Still in Pt for knee when surgery was 6 months ago

[scottmel]

I should state though that I am doing better every week. To see m you would never know I had surgery. But I miss my 5 mile walks I use to take. I can maybe do 2 miles and just start to feel a pain across my back and my knee just wanting to click like crazy...Sore, tired....I have been told my quads are weak and I work them DAILY. They are getting stronger but anyone else have knee surgery and just seem to take a while to bounce back to 100 percent???

 

[brat]

Just stopping by to give you a hug.

Not the same surgery but I have taken longer to bounce back than others post-op.I know it is hard because you see others get back to 100% faster and you had planned pre-op to be able to do more for having the surgery.

Hope you heal faster over the next few weeks.

 

[SteveTrek]

I had microfracture surgery in 2005 on the left knee and was non-weight bearing for 12 weeks and in a hip-to-ankle brace for another eight after that. You can imagine what happened to my quads - they wasted away to nothing. It took me nearly a year before I was pain-free and I still have to wear a stabilizer when I'm hiking the mountains. BUT - I'm a couch potato by training and so the PT was hell on earth for me. I am therefore sure that you will NOT have a similar experience!

 

[scottmel]

Thank you both for the reply....I guess it is just a patience thing....Just hard o go from two wonderful funcitioning knees 10 months ago to the slowest recovery process one can imagine....Onward and upward...THANKS@

 

[brat]

Scottmel

If you need to talk let me know

 

[SteveTrek]

Yep, my orthopedist stressed numerous times that patience was key in the recovery process. I was surprised when he told me that people recover from total hip replacements and even total knee replacements much faster than they do when even a relatively minor procedure is done on the knee. That's a very complex joint that has to move along many different axes, so a little turn here or a twist there can cause a surprising amount of discomfort. Hang in there. It will get better. Strengthening the muscles around the joint is important, so keep walking, keep working those quads! (Now if I can only get myself back on that elliptical...only 53 days until I'm putting in miles a day at WDW...)

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I have had three ACL reconstructions on my knees. I was in PT for about 4 months or so, but couldn't go back to full physical activities for 9 months. I will say, I still have knee pain, I don't think that's ever going to go away.

As far as weakness in your quad, that could be a big part of your pain. I would talk to your physical therapist and see what he/she suggests.

Like a PP said, recovery for some knee surgeries is longer than having a total knee replacement.

Did you say you were having clicking in your knee when you walked? I had that problem after my second ACL reconstruction that my knee would click and it turned out to be scar tissue.

Good luck with your recovery!

 

[scottmel]

Thanks Steve and DisneyGirl. I needed to hear that! The part about a minor knee surgery was interesting. Reassuring!!! I have been increasing my stretching of all things to 3x daily and this seems to help. Structurally my knee is sound but I think the utter tightness in my quads and hamstrings and calves are pulling my knee ligaments. That is how I FEEL it is happening. So I am really increasing the stretches and while for sure I have the stiffness and soreness after a walk my area of pain on the knee is not the joint as I thought but the bursa sac so I ice every night...

Disneygirl - my clicking is almost a constant need to make my knee feel right. It clicks a lot when I am lifting weights with my leg or I can just sit here and flext my calf a certain way and click click like crazy. No clicking with walking. Is the clicking something that stays forever or does scar tissue heal? I have been getting massages biweekly and this again seems to loosen things and help....

THANK YOU BOTH!

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Thanks Steve and DisneyGirl. I needed to hear that! The part about a minor knee surgery was interesting. Reassuring!!! I have been increasing my stretching of all things to 3x daily and this seems to help. Structurally my knee is sound but I think the utter tightness in my quads and hamstrings and calves are pulling my knee ligaments. That is how I FEEL it is happening. So I am really increasing the stretches and while for sure I have the stiffness and soreness after a walk my area of pain on the knee is not the joint as I thought but the bursa sac so I ice every night...

Disneygirl - my clicking is almost a constant need to make my knee feel right. It clicks a lot when I am lifting weights with my leg or I can just sit here and flext my calf a certain way and click click like crazy. No clicking with walking. Is the clicking something that stays forever or does scar tissue heal? I have been getting massages biweekly and this again seems to loosen things and help....

THANK YOU BOTH!

The clicking, at least for me, only lasted a little while. I was told that scar tissue would eventually break up, and it did. Hopefully the same will happen for you!