I'm 12 days post TKR. Just had clips out.
Posted , 10 users are following.
Is it normal for knee to be very stiff and tight. Will this pass?.. They really don't warn you about what to expect after surgery.
0 likes, 23 replies
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Notes on I'm 12 days post TKR. Just had clips out.
anna59931 Pepperpot68
Posted
It is normal for the stiffness i will be 16mths from i got tkr we are all different at healing still get some stiffness me still doing the exercise ice as well. It does feel weird n o pain just stiffness. You are doing well. I know they dont tell you anything just u need tkr just a long road to recovery.xx
CHICO_MARX Pepperpot68
Posted
Yes, this is normal. Yes, it will go away imperceptibly month by month. Yes, you will probably feel some residual stiffness even 12-18 months post-op. Yes, the stiffness will absolutely return even years post-op if you do not exercise and keep the knee active.
What? The doc never told you this? Guess what? No doc has ever told this to any one of us either!!!!! Join the club, Kneebie...
laureninmass Pepperpot68
Posted
I am 14 days post TKR (right), and can't believe how much pain I still have. I still have steri-strips covering (disolvable) stitches, so that might account for some stiffness but it's mostly swelling, tightness above kneecap and pain making it so hard to bend. One session of PT and my leg (knee) blows up, gets rock hard, and is twice as hard to bend the next day! I've only got 80 ROM after 2 weeks although extension is fine.
What is most difficult for me is pain management - I was discharged on day 2 with oxycodone (5mg.) and Tylenol, but with a pretty harsh taper schedule so pain has barely been under control this whole time. It's the constant "pain at rest" that is the surprise for me - apparently I my muscles are spasming. Everyone says "take your pain meds" but Tylenol is not cutting it, and I've cut back the oxy so that I only take enough for nighttime, first thing in the a.m. and PT days. I'm now being told this is the last script for oxy they will write (which will give me about one more week of relief unless the pain diminishes considerably soon and I can cut back to just nighttime). I'm hoping I can take a muscle relaxer and/or NSAID after that (they've said no up until now) and then hoping that these will do the trick.
Is anyone else having trouble getting the pain meds they need, or is there something out there that everyone else has that I don't? I don't think I can keep up PT if it means hours of pain afterward with no relief in sight... BTW mobility is fine (barely using a crutch and can almost climb stairs one after the other), it's the BENDING that sends me over the edge! One option is to push back on PT (which I've already done to some extent) and just manage the pain by limiting how much I'm willing to endure during PT. My exercise sheet actually says "pain should be tolerable"... obviously they haven't met my PT!!!
CHICO_MARX laureninmass
Posted
Anyone who says that the "pain should be tolerable" obviously has never had a TKR. I was on 10 mg Percocet plus 10 mg Flexeril (muscle relaxer) for a month before I started titrating down. Once you start the PT ROM work, you will need to take something before a session. If it's an opioid, don't drive. When done with the oxy, talk the doc into some Tramadol for 30 days. Although still classified as an opioid, it is very mild compared to hydro- or oxy-codone. It's a "transition" drug to get you down to OTC NSAIDs more gradually.
Your expectation of your level of pain was and still is very unrealistic ("...can't believe how much pain I still have..."). We ALL did the same thing and ran into the same brick wall. This is the most painful surgery there is and you've just begun your typically year-long journey. The first 30 days are hell; the 10-12 weeks of PT are a bit better but not much. Breaking down that scar tissue is a real ^%$$%%^&... I started at -14 / +84 and ended up after 10 weeks of PT at -1 / +123. Got stuck at a -4 plateau for weeks...very frustrating. But it's gotta be done no matter the cost.
Then comes the months of rebuilding all the musculature that supports the new knee. All those muscles (quads, glutes, core, hip flexors, etc.) have all atrophied by then and you have to work hard to get that strength back. It takes the pressure off the new joint reducing your pain, enables you to walk correctly, regain your balance and eventually do stairs again like a normal person. Time, work and patience are your tools. Expectations will screw up your head...get rid of them and listen to your knee.
