Problems 15 months after my TKR
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This will be a long post - my apologies.
So I had a right TKR in March 2019. My recovery was uneventful, I did all the recommended physio and my surgeon cleared me to return to work 12 weeks after the surgery. I was doing well, able to work full time (I'm a nurse), able to ride an exercise bike every day and comfortably walk my dog 4 km every other day. At my one year check up the surgeon was happy with my X-Rays and the 120 degree bend in my knee. I told him I still had some tightness and pain (behind my knee and in my calf) that prevented me from bending it further but this didn't seem to concern him.
About a month after my visit with the surgeon and about 30 minutes into my early morning walk, my calf suddenly become very tight - tight to the point of being very painful. Thinking it might be a cramp I kept walking and by the time I'd hobbled home (another 10 minutes) my calf was swollen and my knee was also painfully tight and throbbing. I was actually reminded of the bone on bone pain I used to get before the surgery.
Anyway, fast forward 2 months and I am no longer able to walk my dog. Every time I try I only get about 15 minutes into it and my calf starts to hurt and then swell, my knee starts to hurt and get tight and I have to limp home yet again. This was also happening if I had a busy night at work and walked more than usual, so I cut back to part time. I saw a Physiotherapist who told me my new knee is strong and my problem is muscular - he gave me some dry needling and more exercises which haven't helped. Thinking it might be my gait causing the problem I saw a Podiatrist. She told me I have loose ligaments in my feet which probably isn't helping - she gave me shoe inserts and more exercises which haven't helped.
My daily exercise is now limited to a very sedate 10 minute walk on a treadmill and 10 minutes on an exercise bike. I have to pay someone to walk my poor dog. I take a combination of Paracetamol and iBuprofen when the pain gets really bad at work, and when I get home I elevate my leg and use an ice-machine. I also try a heat lamp and a hand held massager on it sometimes. Nothing seems to be helping and I have no idea why I suddenly seem to be going backwards...?? Has anyone reading this had a similar experience by any chance? I welcome and would appreciate any help. Thank you.
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