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TKR pain after 4 months

Posted , 10 users are following.

shan99257
shan99257

Hi all. Tomorrow it will be 4 months since I had a total knee replacement. I'm still in pain all the time, some days worse than others. When will I feel better?? It depresses me so much to still not be able to do normal things. I am worse off than before surgery! Can anyone help me? Thanks. 

2 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • Lindyblue
    Lindyblue shan99257

    Posted

    Please hon, don't despair. You're only 4 months down, and those who remember me, will well remember my moaning, groaning, tears, insomnia, the works that I still felt at that time. The worst thing for me was around that time coming off all those horrible morphine based pain killers!

    Anyway rest assured you are moving along just like all of us, and what you're feeling is quite normal.

    Please don't forget to use your ice regularly - it will help.

    God Bless,

  • shan99257
    shan99257

    Posted

    Thank you Lindyblue! I am brand new to this forum....or any other forum! So am finding my way around the site. Still trying to figure it all out. So it is still early days then?? It's so hard when people around me see me walking with a cane still and they say "Oh do you still need that??" People think I should be running marathons at this stage! That makes it all very hard. Even my partner is not very sympathetic now. 

              By the way, I live in Australia. I couldn't find any local forums. But I'm glad I found you. Thanks. :-)

    • linda153016
      linda153016 shan99257

      Posted

      I'm 8 weeKS post op tomorrow. Still have pain when rising and walking, but it's come a long way in the last 2 weeks. Did u do any physical therapy? That's a tremendous help in the healing process.

      But most importantly, remember that this journey is different for all of us. I felt like you- that people were judging me and my recovery speed. Try to put that out of your head.

    • debbie171066
      debbie171066 shan99257

      Posted

      Im about the same as you and can completely relate to everything you have said. I to thought i would be better than i am. Im stil using a cane not all the time but sometimes. Im fed up to! It makes me feel better to read you are the same. I have gone back to work and last wk my knee and leg were so swollen and painful i cried and cried. I have had to slow down and around my job dont do a lot else. This seems to help. I think its natural foi us to think we should be doing more but we cant. Be patient i almost feel lazy some days but we wil win in the end. Good luck to you. This forum has helped me through many a bad day. Im always here to listen.
    • shan99257
      shan99257 debbie171066

      Posted

      Thanks Debbie. It helps so much to talk to people who have been through the same thing! God, I don't know how I'd cope if I was working! I am retired. Yes I know all about the crying! But you guys have helped me feel better already and I only joined up this afternoon! Good luck to you also Debbie. We'll get there! cheesygrin

    • marie77007
      marie77007 shan99257

      Posted

      Hi shan i also live in Oz and it is 7 weeks post op, found this site a few days ago, so pleased i did as i was feeling really lost and not knowing if i should be doing better then inam, so relieved to find that i was normal
    • shan99257
      shan99257 marie77007

      Posted

      It's a wonderful forum isn't it Marie? I wish I'd found it at the beginning of this journey! Greetings to you from Brissy! cheesygrin

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 shan99257

    Posted

    I am assuming you have had x rays to make sure the prosthesis is tracking correctly. Scar tissue is the biggest long term problem as far as pain. Uf it isn't torn loose you will have pain every time it stretches.

    Stay on your excercise program and icing. Use Aleve or other nsaid anti inflammatories providing its compatible with your total med mix and that it doesn't bother your stomach.

    Massage Vit E oil deep into the entire area. You can warm it slightly if you wish just don't hear it enough to burn for skin. Do this a couple of times a day. If your therapist didn't give you stretching excercises go on line to you tube and look for them. Often times we have a tendency to stop after. 3 months and all the problems remain.

    Nervescate another issue as they are the last thing to heal. It may take a full year or better. Talk to your primary care Dr about all your symptoms. Often times they are better than your surgeon when it comes to getting pain abated.

    • shan99257
      shan99257 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      No I have not had x-rays. My GP doesn't think it's necessary. I am on anti-inflammatories and do rub Bio Oil in every day. I'll go back to physio and see if they can help me. Thanks for your help. :-)

  • lyn32416
    lyn32416 shan99257

    Posted

    I am worse off too BUT I am hopeful I will be better off soon! I am 13 weeks, soon to be 14 weeks and I suggest you make a decision that you cannot go back so get on with physio and exercises and try to remain positive! Many are suffering a lot of discomfort and if you are in pain seek medical help. I am back on pain patches because I could not cope with the pain. Do whatever it takes to gain some relief and quality of life! Good luck from Sydney. X
  • shan99257
    shan99257

    Posted

    Oh thank you all so much for your comments and support! I only had physio in the first 6 weeks after surgery. I live on an island, you see! It is not easy to get to the mainland from where I am. But I will be going to a new physio in a week so I hope that will help. The physio I got from 2 young guys at the hospital was so brutal and left me in agony for days, I gave up!! The stress and pain it caused me was just too much for me to cope with! But I have done exercises at home most days since the op. After reading all your commenst and also researching the internet, I now realise that it IS a very long road for a lot of people and I am obviously one of them! It is so wonderful to talk to people who have been through the same thing. I wish I had found this forum months ago! Thank you all. :-)
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 shan99257

    Posted

    Hi Shan!

    Welcome to the forum! Great to have you!??

    We are from all over the world, but we DO have our KNEE ISSUES in common, and we learn much from sharing our experiences!

    If your pain is really sharp, you MAY have something going on that needs attending to at the doctor's office or hospital. Lots of different things can take place following knee surgery! Infection, misalignment, loosening of the prosthesis etc. X-RAYS can help you with answers.

