Kneeling with artificial knee

Posted by ellerbracke @ellerbracke, Dec 7, 2018

I have touched on this in other messages, but not in a focused manner. As an avid gardener, kneeling is essential for me. Almost 3 months after TKR, things are generally going very well. I have forced myself to get used to the weird, “ball bearing/metal” feeling in the knee by not avoiding, but embracing times when it can be pushed/bumped against surfaces (soft, like side of mattress while making bed, hard, as in kitchen cabinet doors while cooking), and I sense a semi-acceptance of the odd sensation. I know many/most people simply don’t do it or can’t do it... I’m looking for those who are as stubborn as I am and want to find out how you managed to ultimately feel normal-ish.

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@ellerbracke

Thanks for all replies, even though I don’t like the consensus that kneeling isn’t ever going to be easy again. Was discharged from PT 10 weeks after surgery. ROM at that time about 125, I think it’s still improving. Extension 0 with slight pressure on knee, unassisted probably 3 or so. Also still improving. I am currently finishing my “floor exercises” with kneeling on bedroom carpet, pretty upright - not trying to sit back on heels, which is impossible for now -, and slowly rocking from side to side, putting some weight on the artificial joint. There seems to be a trick to it, at a certain angle it really hurts, at a different angle (sideways angle) it is tolerable. It will never be ok on a hard surface, but I’m determined to find a way to at least do it on grass. My plantings in some areas are so dense that I cannot get even a small garden seat in there, and my back has been compromised for decades, so I can’t do more than 1 hour or so of standing and bending over for pruning/pulling up/planting things.
PS. surgery was 9/13 of this year.

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@ellerbracke…….. I had my knee replaced a few years ago...….. So now if I have to kneel down I use a pillow for my knee and then getting up is a challenge...….. But if I remember this advice they gave me it works. Go down on your bad knee. I go slow, and then when its time to get up …. go up on your good knee..... which you have more strength in. Don't know if this works for everyone but when I absolutely have to bend down, I do and usually no pain in my knee. Best of luck to you all and please do the exercises before and after surgery...….. It helps a lot'

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@sakota

@ellerbracke…….. I had my knee replaced a few years ago...….. So now if I have to kneel down I use a pillow for my knee and then getting up is a challenge...….. But if I remember this advice they gave me it works. Go down on your bad knee. I go slow, and then when its time to get up …. go up on your good knee..... which you have more strength in. Don't know if this works for everyone but when I absolutely have to bend down, I do and usually no pain in my knee. Best of luck to you all and please do the exercises before and after surgery...….. It helps a lot'

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@ellerbracke @sakota When I have to get down on the floor to kneel or anything I actually straighten my legs behind me and push myself up with my arms. It works well for me. I find it less uncomfortable than trying to stand from the kneeling position.
JK

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@debbraw

Hi @ellerbracke - I'm with @JustinMcClanahan - I just don't do it. My doctor didn't tell me not to, but he did say that kneeling was one of the things his patients consistently mentioned as being uncomfortable after TKR - and if it's not necessary, don't do it. Since you are a gardener, I can totally understand why you want to be able to kneel. For me, it's not an important part of anything I do, so I just haven't made the effort to get there. Just curious, how are you on range of motion? I would think that at 3 months out, you could still expect a little improvement on that which might benefit the kneeling effort! Good luck.

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i am a Master Gardener and i have to kneel but i cannot kneel on my tkr. Been 6 years and still swollen. Going to see DR next week. Thank God for stem cells for the other knee.

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@cobweb I hope your doctor can help you somehow, that must be very discouraging to not be able to do something that you love.

Have you had stem cells in the other knee already, and was it successful? I had heard that it is not always and is quite costly because it's not covered by insurance. I have already had two TKRs, both fairly successful, but I am curious to hear how the stem cells do work out.
JK

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@cobweb

i am a Master Gardener and i have to kneel but i cannot kneel on my tkr. Been 6 years and still swollen. Going to see DR next week. Thank God for stem cells for the other knee.

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Like you, I also did the Master Gardener program 15 years ago. I have not yet gotten around to buying knee pads, but I had to cut down hundreds of outdoor mums a few days ago, and found that as long as I keep 70% of the weight on the good knee, and cheat a little bit by purtting less pressure on the outside of the TKR knee, I can actually kneel for a limited time as long as it’s on soft earth or grass. Not perfect, but it’s a start. Thank goodness I have no problems whatsoever getting down to or up from a kneeling position, even though I do use my arms to help push up because it is easier that way. So stem cells work? I am not sure I want another TKR should the healty knee deteriorate as well.

