Posted , 18 users are following.
I have tightness and sharp pain across my swollen knee cap & cannot seem to reduce the swelling despite physio, painkillers and ice packs. What else can I do to reduce swelling and pain - can any
one advise please. Everyone else I speak to seems to think I should be more advanced but the pain is holding me back
5 likes, 30 replies
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Aluviel tim86043
Posted
I have had both my hubby and anothr family member have total knee Replacement. My other family is out 5 months. His knee is almost 4 times the size it should be and it round like a cantelope. we asked the surgeons about that and they said Yeah.something isnt right... We dont have the heart to tell him how awful it looks. We even considered backing out of our own surgery because of it. He is constantly bragging about how he was driving a week after surgery and the treatment we are getting... (My husband just had his knee replaced early october), is extremly outdated blah blah..
I can tell you my husbands knee is only swelled up about one or maybe max 2 sizes. It still looks like a normal knee. his bending range is great and it looks like they got the spacer inbetween the bones the right size too. (sometimes the spacer isnt big enough and one leg becomes shorter than the other.)
My husband is also on Warfin an anti blood clotting medicine. They said its standard and Everyone HAS to be on that after a knee surgery.
I do have a concern with how much tramadol and pain killers he is taking : ( 3 tramadol a night, is way way too much.
Sounds like you are pushing yourself which is causing too much swelling. I know it can behard to lay flat on a bad back and keep that foot elevated. If you have someone that can lightly sweep from your ankle down to your hip in a soft swooshing massage, that will help encourage the water to go back down to the heart and out. If your knee is bent at a 45 degre angle its not going to work. it has to be a straight line, so pile up those pillows blankets, phone books etc and get that knee up above your chest.
Once you are off your warfin you could try a water pill or directic or some nsaids. If you dont have that try a detox flush with parsely, dandelion, ginger and lemon in a blender. Drink 3 small cups a day to detox snd flush your system and detox teas will help too. Even those dieter Chinese slim teas might pull water from other parts of the body into the bowel and make you go to the bathroom. So that might help with the swelling.
Valerie1920 tim86043
Posted
Hello thank you for your post. I'm 4 weeks out from knee reconstruction and I'm experiencing the same things. I'm only bending at 70 and I keep hearing I should be further along. But the pain and swelling are overwhelming!
peggy00041 Valerie1920
Posted
I am 4 weeks post op and have so much swelling. In the hospital I was at 93. I went home 3rd day post op. The 4th day I went to pt, had very little swelling and my bend was at 101. The therapist had my leg extended and was forcing the knee down. After a few pushes I said that's all. By evening my knee ballooned and the swelling has not gone down. My Dr. told me to give it a rest, ice, elevate, and no pt until the swelling goes down. I am to do the 3 exercises that I did while in the hospital. Has anyone else experienced this. I had the other knee done and had very little swelling and so much further by this time.
laura88676 peggy00041
Posted
Hi,
I see that you posted your question 24 days ago. Is your inflammation improved in the 3 weeks since you posted? I'm interested to know because at almost 4 weeks all of a sudden my knee is tight as a drum with inflammation and I can get almost no bend where as 4 days ago my physical therapist got 117 deg. Thing is aside from nagging pain and the creaking and pain associated with standing and this darn inflammation that won't go down, I'm feeling good. This inflammation that won't go away is so frustrating. And worrisome to me
philguud tim86043
Posted
It's very important that you take your medicine. Pain management is a key to recovery. I just had revision surgery this past Tuesday morning and I'm doing much better. 100 degrees rom and little pain. The swelling can be managed by elevation. You're going to have to prop your leg above your heart and get on them meds until the pain is controlled then you can proceed with recovery. Be blessed!
Nananikki tim86043
Posted
It’s also important to elevate your leg when resting and to use compression stockings as needed.
rosemary_10063 tim86043
Posted
I’m 5 weeks post op. Went to rehab (PT) for a week. Driving after 3 weeks (right knee) after surgery. Taping with kinsiology tape (chk Amazon & U Tube). Still swollen but not bad. Should elevate more. No pain meds X 2 weeks. No ice.
