Good evening @brenda65 and before we explore your TKR recovery let me welcome you to Connect. It just so happens that I had my second TKR in August. I am 79 years old. When you speak about physical therapy are you at an Orthopedic facility? Are you also using ice and elevating your knee above your heart? I just re-read some medical research and it does indicate that the surgery is perhaps the best way to handle osteoarthritis in the knee. However.....stiffness is one of the post surgery situations that was mentioned as problematic.

This surgery and the recovery was amazingly easy for me to deal with for a couple of reasons. #1, I started pre-op exercises a month before the surgery. #2. I had robotic same day surgery. That went very well and was much more accurate and was also minimally less invasive than the regular surgery.

So what are you thinking of doing now? You are O.K. with the post surgery exercises......walking, stretching, practicing balance and other recommended movements. Have you ever heard of Myofascial Release Therapy? After my PT session I went directly to my MFR therapist so that she could eliminate residual pain and compression. The result was that I had less pain and more movement. My ROM was 137 degrees and I had "0" extension. I had no problem driving and was able to handle stairs in a few weeks. I know that some recovery periods can take 12-18 mos. I feel so blessed to have been able to move more quickly.

What has your surgeon shared with you about your situation? Has he mentioned the possibility of scar tissue build up?

If you could tell me more about your sleep patterns and any other post surgery symptoms, I will be here to help you.

Chris