Posted , 11 users are following.
I'm 55 years old, female. Had surgery 3 weeks ago. Went from walker to cane and immediately no assist after 2 weeks. PT released me. I noticed some lateral knee pain that day. Next day worsened now another 4 days and walking with a cane Pain in thigh and knee with walking now. Can only walk small distances now. Is this normal? Am I expecting to much? Thanks
0 likes, 16 replies
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dana90029 randipa12
Posted
I don't know if it's normal or not. I haven't seen anything about it. Maybe it's the wrong forum for that. My kneecap is very odd looking now, and I couldn't bend it at all at first. It is swollen and extremely painful. It is interfering with my progress now. I can't go up or down stairs normally and have to wear a Ted hose when I have to go to the store, walk, etc. I know it's not right and shouldn't be that way. I'll ask again on Wed., because I'm very depressed and despondent after 4 months of pain 24/7. Pain meds do nothing at all. I know It's not normal for me because I've never had anything wrong with either knee and I played all kinds of sports. Good luck to you. I hope you get some relief.
jackie54344 dana90029
Posted
rose73925 randipa12
Posted
I would say you are, yes.
It was a major op. You need two crutches for up to 4 weeks, one up to 6 weeks, or so they say in the UK. There is nothing to be gained by rushing the process as your body will take as long as it needs to heal, and you will need to be patient and wait, I'm afraid! If you chuck away the sticks, with pain in knee and leg, you will not walk straight or level.
Rest as much as you can, alternating with exercises in the house and short walks in the garden etc when you're up to it. If you get pain, as you have, go back to square one and do as little as you can until you don't get pain....
It's a game, but generally speaking, I've discovered, one of two steps forward, one back. (I had surgery 10 weeks ago.... Really great but I still get discomfort when I walk. So: I walk until I think I should stop, and I'm having hydrotherapy from next week, weekly, and also clinical massage every week.)
All the best, good luck, and don't listen to people who say you "should" make quicker progress.
Rose
dana90029 rose73925
Posted
I'm sure I rushed the process. At two weeks post-op, I was walking without any assist. The dr. thought it was great so I kept it up. Guess I might as well get over it and maybe I'll walk some day. Thanks for your reply.
RichardKen randipa12
Posted
Cheers Richard
vickie06043 randipa12
Posted
3 weeks out is really early. I'd slow down a bit. Listen to your body. Be kind to you...
It takes at least 6 weeks to improve from just the trauma of surgery and additional weeks of physical therapy and rehab. Also sometimes an entire year to get back where we need to be.
It's easy to over do...
Take care Vickie
lyn1951 randipa12
Posted
I had a really beautiful hand print just above my knee two days after my surgery, it was black and blue, I teased my surgeon, beautiful man, and said you hung on too tight, he put his hand on top of the bruise, and said i must have, it fitted perfectly, and we had a laugh about it.
Back to subject, I convinced your knee takes a bashing about to do the surgery, but they don;t tell you this do they, so you don;t only have the cut and hip to heal you also have the knee muscle and cartledge damage to get over as well.
Go slowly as per other posting, physio told me until you feel the pull, not until it hurts, because then you are doing more damage.
I beleive she was correct, as I have been working on a torn shoulder tendon and muscle, and again physio said not until it hurts, but just until you feel the pull, when it hurts you are doing more damage.
RichardKen lyn1951
Posted
That is very interesting what you say about the hand print above your knee as I could not understand why I had bruising on the inside of my leg above my knee joint.
Cheers Richard
jackie54344 randipa12
Posted
Hi n welcome, I had knee pain also before surgery because of pain n adjusting my walk to the pain. Also had pain in thigh n knee after surgery my surgeon said it was normal for dome to have this pain in knee I am almost 8 weeks out now from THR on right hip n no pain in knee or thigh. I do have days where I get achy or if I do to much so just don't push too much n d o your exercises. Love n Light
nhquilta jackie54344
Posted
Hi Jackie, Good to hear you're dealing with knee & thigh pain! I'm 3 weeks post op and still feeling that pain. Nice to know it'll eventually go away. Anyone also deal with lower back pain? I do have bad back issues, but the last few mornings I realize I'm waking with lower back pain. Part of the healing process? I love my heating pad!
kimberley38758 randipa12
Posted
I had my FRHR about 10 months ago. Like you, I bounced back quickly. By my 10 day post op appointment with my surgeon, I was no longer using any kind of walking aid. My surgeon was thrilled for me!! A few weeks after that I started having knee pain. I told my physical therapist. I was told that until the muscles around the hip are completely strong and functional again there is a good chance of pain occuring in the joints close to it. The reason being is that the muscles around the hip (when working properly) hold the body in alignment. If out of alignment it puts stress on the surrounding joints. I did a total of 8-9 weeks of PT (physio) to get my hip and surrounding muscles working again. The pain in my knees went away after doing a few more strengthening exercises.
RichardKen kimberley38758
Posted
Dear Kimberley
That's great news. With my primary total hip replacement of twenty years ago the pain at four days was minimal and I was walking without any aids within days but the revision has been very, very different.
I had expected it to be no worse as what was involved was replacement of the ball and the cup fitting and the stem was retained as it was still in good and firm so surely less mucking about!
The muscle pain required morphine in conjunction with Paracetamol for two days before it could be controlled and the bruising was quite bad and my muscles were in far worse shape than with the primary. I wonder if having been on blood thinning tablets for the last four years has had anything to do with it.
I've only a week or so left of non weight bearing before I can try my hand or leg at this walking game again.Golly what a set back it was being thrown onto the floor of the ambulance taking me back home on release from hospital over two weeks ago!
Keep up the good work Kimberley.
Cheers Richard
kimberley38758 RichardKen
Posted
Hi Richard
Glad to hear that you are doing well after your horrific start. Blood thinners will definitely make bruising worse. It sounds as though you are back on track again, which is great news!!
Remember not to overdo things when you start the weight bearing again. Even though you've had to wait a few weeks, you should probably do no more that what is normally required for week one post op.
Wishing you the very best!!
RichardKen kimberley38758
Posted
Dear Kimberley
Yes I really must not be too keen to try to make up for lost time! I've been doing mild exercises which hopefully will not have impacted the bone mending so I should be in reasonable shape.
I'm very interested in your thoughts on blood thinning and bruising because I remember looking around an old peoples nursing many years ago and being struck at the amount of bruising many of the residents had. I understood the the older you are the more easily one bruises ad of course many would have been on a blood thinning treatment.
Cheers Richard
kimberley38758 RichardKen
Posted
I just found this on the internet.
Bruises tend to be more common in older adults. As you age, your skin becomes thinner, and the capillaries under your skin become more prone to breaking. Some people bruise easily, with little impact to their body. In most cases, this is nothing to be alarmed about.
RichardKen kimberley38758
Posted
Many thanks for posting that, very interesting.
Cheers Richard