Is anyone else wondering this about themselves. I'm 18 weeks post op new knee cap and trochlea. Av just had a rough few days but knee feels stronger today, however I feel like I've lost my confidence in my ability to "walk normally". Operated knee feels strong, unoperated knee is a bit "twangy", but I seem to "throw out" my unoperated leg and "flap" my foot down. This is not my normal walk but I dont seem to be able to walk without constantly thinking about it. I've tried striding up and down my lounge, swinging my arms as I walk but tend to falter a little when I feel good knee "twanging". Has anyone got any tips?
Have you tried going barefoot?
When I am without shoes I feel MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE in tune with my whole body. Shoes and slippers limit my connection, my communication with myself.
I found that over the years I REALLY had done a lot of compensating and had developed a weird way of WALKING JUST TO BE ABLE TO WALK AND GET THROUGH EACH DAY!
I discovered that when you are in pain you just do what WORKS.
Are you using a walker? I discovered that while a walker is a VERY helpful assistance device, it DOES make it hard to walk normally. My PT suggested I use it in a crowd to be safe, but when I am at home or walking alone or with just one or two others around me, that I use my CANE.
Also, I have been practicing walking WITHOUT my walker, crutches, OR my CANE. I am careful, and I stay very focused on what I am trying to accomolish.
Is the "twanging" coming from the back of the knees? I have what seems like guitar strings that sometimes are straight but OTHER TIMES get all crossed over one another. When THAT happens, something catches, and there is an audible sound, like a popping. When that happens over and over, the "guitar strings" really start to HURT. Is this something like YOU are experiencing?
Yes Pam i did have that problem after i had my knee done, when you are walking put your heel down first and then rest of your foot EG. heel toe heel toe on both feet. i am 9 years after my knee operation and from time to time i still have to watch how i walk, if i am sitting for a long time i don't walk so well so i do the toe heel job. i hope this helpes you.
do let me know how it went.
On unoperated knee it's as if knee cap slides out a bit (which is how I started with knee that has been operated on) and I get "twanging" from crook of knee at back that seems to go up my hamstring towards my bum. I'm just hoping I'm overcompensating for operated knee and things will settle down......eventually. I'll never take walking for granted again!
Agree with you on the bare foot thing in the house...once i don shoes the whole gait changes......
I do try and concentrate for heel, toe, heel toe. Think I'll just have to try harder until I can do it without thinking about it!! It's hard going because even before my op when knee was at its worst I was a "get up and go" person.......my get up and go has been gone now for the last 18 weeks and it fills me with absolute dread that it might never return!
Forgot to say I've been using just my stick since about 3 weeks. Am fine using nothing in the house but because confidence is shot to pieces I do use my stick outside. It makes people aware I can't move too quick or get out of the way easily. Some times I feel a right wimp!
I asked my PT today about all the weird movements behind my knees that feel like regular ropes then TWISTED ropes. He said it sounded like muscles and ligaments. He is having me work on exercises that will STRENGTHEN everything.
I KNOW that I have been walking strangely for QUITE a few years because as walking went from me doing between three to five miles to NO MILES, things became very different.Walking used to be EFFORTLESS. Around 2007 I felt a POP in the back of my right leg. From that moment, it was a downward spiral of random pain, DENIAL, doing less of what I enjoyed, more PAIN, and more DENIAL. Sad.