Posted , 13 users are following.
Hi not sure if my last post went up
HELP
I am 7 weeks post op, things had been going really well untill today.
I am in so much pain in my knee, leg and foot, I have my leg elevated , ice pack and used oramorph 10ml and paracetamole but still no relief. Is it normal, the pain is really not good. HELP PLEASE
0 likes, 53 replies
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Duckfan deb1205
Posted
My doctor told me "1 year, it takes a year before you start to feel normal." Like I said I'm 8 months and I forget I have a knee replacement most of the time. Sometimes it burns, sometimes it aches, it's stiff sometimes and sometimes it feels like water is running down my leg, it clunks sometimes but most of the time it works perfectly. At 7 weeks I was in tears because my ROM was 90. I just knew I'd need manipulation. My ROM is at 120 now. It takes time to recover.
CHICO_MARX Duckfan
Posted
Completely right!!!!! DF is feeling all the things that are normal in the 10-12 month range...and virtually everything will resolve for him in the next few months. Yes...some minor symptoms may linger a bit longer but once you hit that "year mark", you can look back and see how far you've come.
The phrase "I forget I have a knee replacement most of the time" changes to "I forget I have a knee replacement virtually all the time". Be patient...it gets better...
Glad for you DF!!!!!!
tony08754 deb1205
Posted
I’m six weeks out I was in less pain two weeks ago I’m sure it has something to do with the PT.
My therapist stepped it up the last week.
How is your PT going ?
CHICO_MARX tony08754
Posted
Most people take some meds an hour before PT...seems like it helps. Problem is if they're opioids, you can't drive. Yes...PT will crank your knee to break down the scar tissue and you will need to ice and elevate afterward. I did it for 10 weeks @ 2X/week. It was tough but I went from -14 / +84 to -1 / +123. Well worth enduring the TEMPORARY pain for the LONG-TERM gain of walking normally again. Cut corners, don't work to get your ROM back and you will regret it for years to come. Be strong...endure...you get getter in time...
deb1205 CHICO_MARX
Posted
CHICO_MARX deb1205
Posted
See if you can save the bucks.
#0... Warmup:
Nothing beats a stationary bike to get the blood moving and to warm up the knee. This is usually a given. Virtually all PT sessions start out by warming up the knee. Do this... No bike? Take a 10-minute walk.
#1... Heel Slides:
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-heel-slide-exercises-526213
When you use a belt to PULL your foot toward your butt, you will be increasing your bend to +120 and beyond. There is also a medical device to help with this (see picture).
#2... Squats:
Hold onto a chair and do squats. Deep as you can...hold...stand up...repeat. Start with three sets of 5 once a day. Increase to three sets of 10-15 multiple times a day over the course of weeks. Want more? Put some weight on your shoulders or hold onto some dumbells to pull you down.
Both the above home exercises will help with your bend. Do them diligently multiple times a day. When you see your doc again, he can measure your progress, although when doing the heel slides in the same location all the time, you can have a piece of masking tape on the floor to mark your progress.
Now for straightening your leg...
#3... Gravity:
Lie on your bed face down with your knees just on the edge of the bed...NOT OVER IT. Lower your TKR leg (or both) and just let it hang...gravity will do the rest. This is one hell of a difficult thing to do. Count "x" seconds...bend the leg back up to vertical...repeat. You can do as many reps as you can handle for how many seconds you can endure multiple times a day. As you progress, increase the number of seconds and the number of reps.
The big thing to remember with this is that you CANNOT use your muscles to support the leg. You have to relax and just let it hang!!! When you get adventurous, strap on a 2-pound ankle weight. That will be INTENSE!!!! ...but worth it.
#4... The Gym:
Once you get your ROM going pretty well, you'll need to hit the gym anyway to regain all the strength in your atrophied quads, glutes and core. Doing more leg presses and squats with increasing weight and reps will help finish off your ROM work to 0 / +120...probably beyond. You can also do this at home with a good set of exercise bands of increasing resistance to do the leg work.
Conclusion:
These are only some of the exercises you can do but, for me, they formed the core of my recovery. Do some research on the web, especially YouTube, for more ROM exercises. So, yes, a PT can be of immense help to you but if money or distance are issues, you can do this recovery at home, on your own, if you stay focused and diligent about the ROM work. Have fun...
deb1205 CHICO_MARX
Posted
You have been so incredibly helpful
Sue360 deb1205
Posted
Sorry to jump on this so late but needed to reply. I am now three months TKR and being 56 thought I would find this a doddle ! At 2 weeks I had a bleed behind my knee which set me back to day one really. At 6 weeks, still on two crutches and the depression had set in big time. This forum put me back in place each time I struggled, it has been fantastic in my recovery. I took out a months membership at a local gym and used the pool to initially walk and then swim and they worked me a no weights re hab programme just for my knee, this has got me to where I am now. Using the static bike, I was stupid, I just got on and tried to pedal and cried because I couldn't, then it was pointed out the seat was too low !! Raise the seat to accommodate your ROM. This had been the toughest episode in my life so far, which to some I know is lucky, but hang on in there, cry if you want to but it DOES get better. I am in UK by the way. X
deb1205 Sue360
Posted
I had a cry last night, I totally hit my brick wall yesterday, I did not get much sleep last night. .
I was just disappointed as I had been feeling so good and nearly pain free . I had stopped using Sticks. I am going for a swim this week and going to try my excersice bike. But I will take it slow x
Snoozy69 deb1205
Posted
Chin up Deb just keep doing your exercises and just back up a bit on the walking around bit. If you are walking further take your sticks anyway even if you think you don't need them anymore, they will help keep the weight off your joint. I thought I was doing well yesterday managed quite a lot of housework but knee swollen again this morning can't bend it 90 degrees that's for sure. So it's rest ice elevation day today.
sue x
deb1205 Snoozy69
Posted
Snoozy69 deb1205
Posted
Yes come on we can do this 😃
deb1205 Snoozy69
Posted
Snoozy69 deb1205
Posted
Wicca1971 deb1205
Posted
Hi Deb. Sorry to hear your in so much pain. Please don't push yourself. I'm 8 weeks out and even a trip to the super market puts me out of commission for the rest of the day (sometimes two days). You also still have a lot of nerves trying to heal and nerve pain is the worst!!!!
Just make sure you do your stretching, take your pain, meds, take it easy, and ice like crazy. If you are still concerned, please call your surgeon and tell them what's going on. It may be your just over doing it or it may be a problem with the new knee.
deb1205 Wicca1971
Posted