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7 weeks post TKR still not able to straighten leg

Posted , 4 users are following.

breela70
breela70

Last week I went and had a  manipulation done to help straighten my knee. It was very painful the worse pain I have ever felt.cry It helped straighten my knee however it is starting to not bend as much as it did. I just feel like every step I take forward I go back 10 steps. I am able to reach 118 with some pain but it is the best I have done. Sometimes I wonder if it was really worth doing this TKR. 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • britta217
    britta217 breela70

    Posted

    hello breela - first of all, my heart goes out to you. as i am also a candidate for this manipulation (my bend is max 95 at the moment), i hope you don't mind me peppering you with questions:

    1. when you had the manipulation, i am assuming you were under anesthetic so didn't feel pain at the time. i am assuming that when you say it was the worst pain you have ever felt, it was when waking up? are you still in pain or are you managing it with painkillers? and how long did your pain last?

    2. personally, from my perspective, reaching a bend of 118 is amazing. i would be throwing a party! so i wonder what bend you were at before? and what is your goal if you are not happy with 118?

    3. what kind of exercises are you doing to ensure your bend stays good? i am really very curious about this as i am based in switzerland and i will get put on the bendy machine for 48 hours straight (night and day) to ensure the bend stays at a high degree. but i know the uk has "mothballed" these machines so what are you doing?

    as for your question if the TKR was worth it, i think that is a very subjective question, i.e. depends on how much pain you were in before, how much the quality of your life was suffering because of the pain/handicap, etc. even with my poor bend, i know that my knee feels 100% stronger and than the other which also needs doing. yes i have pain and discomfort, but it isn't the joint itself. it is all the soft tissue around it. and that will heal. and then i will be - as my niece tells me - disco dancing again. and so will you, breela. it will most definitely be worth it in the end!

  • britta217
    britta217 breela70

    Posted

    hello breela - first of all, my heart goes out to you. as i am also a candidate for this manipulation (my bend is max 95 at the moment), i hope you don't mind me peppering you with questions:

    1. when you had the manipulation, i am assuming you were under anesthetic so didn't feel pain at the time. i am assuming that when you say it was the worst pain you have ever felt, it was when waking up? are you still in pain or are you managing it with painkillers? and how long did your pain last?

    2. personally, from my perspective, reaching a bend of 118 is amazing. i would be throwing a party! so i wonder what bend you were at before? and what is your goal if you are not happy with 118?

    3. what kind of exercises are you doing to ensure your bend stays good? i am really very curious about this as i am based in switzerland and i will get put on the bendy machine for 48 hours straight (night and day) to ensure the bend stays at a high degree. but i know the uk has "mothballed" these machines so what are you doing?

    as for your question if the TKR was worth it, i think that is a very subjective question, i.e. depends on how much pain you were in before, how much the quality of your life was suffering because of the pain/handicap, etc. even with my poor bend, i know that my knee feels 100% stronger and than the other which also needs doing. yes i have pain and discomfort, but it isn't the joint itself. it is all the soft tissue around it. and that will heal. and then i will be - as my niece tells me - disco dancing again. and so will you, breela. it will most definitely be worth it in the end!

    • carol45436
      carol45436 britta217

      Posted

      Hi, I obviously still had sleep in my eyes!!!! Thought it was Britta whohad posted. Sorry Breela. 

       

    • britta217
      britta217 carol45436

      Posted

      hi carol! how i wish i had a bend of 118 :-)

      both my knees feel terrible today, it is raining cats and dogs and i had to get up during the night and get on the bendy machine the discomfort was so great. then i fell back asleep with an icepack on my knee so a short night. everything was SO stiff this morning and then i realized it is probably because of the wet/damp weather!! not had much of that here since my operation. a long way away from disco dancing, that's for sure!

    • carol45436
      carol45436 britta217

      Posted

      Well I did think I'd missed a discussion somehow.but I've been so busy recently it could have happened. The rain won't help will it. I thought it always snowed there.lol I'm hoping the new knees won't be so bad in the damp but then again who knows anything about this op. Just be glad when we've passed all this and looking back thinking how well we're doing. xx
    • breela70
      breela70 britta217

      Posted

      I am not upset that I am getting a bend of 118 I am very happy. But I have had to fight hard to get where I am.When they did the manipulation yes it was under anesthesia so I was not awake for it. However when they woke me up it was the worst pain i had felt. It only lasted maybe a couple hours and I was doing well after that. I only took pain meds that day and the next day for therapy otherwise I am not taking pain meds. 

      I have to wear a brace that keeps my leg straight for 4-6 hours a day and he said to lay on the bed face down and let my leg hang off the bottom of it. And then to keep it propped up and put a 5 lbs weight on it for as long as I can. It can be painful at times but I do it as long as I can for several times. 

  • carol45436
    carol45436 breela70

    Posted

    A bad day for you Britta. It will be worth it eventually. Just think how it hurt to gat it to 80. Now you are almost at the magic 120. Tomorrow will be better. xx

     

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