After TKR, 1 stick, 2 sticks or no sticks!

Fionabee

Hi there. Am now 2weeks post knee replacement and wondering how many sticks I need/should be using. One physio said 2, but had a chat with another a few days ago who said, 1 around the house at times is ok. I actually feel I could manage with no sticks, alrhough I'm sure that would put too much pressure on the new knee. I've done a bit of pottering without sticks in the kitchen and bathroom/loo. Haven't been anywhere yet apart from doctors surgery and some short walks outside (with 2 sticks) What do you think?
Thanks for reading.

stickywicket

They're not actually contradicting each other are they?

Fionabee wrote:

One physio said 2, but had a chat with another a few days ago who said, 1 around the house at times is ok.

The key words are 'around the house at times' There are two ways to mess up joint replacements. One is by not doing enough exercise and the other is by doing too much. Just do as you've been advised and don't go trying to break any records. Remember what's been done inside. It will take a long time to heal. They'll tell you when to move on.

barbara12

Hello Fiona
I haven't had a knee op but have had a new hip..like SW says it takes a while for the insides to heal properly..I can see no harm in using two sticks while you are out..it helps to be balanced..you carry on recovering has you are you have done so well..x

Fionabee

Stickywicket, one of the notes I have made while reading is that you have 2 replacement knees that are 27 & 31 years old, is that correct or did I get the wrong end of the stick?! How have they lasted so long, I'm sure my doctor said that a new knee may last only 10-12 yrs and this is why they try to put off replacing them for as long as possible (in the hope you may only ever need one replacement)
Thank you for your replies. My knee feels quite leaden and heavy and not part of me, but it's not painful and I hadn't realised how solid and stable it would feel, I think this is why I've been thinking I can manage without.
Anyway, sticks it is!

stickywicket

Good Why take unnecessary risks?

I do possess a nearly 34 yr old TKR, albeit a rather knackered one now. Its mate was 27 when it was replaced about 3 years ago. How did they last so long? Well, I have looked after them (Seriously, I still do my exercises every day and walk as much as possible) but I think, mainly, their longevity is due to my RA. The chances of wearing them out by hiking, dancing, bungee jumping etc are considerably reduced when the feet, hips and most other joints are also clapped out

I think I got them in the first place because the rheumatologist had told my GP he shouldn't have put me on steroids so my GP had asked what they'd like him to do next time he got called out to me on a Saturday morning and I couldn't, for the life of me, get out of bed. I got them double quick after that. They told me at the time they'd only last about 15 years at the most but I reckoned by then my kids would be 26 and 23 and able to fend for themselves.

Fionabee

I don't know much about RA, but understand it affects all your joints, that must be very hard to cope with. I don't plan to go bungee jumping, but am so looking forward to being able to walk distances again, go shopping, not worry about how close to somewhere we can park, standing in a queue.

My worry is my long standing back problem (scoliosis, laminectomy 10 yrs ago, OA in low back that has been resistant to physio, epidurals, facet joint injections but is sort of stable on Tramadol SR & Gabapentin) might stop me getting the most from my new knee. Sometimes when I was at my worst pain wise, it was hard to be sure where it started and finished.

Buck up Fiona!

Fionabee

After posting last night, I gradually knew I had done too much, and was miserable by about 01.30 and reaching for the analgesics. It's been a real lesson in being sensible, I needs a little pocket physio.
I'd made a casserole and a bread and butter pud, then started noticing all the things that have been put back in the wrong places (my family have been terrific but remembering where things live is not their strong point!) then I noticed that the canisters all needed a wipe, something I do automatically when wiping down work tops that the men never notice! Then a bit of laundry. It didn't feel a lot to be honest, but clearly it was.
I'm not comfortable doing so little, it feel wrong, I wish I could just make the most of it! Having said that, I seem to be spending a lot of time here

dreamdaisy

Learning to let go and tolerating how others do things 'wrong' is one of the hardest things to master. Very little will be going right for me in that way over the next 6-8 weeks but so what? What will be important is that food will be cooked, washing up will be done, ironing will be ironed and occasionally floors will be cleaned (I've broken my left arm and have mobility issues thanks to two forms of arthritis). Come April I should be able to start 'correcting' things but in the meantime I will be very grateful for anything that is done by anyone whilst I try to do what I can. DD

Helenbothknees

Everyone's different. I asked about crutches/sticks a week after my bilateral TKR, saying I felt absolutely fine round the house without them. The physio assured me that was OK IF I felt comfortable that way, and so long as I could use furniture etc for support if I needed to. After a month I was walking short distances very comfortably with no sticks, but was told by another physio that I should use sticks outside for balance. This felt totally unnecessary, as right from the start I had had no balance problems. However, I did as she suggested, though I found the rubber tips of the sticks slipped in wet weather and I felt far, far safer using my own rather good balance muscles. But I suspect having been quite fit, doing a lot of yoga, and consequently having very strong leg muscles right up to the operation made a lot of difference. As I said, we're all different.

As to wearing out the new knees, I questioned the surgeons closely on this, and was told only high impact exercise such as running - and I assume bungee jumping and similar - was banned. I asked specifically about long distance walking, as that's what I used to do, and what is thought to have possibly worn out my knee joints in the first place. I was assured it was fine.

Opinions now are very different from what they were when sticky originally had her knees done. They also vary a little from person to person - as I found, and you do. But if you want my opinion, from my own experience, it's to walk using whatever you feel most comfortable with. And learn to listen to your own body!