shin and calf pain folliwing TKR
Posted , 31 users are following.
I get pain in my shin and outer calf. Also my ankle.It is worse than the actual knee. this is in my right leg, TKRCno. 2 which was done on OCT 21st. 4 weeks ago. Knee no. 1 is doing fine, only a bit of stiffness and accasional ache. The hamstring in that leg was cramping but I fixed that with magnesium. I did walk 1 km today, I find walking helps stiffness and makes me feel better mentally. any tips
to get rid of the shin pain???
1 like, 56 replies
lindypc sandra37762
Posted
I'm so happy to have found this thread as I've had incredible pain from my TKR. I've done the rehab and have incredible flexibility (134 bend) however during water aerobics it's amazing how many old folks said they had no pain at all which makes me feel like a diva to complain. My surgeon reassures me that they have just forgotten!! However, yesterday (today is my 3 months anniversary of TKR) my shin started hurting and today it hurts to touch which I find so strange. My ankle has always hurt (but that is such a strange pain that I was reticent to mention). Thank-you all so much for allowing me the relief to know I'm not the only one!
Oldfatguy1 lindypc
Posted
134 is a real stretch but it somewhat depends on you physical condition prior to the surgery. Age will have some bearing as well. Many times we are pushed to numbers rather than reality and the body just isn't ready for that sort of abuse. Try backing off and giving the entire body a couple of days complete rest a d by rest I mean extra sleep, lots of sitting elevation and up your hydration level to a point that about all you are doing is getting up to go pee. If you look at people that use the gym on a regular basis they change the routine so they don't repeat day after day. Yet, when we get this knee rehab mindset we think daily or multiple times daily is what's best. I won't go into all the gory details but I've had 11 surgeries and 5 complete rehab including one after 4 + months of complete immobization and for me, its about consistency, not abuse. I once told my therapist that if one of kids treated me the way he does it would be considered elder abuse.
Just give the R & R a try. I can guarantee you that you won't suddenly revert to being a stumbling cripple. You might even get used to it and like it as part of your routine. Keep us advised....this is a great forum and everyone is a veteran of the tkr wars. No amateurs here.
tgcisme sandra37762
Posted
I have no idea how these forums work.... I just know that I'm appoaching week 9 of my bilateral TKR and have everyone (DRs, PA, PT... etc) telling me I'm a poster child for both knee replacement recovery.... BUT starting about week 6 I have had constant pain from my ankles to my hip. I'm in bed more now then I was the first 6 weeks. I'm on percoet 5/325 2 in am 2 in pm.... It helps the little pain in the knees but does nothing for this constant aching / tired legs.
Does anyone know what I'm experiencing or how to elveate?
Aileen65 tgcisme
Posted
I am also at week 9. I have had sciatica from about day 7. I feel that using the exercise ball provided by the physiotherapist caused the problem, specifically the exercise where you hold it between your ankles and lift your legs together. The sciatica causes very severe pain from the buttock down the side of my thigh, into my knee, down the front of my lower leg and into my ankle and instep. The pain is much worse than the pain from the knee replacement. I have been having treatment from an oesteopath for the past 4 weeks and it's definitely helping. Is it possible that you have the same thing?
kneegirl tgcisme
Posted
I had almost the same pain and couldn't distinguish between the knee pain and that but found out it was my sciatica. I told the therapist and he showed my some excercises that i could do with my limited mobility because of the knee pain and from my hip to my ankles. I did as much as i could and by the third day there was less pain. It should eventually subside,i was in week 12 when i really noticed a difference. i am now in week 16 and i still have some pain in my back thru my legs but it is not as taxing because my knee is much better and i can concentrate on the stretching excercises to hep my sciatica. it is on my right side but i do the excercises on my left too just in case. Hang in there, you will improve. Have you talked to your therapist for some help?
ann41501 sandra37762
Posted
I have the same problem and found an abstract on it. Here it is.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10546618
WLA ann41501
Posted
Thank You Ann..... 13 days out and trying to keep stretching😀
Cindy1666 sandra37762
Posted
robin17627 sandra37762
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I am so glad I found this discussion! I thought I was alone too! Seven weeks after my TKR on the right I was doing great and ready to ditch the cane. The next day my ankle was hurting something awful and swelled up really bad. My shin had still been sore since surgery, but then I started to get a sharp pain on the inside of my calf. I'm at 9 weeks now and back to using the walker and can barely stand to walk with that. Everything looks fine on x-rays so I was starting to think something serious was going on. I will try to be patient. If anyone who posted a long time ago is still following this, please give me some hope that this gets better.
