Bad knees?

[jamscckmc]

Hi all. Will be on my first cruise post tkr in April. I will be 10 months out but still have difficulty with stairs. I want to avoid elevators though because of the worry of Covid. Anyone else have trouble kneeling? I can’t kneel at all on the postoperative knee. Burning pain. Will need the other one eventually and worry I won’t ever be able to kneel.

[BamaVol]

On 2/11/2023 at 10:47 PM, jamscckmc said:

Hi all. Will be on my first cruise post tkr in April. I will be 10 months out but still have difficulty with stairs. I want to avoid elevators though because of the worry of Covid. Anyone else have trouble kneeling? I can’t kneel at all on the postoperative knee. Burning pain. Will need the other one eventually and worry I won’t ever be able to kneel.

I find kneeling uncomfortable.  But not painful.  That doesn’t sound normal.  What is your surgeon’s opinion?

[jamscckmc]

Says it should be better at 1 year but I’m not not convinced.

[BamaVol]

2 hours ago, jamscckmc said:

Says it should be better at 1 year but I’m not not convinced.

Sound like a CYA answer.  I busted my tail at rehab for a couple months.  Other than one setback caused by scar tissue, I have been pain free since.  I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the scar tissue. I was completely normal a day later.  No pain.  No waiting a year. Still good 5 years later. Maybe a second opinion?

[lenquixote66]

On 11/8/2015 at 4:50 PM, greatdanemom said:

Hubby uses Australian Dream, which he purchases on Amazon. Lots of my friends have done knee replacement and done great afterwards. I just wait for the elevators and move a little slower. 😉

 

Cheryl

Australian Dream has not worked for me.Neither has Anicaire.The only thing that helps just a bit is Biofreeze and a Generic Biofreeze.

[BamaVol]

On 5/14/2020 at 8:17 PM, Plant said:

The bad thing about those injections is that they stop working after about 2 years.  I had 2 years worth before my TKR and by the end they weren't working at all 😞 .  I'm going very slowly with the injections on my other knee as I don't want to do TKR again!

I don’t know if you were lucky or I was unlucky.  A cortisone shot made me pain free for about 1-2 weeks.  After the second, the surgeon recommended we go ahead with TKR.  Maybe if I could have waited, stem cell therapy would have been an option.  

[mosiegirl]

On 10/25/2018 at 12:46 AM, Shellbelle28 said:

Has anyone had experience with topical use of CBD for joint pain? 

yes..i found it didnt work for my knees

[Boo's Mom]

On 3/8/2017 at 8:59 AM, TriumphGuy said:

All the creams, lotions, injections etc, aren't going to do a thing if you're bone on bone. I had my left knee replaced in October '16, and it was like a miracle. I have (most) of my life back. My right knee will be replaced in November '17.

My only regret is that I wish I had done it years ago instead of wasting time and money chasing symptoms.

Would you/could you have had them both done at the same time? 

[panoramaofthepast]

On 2/11/2023 at 10:47 PM, jamscckmc said:

Hi all. Will be on my first cruise post tkr in April. I will be 10 months out but still have difficulty with stairs. I want to avoid elevators though because of the worry of Covid. Anyone else have trouble kneeling? I can’t kneel at all on the postoperative knee. Burning pain. Will need the other one eventually and worry I won’t ever be able to kneel.

I have had both knees replaced. I was told by both surgeons [I moved between surgeries!] that I would never knee again. Fast forward three years - I can kneel on the knee that was done three years ago, on a pillow, never on a wood floor. It isn't something to do for long periods of time, but has come along. The second one is a year old and I am just beginning to put kneeling pressure on it successfully. Bottom line - it takes a long time, but is possible. 

[panoramaofthepast]

19 hours ago, Boo's Mom said:

Would you/could you have had them both done at the same time? 

No. Rehab is difficult and I would not have wanted to try doing both at the same time. But that's me. I am very glad I had them done. If you work the rehab, it is really worth the effort. 

[BamaVol]

On 4/12/2023 at 11:17 PM, Boo's Mom said:

Would you/could you have had them both done at the same time? 

My sister did that - both knees at the same time.  Her surgeon recommended against it.  She had to rehab at a nursing home.  Not a fun experience for a 50:year old.

[lissie]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:44 AM, panoramaofthepast said:

I have had both knees replaced. I was told by both surgeons [I moved between surgeries!] that I would never knee again. Fast forward three years - I can kneel on the knee that was done three years ago, on a pillow, never on a wood floor. It isn't something to do for long periods of time, but has come along. The second one is a year old and I am just beginning to put kneeling pressure on it successfully. Bottom line - it takes a long time, but is possible. 

How do you get up off the floor then? Not being able to kneel would make that impossible for me 

[TriumphGuy]

On 5/1/2023 at 7:18 PM, lissie said:

How do you get up off the floor then? Not being able to kneel would make that impossible for me 

When I had my second knee replaced, I told my Physical Therapist I needed to be able to get up off the floor. He worked with me specifically to do that. 
I won't lie, it is difficult. But I have strong legs and my range of motion is excellent. I find it easier to get up from the right side than the left.
Competent PT is crucial. The guy I went to was affiliated with the hospital and surgeon who did my knees. It is essential to go on schedule and do the home exercises. 
I got my life back, Before, I literally could not walk a block without agonizing pain. Now I can do 98% of what I could do before. I had them replaced in 2016 and 2017.

[lissie]

32 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

When I had my second knee replaced, I told my Physical Therapist I needed to be able to get up off the floor. He worked with me specifically to do that. 
I won't lie, it is difficult. But I have strong legs and my range of motion is excellent. I find it easier to get up from the right side than the left.
Competent PT is crucial. The guy I went to was affiliated with the hospital and surgeon who did my knees. It is essential to go on schedule and do the home exercises. 
I got my life back, Before, I literally could not walk a block without agonizing pain. Now I can do 98% of what I could do before. I had them replaced in 2016 and 2017.

I suspected that - I'm in flexible and always  have been. I'll keep on exercising in the hope that I can avoid knee replacements 

[NSnJW]

Exercise and anything to strengthen the knee will help.  When I had my first knee replacement, they told me the other needed replaced too.  With exercises and walking, I made it almost 11 years but it finally had to be done.  Just don't put it off too long.  I should have had this done a couple years ago but Covid got in the way.

I will say this time there was less pain than the first.  I went to Tylenol only on the second day after surgery.

[panoramaofthepast]

On 5/1/2023 at 8:18 PM, lissie said:

How do you get up off the floor then? Not being able to kneel would make that impossible for me 

In a most undignified manner! Basically, balance on toes/knee [if possible] and hands, like a crab and push up. It's not pretty, but it works. Come up in stages. 

I wouldn't try it for a while, but it you work PT hard and get a decent bend in your knee, it is possible. [PT/doctor say 120 degree bend is the goal; I have 136 degree bend in both knees and that really makes a big difference in mobility and stuff like getting off the floor!]

[BamaVol]

On 5/1/2023 at 8:18 PM, lissie said:

How do you get up off the floor then? Not being able to kneel would make that impossible for me 

Stay close to the furniture.

[lissie]

7 hours ago, BamaVol said:

Stay close to the furniture.

I must admit  Iwas thinking more outdoors - getting up is a basical survival skill 

[NSnJW]

I am 9 1/2 weeks out of knee replacement and I have gotten off the floor twice without aid of others or furniture.

If you work on the strength of both knees and are careful about rolling up on the good knee, then with the foot of the bad knee flat on the floor, push yourself up with both hands on the thigh just above the bad knee. it can be done.  Especially if you have to do it.  Either that or flop around like a turtle.