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

Itchy knee

Posted , 8 users are following.

Guest
Guest

My knee has started to itch is this common, l am 8weeks post op after TKR.

Knee is still stiff and seems to be stuck on 110 degree bend use cycle machine 3times a day for 20mins at a time plus other bend  exercises, finding stairs quite difficult can go up and down if l take my time but knee is a bit painful going up though l would be further on am l expecting to much.

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • carol8104
    carol8104 Guest

    Posted

    This is hard to determine, not seeing your knee.  I was at 120 degrees at three weeks but now at 4 months, knee still swells, can’t bend it yet all the way.  You sound like you are doing a lot to get it to bend, are you tight in your quadriceps? I spent time rolling the front sides and back of leg on a foam roller I bought at a sports store as I could not get my quadricep to release.  This really helped the situation.  I also do a lot of yoga for stretching!
    • Delboy1735
      Delboy1735 carol8104

      Posted

      I had 12 months apparent progress at 8 weeks. My Physio was amazed and discharged me. This being my second op I had been doing knee bend excercises for 3 months pre op using latex  excercises bands. It showed when I was able to swing my op leg out of bed on the first morning. 

      Can’t understand the stiffness I am experiencing at 16 weeks.

  • Delboy1735
    Delboy1735 Guest

    Posted

    Following 1st and successful knee op I remember itching in some areas and complete numbness In others. 8 week’s is early days and I have found you best grit your teeth and persist with, possibly uncomfortable, knee bends and straightening excercises.  My physio insisted on leg straightening excercises with progressive good results. Think 6/12 months ahead. Good luck.
  • Saint2012
    Saint2012 Guest

    Posted

    I am 9 weeks post op.Is your knee still swelled? I am having a lot of the same issues as you are.I have a lot of pain walking down the stairs.I also am fighting a lot of tight muscles in the leg.I too did not anticipate still having these problems.So no you are,not alone.All we can do is keep doing our exercises and stretches.Good,luck to you
    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX Saint2012

      Posted

      None of us anticipated ANY of this because we were never informed by the docs about the level of pain we would encounter, the types of work required to recover or the length of the recovery itself.  We all ran head first into a brick wall...

      Stairs are COMPLETELY dependent upon rebuilding your dead quads, glutes and core.  They've atrophied over all those weeks.  Work to do...

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/mastering-post-tkr-stairs-552728

      The one on stairs has been controversial.  Seems that many people were taught "up with the good" where I and many others were taught "up with the bad".  To me (and my PT), "up with the good" makes no sense because you are not strengthening that dead quad...just dragging it along.  "Up with the bad" forces you to strengthen that muscle.

      All I know is that 14 months post-op, I was going up stairs TWO AT A TIME without holding onto anything.  Worked for me.  However, you have to do the muscle rebuild to get there.  Remember, the goal for stairs is to go up and down with alternating legs without holding onto anything.  You need all those muscles for both strength and balance to do that.  Plus, you have now taken all that pressure off the knee joint and put it back on the muscles where it belongs...like being normal again...

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Guest

    Posted

    Itching is all nerve-related.  I HATE the nerve drugs so I used OTC Aspercream with 4% Lidocaine plus some OTC Lidocaine patches.  It's just temporary.  If you get that feeling from your knee rubbing on clothes or sheets, use a loosely wrapped elastic (ACE) bandage or a compression knee sleeve one size larger than normal.  Done.

    Eight weeks is still early.  I started PT at 3 weeks and finished at 12 weeks.  ROM went from -14 / +84 to -1 / +123 in 10 weeks of PT @ 2X/week.  Most people reach their ROM objectives by the 3 month mark.  Advances, setbacks and plateaus...all part of the game.  I got stuck at -4 for weeks before breaking through.  Very normal.

    This is NOT a linear recovery...don't expect it to be.  Post this on your fridge...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-reality-of-a-tkr-recovery-in-one-picture-626038

    Don't forget your oars when you get to the boat...

    • Delboy1735
      Delboy1735 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      My knee sometimes itches inside where I cannot scratch. Dam thing!
    • Delboy1735
      Delboy1735 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      The rsults of no two ops are the same. ...expected my second op to go like the first. In some respects it was better - knee bend and straighten -  and, as I am experiencing now unaccustomed stiffness. Pedi a ter or something like that the French say.🤪🤪🤪🤪

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX Delboy1735

      Posted

      Expectations are the ruin of us all.  We humans think we control the world and our own environments...even our own bodies.  What fools we are.  
  • pat86848
    pat86848 Guest

    Posted

    Hi I’m 12 weeks post op.Right from my knee right down my shin bone to ankle has started to itch like mad.I try not to scratch but I actually made my shin bleed.I have been putting it down to fact my skin is very dry since operation though don’t know if this is the cause.
  • pat86848
    pat86848 Guest

    Posted

    I have just read Chico’s response and he is probably right about the nerves healing.Having said that I’m on amitriptyline at night for neck problems which seem to help my knee nerve pain.I’m at a loss
  • linda54905
    linda54905 Guest

    Posted

    Hi Jonkee.

    Hi from New Zealand

    I  have just had knee replacement 5 weeks ago ...experienced tching  , that would possible be internal stitches  poking thru skin 

    am having nerve pain also 

    i do all exercises given  by hospital .. still cant do some stairs  ,knee badly swollen  ...

    physio is massaging down sides of scar line .i believe this may pop the scar and release knee pressure.

    have a chat to your physio  ,,,

    possibly  you may be over exercising  

    I  have an  bike  but wont attempt  riding till  physio okays  .

    possibly  you may be  over exercising   

     sounds to me  you may be exercising too  much  and  over stressing knee, have a chat to your physio   

  • vickie15389
    vickie15389 Guest

    Posted

    I did have some itching. They said it was the healing from the inside. For me tho, the outer skin was somewhat numb, so scratching gave no relief. I did use hydrocortisone cream and that seemed to help some.   And yes...stairs are tough. You will find even after more recovery going down will be more difficult than going up. Seems opposite to me.  Dr said that going down stairs will be the very last thing to fully master. Sorry not more encouraging news 😒

Back to top

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.