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Stiffness in knee

Posted , 12 users are following.

jeanne_06699
jeanne_06699

Can anyone tell me how long it took them for the stiffness in their knee to go away. I am 14 weeks in and the stiffness does not go away especially when I get up during the night and in the morning. Also after exercising and icing.

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • emelda0606
    emelda0606 jeanne_06699

    Posted

    I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news Jeanne, I'm almost 6 months in and the stiffness comes and goes. Heat the muscles and ice the swelling. As long as you continue to go to P.T, you will be ok. Just take it one day at a time the healing process is slow but it is worth it.
    • jeanne_06699
      jeanne_06699 emelda0606

      Posted

      I'm all finished with my pt. I try and exercise at least once a day and ride my exercise bike a couple of times a day. I guess I will have to practice patience. Thanks for answering.
  • mary_ann60812
    mary_ann60812 jeanne_06699

    Posted

    Jeanne, I"m coming up on 9 months out and my knee is still stiff - not all the time...walking is fine, but upon waking in the morning or sitting too long, stairs...I really feel the stiffness.  My pt is well over, but I keep active.  I think it'll be this way for a long time, if not always.  I can live with the stiffness though.

    Hope someone has a more positive outcome for you.

    Mary Ann

    • jeanne_06699
      jeanne_06699 mary_ann60812

      Posted

      Can you go up and down the stairs normally? I still can't and my pt is over too.Still a lot of swelling too. Thanks for your input.
    • mary_ann60812
      mary_ann60812 jeanne_06699

      Posted

      For the most part....going up stairs is easy...slow by easy.  Downstairs varies by time of day.  First thing in the morning, or at night, I tend to do one step at a time going down because I'm not alert or too stiff, but I do try to force myself to take normal steps down to get used to it.  And during the day, that's just what I do.  
    • elaine1954
      elaine1954 mary_ann60812

      Posted

      Hi Mary ann

      I too am nine months just and still have stiffness but can get up and down stairs okay. It is comforting to know that other people have stiffness at this stage because every day I think "It must get a bit better today" but to be honest, it seems be the same every day! I do my exercises in the morning and at night, cycling too.....and my knee swells when I have taken a walk.

      I know I am very lucky but sometimes I think I am not much better off (when I had my old knee)  as the whole situation just brings me down. II have a good bend but it is so, so stiff most of the time. I suppose I should walk more but I have arthritis in my ankles and this stops me really. I keep thinking after a year it will be better, I can only hope 😞

       

    • mary_ann60812
      mary_ann60812 elaine1954

      Posted

      Elaine, we may be looking at the "new normal".  I'm back to living my life with a few exceptions....no more running/jogging or taking high impact aerobic classes (that's ok), I do go to the gym and work with weights, eliptical machine and stationary bike; but I went to go on a regular bike ride this past weekend, and I just couldn't do it.  May be it was more out of fear that I would fall and hurt my knee, but I just didn't want to take that risk.  I walk alot with no issues.  But I'm willing to accept these changes, as they are minor and I'm so much better than I was a year ago.  

      As Chrishappy said in post below....she was hoping to be superwoman after this new knee and then thought....she wasn't superwoman before the op... so there ya go!  And best of luck to her today as she undergoes the other knee replacement.

      It's a good thing us humans only have 2 knees!!

  • linlee
    linlee jeanne_06699

    Posted

    I'm 11 weeks po and wish I knew the answer to that question. I'm learning to gage what I do. Tomorrow I have pt so my morning will be relatively quiet. Now today was another thing. Out this morning doing errands. Back out this afternoon to do grocery shopping. First time without my husband. And first time not using the motorized cart. I did ok. Went to liquor store to get a bottle of wine. As I stepped up the curb this awful feeling came over me. How am I going to get down off the curb. No hubby or cane! I remembered reading on here someone falling stepping off the curb! So I asked the guy at the liquor store if he would loan me his arm so I could step down! Ha he did! The things we have to do...now I'm home. Icing and elevating. Swelling. ..augh!
  • chrishappy
    chrishappy jeanne_06699

    Posted

    Hi,im 12 mths after tkr and still get stiffness,sometimes when I'm out I have to stop and do a couple of stretches, bet I look proper funny!! It depends on what I've been doing and how far I've walked, and yes it still aches when I do too much. But I don't have that crippling arthritis pain anymore and my expectations are more realistic than at first when I thought I was going to be Superwoman😊.well I wasn't Superwoman before so why I thought I would be afterwards I don't know!!! Tomorrow I'm having my right knee replaced so it's ' here we go again'
    • sue37592
      sue37592 chrishappy

      Posted

      Hi Chris, just wanting to wish you all the best for tomorrow when you start your journey all over again, at least this time you know what is in front of you. Take care. S
    • jeanne_06699
      jeanne_06699 chrishappy

      Posted

      Thanks for the info.Good luck tomorrow. You are a brave person. Don't think I will have other knee done. I have had five children and after each one have said never again so who knows.
    • sharon52158
      sharon52158 chrishappy

      Posted

      Good luck for tomorrow I am like you had first knee done 14 months ago and had second one done 10 weeks ago it is so nice to be rid of the arthritis pain 
    • chrishappy
      chrishappy sharon52158

      Posted

      Thank you, just wanting to get it over with and get home again, will be back on forum very soon I think😃
    • chrishappy
      chrishappy jeanne_06699

      Posted

      Ha ha I had 4 children by C -section, and that was a doddle compared to tkr.
    • chrishappy
      chrishappy sue37592

      Posted

      Thank you Sue, Il feel a lot better by this time tomorrow when it's all done I hope
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