Click on my name, then "Discussions" on the right side and then "View All". I have tons of discussions out there on a lot of topics you might find helpful. Treat yourself well and work hard...then you can dance at your one year ann-knee-versary party!!!
tynetta09539 laureninmass
Posted
i kno exactly what u mean! my dr.gave me narco 10/325 which worked well & i also have ibuprofen 800 for the swelling.even though when I'm in pt I'm in pain but after the ice& stem&ibuprofen it's tolerable.hopefully u find what works for u!feel better soon😊
laureninmass CHICO_MARX
Posted
Thank you for such a speedy reply Chico_Marx! I am beginning to realize the error in thinking on this, but am frustrated and a bit resentful that I did not set my expectations and it is the doc(s) who are telling me I shouldn't need any more "heavy-duty" pain relief. I have no problem being patient and listening to my body, but apparently that's not "how it's done" according to those who are supposed to know (my PT/doc). I'm sure you are right that they have never actually HAD a TKR, but really, where do they get off acting like they know??? There must be some folks out there who are sailing through this and giving them their ideas of how it works. I'll ask my doc about Tramadol, because you are right, I need SOMETHING before PT ROM (which I've already been doing for several sessions. I just don't know how I'm going to get the oxy to last long enough to get to one month... at this point there is no way that I will. Driving is the least of my concerns right now, but once I'm out of oxy that won't be a barrier. I'll check out your Discussions and thanks again for letting me know I'm not the only one out there. Although I'm still afraid I'm going to be marooned without pain relief.
laureninmass tynetta09539
Posted
Thank you tynetta for the encouragement and sharing your experience. I'm all about ice, and can't wait until I can take ibuprofen (still not allowed), so I too am hoping I can get something to work for me. Right now I'm counting on time to work for me, and although I'm not seeing any improvement day to day, it's certainly better than week 1. I'm icing and elevating to bring down the swelling, and I'm standing firm with my PT when they try to push me way past "tolerable", because I know how much I'll pay for it afterward. This board is a great resource and source of support, so thank you for being there!
CHICO_MARX laureninmass
Posted
There are also topical choices. Voltaren Gel (RX in the US, generic diclofenac elsewhere...check for interactions with other meds) is the best topical anti-inflammatory out there. Use it multiple times a day and especially at bedtime. Works for me in about 15 minutes. NSAIDs (ibuprofen, Aleve, Naproxen, etc.) are useful but not for long periods of time (> 10-14 days). In the long term, they'll eat right through your stomach lining.
There's also AsperCream 4% Lidocaine, pain patches (lidocaine, menthol, capsaicin, etc.) and BioFreeze. Try a few to see what works for you. Last, you can pick up a cheap ($25) TENS machine at the market or pharmacy. Gotta play with where the pads go but it could also provide some relief. If you have a local pharmacist who specializes in and has significant experience in natural "oils", those can be amazing. I can't type the actual Characters By Detail in the post but ya gotta get the right blend for pain which is why you need someone who knows them really, really well.
Aside from these "pharma" solutions, also consider acupuncture which can have good results for some people. I have a discussion out there based on an NBC article that contains other strategies...
The Power of Rest
One big thing is to take your mind off the pain. Get engrossed in a great novel, binge watch a TV series, kill zombies on an XBox, etc. You'd be surprised how much less pain you feel when your mind is directed elsewhere. The worst place to be is in bed, wide awake and screaming at your knee. Just know that it's temporary and goes away in time. Yes...that time seems like an eternity now but it does subside and then you look back on it wondering how you ever got past the "drooling on your pajamas" stage. Ratz...should have kept that one to myself...
You've been through the worst two weeks and need to vanquish the PT Monster but then it does get better. People complain about the lingering stiffness. The truth is that it goes away so imperceptibly that one day you realize that it's gone and cannot pinpoint the exact day it happened.
You are not alone in that the docs told you nothing...no one gets told anything pre-op. I told the guys in my band that I'd be playing a four-hour gig with them six days post-op. I was literally a delusional puddle of protoplasm. I was so out of it for so long that they had to replace me. Imagine trying to load, drive, unload, set-up, play, tear down, load out and drive home as a BASS GUITAR PLAYER with all those HUGE, 80-pound bass cabinets, amp heads and guitars!!!! I couldn't carry anything around for six months. Like I said...delusional. I actually thought I'd skate through this in six weeks like I did with my hip replacement. Sorry... You can push a hip or shoulder...you cannot push a knee. It just sits there all swollen laughing at you.
With 4 1/2 pounds of metal in me, this was the most humbling of them all. If you aren't a patient person, the knee will teach you patience. It is a harsh taskmaster...