Learning to walk normal after knee replacement

I agree with Sue, I had TKR on both knees, one year apart, and the stretching and bending with the aim of getting your knee back to a wide range of motion is more important than just walking around. If you just walk with your knee stiff legged, that may help with strengthening for a return to full weight bearing, but it does little to change flexibility. I had PT rehab three times a week for 6 weeks, and did additional prescribed exercises twice a day. I don't remember ever being told to walk a certain number of minutes a day, I think he left that up to me since he knew I was going to totter around the house no matter what. But he did stress doing the flex exercises as often as I wanted over and above the twice a day.

Walking in front of mirrors helped me.

It has been 32 days since tkr and when I went to surgery my leg had a knock knee when I woke up it was perfectly straight. I am really trying to walk normal yet it has not happened for me it is like my mind must learn this new way. Today I realized I was turning my leg in the way it used to be and have stopped it has made a huge difference in the pain...Now I have 0 pain

Welcome @babbatunde, That is really good news for being 4+ weeks post TKR. I can imagine how good you feel not to have pain when you walk. Do you have to make a concious effort to walk in a way that you are not turning your leg, or did it just seem natural once you figured out what you were doing that was causing the pain?

At first the conscious effort now I see the true position of my new leg I love it!!! About to go try my stationary bike again last time I tried I could not pedal

Tysm At first it took the conscious effort to relax and stop turning my knee in...now it seems more natural I am so happy about my new leg/knee. Going to attempt my stationary bike right now last time I could not pedal yet

Great to heaer that. I am still walking around wobbly and stiff legged when I try to use a cane. Feel like I will fall, etc. I, too, am 9 months out from the TKR surgery. When I asked Doc for additional therapy as I wanted to work hard on things and the initial PT said I was doing good and making goals, Doc said he wanted to save the PT for my surgery on my other knee! That I should go home and practice walking around the house with just the cane.

Now, even my husband is noticing I am starting to walk stiff legged again on the TKR leg. I wanted to get him to hold my arm while I practiced walkin with just the cane. Unfortunately he has hip problems and lips along....can't go far.

Forgive me, but this TKR was my first operation ever. Fortunately I found out on this board that the Doc CAN order additional PT if the patient is making progress. Grr.

Tomorrow I am seeing a different surgeon for a second opinion and to see if he will take over. I no longer have any faith in the first surgeon, and my hubby feels the same. We both feel that he is only interested in when he can do the other knee. He was ready to schedule me last Jul - 3 months after the 2nd surgery on the first knee and I said no.

That is what he generally says when he comes in for our apts., am I ready to have the next surgery? The rest of the 10 minutes is just looking a the knee. I ask questions and he says "we'll see how it is NEXT apt."

FWIW, Hubby had a hip apt. with the PA at that practice, to see what was going on with his hip. We asked some questions about my knee (I had seen him before and had those Spur injections in the knee which helped a lot). He gave us more information than we could drag out of the Surgeon!

My opinion is that the Surgeon does not want to do anything for me that would possibly stop me from having the other knee operated on. I wanted those Spar shots in my left knee which my right TKR heeled and he didn't want me to do that telling me that was not the answer to my problem. I told him it might not the the answer but it sure would help me while I heeled. It did/does and I am due to have the shots again but I have no doubt he will either not allow them or discourage me.....he wants to get at that other knee no matter what shape I am in.

I believe the additional PT would have helped me with balance exercises and even confidence. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to grab the counter, chair, or catch myself on the wall to keep from falling as I am that unsteady, especially when I first start moving.

I would not even consider another surgery until you are totally rehab from first surgery. In the meantime, continue exercising at home with what you learned at PT.

@kartwk - You are smart to walk away from the first surgeon. I can't imagine any doctor discouraging a person from therapy to help them walk safely - whether from surgery or any other cause. I think your personal family practice physician can also refer you for PT, so you should be able to by pass your surgeon.