    If your pain is nerve pain, welcome to the club! Nerve pain comes and goes even past the first YEAR post surgery. I can attest to this!

    If your pain is a dull ache, this, too, is common as healing continues. My dull ache comes especially at the site where the tourniquet was on my thigh. General aches and stiffness pain comes if I sit in one position too long or if I overdo it by standing too long or spend too much time out working in the yard.

    Weather plays a HUGE part in stiffness and aching! It rained all day so far, and both my husband ( no surgery) and I ( two TKRs) are suffering and taking Ibuprophen!

    Yes, some days ARE much worse than others! The good news, though, is that it DOES get better as you heal more.

    Try to busy your mind, pray if you are a believer, keep calm, and be as positive as you can.

    Come here often. It WILL get better!??

    • shan99257
      shan99257 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thanks so much Cheryl! Oh so it IS true about the weather?? Oh thank God! We have just gone into winter here and the temps have dropped markedly over the last week or so. And yes, my pain got much worse! I used to think that was a myth! winkMy pain is in the "ache" catergory, same as you, if I stand too long, sit too long and on getting up from sitting or bed. I just have to learn to be patient! This forum is a Godsend! I will be here every day reading other discussions too! Thanks again for "being there" to all of you wonderful people! cheesygrin

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 shan99257

      Posted

      Hi Shan!

      Sunny here today and achy feeling SO MUCH LESS!?? Winter and cold is rough, although I think you will find that there will be many not-so-bad days mixed in then, too. Weather DEFINITELY is a factor!

      Glad to hear that you don't have the sharp pain. THAT is AWFUL and pretty scary, too.

      Patience isn't easy. It helps to realize how extensive the TKR surgery is and how many things are healing at the same time. I learned that we heal when we sleep. It is hard to GET sleep with this surgery, SO, I figure THAT is yet another reason we take so long to get healed.

      There are wonderful people here who have experienced so many things and have had all different outcomes. Because so many people visit here, there is always quite a few we can connect with who are experiencing what we are experiencing. To me, that has been a tremendous comfort!??

      Visit often!

      Share you story!

      Enjoy this AWESOME community which my family calls my KNEE CLUB!??

    • shan99257
      shan99257 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl. Haha at "the knee club"! For the last few weeks, sleeping has been ok for me. Before that though....argh! No matter what position I was in, it hurt! But for now, not so bad. Daytime is a different story because of the cold here at the moment. But now I know that's normal, I can relax and not stress about it. 

                       Have a great day! biggrin

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 shan99257

      Posted

      Stiffness is a part of the TKR Experience from what I have been able to gather! The key SEEMS to be KEEP MOVING AND STRETCHING throughout the day and night. ????????????????????????????????

      Crazy, but moving DOES keep things LOOSE!

      When I get stiff because I DIDN'T move enough, my husband says, "OIL CAN!!!" (from the Wizard of Oz).

      Humor...gotta love it!??

    • shan99257
      shan99257 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl. I'm having a bad week! I need to ask you, is it normal to still have a lot of heat in my new knee 4.5 months after surgery? I'm really depressed lately! My new physio is useless! She only has 20 minute apps! Nothing useful can be done in that amount of time. Oh please help me! Sorry to be a nuisance! xx

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 shan99257

      Posted

      Hi Shan!

      You are NEVER a nuisance! We ALL are in this together!??

      First thing I would suggest is to take your temperature. If normal, then no infection is starting up. If you DO have a temperature and/ or also feel unwell, I would see your doctor or at least CALL THEM.

      IF you feel OK, but your knee is heating up, try icing it. I can't remember if either of my knees heated up. They HAVE become swollen at various times over the last year, though.

      As far as physical therapy goes, yes, 20 minutes is a very short session, BUT, get what new exercises you can from each session and add them to what you have previously done. Think about ways that you can incorporate these movements throughout your regular day. I STILL do that because I hate routine and would rather be more creative in finding ways to stretch and exercise and practice balance and strength training using things I do throughout the day. You can do this, too!

      Here are some things that work for me:

      1) While doing dishes I hold onto the counter and lift myself up on my toes and hold the lift for a count of thirty. I repeat this while I work.

      2) In bed and when I am watching g TV or reading, I stretch out both legs and do straightening exercises AND engage my quad muscles to a count of ten, release, rest, and then go again.

      3) As I work in my garden I do squats as I weed. There are A LOT of weeds popping up this year, so I get A LOT of practice with SQUATS!??

      4) I walk back and forth to my yard scrap pile rather than just dump sticks/ weeds in my cart. That gives me LOTS of opportunities to practice walking well (heel first and rolling my foot to my toe to do a smooth send-off on each foot), AND it gives me BALANCE practice negotiating MOLE HOLES and uneven soil as a BONUS!

      You get the idea. Just MOVE! Remember to rest a bit then go do something else that will get work done PLUS provide you exercise opportunities. Before you know it you will feel SO much better, and you will have gotten lots done AND become stronger at the same time! All this will help you feel very smart and very accomplished which gets those endorphins flowing throughout your body. The endorphins work to help with mood and will help decrease pain as well. VERY MUCH a win-win situation!??

      Please let me know how things go for you!

      I will pray for strength and calm and patience for you...and a normal temperature!??

    • shan99257
      shan99257 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thank you so much Cheryl. You are a very wise woman! I'm off to see my useless PT today! One good thing she does is massage the back of my knee which helps to break up the  ( I assume) scar tissue. I'm just going through a rough patch emotionally. This too shall pass! Thanks for your help. lol

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