3 weeks post op and cannot overcome the stiffness after I exercise elevate/ice pack. (I'm 64) As soon as I rest it moving again is like going back to day 1. The pain is unrelenting and every day I'm overwhelmed and tearful. As a chronic insomnia of 38 years, nights are brutal..I'm doing all the Physio asked and praying for a good outcome. But mostly I just pray for the pain to stop. Have watched the YouTube of gentleman wrapping his knee in cling film, am trying this tonight. Will let you know if it helps..I wish you all pain-free days soon.
Hello Margaret, i'm sorry to say you will have the stiffness for a while. I also have to be careful not to let it sit in one position for too long or I get caught with a lot of stiff pain and have to work it out. I found out the hard way. You are still fresh out of surgery and it is to be expected that you will have some pain and stiffness but trust me it will get better. It just takes time. I am 5 1/2 weeks out from TKR. In the beginning I had excruciating pain which turned out to be a nerve pain where they made the incision. After suffering with this for three weeks I finally told the doctor he needed to do something. So he gave me a nerve pain medicine call Neurontin. Once I started taking it the nerve pain was gone completely. I have my life back and could sleep better at night and be out more during the day. I still have stiffness after resting it and try to keep it moving even when I am sitting. Longer I'm up the more swelled it gets the harder it is to walk so I take a break and elevated and ice it. Rest a lot and ice a lot and it will help. Just remember to take it one day at a time always looking where you have come from and not how far you have to go..best of luck to you. Stick with this group they will support and encourage you.
3 weeks is still early days, are you doing too much exercise? Little and often is better than going all out.. Treat it like baby steps. The reason it's hurting could be you are doing too much too soon + you are tired. Your stress levels must be through the roof. A crazy thought, have you tried moving your bed to a different position, also raise the bottom of the bed, so your legs are slightly elevated. It shouldn't be so uncomfortable for your partner, but it might make all the difference to you. Re,the repositioning of your bed; i had a house guest from overseas who hadn't been sleeping to well. We shifted the bed round, and she slept like a baby, as I said, crazy, but it worked..Back to your knee, I know you are supposed to see how far back you can bend your knee,but, why not just bend it til you feel a tightness, instead of pushing further, hold it there until you feel no discomfort, then rest. You may feel you are able to achieve more. Don't force your exercises. Sometimes, especially at night, a heated wheatie bag or hot water bottle might be more beneficial that an ice pack. Are you takng the correct dosage of meds?
Hi Margaret!
I'm 64, too, and am 13 weeks post op with Knee#1. Knee #2 will be operated on in two weeks.
I ALWAYS have stiffness when I change position. This is true with my SURGICAL KNEE and also with my Not-Yet- SURGICAL KNEE.
I have been doing a lot if reading about the stiffness, and an article I read explained it pretty clearly. First of all, at age 64 we do NOT have the amount of synovial fluid in our joints that we once had. Secondly, the fluid we DO HAVE takes awhile to move into the joint because as we age, everything moves more slowly and less efficiently than it once did.
When you combine these two things AND you consider that arthritis is a DISEASE, those are some pretty good reasons for us being STIFF!
As far as pain goes, I have done everything I can to help make it less. I have lost weight, I eat well, I keep moving, I have had and WILL HAVE surgery on my knees. I take over-the - counter pain meds only. My body doesn't tolerate the powerful stuff.
I have realized that I will probably NEVER be pain-free. I try to distract myself with keeping busy, NOT laying in bed if I can't sleep, and I do a lot of praying.
Know that there are MANY of us here that share your frustration, your stiffness AND that annoying aching and PAIN!
Maybe one day there will be a solution. If there is one NOW, I have yet to find it!
Wishing you less pain, less stiffness and success with your action plan to WIN against this BUGGER of a DISEASE!
Hi Margaret. I also just hit my 3 week post-op date. While I'm doing ok pain wise I agree that there certainly is a lot of stiffness. Thankfully it's no where near as bad as it was before the surgery. When my knee acts up I do a light version of a few of my exercises. Just enough to get it moving. I've figured out which ones loosen it up the best but don't take much effort.
I'm so sorry about the pain. Stay on your Dr about it, it may take a medicine "cocktail" instead of one certain med. I'll be thinking good thoughts for your continuing recovery and relief from your pain.
Hi sueisobel
I'm currently doing the main exercises 4-5 times daily with (a few knee bends/straightening ones in between sitting on the sofa) just to avoid total stiffness until next set of main ones. I'm only taking paracetamol, as tramadol/co-codamol etc didn't agree with me.
