15 weeks post tkr....
Posted , 5 users are following.
and I'm still having a terrible nagging pain. I still get bruising on my knee when stretching/exercising. Walking feels like I have bubble wrap inside my knee and I hurt. I am using essential oils to help with this pain and Tylenol, 3 500 mg twice a day. Sleep is in cat naps at night. My knee buckles when I walk and I just don't trust it, once again. I have called the surgeon to approve physical therapy to strengthen my knee because apparently I'm doing something wrong. No one seems to want to call me back. Now my right knee is worse than the surgeried leg has ever been from the pressure of favoring the left knee. Please, please can anyone offer up any suggestions?
0 likes, 6 replies
CHICO_MARX debi51
Posted
shari_48634 debi51
Posted
Hi debi51. You sound alot like my knee. I had surgery aug 8 and im still in pain, it's getting better but sure is taking a long time. I too feel my knee buckets when walking. Here is what I did. I fired my surgeon, went to my family dr. ( who got the ball rolling) he sent me for testing to the university of Michigan found out my knee was full of fluid so they sent it to the lab. I'm waiting to hear back. I went back to therapy to build and strengthening my body. I'm very weak. It's amazing how weak I became in 5 months of doing nothing. I have finally made it around the block and I still need my cane. Good luck to you.
suetkr12 debi51
Posted
Before listening to any of us, make sure your knee is structurely fine. If you have underlying issues, healing will take longer than usual. In the very beginning my knee would occasionally buckle before I built up my strength. Exercises were tough but in the long run it helped me out quite a bit. I did not sleep well until the pain and then the stiffness subsided; it took a good 10 weeks before I could sleep more than 2 hours. Make sure you stay on top of the pain. Good luck.
debi51 suetkr12
Posted
Thank you Sue. Other than the standard foot slides and knee bends, I am using the stretch belts for stretch and muscle building, a stationary bike and treadmill. What exercises are you doing or did if you don't mind my asking.
suetkr12 debi51
Posted
In addition to the knee bends and slides, I would add the following to stregthen the thigh and muscles around the knee; bend the left knee, right knee (or surgery knee) place leg on straight out, tighten your leg - including, knee, thigh - keeping your foot straight up. Hold for a count of 5, relax. Do this to at least 15. Get the form down. Next: Perform the same exercise; this time raise your leg 15 times with the leg tightened. The next exercise is a slight variation once the operated leg is straight, turn the foot slightly at a 45 degree angle. Keep the leg straight and make sure you tighten the thigh and knee muscles. Do the exercises for a hold of 5 and then perform 15 times. Next: raise the leg 15 keeping the thigh and knee tightened.
These exercises were tough in the beginning and as I got stronger, the tight band around my thigh disappeared and so did my knee pain. If you have better exercises go for it, but you need to stregthened the muscles and tendons that were cut. I'm over 3 months out now and am getting some slight thigh definition.
Good luck.
debi51 suetkr12
Posted