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Climbing Stairs After TKR
I'm a little over 3 months out from my R TKR and have a great deal of pain going upstairs and can't even attempt going down. How long did it take you before you could use the stairs without the "step together step" method? What was most helpful in getting you to that point? Thanks in advance.
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@tbw - I hope someone that knows more than I will chime in on this. Have you talked to your Physical Therapy person about this? Do they have an opinion on what happened, and if some ligament may have been affected? I mention this, because I have seen the same PT person for both knees, and back and shoulder problems, and I am amazed at the knowledge he has about how all our moving parts fit together. He has always been excellent at answering questions, and I have learned a lot from him.
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2 Reactions@ddsack Thank you for your comments and advice. I will see PT in the near future. Saw my doctor yesterday. He said to rest my knee, ice it, and come back in 2 weeks. I asked if it were possible that I somehow pushed a nerve into the mechanism of the replaced knee that causes an impingement while attempting to bend my knee past a certain point. He said it was possible but unlikely. Apparently there is no way to ascertain this. We discussed manual manipulation as a last resort and that decision will probably be made within the next 30 days. To summarize, I was 115 degrees ROM 14 days post-op, then felt a "pop" behind my surgical knee while doing PT at home resulting in acute pain trying to bend more than 50 degrees. Saw doctor's PA 2 days after incident. She said "pop" was scar tissue breaking and a good thing. Not sure I agree. Doctor says no to ROM physical therapy while knee heals. Surgery was 22 July...scar tissue is forming...I see manipulation under surgery in the future. Any comments from anyone with similar experience will be appreciated. Thank you.
Avoid manipulation at all costs. Rest, Ice and Elevate. The reason I say to avoid MUA is your knee area has gone thru a major upheaval and doing a MUA is like adding insult to injury. I experienced a set back with PT when I was 2 months out and did rest, ice, elevate and ADL's and my ROM is good.
It sounds like you have a good Dr and good communication regarding your new knee. Good luck and take care. Post updates as things move along.
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2 ReactionsThank you for the encouragement!
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1 ReactionHi,
I will say last year before blowing out my knee and then before TKR in January, 2021, that along with being able to walk 3 miles a day or more every day, I was able to do 25 - 30 flights of stairs at least 4 days per week. Now i if I do even 15 flights of stairs per day, my feet explode after a while especially if I sit down an relax after dinner.
Thanks, hoping you are able to figure it out.
Would bike riding give you the same benefit without the pain?
Possibly, I use to ride a bike along with walking and running; but have not for a number of years. Thanks.
I am 4 weeks into my recovery for my total knee replacement surgery and I am so thrilled I cannot contain my enthusiasm. I have suffered for 2.5 decades with so much pain in my knees-particularly my left knee, that even the operation was less painful than what I had been living with. My left knee was bone on bone for most of that time and the Dr. said he hadn't seen one as bad as mine in a long time. But here I am 4 weeks post op , a 110 degree bend, perfectly straight(no gap under the knee when straightened on the bed) and best of all NO PAIN! I tried walking up steps like a normal human being today for the first time in decades and the knee was able to do it. Cannot wait until spring/summer to get the other one done. I think the 3 months of exercise prior to the surgery plus the nightly affirmations and the best darn surgeon anyone could wish for, made all the world of difference.
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5 ReactionsSo I was told not to push beyond the pain for the first few weeks which I did not do and I have made leaps and bounds with my recovery. From your discription it sounds to me like you might have torn an internal stitch by pushing too much. It was explained to me that overdoing it in the first weeks can aggravate the soft tissues that have undergone a major invasive proceedure. You need to give it time to heal. do your exercise but only to the point of pain for a couple of weeks then very gently begin to push slightly past. be patient with yourself. I realize my response is several months late for you but hopefully others may benefit. Hope you are doing better by now.
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2 ReactionsWonderful and positive post. Thank you for sharing your experience. I too was very happy to be able to climb stairs "joyfully". I am 3 mos post-op and on my second TKR. I waited 10 years between surgeries. Since I can't remember much about the first TKR, it seems like this is all new to me. Balancing on my surgery foot was another milestone for me. I know that makes you for stable and less likely to fall. However, walking up steps without favoring my surgery knee was worth a round of applause for my surgeon, Pt, and MFR therapist, and for myself for following the guidelines and devoting time to the exercises.
Congratulations @suelorie. Please continue to update your experience. I would love to hear about your Spring/summer surgery on the other knee when it happens. How is that knee different if at all?
May you be physically healthy. May you be mentally healthy.
Chris