One aspect of post-surgery life that I neglected to mention in the article is the importance of keeping excess weight off — both your body and gear. Excess weight can put more strain on the surrounding structures of the knee as well as the implant itself. I did my first backpack trip 7 months after surgery. I had already converted to lightweight gear, and highly recommend it. I even took up downhill skiing last winter! Totally agree with Marla!
I had my knee replaced 2 years ago. Prior to the knee replacement, hiking was incredibly painful on the downhills. The knee replacement has been amazing. I now hike footers every week, have completed the 48 footers and then again in the winter — and most of them with the new knee! I hike with others who also have had knees replaced. I ski in the winter and cycle all year round. So very glad I listened to the doctors and some hiking friends. I just passed the one year mark after a total knee replacement.
I worked daily on my rehab for six months. Excercising and walking daily was my regimen, under a physical therapist for 6 weeks and on my own there after. After 6 months I was back to normal activity. Your mileage may vary. Back to hiking as I did and am able to carry up to 30 pounds for camping and other hobbies. No running, no heavy carries, have not gone over a ten mile day…but I keep moving on giving me me tests of my self since surgery. Life goes on , I still hike , climb mts , x- c ski , backpack ; just not as fast.
After the knees I did intense PT for 10 weeks , skiing in 8 weeks with Dr. My new Knee is great but the range of motion is about degrees less then pre-surgery. The new hip is not as strong as I had hope. It also limits the range of motion. Strengthening the upper leg and core is critical. Hope it improves for you. I am a year out on a total knee replacement and am working on backpacking again.
I have always tried to lighten the load but still want creature comforts so would consider myself light but not quite ultralight. I pushed to get all the movement I could and still push the envelope on movement but am starting to get to the mechanical limits.
Low tarp type tents are no longer for me, they just have too much crawling around. A pyramid though still works. Yes, crawling around and crouching have been difficult, even with a partial replacement. As you say, you start to hit the mechanical limits of the implant at a certain point. I had double knee replacement in the summer of I spent a year rehabing and walking in my neighborhood. I never think about my knees anymore unless someone asks about them.
The new knees gave me a new life. Does insurance allow for that? Does the Ortho surgeon have to write a special request?
I ask because osteoarthritis has laid both knees to waste. I just came off 1. I had both knees replaced the same day in The only way to go if you need both in my opinion. I pretty much do what I want, I joke and backpack. I am always trying to lighten my pack as much as possible. Fourteen years ago, my wife had total replacement of both knees a couple months apart.
Eight days after the first knee replacement, I found her out front mowing the lawn. I guess she was taking it easier! She had a doctor visit this week to check on her knees and he says they are holding up very well.
After a joint replacement or other major surgery, we just have to adjust and set our sights on amended goals. I know it will change how I do some things but I still plan on doing what I enjoy, just at the level and pace my new circumstances allow. It beats living in constant agony. I have had both knees replaced and one re-replaced and 1 hip replacement. PT is the key to successful surgery. At the time of my surgery, I was pretty much a couch potato and very overweight.
After the hip replacement, I worked to lose pounds and joined a great gym and monthly PT appointments. I am much stronger and have better mobility than I did. I am just beginning to do some hiking. So far I have stuck to local trails but desire to try some easy mountain hikes in NH. My suggestions are to put up with all the PT you can get post-op.
Find a good trainer who will be able to pick up slight mistakes in your form so that you can correct them and not get injured. Use your replaced joint.
Have fun! Ken, great article. I may be an exception but I still backpack and dayhike. I do less winter hiking than I used to and I also go through a specific workout regime during shoulder season prior to my hiking season and all is okay.
I have heard that knee replacements take longer to recover from than hip surgeries? Steve, yes, I have heard that hip replacements these days are so much easier than the knees, due to the complexity of the latter. Glad you are still getting out there! Ken, a timely article for me as I have been diagnosed provisionally with a lateral meniscus tear in my left knee. Poor side to side agility and stability as a result.
While it is not a knee replacement, I still need to follow similar steps to get my mobility back. Independence becomes more important as one gets older and allows for a better quality of life. Mobility is a big part of that.
If this helps, I had a meniscus repair on my right knee in Then twice in prior to going with my son to Philmont in After the second meniscus repair my doctor said I had arthritis in the knee and eventually I would need to have it replaced. He was right. I was attempting a thru hike of the Laurel Highlands trail at the end of last September and as I was taking the access trail down to the shelters on the first day I managed to get the leg caught on a vine and hyperextended my knee.
Ibuprofen did not cause things to settle down so the next day I came off the trail and headed back home to see the doc. After much deliberation I had my right knee replaced in November the day before Thanksgiving. It has been a long road back but I have been able to day hike and walk quite a bit. I am 58 and already planning my next attempt at the Laurel Highlands this Fall. A meniscus tear does not have to lead to replacement, but it does put more wear and tear on your knee.
Take it a little easier and you will get plenty of miles on it. For reference I am Good luck! I hear you about wanting to get the issues addressed earlier than later. My surgeon balked a little bit because of my age at the time 53 but I was pretty insistent that I have things I want to do NOW, not in 20 years.
She opted for the elevator over the stairs. She drove around looking for a closer parking spot. At home, she piled things on the stairs instead of making multiple trips with them. Then came another sign, along with the intensifying pain.
Dahl, now 65 and retired, had surgery to replace her right knee in January The nurse had a new perspective now as a patient, and she appreciated her care. When she went home, she got busy. A total knee replacement? Not that kind of surgery. Dahl left the hospital with several things. She had an ice machine to ice and elevate her knee. She had medication to help quell the significant pain she was feeling. And she also had an appointment to see a physical therapist right away, which she calls crucial.
She was an avid tennis player when advanced osteoarthritis began impacting her game as well as her everyday life. It eventually forced her to have simultaneous bilateral knee replacement surgery in However, I was in pain and I had an opportunity to do something about it.
After the procedure, Sherry threw herself into recovery mode. On her own along with the help of her physical therapist, she got better and stronger. Not only was Sherry able to return to tennis, she also picked up a new hobby.
0コメント