Bending knee

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  • #2069 Reply
    Fred
    Guest

    Any tips on getting your knee to bend again after cast removal. Can only get to 40 degrees. The pain/pressure is unbearable.

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    • #6290 Reply
      Daudi
      Guest

      Would you happen to have any failmy photo’s that were taken in Sterling that you would be willing to share? I live in Sterling and am interested in the history. Any photo’s that also include buildings are of interest.I remember your Aunt Francis and Uncle Dugan and Butch, they lived down the road from me when I was growing up.

    • #6288 Reply
      Marian
      Guest

      Because I find your blog informative, fun, and innsriipg, I have nominated you for the Lovely Blog Award and because I wouldn’t be a blogger without you The guidelines for accepting this award are as follows:1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog in your post. 2. Share 7 things about yourself. 3. Nominate about 15 other blogs that you enjoy. 4. Let the nominees know that you chose them. (An aside: if you don’t want to play or pass along the award, that’s totally fine. Just know that this is my way of saying, “I like your blog! I really do!”)

    • #6224 Reply
      Sue
      Guest

      Eileen,
      Thank you! I wanted to share another hurdle I just jumped. While at p.t. Monday I actually did a full revolution on the stationary bicycle. Owie!!!!! to be sure but, accomplished none the less. Am I looking forward to p.t. Thursday? No way!!!! But, will keep pushing. There has to be an end to this pain right?
      Sue: )
      PS the rocking chair seems to be helping!

    • #6221 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Sue,

      I think you could call it that. You balance your heel on the ball which supports the weight of your leg while allowing you to gently pull the leg to a better and better ROM.

      Another exercise is just sitting flat on the floor pointing your toe away and then toward you. You can really stretch by doing both feet at once and pointing away with one foot as you are pointing in with the other. This stretches the back of your leg so that you can straighten the knee which is also important for ROM.

      Keep working. It gets better.

      Eileen

    • #6190 Reply
      Sue
      Guest

      Eileen,
      This sounds like an elevated heel slide am I right?
      I am sitting right now on my rocking chair! Seems to be stretching because it smarts!
      Thanks
      Sue

    • #6185 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Passive stretching exercise to slowly improve ROM:

      Lie on you back with your leg supported on an exercise ball. Use a rolled sheet or chord under your arch and gently pull your leg toward you, allowing your foot/leg to roll with the ball.

      This is a great exercise because you can gently repeat it to tolerance. I always found it improved my ROM without pain — as long as I did not force it too much.

      Good healing,
      Eileen

    • #6174 Reply
      Sue McGuire
      Guest

      Hi,
      I am 14 weeks out from surgery, that being said I am only at 90% bend. Doing heel slides and bending while lying on my stomach. My physical therapist also pushes manually which brings me to tears xfzdq!!!! I’ve read all your posts and will try the rolling pin anything to relieve the pressure. The rocking chair which has been sitting idle also now has my name on it. Thanks all!!!

    • #3353 Reply
      Sandra
      Guest

      Hi to all,
      I have been in a full leg cast for 6wks & have now been in a hinged cast NWB for almost 2 wks.I seem to be stuck at 80 & I am to get to 120 over the next couple of weeks.What is the average time taken to achieve this as I am not sure if I am doing enough.
      I stretch my knee as advised every hour and it is painful but does not seem to want to go any further than 80.I have had no physiotherapy & I do not know what to expect.I am getting so frustrated,help!
      Kind regards to all fellow sufferers.

    • #2920 Reply
      marion gibbins
      Guest

      try using the shower hose from ankle towards the top of knee ,cold water obviously

    • #2919 Reply
      marion gibbins
      Guest

      Have been told that they will stop completely the execises that cause me pain as they are worried I am pushing myself too hard after my injuries .Having said that a little oxynorm goes a long way

    • #2913 Reply
      Rita
      Guest

      Hi everyone: My knee bended involuntarily while I was in the tub. I was sitting on the shower chair and the water coming out of the tub faucet turned cold so my knee jerked involuntarily. I fill the tub as much as possible and do as much “hydrotherapy” as possible. It was painful at first but an amazing sense of relief

    • #2356 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Marion,

      Try working though the pain or taking something else. Pain killers don’t kill pain; they just make you not care. I quit taking them early on because they made it impossible for me to cope with the pain. I was able to use ice a lot.

      I hope you feel better.

      Eileen

    • #2305 Reply
      marion gibbins
      Guest

      thanks my physios and doctors knew of it and it was diagnosed by a scintigramme ,but the explanations went over my head and where a bit vague to say the least.So they are not pushing me too hard and am still on the morphine after 3 months ,the pain is not going away and is a vicious circle. Need to build up muscles but hurts like ….. when I do .

    • #2265 Reply
      Lisa
      Guest

      I’m not a doctor but I’ll try:

      Dystrophy refers to a degeneration, and algodystrophy is a condition that occurs usually after a trauma in which pain and swelling, as well as discoloration of the skin, has no known root cause (seemingly). Theories suggest it has something to do with abnormal irritation of nerves and those nerves reacting with sending inappropriate impulses. That being said, I think medical science is still struggling with this.

      It sometimes is also known by an old terms: reflex symathetic dystrophy and complex regional pain syndrome.

      If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with this, it’s important to get to a specialist. Any condition with “dystrophy” suggests there is a risk of functional impairment if the body or affected area gets too weak.

      Take care.

    • #2255 Reply
      marion gibbins
      Guest

      PS anyone heard of algodystrophy and can explain it in simple terms ?

