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Stiffness When Changing Position

Posted , 11 users are following.

cheryl90571
cheryl90571

I find that I can be nice and loose and pretty flexible, but then I sit awhile to rest.

After resting even for just ten minutes or so, I go to get up, and my flexibility and looseness I felt just a few minutes before is replaced with legs that feel VERY HEAVY and TIGHT and STIFF!

It is as though someone comes and fills my legs with CONCRETE!

I get up, move around a bit, stand and/or stretch a bit and I am OK.

What I want to know is WHY CAN'T I MAINTAIN LOOSENESS AND FLEXIBILITY longer? What is it about inactivity and just resting (even for brief periods) that causes stiffness and that heavy feeling to creep in so quickly?

Do any of you feel this?

This is true for both of my legs...my SURGICAL one (TKR 6/26/15) and my soon-to-be SURGICAL KNEE (10/9/15).

I have Osteoarthritis.

I am 64.

0 likes, 41 replies

41 Replies

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  • dode
    dode cheryl90571

    Posted

    Same here and I'm the same age! I'm 4 months post-TKR. First thing in the morning I'm like a 90 year-old man shuffling around then after 3 or 4 minutes I'm fine. To be honest, I feel better when I'm out and about walking than when sitting around at home and things are loose and flexible. Thing is, you can't be doing exercises all the time. The new knee is never going to be the same as an original knee. I have range of movement issues and I need to decide how they affect my daily life and if I can live with it, which I think I can. Stiffness is part of the deal but is also manageable. Good luck!
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 dode

      Posted

      I sure do know what you mean about feeling 90 years old! It is embarrassing getting up from the table at the restaurant after sitting awhile at dinner, too. I have to stretch before standing and then stand awhile until all my parts feel stable enough TO start walking!

      A few minutes later I feel VERY DIFFERENT and can walk fairly normally.

      My SURGICAL leg seems to recover decent movement WAY BEFORE my other one, so MAYBE after my recovery of my SECOND KNEE I will achieve more fluid movement and not LOOK and FEEL so aged!

      Wishing you continued success with fluid movement and less and less stiffness each day!

      Yes, we WILL succeed!

    • patsyrose
      patsyrose cheryl90571

      Posted

      That's the embarrassing thing in restaurants, etc, isn't it.  You have to steel yourself to actually stand up...and then let it ratchet down before you actually dare to set off.  And you feel that everyone is staring.

      Today is a year since my second TKR and I'm currently worse than before the operation.  Not long now till the 25th, so just hope that he can finally remove any obstructions and get it straight.

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 patsyrose

      Posted

      So sorry to hear that you are feeling worse now a year later following your operation!

      Have you been told why things did not seem to go as expected?

    • patsyrose
      patsyrose cheryl90571

      Posted

      Apparently excess scar tissue...but you have to wait until nearer the year to get it addressed.  Knee being opened up again on the 25th.  An x-Ray earlier in the year showed that the knee itself is OK.
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 patsyrose

      Posted

      Do they just open the incision site to work on SKIN or do they have to go way inside? Is this what they call "revision"?

      I know different procedures have been mentioned here on this site.

    • patsyrose
      patsyrose cheryl90571

      Posted

      Yes, they open the incision site and delve about inside, cutting away excess tissue, changing the spacers and washing it out.

      it's not a revision...that's when you have the whole knee taken out and replaced again (I believe).

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 patsyrose

      Posted

      Whew! Sounds pretty involved either way! I hope all goes well for you on the 25th and that afterwards you will feel much better!
    • patsyrose
      patsyrose cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thank you.  This just affects my whole life at the moment, so desperate to get back to normal.  I work at home, but the constant sitting doesn't help either.  I have my hospital pre-admission tests this afternoon which is a 52 mile round trip :-(
    • jean34329
      jean34329 patsyrose

      Posted

      Hi Patsyrose

      Are you driving?

      If so can someone else drive you?

      You need to take breaks every 20 minutes. By that I mean just get up using a walking stick to take the weight off your knee as you get up out of your chair. Then just walk a few yards wven if it is only  to walk around your desk/computer station. The objective being to prevent postural stress.

      Are your core muscles ok?

      Jean   

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 patsyrose

      Posted

      When I went for Pre-Admission testing and had a lot of stuff done, nobody came for me to go anywhere else, so I left to make it to dinner before we went to Joint Class. I got a call while in Joint Class that I needed to come to get X-RAYS but couldn't come that evening because they were now CLOSED. Someone was supposed to tell me to get X-RAYS but never did.

      I went THE NEXT DAY for the X-RAYS. They had a sign in the one room about a Patient Portal where you can get results from your testing ONLINE that evening. The girl had never noticed the sign but said she would get me information.

      As soon as she gave me the papers, I was called to do more X-RAYS.

      I left to head home a second time.

      When I got home I read on the papers that I needed to be AT THE HOSPITAL to set up the Patient Portal!

      You guessed right...I headed BACK to the hospital a THIRD TIME in THREE DAYS!

      I am telling you this so you are SURE to ask before you leave there if there is ANYTHING ELSE you need to do BEFORE you leave!

      Fortunately we are just 20 minutes from our hospital, but going THREE TIMES did take lots of time!

      It became a QUEST!!

      Wishing you smooth sailing for everything!

    • patsyrose
      patsyrose jean34329

      Posted

      Hi Jean.  Yes, my knee was actually done a year ago today so U've been driving from the 6-week mark.  My knee was ok initially, but started to stiffen up again in about Feb.  I had a manipulation in Mar, but it didn't straighten it so I can't walk well.  My consultant told me that I had to wait the year before he could remove the excess scar tissue that he thinks is causing the restriction.  My quads, etc are ok.

      My friend is due to drive me to the hospital for my next operation in 2 weeks, but she broke her wrist this morning!  So much stress.  I had my pre-admission tests this afternoon, went to supermarket and when I came out someone had damaged the back of my car.  I have had enough now :-(

    • jean34329
      jean34329 patsyrose

      Posted

      Hi Patsyrose

      Sonds like me.

      Well on the positive side at least you have some time to arrange alternatives in order to get to your hospital appointment.

      How long do you think you will be in hospital for?

      Try to keep positive.

      Kind regards

      Jean

       

    • patsyrose
      patsyrose jean34329

      Posted

      Will be in 3 nights, as will be on a CPM again (but this time with a wound...so was told that it will be very painful).

      Thanks for your support.

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