Calf pain /Tkr

Bones, joints and muscles
1

My Tkr was 8 months ago.

I can do everything I used to do .

I feel good !

Just one issue ...when I walk and swim in the same day(it does not happen all the time). My calf muscle, the whole right side of my lower leg on the Tkr leg gets so tight and painful , I've tried RICE, heat, stretches...any suggestions

It takes at least 6 hours before it will soften.

This also happens when I get stressed 

The calf muscle tightens up

It's a mystery to me!

Any help would be most appreciated!

Thank you

2

Do some exercises and try massage. Calf exercises are all over YouTube. I'm at 17 months (a doubler ) and suddenly my not so new knees are misbehaving. Go figure. I've been doing heaps of stairs. My knees dislike anything more than fifty stairs! Be patient and carry on. x

3

Lyn32416 has given you a fabulous response, I have no more to add

4

Thank you my fellow survivor. Any help we can render is great for us too! x

5

Patient: "Hey Doc, it hurts when I do that."

Doctor: "Don't do that."

- Henny Youngman, 1946

Think of yourself as a science experiment.  You have a dependent variable (the pain) and multiple independent variables (walking, swimming, stress) that you know of.  In a controlled experiment, when all the independent variables are known, you remove them one by one to see the effect on the dependent variable (the pain)  In your case, the easiest would be not swimming and walking on the same day and see what happens.

Another method would be to eliminate ALL the independent variables (stop everything) for a week or two, let your body achieve stasis and then add each one back into your routine to the point where the pain reappears, thereby defining the cause.

However, because you do not report the pain happening all the time, I would check two things:

1. Does the pain occur when ALL THREE factors occur simultaneously (walking, swimming on a stressful day)?  If yes, you found the combination that causes your pain.  Solution: take one of the elements out of the equation.  If not, and this could be the case...

2, You have not identified all the independent variables in your pain equation.  In this case, there must be MORE to the story beyond swimming, walking and stress.  The way to figure this out is to journal.  Write down everything you do, eat, drink, think etc. for a few weeks.  Suddenly you will see a pattern emerge, one which identifies either a single cause or the unique combination that results in your pain.  It's basic science 101: isolate the cause of the undesired result.  How do you think we got to the moon?  Same method.

Look forward to seeing you publish your results in the Lancet or JAMA.

PS: To make this work, you remove all emotion from the analysis.  You're a beaker in a lab and you're about to turn up the bunsen burner...  Do this right and you'll have your answer.  No docs, no drugs...just the truth.

 

6

Awesome response, as per usual.

7

Thank you!

8

Thank you 

Lyn

I will try your suggestions!

Have a great day!!

9

Thank you Chico

I do keep track of everything I do in the course of the day, but not food, or meds.

Good idea 

I will do that for sure.

Also I won't swim and walk in the same day

For a time and add it back in and see what happens!

As far as stress...that's not easy for me to control, but I'll tryđŸ˜„

Have a wonderful day and thanks for the help!

I appreciate it!!

10

You betcha!

11

Your usual fantabulous response Chico!

12

Yes, you must track food and drugs, you're possibly not eating enough. Tracking drugs is fabulous, because then you are consciously aware of drug reduction.  Physio and hydrotherapy on the same day are AWESOME!!  It gives you a huge boost of confidence and brings up your fitness and strength!  Good for you! You'll do it!

13

Thanks for your help!

I appreciate it!