from being a wimp people tell me how tough I am because I've endured a lot. Right now I feel like I am a wimp because I have no control over this pain that doesn't go away. My heart goes out to everybody who is suffering with pain and situations that we were never told about in the beginning that might have changed our mind about actually having this done
Linda at 6 weeks a therapy session should not leave you unable to do anything for a couple of days! Your physio is doing too much! I agree with everyone else, tell him to get stuffed!
Find a more sympathetic one. Trouble is they come away from uni with all the answers (so they think!), they haven't had TKR, they haven't even lived yet! They are totally ignorant as to the pain they are subjecting us to! When they mutter no pain no gain, fire 'em! Get one with empathy.
Never think you're a wimp because you don't match up to an impossible ideal!
Keep on doing your exercises as best you can, without the 7lb weight!! You will get there, it may take a bit longer but with perseverance you'll do it. And without crippling you in the process!
I'm assuming you aren't in the UK?? Physios here tend not to be quite so gung-ho! Neither of the physios I saw ever did anything that gave actual pain!
Since I 1st started reading posts on this forum I have read of so many people who have had bad experiences with physiotherapists, that is since 2016, before my 1st TKR! I
don't know what the answer is, apart from just plain refusing to allow them to hurt us! Unfortunately we all tend to defer to the 'professionals', we think they know what they're doing, but sometimes I wonder?
Maybe some of it is inexperience, a young fit person does not necessarily understand the strains put on an older body that has just had major surgery!?
Stick to your guns, don't be bullied any more, Linda. I don't know what age you are, I am 64 & do not want to spend my time in agony after a therapy session! Do you?
Marilyn
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Well said Marilyn!
This is a wonderful group and you all have been great support for me during this time. what a lifeline! Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply to me.