Hi Toofuzzy,
You ought to see all the information the surgeon's association supplied me with. Vigorous walking and hiking are to be avoided; recreational walking is allowed.
At this stage of my recovery I am extremely pleased with the amount of flexibility and stretching I have been able to gain. Currently I have gained 17 degrees more flexibility than the average knee replacement patient. The doctor said that I am much further along than the average knee replacement patient and I should be pleased with all my progress.
Strength of the leg is extremely important because weak leg muscles lead to poor knee stability. Because of pain for an extended period of time, both before and after surgery, the leg muscles become very weakened. The pain causes both overcompensation in different movements, plus activity avoidance because of the resulting pain. Also, you have to keep in mind that both the ACL and PCL are cut out and done away with during knee replacement surgery. Therefore increasing leg strength is the goal. That is the first thing the physcial therapists worked with me, along with stretching. I have had two different physical therapists. Initially they paid a lot more attention and time to leg strength than stretching when I began my physical therapy.
Ray
AI
