KBC,
Notes from an old, fat, crippled rider -
I was back on a horse at 4 weeks out after both my total knees, so I think your estimate of 2 to 3 months is a little extreme.
Did I kinda push to be back in the tack at 4 weeks? Yeah, but at 6 weeks, I was perfectly comfortable - no reason for me not to be riding at 6 weeks. And my most recent knee replacement was easier (March of this year), because the protocol with the local nerve block means getting up and walking after the surgery is much easier.
If they offer you a total knee, TAKE IT. I wish I had both of mine done sooner. The relief is freaking amazing. Look at it this way - you KNOW you’re going to have to have a total knee at some point, right? That’s the direction this is going? Why put yourself through 2 surgeries, the scraping and cleaning now and then the TKR later? Just have the TKR and be done with it.
I have mounted from, and dismounted onto a block for years. Dismounting to the ground was actually more painful and difficult than mounting. The trick for me, is to have a really tall block - mine comes up to the bottom of my stirrup, so I just ride up to it and put my left foot on it - no horrible suspended in air, foot searching for the block feeling. Another thing is that the block needs to be big and stable - meaning that there’s a large flat surface to stand on, rather than a narrow step and that it doesn’t wiggle or move. If I didn’t have that type of block and if I didn’t dismount onto the block, there’s no way I could have started back at 4 weeks. ETA: I get that this might be a “no go” option for you; but wanted to offer my experience.
The Volaren gel is great for local topical relief. However, it counts towards your daily intake of NSAIDs, so if you use it, you may have to adjust your other meds. Since I have so many other arthritis and injury issues, the oral NSAIDs are the way to go for me. YMMV.
TENS units are wonderful for certain kinds of pain, but they are mostly palliative, not therapeutic. You could conceivably ride with the TENS unit, but I think it would be difficult to manage with a knee - one of the pads and electrodes would have to be on the inside of the knee. I would consider using a TENS for my back as I’m trying to avoid surgery, but the real, honest to god truth is - my back doesn’t hurt when I’m riding. When I’m standing and walking, getting ready to ride or putting the horses away, it hurts like a MF. But while I’m riding, I hardly notice it. So I’m not sure the TENS would be worth it for me, for my back.
If you have tons of knee pain AFTER you ride, might be worth considering.
In re: ice. I have one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke…l_93pil2l2bj_e
They used to routinely send you home from the hospital with them in the US, but they don’t any more because some idiot somewhere didn’t follow the directions and gave themselves tissue damage.
I LOVE this thing, and Mr. McGurk and I have both used it on various body parts. I put the blue icee things in the cooler rather than actual ice, and do 20 minutes on/20 minutes off in the evenings in front of the TV. So much easier to use than an ice pack! Makes a big difference in pain, swelling and range of motion.
You can find them cheaper on ebay. I’m on my second or third hose and cuff; I have slap worn them out.
Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.
