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

Pain 14 month after RTKR

Posted , 4 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hi

It has been 14 month since my rtkr and i have doing great then at the end of May I started with pain just below my knee at the side painful to climb stairs and when I put pressure on my right leg. I am also having pain in both thighs like muscle pain and I cannot walk far and I was doing so well and walking a few miles a day. Has anyone else had same problem I was thinking I might have pulled something or need to exercise more. Any advice welcome.

Thanks Stella

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Guest

    Posted

    A few thoughts...

    Time and distance are irrelevant...it's the number of STEPS you take that matters since each step puts a load on the knee. Get a fit bit, smart watch, etc. to count your steps and graph your progress. Doing "a few miles" may be too much. When the knee hurts and swells from walking, you have to back off, recover and increase your step count gradually. I did 8,200+ steps at five weeks and had "balloon knee" for three days. After learning that painful lesson, I made sure it never happened again. I was doing 11,000 steps (~ 5 miles) at 8 months with no problem.

    Another reason I could do that was because I completed the muscle rebuild to get back all the strength in my atrophied quads, glutes, core, hip flexors, etc. Walking or cycling alone doesn't rebuild all that musculature...ya gotta do the strength work...

    Muscle Rebuild

    Doing this work allows you to walk without pain (since the muscles are now doing their normal job), regain your balance and give you the strength to go up and down stairs normally (alternating legs without holding onto anything). At 14 months, I was going up stairs two at a time with no problem...my quads were fully back. If you haven't done the muscle rebuild, then your pain may be caused by the pressure still on the knee instead of the muscles where it belongs.

    Also, you may be experiencing pain elsewhere in your body. Check this out to see if anything is applicable...

    Other Pain

    All of this is very, very common. Again...rebuild the muscles and it all goes away.

    You should also consider some Voltaren Gel (RX in the US, generic diclofenac elsewhere...check for interactions!). Best topical anti-inflammatory out there. You can use it 4x/day, especially at bedtime.

    Hope this helps.

    • Guest
      Guest CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Thank you for your advice you are most likely right my muscles were in a bad way before the op so they need more work. I was thinking because I could walk again and I was feeling good I lapsed on the exercises but I need to get back to muscle building my sons did keep on at me to exercise more but I thought I was doing fine how wrong was I, now I feel like I am heading back to feeling like I did before the op. Hopefully soon i will notice an improvement soon back on the exercise bike daily and exercises.

      I will let you know how I get on Thanks

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 Guest

    Posted

    I had TKR 7 years ago. I remember having the same problems as you but I was only 2 or 3 months post op. it did settle with time.

    Sarah

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.