Exercise Suggestions -- Bad Knee Problem

Have you ever thought about getting in the water?

SWIM!! All I could do prior to my knee replacement(s)

Just started to focus on exercise -- recovering from a tibial plateau fracture which included 3 months of no weight bearing. I cannot do impact exercise. Anything like insanity or PX90 will not work. Right now I am doing treadmill (which creates some discomfit) and elliptical. I can also do exercise bike.

I'd like a bit more variety -- any suggestions? How about yoga or

Hi I have just completed 6 wks of Physical therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee which I got as a result of a knee injury/ surgery many years ago.I think that you should the seek medical advice from your Orthopedist or your physical therapist for everybody's situation is different.This is not the forum for your follow up.

Try DDP Yoga

I have not had an injury as serious as yours but I do have pretty bad arthritis in one knee and weak ankles along with pain from a broken foot when I attempt to exercise. Although my foot is healed now it still gives me a lot of trouble when I try to exercise and I still haven't been able to go back to heels yet.
So I actually enjoy Zumba and a program called Dance Trance that I do at my local YMCA. Water aerobics is something I would love to try but its only offered in the mornings at my Y and doesn't work with my work schedule. For Zumba and Dance Trance any movement that requires me to stomp or jump I simply modify by not doing it. So if they jump I step up one time in place to keep on track with the class and beat of the music. For me it helps keep me from being bored and I get a great workout without being stuck on just the elliptical. Because of my knee pain my doc actually advised not to use the treadmill because of the repetitive pounding that you tend to do on it. I also play racquetball casually- I don't even know the rules of the game and I don't run to quickly or aggressively. I do only what my knee, ankles and foot allows but I do it for an extended period of time.

I had surgery two weeks before we were scheduled to move to another city. The doctor who did my surgery said that I could have the hardware removed after one year but he recommended I keep it in for extra protection for the bone. The new doctor, in the city I moved to, said it would be totally fine to have the hardware removed. After doing some research I decided to have it removed. Here's three reasons why...

First, some doctors think that the plate could put the leg at risk if you were to fall because the bone would have a higher risk of breaking just below the plate. Think about how you would break a wooden ruler. You would "brace" the ruler on a countertop allowing part of it to hang off. Then you'd hit the hanging end and cause the ruler to break at the edge of the counter. It breaks at the edge of the counter because that's the end of the "brace" point, just like the bottom of your titanium plate is the end of your bone's brace point. I hope that makes sense. It's the best analogy I can come up with at the moment.

Second, my mother has severe osteoporosis which I'm hoping I don't inherit. One of the best things you can do to avoid osteoporosis is to put pressure on your bones. The plate absorbs some of the pressure you're putting on your tibia which is not helpful in avoiding osteoporosis.

Third, I HATED the hardware. It felt like I was walking on a metal pipe instead of a lower leg.

Tai Cheng. Its a program by Beachbody and its meant to build strength. I have a friend doing it now that Loves it.

Justathought5,

I forgot to answer your question...yes, having my hardware removed did make a difference on how my leg/knee feels and now that I'm finally rebuilding my quad muscles it "almost" feels totally normal. I'm hoping the yoga will get me at 100%.

BTW, the best leg leg exercises "hands down" are lunges and squats. Squats are easier for me, especially when using a stability ball. There are several videos available to teach the correct form for stability ball squats. Here is what came up on my Google search...

https://www.google.com/search?q=squats+using+a+stability+ball&newwindow=1&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ei=Y6XUUoXtBdC1sATY6YDACQ&ved=0CA0Q_AUoAA&biw=1366&bih=642

I know exactly how you feel...
I've had my left knee surgically repaired 4 separate times, the last time I had some screws removed that had been in place 16 years. The source of the pain turned out to be mostly the screws, doctors are not carpenters and they don't understand the obvious sometimes! When you have screws that stick out the back side of the bone approx. 3/4" it's bound to be an issue eventually. My advice is to have the hardware removed as soon as it's possible.
I would say that as far as exercise is concerned try a variety of things and see what feels the best for you, I'm dealing with a whole new round of knee issues right now and a bicycle works best for me, once I make my final trip to see my Dr. and I'm released I'm going to spend more time on the elliptical, unfortunately I don't have access to a pool for quite a while so I'll do the best I can.

This is just a thought for you but after my last operation on my knee I did go to a treadmill starting the next day. It Really helped out. Before you roll your eyes and hit the delete I want to be specific about what I am saying. Many PT clinics now have tread mill that have weight bearing systems. These are made for people with an injury or are very over weight. They are like a balloon and help lift you up so you can carry your weight. The system works wonders and you can even run on it at full speed. The first time I did it I thought it was nuts. After 15 minutes I was soaked with sweat. It works. Look for this type of system. You will be glad you did.

I had TPF with hardware (12 screws and plate put in one year ago today) The best thing that I did for my leg was a spin class and water work. If you do the spin class just modify it for your leg. I never stood when the rest to the class did, I just stayed seated and adjusted my resistance. Any type of pool work is excellent. You are taking the weight off the leg, but building the muscle in the leg. I hope all goes well.

+1 on the pool. Have bad OA in my left knee and completely root torn meniscus in my right knee....started swimming two and a half years ago combined with forward and backward lunges and it's helped a lot in conjunction with logging my caloric intake on MFP here. Having the buoyancy of the water negates the direct pressure of all one's weight on those sore joints and allows you to stretch and strengthen those tender ligaments and muscle areas. Losing a pound of weight equals 6 pounds less stress, so weight loss has helped me significantly. Good luck!

My TPF happened in March 2011. Plate and screws were added. I also have a bunch of other ills. My age (over 75) doesn't help matters. I have tried to do "perfect" walking, starting with a couple of steps per day. I won't walk with a limp. Now, I average 6 miles per day with a pretty good pace. I love the hills the most. Fitbit rules the day!
Gains happened little by little, but never forcing myself to walk if it couldn't be "perfect" balance, stride, heel strike etc.
Good luck and keep at it.