    • #2254 Reply
      marion gibbins
      Guest

      I was like that also but now am up to 120° the max for a machine called a Kinetek ,which gradually over a number of weeks 12 in my case, and over a number of seances of 5 days of 30 mins built the ° upwards from a starting point of 60°.Advantage for the physio ,she just strapped me in and let me get on with it ,with a stop button if necessary .Now freed from the machine .Take a book along with you ..She did do occasional manual manipulation afterwards !Have even known of a patient sleeping through the 30 mins

    • #2236 Reply
      Jan
      Guest

      Fred, don’t get discouraged. I was at 60 like I posted before for weeks. My OS wanted to take me back to surgery a third time to do manual manipulation and I begged him to just give me two more weeks and that’s when I began rocking in the wheelchair and rocker. I would massage the underside of the knee and the sides along with leg raises. I have a bicondylar tibia plateau fracture. The first surgery was external fixation on 6/21/14 and followed ten days later with two plates and eleven screws. I would ice my knee front and back with homemade ice packs (two cups water and one cup rubbing alcohol). They don’t freeze totally so you can wrap them around the knee…helps with the swelling. Still not weight bearing but hoping in the next few weeks. My OS scared me by telling me I would be lame if I couldn’t get the ROM back so I worked through the pain and now that I can bend my knee I can ride in the car like a normal person.

    • #2208 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Fred,

      If you are able to roll on a stiff exercise roller, you can stretch the muscle. If you are in a wheelchair and not able to lie on the floor, you can use a rolling pin to firmly push the muscle from knee to thigh and back. This type of stretching the muscle is less painful.

      Good luck,
      Eileen

    • #2146 Reply
      Fred
      Guest

      Thanks for the replies. I tried some t3’s and the wheelchair with foot against the wall. With lots of swearing etc. I was able to get to 70. It’s very frustrating.

    • #2130 Reply
      Jeff
      Guest

      Hi Fred,

      About a month after surgery I was stuck at ~60 degrees. I found that using a heating pad and lightly rocking the leg back and forth (see Jan’s post) helped me. Instead of forcing through the intense pain, I flexed to right where it started to hurt and then slowly straightened my leg. A month of this regime and I’m back to almost full ROM.

      stay positive and good luck in your recovery.

    • #2108 Reply
      Lisa
      Guest

      Hi, Fred.

      Good luck to you. I must say that doctor does seem too conservative re: his attitude. Glad you are seeking another opinion.

      I know when I first got out of the hospital I thought getting my knee to bend would have taken an act of God. Then I started physical therapy.

      My therapist would tell me to “hold on tight” and she would physically force a bend a little bit more every session. There were many days I would be in tears. I am happy she did it though…I am 12 weeks post my surgery and I have just about all of my ROM back.

    • #2106 Reply
      Fred
      Guest

      Doctor said if the knee doesn’t bend than it may stay like that after surgery. I sent me to physio. Seeing another specialist next week to get a 2nd opinion.

    • #2097 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Fred,

      Why will the doctor not do ACL surgery if the leg does not bend? What is the doctor doing to help you with the problem?

      Eileen

    • #2093 Reply
      Fred
      Guest

      Thanks for the replies. Really need to get the knee to bend or doctor won’t do acl surgery (bone didn’t heal back so don’t have acl). I just can’t believe the amount of pressure and pain when trying to bend it. I just can’t force it past 40 degrees. It feels like it will explode!

    • #2089 Reply
      Jan
      Guest

      I also had a lot of trouble with bending the knee couldn’t get past 60. The thing that worked for me was a rocking chair. When you rock it loosens the knee joint and by pushing your foot back a little more works like a charm. Also if you have a wheelchair you can rock back and forth. My doctor dumped the brace very early and I was thankful because I found that by lifting my leg on my own instead of lifting it by the brace made my leg muscles stronger…goog luck

    • #2079 Reply
      Christina
      Guest

      That’s true. Just because it worked for my mom (and just because I lowered my cast to my ankle and was able to bend my knee more with a great sense of relief instead of pain) doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone. I think I veer more toward the side of gritting your teeth and toughing it out than to let the pain override you, but it’s important to hear what your OS and PT have to say.

    • #2076 Reply
      Eileen
      Guest

      Fred,

      My experience was different than Christina’s. My OS and PT told me to be patient. I did lots of exercises but went slowly after ROM. Ironically, my ROM was coming along really well until I got more aggressive, and now I swelling and less ROM because I overdid it.

      Eileen

    • #2074 Reply
      Christina
      Guest

      Hey Fred, the short answer is work through it. Pain is to be expected because you’ve had it locked up so long, and the body’s natural inclination is form a contracture. Breaking it is going to suck and hurt, and I know that from when my mom had a bilateral TKR and I had to sit on her knees. She’s one of the toughest women I know, but she was close to crying from the pain. It’s like, you can hurt yourself now and get back to normal, or you can reist the pain and be on discomfort and pain for the rest of you life because your knee can do what it’s meant to. Try popping a couple painkillers before you bend so it takes the edge off.

    • #2073 Reply
      Lesley
      Guest

      Hi Michelle,
      I have a hinged leg brace. It often feels as if it is loosening but I just tighten up the Velcro fixings as and when. I loosen the strap near my ankle to sleep as it has felt too tight and I started to get a tingling sensation in my big toe! I don’t think the brace slips too much – it just feels like it. I make sure that mine is as tight as I can tolerate as long as it prevents my knee from twisting. Mine is also set at 45 degrees so I can bend my knee a little. I am NWB for another 3 weeks so I am not actually walking properly with it on – just hopping on my good leg. I don’t find it particularly comfortable especially at the end of the day when the hinges feel like they are digging in .
      Good luck.
      Lesley

    • #2070 Reply
      michelle
      Guest

      Good evening everyone need some advice I had a hinged brace fitted last Friday don’t feel that it is maybe doing its job it keeps slipping I keep tightening it but not to sure it’s right I go back to clinic on the 28th. Thanks Michelle

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