dkapustin
@dkapustin
@dkapustin
Posts: 95
Joined: Jun 15, 2018
Learning to walk normal after knee replacement
I'm 8 weeks PO from a RTKR and although therapy is coming along ok, I walk like my leg is made of wood. How long before you walked with a normal gait and is there any tips and tricks you can offer? I've asked PT but they are focusing now on my ROM and Quad strength. ROM is 110/0 and getting better as the weeks progress so I'm certain I'll get there…..just not as fast as some people have. It's the walking that is killing me! I walk like a one-legged pirate!
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dkapustin
@dkapustin
@dkapustin
Posts: 95
Joined: Jun 15, 2018
I had a double tkr surgery. My therapist told me to consciously walk a
normal stride with bend. I'm 4 months out and walk like a pro. Go easy
and slow… you have to retrain muscles.
Judi Maddock
@javajude I couldn't even imagine having them both done at the same time! Thanks for the input and encouragement! I'm just going to try that "stride with a bend" mind set and see how that goes. Thanks for the reply and I'm glad you're doing good.
cheris
@cheris
@cheris
Posts: 40
Joined: Oct 17, 2016
I had to smile a little when you said you walk like your leg is made of wood. I said the same thing to my husband. I found that I just needed to try and walk with a normal gait. I was favoring my leg and trying to walk without bending the knee. Once I concentrated on walking normally things improved.
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dkapustin
@dkapustin
@dkapustin
Posts: 95
Joined: Jun 15, 2018
@cheris Wow, that's exactly what my PT said today. I waddled in and then we practiced with me "trying" to walk normal. Didn't quite make it but I see hope for the future. Guess it will just take time but I will be SO happy when I can start to walk normal again and get on a Treadmill at the gym!
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JK, Volunteer Mentor
@contentandwell
@contentandwell
Posts: 4957
Joined: Feb 18, 2017
@cheris Wow, that's exactly what my PT said today. I waddled in and then we practiced with me "trying" to walk normal. Didn't quite make it but I see hope for the future. Guess it will just take time but I will be SO happy when I can start to walk normal again and get on a Treadmill at the gym!
@dkapustin great advice here from @cheris and @javajude. I remember it took me a while to feel like I was walking normally too, but it did finally happen. I do remember making a conscious effort to do it. I think I felt the greatest accomplishment when I was finally able to do stairs without holding the bannister. I think that took a good year, or maybe even more.
JK
lizzyisme
@lizzyisme
@lizzyisme
Posts: 38
Joined: Aug 25, 2018
I remember learning how to walk again as I walked as if I had a peg leg. I have to honestly say that it took me 7 months to walk naturally without limping, or dragging my leg. I am 9 months out from RTKR and no one could tell I ever had a knee replacement. Give it time, 8 weeks is rather early, it will come when you can walk naturally again. Good luck with PT.
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doodles418
@doodles418
@doodles418
Posts: 43
Joined: Mar 14, 2019
I remember learning how to walk again as I walked as if I had a peg leg. I have to honestly say that it took me 7 months to walk naturally without limping, or dragging my leg. I am 9 months out from RTKR and no one could tell I ever had a knee replacement. Give it time, 8 weeks is rather early, it will come when you can walk naturally again. Good luck with PT.
That's encouraging to know it took that long and the recovery was good. I'm going on 11 weeks post double knee plus 3 weeks post MUA and I would have to say that I can't walk very well at all or far.
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lizzyisme
@lizzyisme
@lizzyisme
Posts: 38
Joined: Aug 25, 2018
No worries, everyone heals differently. I was bummed because there were some people who have healed quickly and were up and about in three months golfing and walking as if nothing had happened. I am the other hand was a late healer but that’s OK if the result was that I was walking unhindered again.
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dkapustin
@dkapustin
@dkapustin
Posts: 95
Joined: Jun 15, 2018
Yes, very encouraging words from my fellow knee warriors. I'm not breezing through this surgery but am coming along at a slower pace. It's good to know that that we will still finish the race and get back to normal, it just might take us a little longer. The main thing I suspect is to be grateful that no complications showed their ugly heads and process is being made, however slow it may be! 🙂
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@javajude
I had a double tkr surgery. My therapist told me to consciously walk a
normal stride with bend. I'm 4 months out and walk like a pro. Go easy
and slow… you have to retrain muscles.
Judi Maddock
Liked by JK, Volunteer Mentor, Debbra, Volunteer Mentor, connie1559