JudeHogg tim86043
Posted
H 4 weeks today, and although progressing to 93 degrees I have days when tightness over the knee due to swelling and of course tight muscles, makes me go backwards by degrees. I go to a physio masseur everyday and we are always pushing it to the max.
i really wonder if I would be better not pushing it to max, every day. It's almost like this is bringing on swelling rather than progressing.
i do my own exercises but of course never push as hard but still I do every day.
also I walk over half a mile in the morning, which gives me no problem, at the time, but I wonder if this is what makes me suffer with the tightness over the knee?
i wonder if I am pushing too hard?
laura88676 JudeHogg
Posted
Congrats on your hard work! I have suffered with a lot of inflammation also which caused much tightness. It hindered my bending and sometimes my movement. Rest assured that it will slowly swell less over time. It created limitations on my movement though so I talked to my doctor and he suggested lightly wrapping it to help with inflammation around the knee. Of course you know to ice and elevate, but after taking to my therapist at PT he said it was good idea to lightly wrap and that has made all the difference for me. Its enabled me to go farther, work harder, bend better. I'm much happier. And at 3 1/2 months I still have to keep light compression but so grateful for that advice.
Good luck in your healing! You will get there!
MarieMichelle laura88676
Posted
laura88676 MarieMichelle
Posted
Hi. I use a compression wrap during the day. I was told to not wrap it tightly. The purpose is just to help with the inflammation. And it does for me. I look forward to the day when I don't need it but I an so grateful to have been told about it. If there is a way to use an ice pack at work occasionally that could help. Good luck. It'll be ok.
MarieMichelle laura88676
Posted
sue2106 tim86043
Posted
I'm only 8 days post op. I think I am doing ok,I am mobile as much as knee allows. On resting on bed it's my heel that hurts more than knee. It by my Achilles tendon. It just totally aches like mad.
linda13305 tim86043
Posted
I TOO HAD KNEE REPLACEMENT ON RIGHT KNEE. I PUT IT OFF DUE TO I WAS SO TRAUMATIZED BY THE RECOVERY PERIOD OF THE LEFT KNEE REPLACEMENT 6 years ago. BY THAT I LEARNED TO COUNT IN THREES, 3 weeks , 3 months, 6 months 9 months , 12 months.... AT 3 week I WAS STILL FEELING PAIN IN HIP GROIN AND HEEL. YET I DID NOTICE I WAS GETTING STRONGER. WHEN THE 6 month mark came it was better but had shooting pains , 9 months even better, 12 months thankful I HAD DONE IT, THIS TIME I AM 4 weeks post op and just beginning to feel a little lift from pain, mind you I SAID LITTLE . YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP UP THE EXERCISES AS THESE WILL HELP MOVE ALL THE DRIED UP BLOOD AND JUNK OUT OF THE AREA , MY DOCTOR RECOMMENDED
A MASSAGE ALL OVER TO RELAX THE ENTIRE BODY SINCE YOU DONT REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU ARE COMPENSATING WITH THE REST OF YOUR BODY TO PROTECT THE AREA. IT DOES HELP. I FIND NIGH TIME AND FIRST WAKEUP IN AM IS A BEASTLY TIME. HOT HIT SHOWERS HAVE HELPED ME GET STARTED. ICE AND KEEP ELEVATING IT DOES GET BETTER THINK IN 3's.
Laura3333 tim86043
Posted
TIME IS WHAT IT TAKES AND YOU CANT RUSH IT? EXERCISE AND ICE! REST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE . HAD BOTH OF MINE DONE! NOT LOOKED BACK, JUST DONT THINK YOU CAN SPEED IT UP! YOU CANT! BUT WILL GET TGERE IN THE END AND BE GRATEFUL.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SITE! KEEPING THE CAPS ON???