Back-of-the Knee Pain

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Thinking back to when I first had enough PAIN in my knees to find myself ALWAYS FOCUSING on where it was hurting, what I MIGHT have done that CAUSED me pain, and how I was going to GET RID of my pain, I realized that it all started when I was on my knees getting Easter decorations out of a low cupboard in my classroom. I SAT BACK WITH MY KNEES TUCKED UNDER ME, and suddenly felt EXCRUCIATING pain in the backs of both knees.

I had NEVER felt this BEFORE, even though I had often moved in this same way at this very same cupboard. Fortunately it was after school was out, and my classroom was NOT filled with second graders! (I MUST have SCREAMED pretty loud because it wasn't long before several of my co-workers came running into my classroom.)

For DAYS the back of my knees ached and hurt. I vowed that I would NEVER EVER move that way again!

Over the years I have tried to figure out what the heck happened. Why THEN? Why the PAIN?

I have had people mention Baker's Cyst, muscles, ligaments, stray chunks of bone that migrated to that area, etc., but even with my left Total Knee Replacement being done four weeks ago, I CONTINUE TO experience the same annoying and painful feelings in the back of my knees.

I worry that I went through my TKR to ELIMINATE my pain yet CONTINUE to have these issues in the back of BOTH of my knees.

Anyone out there experiencing this?

Anyone have ANSWERS to what the heck is going on?

Is there a type of BACK-OF-THE-KNEE surgery that is done FOLLOWING TKR surgery?

The backs of my knees feel like there are these ropes that move all around every which way. Sometimes the ropes all lay flat and BEHAVE THEMSELVES. Sometimes, however, the ropes get TWISTED or one becomes shorter, and I get very sharp pain without even kneeling.

I want what EVERYONE here wants...Knees that DON'T HURT!

2

Did they do an mri and til out meniscus years? My sister in law tore hers a couple of years ago working in her flower garden, something she does almost every day. It's not uncommon to hear of that type of damage being done with simple movement. It can only be seen on the me I or if the surgeon does an exploatory scope of the knee. If that's what it is, a repair is done and certain therapy is administered. On occasion, therapy alone can help as can injections but I'm not sure these will work after tkr.

3

pain at the back of knee after tkr is probably the fact your knee might not  be straight when your walking and maybe you should get the straightening measured and if it is not straight then do the many excersises to get it straight . i know this because since my revision ive had this problem and have worked very hard to straighten it and it has improved my pain at back of knee which was very dibilitating

4

I never went to a doctor about it!

I know it probably sounds ABSURD, but I had had THREE abdominal surgeries : C-section/ Myomectomy/C-section from 1981-1988 and wanted NEVER EVER EVER to even HEAR of anything SURGICAL again!

Can you say, "This girl was in DENIAL!"???

I was in the mindset that I was young (30s) and nothing " serious" was even ABLE to happen to me.

Even TYPING this thirty-some years later I can see how I probably sabotaged myself from the get go. Also I have been told on a number of occasions throughout my life that my pain threshold is extremely high. When you don't make a doctor's appointment right away, and you don't do any follow up with procedures like ones you suggested, I guess you fall through the cracks. I fell through MY OWN cracks for a number of years!

Taking care of two children, marriage, working two jobs, caring for ailing family members...yes, DENIAL, transference, STUPIDITY...THEY WERE ALL THERE in my life!

ANYWAY, 30+ years later I am reaping what I have sown. I am now RETIRED. Those babies are having babies of their own. (My husband and I become first -time GRANDPARENTS to a little GRANDDAUGHTER in September!)

I am probably for the first time in YEARS seeking to fix ME. It feels weird. My husband has been dealing with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, DENIAL of his own medical conditions, and an extremely LOW pain threshold. For my first four days home he took really good care of me, but then became ZOMBIE HUSBAND having to wake up every 45 minutes to help me to the bathroom.

I felt really bad for him and began doing many things for myself earlier than I SHOULD HAVE mainly because I am very headstrong, very stubborn and I just like to be INDEPENDENT!

WOW! This is sounding more like a therapy session...even a CONFFESSION! (I'm not Catholic, but I've heard that CONFESSION can be pretty intense!)

So, there you have it.

Denial and STUPIDITY wrapped up in one very messy package!

Now, I am trying to unwrap that package and FIX WHAT IS INSIDE!!!

I thank you for your WISDOM, your amazing ability to cut to the chase and sort out all the pieces, and for being the voice of reason.

I wonder...can I get a torn meniscus fixed THIRTY YEARS after it was torn in the first place???

