Climbing Stairs After TKR

Hi @caz7 - Welcome to Connect! Glad you checked in here. I had a TKR on 1/29/19 - so I'm about 2 weeks ahead of you, but this is my 2nd so I guess I'm an old pro instead of a newbie. LOL. Anyway, I hear you on the issue of stairs. That was my most difficult PT exercise - and I had lots more trouble going down stairs vs. going up. It sounds as if you are working as hard as you can work on strengthening. A couple of questions: How many times a week are you going to PT? How is your range of motion? I would say that 8 weeks is still reasonably early and every knee recovers at its own speed. I have a feeling you are going to get stronger and better at stairs in the weeks ahead. In fact, I think you will still see lots of progress between 8 and 12 weeks. I'm going to tag some people who have had TKR's and may be able to share their insights - @contentandwell, @ellerbracke and @dkapustin

I also want to share a thread that may be relevant to your concerns:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ability-to-lift-leg/
I'm wishing you the best as you continue your recovery. Be kind to that new knee!

Hi I am a newbie and looking for some advice/help after a tkr. I am 8 weeks post op and struggling to raise my leg, do squats and climb stairs,also getting up from a seat is chronic. My Pt says work through it as my quads need strengthening but have tried over and over and the pain is severe. Worried as my knee gives away trying to do stairs and wonder how to get past this. Thank you in advance,

Hi @caz7 - Welcome to Connect! Glad you checked in here. I had a TKR on 1/29/19 - so I'm about 2 weeks ahead of you, but this is my 2nd so I guess I'm an old pro instead of a newbie. LOL. Anyway, I hear you on the issue of stairs. That was my most difficult PT exercise - and I had lots more trouble going down stairs vs. going up. It sounds as if you are working as hard as you can work on strengthening. A couple of questions: How many times a week are you going to PT? How is your range of motion? I would say that 8 weeks is still reasonably early and every knee recovers at its own speed. I have a feeling you are going to get stronger and better at stairs in the weeks ahead. In fact, I think you will still see lots of progress between 8 and 12 weeks. I'm going to tag some people who have had TKR's and may be able to share their insights - @contentandwell, @ellerbracke and @dkapustin

I also want to share a thread that may be relevant to your concerns:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ability-to-lift-leg/
I'm wishing you the best as you continue your recovery. Be kind to that new knee!

@caz7 @debbraw I have a tendency to put medical issues behind me, but if I recall correctly, I just pushed myself to do the stairs. We have a two story home and sleeping on the first floor was not an option. My husband would want to walk behind me when I was going up and in front of me when I was going down, but it really was not necessary. My biggest accomplishment came much later when I could finally do stairs without holding to the handrail, which is necessary when carrying a laundry basket or anything basically.

@caz7 Have you spoken to your doctor about the amount of pain you are in? I hope so, and if not you really should, to make sure it is not something that is unacceptable. I was in a lot of pain for about 6 weeks and my doctor was seeing me regularly during that time, monitoring it. When the pain finally lifted, quite dramatically, we were both very relieved.

Squats will always be difficult for me, I only have 115° in my left leg. I just found out this week that I have 125° in my right leg which really surprised me. That means that the flex continued to improve a number of years after the TKR! I actually lost some flex in my left knee, I am wondering if I now have some scar tissue there interfering. I am having some PT for hip bursitis so I asked him to measure while I was there. The therapist said that having 0° when you straighten is actually more important though because if you don't have that your knee is more apt to buckle.

Getting up from sitting was also difficult, especially in the bathroom, but we have counters very close to the toilet in our bathroom and also in the first floor bathroom so that was a huge help. I did use a frame around the toilet for a while to assist in getting up.

Since this was my second TKR I got very prepared before it, doing a lot of exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles. Just do what you can do. You should be able to do a little bit more every couple of days. Try to not stress, this will get better and you will be doing almost everything that a person with no TKRs can do.

You will get through this, try to not get discouraged.
JK

Thanks JK apologies for late response have had a busy deflating weekend. Your advice is great thanks. I am going to see myGP tomorrow re meds but wont hold my breath. It's unbearable lifting and I'm not generally weak and fight pain but this leg raise instability climbing stairs is mad. How can you keep doing exercises that hurt and cause pain and swelling to ice again and do it all over and over and still get nowhere/ Others say "bonesmart" dont do anything it will all come in time?? Wish I'd never had it done.

I had railings installed in my town home on both stair sets. Going up it's good legup first one at a time. Going down sideways - bad leg first. If you're having trouble, coming down sideways that way is a godsend!

@harley105 @caz7 I was always told, and it's a good way to remember it, "Up with the good, down with the bad".
JK

Hi Debbraw, thanks so much for your response. I apologise for it being late had a hectic family week..... Well firstly good luck with your tkr, I hope all is still well with you. I am 9 wks tomorrow post op and my range of motion is about 135. Physio I rarely see as they are always busy. Ironically they are at the hospital I work t and feel compelled to go but to be quite honest they haven't benefited me much. I have so much conflicting advice just don't know who/what to listen to anymore. I went back to a phased return at work on Friday and Saturday. Friday was ok as mainly seated but standing in between to get up and do things an effort. I stupidly went shopping afterwards to 3 different shopping areas after thinking I was fine but am paying the price today. I just wanted a bit of normality and shopped and paid bills. On the last leg I was walking so slowly and had work the next day so bed at tea time and rested. Saturday really stiff and slow walking at work. Today family visited and am up in bed with ice on and wishing I hadn't done the extras. I try the leg raises and stair climbs but are unbearable, physio say put ice on straight after yep did that but still unbearable to do again on my next attempt and icing doesn't help raise it just calms it down till the next fight. Giving up.! Thanks for your help, I hope your knee is improving. I think I am just in bed elevating and icing again all week till this weekend at work.

Hi @caz7 - yes, I've been following you (@ sign or not. LOL!) You and I have something in common. I am 11 weeks tomorrow and this weekend I decided to go to an Arts and Crafts Fair in town. Going there was just fine - my walk was pretty jaunty on the outbound. Walking around the event, I started to get tired. Coming back, my husband asked if I wanted him to go get the car and pick me up. My pride intervened. I knew I was limping but couldn't give up. All told, I walked 10,232 steps - 4+ miles. The last 500 steps were the hardest. I counted them. Just like you, Sunday I was stiff, icing my knee, feeling sorry for myself and determined to keep going until this knee conforms to my lifestyle. I'm wishing you the best and I hope you will wish me some better judgement!