New to KneeGeeks Looking for advice

[Warkat23]

Hi, I have had bi-lateral lateral releases for patella mal-tracking with lesions removed from both knees, surgeon has said he found extremely soft cartilage in my Left knee and I have grade 2/3 Chrondromalacia in the right knee. This was 4 weeks ago. I have been to see Physio (for an assessment) and they advised me to get tubigrip running from my thigh down to ankle, to assist with swelling. My question is could I use compression tights rather than tubigrip for the same purpose? My reason being that my tubigrip rolls down my thighs and in turn starts digging in and cutting off the circulation at the top of my leg.
On another note, my physio mentioned I need to start spinning classes, I am wondering if alongside this I could do aqua aerobics or would that be too much for my knees?

Any advice/ general guidance would be great as I have not had any physio bar my to assessment appointments and now I have another month without any (physio has no appointments so I have to wait ), but I feel my legs stiffening and wasting muscle. I am 27 and before this surgery I was pretty fit.

Sorry its a bit random and full of questions but I have been so ill informed by my surgeon and physio's that I am getting anxious that something needs to be done.

[margret]

Hi Warkat. It may be possible to get these questions answered by phone. If you've tried calling the surgeon and/or physio without a response, my feeling is that water aerobics would be fine. With grade 4 chondromalacia and a recommendation of cartilage repair surgery, I was still cleared to swim. Water aerobics should unload most of your body weight from the knee joint, and my understanding was that unloading is the main thing to do to protect the joint. Until you get treated, don't push through pain, avoid movements that hurt, and try to minimize unnecessary weightbearing and especially pivoting on that leg. If you've done quad sets and straight leg raises in the recent past, those are probably also good ways to strengthen the quad above the injured knee and help keep your weight up and off the joint. This is based solely on my own experience, so I hope others weigh in as well.