Stiffness

Hi Diane, three years on with one knee and five with the other, and they’re both still stiff in the morning or if I sit for too long. I think that’s it for life really. Soon wears off though and not at all painful.

The mornings are always rough. I would ice and walk around to loosen up my knee. I’m 4 weeks out this Monday and this morning was the first morning where is did not wake up in pain but still have lots of stiffness. 

I was told wen resting to help is to ice it regularly and elevate and keep up with exersises mine still quite stiff after 4 weeks

I'm 4 months in on RTKR still have stiffness in morning and after sitting, also still have night pain, but I'm a young 72, don't know if that has anything to do with it. This is such a long road of recovery.

I had bilateral knee replacement 5 weeks ago. Still stiff especially in the morning. Taking a nice warm shower helps to loosen them as does walking and e exercise. PT just started with warm compresses rather than ice. They use ice after my exercises.  Hang in there- it can be frustrating 

 

5months TKR and my knee is I would describe as tight still feels like the skin is stretched on it I don’t know it that is how yours feels,and I expected it to stay like this for a while yet.

Stiffness (tightness, a "band-like" feeling) is totally normal.  It decreases slowly, imperceptibly over time.  At one year, you may hardly feel it...docs say it can last 12-18 months.  I'm at 2 years and I rarely feel it anymore.  Getting that scar tissue broken down is the first and most major thing that you can do followed by ice and elevation for the swelling.  Both have a direct impact on the stiffness.  Then you have to get to the gym to rebuild your dead quads, glutes and core.  Leg exercises will definitely help loosen the knee up over time.

Walking, of course, is the easiest and probably best thing to do but you still need the strength exercises if you want to climb stairs correctly ever again (alternating legs up and down without holding onto anything).  Here's the program...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

For the walking, get a fit bit or smart watch to track your steps every day.  Knee swells?  Note the steps, back off and then resume.  Seeing a graph of your step progress is VERY satisfying.  The more you do, the less stiff it will be.

I have always used Vit E oil ( not on the wound until it is completely healed and all drainage has stopped). Massage it in with y our thumbs 2 or 3 times a day. Vit E heals all the way to the bone and softens the soft tissues and make it pliable plus it heals. Buy it at the Vit section of the pharmacy.

Staples? My husband had a zipper