Scar Tissue
Posted , 6 users are following.
Does scar tissue last much more than 12 weeks? I massage it but it makes it sore enough to give me yet another bad night. Any advice welcome please
0 likes, 21 replies
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Notes on Scar Tissue
Oldfatguy1 eileen15268
Posted
Scar tissue will last as long as you do if it isn't broken down by exercise. Its the body heals that causes the scar tissue in the 1st place. Some people are more prone to excessive scaring than others. I happen to be one of those. Because of the number of surgeries I've had and the slow healing my body does, I have a terrible time keeping my knee tissue torn loose.
CHICO_MARX eileen15268
Posted
Yup. Started PT at 3-4 weeks...lasted 10 weeks and I got to -1 / +123. Took more work after that to get to 0 / +133. If you think you're done in three months, sorry to break the bad news...this takes a year. After you get your ROM back from PT you have to: 1. keep it that way, and 2. get back all your leg strength. This is a very long recovery...embrace it.
Duckfan eileen15268
Posted
Good question and good answers. Oh that dreaded rom and scar tissue. I'm at 9 weeks and can only get to 92. Went to the doctor yesterday and he said keep at it, and everything looks good and you'll get there. This is a very long process. My straight leg is 0 so,that's good. ,I ask d him why my knee still hurt and he said scar tissue and you knee is still mad. He's going to wait until 12 weeks and if I can't get a good rom he'll go in arthroscopicly and "tweak it". Don't worry he said, all will be well.
I almost feel, from reading everyone's posts, that we need to slow down, give ourselves a mental break, do our own exercises faithfully and heal. We've been cut, hammers, glued back together. Gee, no wonder we hurt.
chris00938 eileen15268
Posted
Sorry to be thick here - are we talking about the scar tissue of the wound that we can see, or scar tissue that we can't see? My scar is sensitive but isn't 'seizing up'. I'm just doing it with emu oil every evening. Still looks a bit of a mess, but not complaining:-)
Oldfatguy1 chris00938
Posted
The unseen scar tissue is normally the most fficult to combat. I've always used vitimine E oil for the actual incision healing. Massage it in twice daily with finger tips
chris00938 Oldfatguy1
Posted
Thanks Oldfatguy. I started with Vit E but it was stinging a bit so went on to emu oil and that's been fine, but how do you massage the unseen bit - where is it? Or do you just give the whole knee a good rub?
jenny80029 chris00938
Posted
chris00938 jenny80029
Posted
So we are talking about the visible bit then? I've been doing that with emu oil. Mine is a lot less bumpy now and I've only just realised that the holes where the staples were have gone! I'me 7 weeks.
Oldfatguy1 chris00938
Posted
You have to have a deep penetrating oil that soaks in and breaks down all those little knots you feel. Don't be fooled as they will return if you don't keep it up
chris00938 Oldfatguy1
Posted
Ah, right - thanks Oldfatguy! I THINK my knots have gone apart from one little bump where there was a stitch hanging out and they pulled that out so it's healing now, so once the scab has gone I'll do that as well but will keep oiling the rest for a while yet:-))))) Thank you! I just wondered if there was somewhere else I was supposed to be massaging around the knee LOL! Didn't want to miss anything LOL!
kimmers88 eileen15268
Posted
eileen15268 kimmers88
Posted
I saw my doctor yesterday Kimmo & she gave me anti depressants I'm not depressed but she said they would make me sleep. I didn't take it last night & put up with yet another sleepless night. I took 2 Naproxen, 2 Co Codamol 2, Codeine phosphate & 2 herbal sleeping tablets & I think I had 3 broken hours sleep. I am seeing my surgeon in 3 weeks have kits I want to ask him.
chris00938 eileen15268
Posted
Eileen, if it were me, I'd be concerned about taking anti depressants if you're not depressed! I'm permanently on them (brain issue LOL!) and it's fine for me, but if the issue is sleep I'm not convinced they will address that. I tend to have sleep problems generally but a couple of paracetamol seems enough to give me a good night, or sometimes I swap those for a Piriton - that's enough to make me sleep. BUT you do need to make sure anything isn't a contraindication with the drugs you're taking. I found herbal sleeping tablets did make me depressed and so did the other ones - non herbal, that you can buy from the shelf. But you do need to find something to help you sleep because that does drag you down!
kimmers88 eileen15268
Posted
eileen15268 kimmers88
Posted
CHICO_MARX kimmers88
Posted
I am NOT a fan of using anti-depressants for short-term post-op depression. Once you know what it is, you can kick it without any drugs at all.
An old tricyclic like Elavil (amitriptyline) might be OK for the small time period but has side effects. Use of an SNRI or SSRI (Cymbalta, Paxil, etc.) should be completely avoided. Once you are on them, it's hell to get off. Sleep aids like Ambien can also cause major problems. Something simple like 1 mg Xanax at bedtime could be a great relaxer and help you get to sleep, again, on a very short-term basis. There are also muscle relaxers like Flexeril that can be used short-term. The best OTC med is simple diphenhydramine (generic Benedryl). 50mg (2 capsules) will get you drowsy. It's the active ingredient in all the nighttime "PM" products. Again, check interactions and side effects.
Remember...this post-op depression is a very temporary condition. You do NOT want to get hooked on major anti-depressants!!! Talk to your doc about your options but stay away from the SNRIs and SSRIs!!!!!
Here are some more sleep tips...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
You have to PREPARE to sleep...it helps.
eileen15268 CHICO_MARX
Posted
THANK YOU Chico for saying @ anti depressants.,doctor prescribed them for me but I couldn't bring myself to take them. Glad you agree. I slept with my legs elevated last night, for the first time & I slept so much better.
CHICO_MARX eileen15268
Posted
My doc said no pillow to sleep...I ignored him and slept better. It's all very individual. You have to find what works for you. Take the Benedryl, turn off ALL electronics, start up the lavender diffuser, darken the room, read a book then turn off the light. Worked for me...