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question on stem cells. After so many problems with tkr i tried stem cells. I did my homework. Be careful who you deal with, as it is the wild west out there. I first learned about stem cells from the Mayo Clinic and then found a local Dr who i trust who deals with and was trained by Regenexx. I checked Regenexx web site and notice their research. It was an option for me and i took it. Yes, it is expensive but after the initial procedure of taking stem cells from the hio and mixing it my blood i followed the instructions and laid around a few weeks. No pain pills etc. I was advised to give up tennis, which i did, and went back to golf. I have had PRP injected this last year which seems to take care of the arthritis. To be honest it has worked for me. I no longer wear the brace that i wore when i started the program. I love biking and when the weather is right, bike 10-15 miles a day . If you are thinking about it do your homework. Their are doctors, nurses, chiropractors etc out there doing stem cells for a good fee. Many Drs hold seminars and use stem cells that they purchase. Why would you want a babys cells in your body? Plus most times the cells are dead. My advice is to do your homework, check Mayo Clinic for their clips on stem cells and arthritis etc and Regenexx. I have noticed Regenexx published a list of insurance companies now paying for it to be done. I have seen this in Toledo.
Good luck, don't expect miracles. It takes time but it sure beats the alternative.

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Had a knee replacement nine months ago (January). When I kneel, i can feel the replacement and it hurts. Am I alone or is this normal?

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Hello @chigirl. You may notice I moved your discussion and combined it with an existing one titled, "Kneeling with artificial knee." I did this so members like @ellerbracke, @sakota, @cobweb, and others taking place in this discussion on this topic would have a chance to see your message and respond. If you are replying by email, I suggest clicking on VIEW & REPLY so you will be brought to the new location of your post and so that you can read through some of the posts already made as well.

@chigirl, when I had my knee replacement in 2006, I was advised not to kneel on it, but every surgeon has different philosophies based on what I have read on Connect. Personally, I don't do it because it is painful, and in all honesty, it weirds me out mentally. Luckily, I have a good left knee, so if kneeling is absolutely required, I use that knee to kneel and keep my right one up (imagine a proposal position). @chigirl, were you given any specific instructions on kneeling, or were you told you could do most things as long as they weren't too painful?

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@chigirl

Had a knee replacement nine months ago (January). When I kneel, i can feel the replacement and it hurts. Am I alone or is this normal?

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Hi @chigirl, I think you might not be alone. I think the recommendation by the surgeons after a knee replacement is no more kneeling down. I don't do much kneeling but there are times when I need to so I bought some really good kneepads for outside and I also use them in the house if I have to kneel down. I've used them once since I had my right knee replaced in April and they did cushion the knee where I didn't feel too different than normal and it wasn't painful.

Have you thought about getting some kneepads?

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@johnbishop

Hi @chigirl, I think you might not be alone. I think the recommendation by the surgeons after a knee replacement is no more kneeling down. I don't do much kneeling but there are times when I need to so I bought some really good kneepads for outside and I also use them in the house if I have to kneel down. I've used them once since I had my right knee replaced in April and they did cushion the knee where I didn't feel too different than normal and it wasn't painful.

Have you thought about getting some kneepads?

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@JustinMcClanahan, @johnbishop, @chigirl : Initially I was gung-ho to find a way to kneel normally. Not happening. Yes, I can easily kneel on the TKR knee without support by hands as long as I keep the weight mostly on the tibia, not the knee cap itself, and don’t lean forward. I can even lean forward if I add some support with my hands. However, both versions don’t give me back my former ability to easily scrub floors behind the commode, or reach across a flower bed to pull weeds, or dust the lower shelf of deep bookcases, for example. So I’ve adopted Justin’s “proposal” position, limiting as it is. I do have knee pads, but most activities involving getting down on knees are quick up-down movements, kneeling for perhaps 30 seconds, then back up, moving on, down again. For that kneepads to me are bothersome. For now I’ve been working on strengthening my abs and back, so I can get away with doing some chores bent at the waist instead of kneeling, and keep that up for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. Poor substitute, but what can one do!?

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