1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Knee Problems

How much stiffness do you have?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Milla2017
Milla2017

Know stiffness and lots of it seem to part of the package. I feel stiff for the most part of the day these days I do 3 exercises every hour besides my daily home excercises.

To clarify- this stiffness is the knee feeling like a block of wood. Not to be confused with the "band" on the top part of the kneecap or the IT band stiffness (stiffness that runs from the side of the thigh down to the shin).

Waking up with stiffness is a given.

0 likes, 30 replies

30 Replies

Prev
  • j21370
    j21370 Milla2017

    Posted

    Hi Milla - my knee feels very stiff in the mornings. When I sleep I feel a lot of pain. I cannot bend the knee past 115. The doctor wanted to do a manipulation, but I was almost at 4 months post op. My understanding that manipulations should be before 3 months so I opted not to have it done. Yes, sometimes my knee feels like a piece of wood. My concerns are that I still have pain after 5 months and that I cannot bend it to 120. Before the surgery I could bend it to 136. Thanks, J21370
    • Milla2017
      Milla2017 j21370

      Posted

      Hi J, Sorry to hear you are having a difficult recovery! I can relate though. I am 13 weeks here and my progress has been extremely slow and painful. I am finally down to narcotics every 6 hours the last week, augmented with Ibuprofen and Vicodin before PT. What is your OS saying about your pain level? I finally insisted on diagnostic testing because of my severe ongoing pain (especially walking - still on walker). Nerve conduction and EMG test finally revealed that I suffered femoral neuropathy and muscle damage through either the nerve block or the tourniquet. Just telling you my experience, don't want to make you worried. After spending so much time on the board have seen many patients with prolonged pain with no complications. This is the most painful surgery you can have. Question is, how well is your pain managed? I know a lot of patients have to fight tooth and nail for pain management.

    • Milla2017
      Milla2017 j21370

      Posted

      J, p.s:

      I am at 100 now after losing 16 degrees after sitting too long one day and got very swollen and stiff. Keep at physical therapy and home exercises. It will come!!

  • marilyn10235
    marilyn10235 Milla2017

    Posted

    Hi Milla

    This is only a suggestion, but have you tried resting & elevating a bit more rather than MORE exercise?

    We are all different but I found the stiffness eases if I rest it a bit. Apart from sitting in one position for any length of time! That still does it (BOTH legs).

    I am on my feet a lot now, at work up & down on the step stool, I find just moving around better than exercise. Maybe that's just me though!

    All the best

    Marilyn

    XX

    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      Maryline, you've just confirmed something I was wondering about.  My problem at the back of the knee started after I went on the recumbent bike and I did wonder if overdoing exercise pushes things too much when they're still healing.  I guess it comes down to how hard we're pushing that exercise too!  I read something on here that someone wrote recently - don't push it to the point of pain and my physio said that too.  I know so many people have different views (like midwives when you have a baby!) but while we want to be stretching the scar tissue when muscles and ligaments are mending perhaps we don't want to be pushing those so much.  The question is - SHOULD  you need pain medication to enable you to cope more with exercise, or should you exercise a bit more gently????????  I don't know the answer to that one?????  Or maybe this is another one where everyone is different!?

    • marilyn10235
      marilyn10235 chris00938

      Posted

      I think the answer to that is if you are taking 'normal' painkillers such as paracetamol ok, but don't go on the 'hard' stuff just to get the bend. So paracetamol good, morphine bad for before exercise. You could push too far when you can't feel your body saying NO! A little pain that goes straight away is ok, but to hurt for some time after bad. Don't do it!

      Good luck, it's not easy is it, as we ARE all different, what works for me may not for you.

      Take care

      Marilyn

      XX

    • chris00938
      chris00938

      Posted

      Just saw the innovative way I spelled your name - sorry Marilyn!  I never even dreamed of that one LOL!
    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      I'm not actually taking anything apart from a couple of paracetamol at night, that I've always done since the arthritis.  To be honest I don't think it does anything but help me to sleep better.  Even then, if I take it for more than five nights, the effect wears off, so I stop it for a few nights, then go back to it.  But your advice is so sensible.  Thank you!!!!

    • Milla2017
      Milla2017 marilyn10235

      Posted

      Hi Marilyn,

      Yesterday I rested after overdoing the walking the day before. Did not do my home excercises either and my leg feels better this morning.

      Is it just me finding it very difficult to manage activity and rest and trying to figure out what is too much etc? It's like trying to split the atom!😜😜

      My physical therapist is not a big help with it either. Sometimes he'll put me on walking restriction (loo only) and other times he'll say I am not doing enough. In all fairness though I know my leg better and it must be hard for them with a roller coaster recovery.

    • marilyn10235
      marilyn10235 chris00938

      Posted

      Hi Chris

      Just saw your message re spelling my name lol😆😆

      Believe me with a name like mine I never even notice now what the spelling is lol!

      A lot of people can't even SAY it right, so I answer to just about anything!!

      Marilyn

      XX

    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      It also happens to be my middle name LOL! But my Dad spelt it wrong on my birth certificate, yet my mother always insisted on spelling it 'the right' way so I grew up confused LOL!

      I am finding a lot of posts are getting caught up in the yahoo spam folder, so I'm missing them on my emails!  I hope no-one thinks I'm ignoring them!  I THINK I'm catching up with them when I go on the web page of the site!

  • chris00938
    chris00938 Milla2017

    Posted

    I've got far less stiffness in that leg when I wake up than the unoperated one but it's weird.  Sometimes when I walk it feels stiff yet at other times I forget about it and it doesn't.  I almost wonder if I'm placing the foot differently sometimes.  The knee itself doesn't feel stiff - it's a bump just below the knee that twinges if I bend it when the foot is at a particular angle as well as that excruciating pain at the back if I push the bend, but I've not done that at all for a couple of days on the advice of the physio.  I really think this is all ligaments healing.  But what do others think?

    • marilyn10235
      marilyn10235 chris00938

      Posted

      You could well be right Chris, there is still soooo much healing going on, have you mentioned it to your Physio?

      I still have a point in my scar that twinges in the back of the knee when I massage it!! I assume it's the nerves repairing & taking other routes???

      Other knee just doesn't want to bend or straighten & very stiff & painful. The operated knee always had more movement but much more pain!! Dreading the next TKR.

      All the best

      Marilyn

      XX

    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      No I haven't mentioned it but will when I go back.  I'll make a list of all my concerns and little niggles to check them out.  I've little doubt that they'll tell me it's all 'normal' LOL! 

      I am so sad that you're dreading the net TKR.  I hope it will be a lot easier for you.  They do say that the same op on the same person, but different knees, can vary hugely, so I hope yours will be MUCH easier and mine will be the same as this one because although there have been ups and downs, I am aware that I've had far less pain than most!  You never know, you and I might be having our next ones done around the same time:-))))

    • j21370
      j21370 marilyn10235

      Posted

      Hi Marilyn - my need is very stiff, but I could bend it to 115 on a good day. Otherwise sometimes it goes back to 110. I opted not to have a manipulation at 4 months because they should be done before the third month. My doctor told me that if I had it done then I would have to start the PT like I just had surgery. Hope you are doing better. J21370
Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.