5

I certainly appreciate what you have battled through. Sometimes the day to day situations are far more important than the end results, at least at the moment. I have the highest regard for anyone has not only their problems but a little of everyone else's to contend with as I live a little of that life myself. My wife of 57 years is in advancing stages of Parkinson's disease and although she is still mobile to a degree, many of the things she always did with ease and grace are no longer within her capabilities.......and, we are not kids........I'm 78 and she catches up with me in 10 days or so. As far as repairing the meniscus, only a surgeon could give you a definite answer but as I have seen, a lot of it is in the follow up therapy and of course, it just takes a little longer for the body to stretch and heal. I guess the 1st thing is to get the proper tests and diagnosis, then proceed. As most of those that have been on here for awhile know, my most recent surgery, putting a new prosthesis in place after a difficult battle with staph infection, was my 11th over a period of 12 1/2 years. 6 of those since Jan 2013. The body is a marvelous thing. Every time I've gone through this it's been a little to a lot different but with time, patience, pain and effort it gets back to normal, albeit maybe a new normal. I hope you can find the right Dr and get started on a program to righten the ship because there is likely an excellent chance this a correctable situation. Good luck and keep us informed.

6

I know FOR SURE that neither of my legs are straight, and they have't been for at least four or five YEARS! I was in terrible pain UNTIL I finally got the ball rolling to have surgery.

I am working hard in PT sessions and at home to straighten my left leg. My right will be replaced in several months, but I try to work it within reason as well.

Do you find that as you focus on straightening that BENDING then becomes harder?

7

yes it dose they say you must do both but what i do is first thing in the morning i do straightening and really consentrate on them around mid day i give the bend ago and do the bike for awhile  and i dont do straightening for that session after lunch i do straightening and really consentrate on it  the only bend i do then would be to sit on edge of dining table and swing leg forward and back for awhile    i spread it out throughout the day  sitting on a chair with the legs up on the other chair is another great one for straightening sometimes i put weight on the knee while doing this excersise not easy but good hope that helps

8

Thanks very much! That completely makes sense. Also, spreading exercises out throughout the day allows you to be AWARE of how you CAN work on things throughout your daily routines that you normally do.

I wonder why it is so hard to be able to just achieve BOTH straightening and bending. When I do really well with the straightening , I have much less success with bending. When I am achieving good things with bending, my straightening is less.

Maybe I just expect more of myself than is possible right now.

I have been working hard on getting the swelling to go down. Swelling REALLY gets in the way of success with EVERYTHING!

I have been walking a lot inside and outside. I graduated from a walker to a cane to walking without any assistance when I am inside.

Do you walk a lot?

9

i have still some swelling even after 11mths but i dont ice it much only when i know ive over done things i now go for walks some long ones in a woods which has uneven ground so that is challenging ,40-50min and try to go 2-3 times a week some weeks i must admit i dont want to go but after im glad and so is my dog  ,so you will be able to achieve something like that in the not too distant future ,mind you i still have bad weeks when it still flares up but i know it wont last and it mostly flares up when i dont do excersises and it reminds you to keep them up its great you are able to leave cane and walk about house keep it up and soon you will be doing outside without cane when i weening myself off the crutch i used to walk at times outside with the crutch off the ground for awhile and when my legs tired id put the crutch back on the ground to keep me steady and bit by bit i used the crutch less and less till i went to local shop by myself which was 5 min away i must say i didnt like giving up crutch it was scary at first because when i had the crutch people gave you space but when it was gone i found i was nervous of someone bumping into me

10

One of the biggest surprises I have had is finding out how long the swelling continues. Even my surgeon said to expect swelling FOR A YEAR!!!

That seems CRAZY that swelling would continue so long!

I like to challenge myself and see how many of the printed exercises I have will be found in my daily activities. I am pretty active, so I am all over the place inside and outside the house. Today I did my leg rises on my toes as I put away dishes from the dishwasher and then cake mixes onto the top shelf of the pantry. I did my leg stretches leaning down and holding for twenty seconds AS I POLISHED MY TOENAILS.

Doing exercises this way makes me more interested in doing them and helps me see their value to me much better than just doing sessions like a regular workout.

Yes, to think of FALLING due to not having support of a cane or walker OR crutches IS scary, but even WITH a walker, crutches, or cane I can sometimes be my own worst enemy, too!

11

I always told my kids to make a game out of work and it would make it easier and you certainly have found a way to do that with the excercises. Good for you. I rather do excercise than clean up. I'm a pretty fair cook but a horrible clean up detail. My wife has always been on my case for using every pot and pan in the house to hear up a can of soup.

12

I bet I have YOU beat on using every pot and pan in the kitchen!

Growing up, Grandma lived with us. She loved to cook and so did I. My mother, her daughter, HATED COOKING, soooooo Mom would do all the setting and clearing of the table, ongoing clean-up AS Grandma and I would cook , AND Mom would wash, dry and put everything Grandma and I would pitch into the sink IMMEDIATELY.

When my husband and I got married my biggest problem was RUNNING OUT OF spoons, pots, pans, etc. AS I COOKED! It occurred to me one day that I had NEVER stirred something with the same spoon, and I had used MANY, MANY pans, bowls, measuring cups etc. briefly and just tossed them in the sink. The problem NOW was, Mom wasn't there to continually clean up for me. All I ended up with was a sink of dirty dishes and spoons!