Coping with sciatica

I'd say that definitely needs checking out by your team and let them decide if it is OK or not.

I personally would be asking my Bowen therapist if they could help too - google it to find out more. It is a very gentle therapy working on muscles - and it is very likely your sciatic nerve is being pinched by spasmed muscles which Bowen would help with. 

I had new plastic knee cap and trochlea (metal bit behind it) 11 weeks ago. Am currently hobbling about due to muscle wastage, but I too had swelling behind knee, pain in calf and the numb feeling in my knee.  I kept taking medication (had 3 courses of naproxen) and gradually swelling and pain subsided. I'm still experiencing numbness in knee but not as severe, maybe nerves are knitting back together. Worst bit was not only numbness but also the tightness across the top of knee. If you're on this forum you'll see that lots of us suffered with the same thing, and my consultant says its normal. It is now getting better - slowly!

Two weeks is very early to be doing alot of worrying, try and relax a bit (I know that's easier said than done when you're in pain and feeling miserable). I've only had sciatica once - I took strong medication, had some physio and used hot water bottle.......but I hadn't got partial knee replacement at the same time!  My friend had it for weeks and bought a TENS machine which she said saved her! 

I also suffered with sciatica from day two . . Fortuantely for me, after about a month it just went away on its own.  I do think that the exercise of sliding the heel up the bed made it worse, but it started even before I was doing exercises.  Maybe the position during the operation has some bearing on this. . I still have nerve pain in the thigh at 21 weeks, and wonder if it will ever go away!  I think the numbness is likely to be permanent . . the nerves do take a bashing in this operation!  Hope your sciatica clears up soon. I can honestly say it caused me as much pain as the knee itself, although the rest of the leg was probably the worst!  

Hi Mandy, don't know if this will help but I've suffered from sciatica type pain for months since my TKR. Mine has been diagnosed as piriformis syndrome. Don't know why it's happened but the muscle in my buttock has tightened, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve and causing pain all down the back of my leg. 

I've been given exercises which are helping, and, although it's taken months, I am now beginning to see improvement. 

Maybe it's worth you checking if this is causing your problem? Just an idea.

Jen (10 months post op)