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5 months post op after tkr still in pain when I walk and knee will not straighten

Posted , 13 users are following.

margie43521
margie43521

i am 5 months post op from a tkr. My knee will not straighten. And I have pain when I walk. My Doctor said I will see you in November, should I get a 2 no opinion.

0 likes, 39 replies

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  • sueisobel
    sueisobel margie43521

    Posted

    Go to your local swimming pool and float in the water, relax and you will find that you can straighten and bend your knee.  Some of the problem is in your head (more like your brain) it thinks that when you either bend or straighten your knee, it is going to be agony,  that's why you need to take painkillers, if there is swelling; anti inflammatory pills.  As soon as you "learn" to relax, you will find you are able to more than you think.  I am not being rude about your brain ruling your lack of movement.  It is fact, we have all been there and come out of the other side.  Sometimes it is hard and you think you will never recover. But you can't afford to think that way, it is counter productive.  Think of the pain as a healing pain. Think of all the things you have managed since the operation and praise yourself, pat yourself on that back, think about what you have done today that you could not do yesterday.  By all means push yourself, But not to the point that you can't do anything the next day.  Take baby steps, so what if you are not progressing as fast as the next person.  Stop comparing yourself to others, just be positive in what you do, find ways of doing exercises that are comfortable to you, if they are slightly wacky, so what, if it works!!!!!
    • roma5763
      roma5763 sueisobel

      Posted

      I find this to be true...before I had my double tkrs I walked with my left leg stiff and had to baby steps the stairs. Now both legs are equal...I find myself doing the exact thing though I know my left is as good as the right. I think some is also muscle memory and I need to retrain them.
    • sueisobel
      sueisobel roma5763

      Posted

      Just remember one thing..... You can do it. The fact you are mobile and thinking your way through, means you are well and truly on your way to recovery. To give yourself some easy time whilst exerecising,  have you tried the swimming pool. You'd be surprised what you can do in the water, and all relatively painfree.

      Keep up the good work

  • d.78163
    d.78163 margie43521

    Posted

    No Physical Therapy?  I'd say run-do-not-walk to another doctor better than the last one. 
  • tricia2396
    tricia2396 margie43521

    Posted

    Hi Margie.

    i am in the UK and also 5 months post tkr with a knee that won't fully straighten. All i would add to the above, is that check whether its muscle tightening or temporary nerve damage that won't allow you to straighten the knee. I m still having physio and he says that it is due to the irritability of the nerve and not tight muscles in my case and that its a case of slowly does it. There is no point forcing a knee to straighten if it is nerve involvement, it will do more harm than good.

    Swimming is good, but I would not be forcing it to straighten in the water. I am not even allowed to do the usual trick of placing my foot on a chair of the same height as the one I am sitting on and allowing the knee to gradually relax into a straighter position.

    I do find it frustrating as I am limited in how far i can walk, which was one of the things I was looking forward to getting back into ( I have 2 German Shepherds and live in a rural area of hills and woods) but can't walk far or with the dogs unless I have someone with me, but things are slowly improving.

    I hope things work out well for you. I think some of us just take longer to recover, for whatever the reason.

    Tricia

    • margie43521
      margie43521 tricia2396

      Posted

      Hi Tricia,  and thank you. I am a   very impatience person. I lost my job of 25 years before surgery, Father and son dispute. now i am unemployed, and 64. I need to get back to work. Bad enough i am 64 but i cannot even walk straight.  So no one wants to hire a 64 year old person, never mind they cannot walk straight into an interview. I also volunteer for a Animal rescue group and cannot hold a leash on a dog unless it is small. Went back yesterday for the first time since surgery and the little dog kept wrapping himself around my leg. it was okay because i was prepared for that. I also have a German sheperd and a border collie and a rot hound mix. so i know how you feel. My sheperd loves to go for walks. But i cannot walk a 102lb sheperd. I live in VA and people do not walk  there dogs on leashes, only me so it is difficult. So we will see what the future holds. I hope all goes well for you.
  • mary12001
    mary12001 margie43521

    Posted

    Had TKR on 13th February- I was semi- ok for a while but now I've suddenly taken a downturn and am finding it difficult to even walk - I seem to have lost my balance.

    I had an X Ray last week and the surgeon said it looks fine but he wants to do a blood test which he can't while I'm on antibiotics (for knee swelling)

    What does he want to test in my blood I wonder??

    I find the whole thing has been an absolute nightmare. 

    I know I was having difficulty walking pre op but my general health was good - nowI feel so low in myself - pain in my lower back constantly tired. I'm fed up of all the medication- I really didn't think it would be like this.

  • mary12001
    mary12001 margie43521

    Posted

    Had TKR on 13th February- I was semi- ok for a while but now I've suddenly taken a downturn and am finding it difficult to even walk - I seem to have lost my balance.

    I had an X Ray last week and the surgeon said it looks fine but he wants to do a blood test which he can't while I'm on antibiotics (for knee swelling)

    What does he want to test in my blood I wonder??

    I find the whole thing has been an absolute nightmare. 

    I know I was having difficulty walking pre op but my general health was good - nowI feel so low in myself - pain in my lower back constantly tired. I'm fed up of all the medication- I really didn't think it would be like this.

  • mary12001
    mary12001 margie43521

    Posted

    I had TKR on the 13th February, this year. I have to say the recovery has been an absolute nightmare. I am beginning to wish I had never had it done. Okay I was in pain before and could hardly walk some days but i could manage the pain with a variety of cremes. Also my general health was good. This opeartion has really knocked my general health around. 

    Not only does it hurt me to walk but I feel really weak. Ive got pain around my knee whith my surgeosn says is never damage. Aye. he never said that, when he was flogging me a knew knee. I really though I would be recoverd after six weeks. Fool that I was. I can drive and bend my knee but bedtime can be horrendous, especially when I get that urge to stretch my operated leg. It just comes on uncontrollably. 

    I have so many things to do but being unable to walk properaly and being in pain is stopping me. I feel so down about it all. It's aged me as well.

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