Guest robin17627
Posted
I think the first few months are a bit of a roller coaster. The swelling in your foot and ankle comes and goes and can really set you back for a few days if it pinches some nerves.
With my left knee I was doing really well at about five months in and then I got a sudden terrible pain in my foot which made it almost impossible to walk. The doctor diagnosed a sprain even though I hadn’t had any kind of fall or twist and said they wouldn’t investigate it any further for two weeks to give it time to heal. So I was back on two crutches, carpet slippers and shuffling around. After two weeks it suddenly went away as miraculously as it arrived!
I’m now 8 weeks out from my right knee replacement and have been mainly crutches free since week four. But in week 6 I had 72 hours of painful foot swelling for no reason and yesterday and today both my knees are hurting a bit. Maybe i’ve Overdone it but this time i’m not bothered as I know it goes away after a few days. Some elevation, back on the ice and a couple of good films will help!
This time I have done pain on the back of my knee but it’s quite different from the first knee. As they say every knee is different.
One year out from my first op and I am so glad I had it done. My life is transformed. You will soon forget the pain of the early weeks and the odd setback. Good luck!
robin17627 Guest
Posted
Stokley50 robin17627
Posted
My surgery was Jan 16 this year so it is close to a year...I have seen 3 specialist the last one I just walked out of the appointment 5 minutes after it started. He was very rude and condesending did his dictating in the hall were everyone could hear him. "The patient is overweight suggesting she lose weight will ask if she wants an x-ray but that isn't needed" my question is why doesn't someone do an MRI??? I have significant pain down the outside of my calf going around the front of my ankle it is worse when say I am sitting on my recliner and I lift my leg off the chair. Feels like something is bearing down on a very sore leg........from my knee all the way down to and including my ankle. My balance is off if I walk without my cane I vere to the the left.....the latest knee replacement side. I am so damn disgusted......
WilliamHD robin17627
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Newtire sandra37762
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I am 2 weeks out from tkr and just had my follow up visit. The doc verifies the shin & ankle pain, along with a variety of other things, as being nothing more than normal.. Start my strengthening exercises today. Have found that icing machine is my friend. Thank you all for the good advice so far. This group seems like a good one!
robin17627 sandra37762
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Stokley50 robin17627
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I replied to the wrong person sorry about that I wanted to reply to Robin..... you are so lucky to find someone who listens to you.... you wouldn't happen to live near me would you I would love to go to your doctor. I live in Niskayuna NY.
robin17627 Stokley50
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I'm in Minnesota. I had to be very persistent.
deborah40488 robin17627
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Hi Robin, I had my first TKR right knee in 2011 it was a living nightmare. It landed me in intensive care and a 2 week hospital stay. Developed massive blood clots in both lungs, enlarged heart. This is just the short version of the story. I now have Pulmonary Hypertension (unstable blood pressure in the lungs) as a result of the blood clots. The knee constantly hurts and all the Dr said was it was due to my weight. I something had to hold on to things to keep from falling . The pain was intense at time. It got so bad I saw two other Drs. The second told me my knee was extremely loose...smh. I had a revision in 2015 and I still hurt. I'm crying as I type this because it was suppose to be better not worst. My shin hurts so bad that I can hardly put weight on my leg. I've been out and that pain in my shin would be so bad that if I could crawl back to my car I would. Yesterday I used my cane because my shin pain is still hurting badly. Tried of going to Dr to hear their is nothing wrong we see. My knee gives out at times. My left knee hurts too I would Never have a replacement again. Totally frustration.
Glad you found a Dr who listened....