Pain and stiffness 51/2 months after Total Knee Replacement
Posted , 9 users are following.
Beginning to feel miserable! I have a pretty good range of movement in my knee - but the moment I sit for even a short period it gets stiff. If I stand for a while cooking or cleaning - that also causes pain. I can walk around the house fine, but outside it becomes painful very quickly and I have taken to using a stick and really can't walk far. It's still swollen up on the inside of my leg and shin just below my knee. I'm 51/2 months post op. When I am at rest there is little pain and it doesn't keep me awake at night - but other people I know have recovered much quicker. I do have to say that I was due to have the other knee replaced yesterday (4 May) obviously cancelled for now, and that might well be affecting the operated knee. Please can someone reassure me that still having more than what I would consider a reasonable amount of pain at this stage is normal?
0 likes, 18 replies
Jo12jt1 felicityjg
Posted
I went thru where you are right now. it is something that will get better with time. but that's the magic word. time. I am 15 months post right and 12 months post left knee tkr . still get a lot of stiffness in both knees so I have as a reply said totally change my way of exercising and thinking. I tore the soft tissue around my right knee with a fall. 2 months after first knee. I was back seeing the consultant and he pushed the back of my knee. they had to scrape me off the ceiling. in his words, you are not healed till you are 2 years post opp. take little bits of video each week just to see what difference there is and you will be surprised. my daughter taught me that one.
felicityjg Jo12jt1
Posted
I am so sorry you have had so many problems.
Thank you for your kind words - it is so reassuring to know that others have had/are having similar problems. I'm sure it is healing - I'm just impatient. If you don't mind my asking..In what way have you changed your way of exercising and thinking? I'm not sure a video would work as it wouldn't show a pain level. Since I wrote the original post, however, my shin has been less painful - so I guess that is positive. I hope you continue to improve too.
KerenfromSydney felicityjg
Posted
Hi there
This is my first post. I had a TKR 14 months ago. At first it seemed that I was going to get a good outcome. Did all my exercises and felt positive. However even now I am in more pain than before the op. The main symptom I had before the surgery was that my knee was very valgus and I had a very odd walk with a noticeable limp. Now my knee hurts all the time, when I'm seated, laying down, slow walking, quicker walking and steps are a nightmare. Not so much for the pain with the stairs but I have a very unstable walk and often feel as if I could easily trip or fall. My walk is still very bad. I turned 70 last May and before my knee became such a problem was very active doing lots of walking, playing social tennis, doing quite challenging yoga and going to the gym a couple of times a week. Now all of that is in the past - apart from me still walking for around an hour each Sunday morning. I have been back to the knee surgeon who seems to think that the knee has recovered well from his point of view but he can give no reason why it would still be so painful. I have also been to a neurologist who tested for several things but in the end could find nothing from a neurological point of view. In two days time I go to a brain/spine surgeon to she if she can explain why my walk is so unbalanced and awkward. All very distressing. Has anyone had any similar problems?
Would love to hear from you.
Thanks