Knee Surgery and exercise.

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et3358
et3358 Posts: 4
in Motivation and Support
I had minor knee surgery on 5/22/12 nothing serious just had some cartilage removed. On a normal day I walk over 12,000 steps and over 6 miles a day. I am not going to be able to that for a couple of days, any advice on what I can to keep me my activity up with out reinjuring my knee. I am using crutches just for support I can put weight on my leg with out hurting so far, not sure how it will be after the surgery meds wear off. Thanks

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  • Usbornegal
    Usbornegal Posts: 601 Member
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    From my experience with the knee surgery a year ago it will take more than a couple days to get back to that level of walking. I still have trouble with it. My knee swells with long walks/runs and it didn't before so that's a change. I have more pain in it than before as well - prior to the meniscis issue I didn't have any pain and now I am on celebrex twice a day.

    My point is this - go easy on it to rebuild slowly, don't over do it and risk getting laid up for longer. Work with a trainer or pt person to do knee strengthening exercises, IT band, quads and hamstrings on the machines at the gym to give muscle support to the injured joint. Do upper body work, stationary bike and elliptical for cardio that doesn't stress the knee as badly. And elevate/ice on a regular basis.

    Good luck!
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
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    It's amazing how much that you can burn using crutches, so try to walk when you can. What kind of weight bearing are you on that leg? Do other exercises like weights and crunches. You can do a lot from a seated position. I have found that weight lifting has really boosted my weight loss. Slowly build the knee back and don't overdo it.
  • phinphanbill26
    phinphanbill26 Posts: 574 Member
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    I had minor kneee surgery about 18 years ago and was able to be going full speed within a month. As important as the calorie burning is, you need to focus on getting full range of motion back in the joint. Once the full range is back and you are pain free, you can crank up the activity level again.
  • et3358
    et3358 Posts: 4
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    I am getting up as much as I can cause I can't sit for long cause I also have sciatica. The weight bearing is what I can do with little or no pain. I'm not to sure I will be able to crunches but I do have hand weights
  • seebeachrun
    seebeachrun Posts: 221 Member
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    Get your doctor to write a prescription for physical therapy (how ever much your insurance will cover; usually 30 days.) They will help you work back up to regular form and give you tips and how not to injure your knee again. If insurance won't cover it, look into get a personal trainer for a month or so and find one that has worked with people who have had the same kind of knee surgery you did (ask your ortho doctor for recommendations if you have trouble finding one.)

    Edit Note: Trust me. I broke my patella (knee) 5 years ago and the physical therapy saved me from a lot of issues down the line. He worked on my gait to make sure I didn't cause further damage to my back or hips from swinging my leg which you usually do after surgery to limit pain on the joint. Physical therapy was worth every copay payment.

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