I'm sure I could feel more positive were it not for my chronic insomnia. Which I've suffered with for 38 yrs. something else I've researched for a cure (THERE IS NONE)
There's no way I could rest in our usual bed as i would keep my very patient hubby awake all night, so I'm in the very comfortable spare room. But if I can't sleep, every night is a trial.
I have progressed to one crutch (just around the house) but still rely on two for a 20 min walk round my road.
I will keep up my rehab and hope for a good outcome. Thanks for replying.
Sweetie, no wonder you are in pain. Paracetamol is good if, you are cutting back on meds but need a top up, or if you have stopped taking prescription meds because you no longer need the but still get twinges. Tramadol is not the only drug out there. Get your doctor to give Zomorph, there are varying strengths, so you can start off fairly high, or very low, and depending on your pain level, adjust. At the very least they could have given you some codeine for pain or a mixture of anti-inflammatories. You poor thing, for goodness sake, they chop your leg in half and then pat you on the head, so middle ages! Go back to your doctor soonest.
No wonder you are struggling with your exercises, your knee is creating excess fluid to protect itself. You are going in an never ending circle. By taking medication you are stopping that circle. This is not a maybe situation, this is something you have to do. You also have to relax a little as stress will also slow recovery.
For insomnia; have you tried alternative measures x
You mention food. Have you tried cutting out certain foods that irritate painful joints; tomatoes being the worst offender. Shellfish can help painful joints
All I can say margaret is that it does get better. That is how it was for me anyway.
Take care and keep in touch
Praying for you
Love Sarah xxx
For the first two weeks, I only had paracetamol, and the pain was relentless and made any progress difficult. sorry to hear yu can't take tramadol o cocodamol, but perhaps you could ask your doctor to look for something else to help you. Paracetamol is pretty useless, even for a bad headache, and for an operaton like this it is little use, and if you are tempted to overuse it, very bad for the liver. If you are also suffering nerve pain, apart from the awful mind numbing pain of the operation, then there are other drugs which can help with that, . . .The only light at the end of this particular tunnel is that it is a matter of time, it does get better, but it does take a while. don't overdo it and I hope things improve. I have also suffered from total insomnia in the past, and know how devastating it is. Mine appeared for no reason, and about six months later disappeared, thank heavens. I hope yours does too eventually. After the op I did find it very difficult to sleep again, but after about three months things gradually improved. Don't be afraid to badger your doctor . . . .
Thanks martinarvelo
Good advice. The only reason I stopped the co codamol (which is what the hospital sent me home with) was because it wasn't strong enough. The pain was on top of me not the other way round. Reading a few threads earlier, a number of others have mentioned experiencing nerve pain and asking their gp's for medication for that. This is the route I will Persue come Monday morning when gp re-opens. Best wishes
Nerve pain is quite different from the aching pain of the op. . It is often more apparent when you apply a VERY light touch, like a silk handkerchief or a sheet touching it. In my case, it would start during the night, and it was like a mixture ebtween a burning fire and a knife ripping the flesh off . . It was a truly incredible pain like nothing I have ever experienced before and hope to never experience again! In my case it was the whole of the thigh area, but I know other people suffer with in around the scar area. It is fairly easy to distinguish between the nerve pain and the pain caused by the trauma to the leg caused by the op . .it's a different sort of pain, and if you are edperiencing it, for heaven's sake get something for it! I suffered it for about two weeks, but was unable to get to the doctor to get any relief . . .Tramadol was good for me, but not for everyone. . .cocodamol may give you constipation . . . but better than pain I suppose!
Sueisobel
I shall speak with my gp re: nerve pain meds on Monday am. Re: insomnia, in 38 years of no sleep whatsoever, I have trawled through and tried everything under the sun and moon. Nothing has ever worked. The insomnia is very deep rooted, I fear after all this time nothing will change.
I shall also be delighted to burn these bloody compression stockings. They're driving me insane. 3 more weeks of them though. Urrrghhhh!!!!
Yes, wrapping your knee with plastic wrap will make a HUGH difference. I also spent the first 3 weeks sleeping on the recliner, it kept me from rolling( I normally sleep on my side) & let my husband get his sleep. The stiffness will get better, I first notice mine getting better at 6 weeks po, another helpful suggestion was drinking TONIC WATER several times a day...and yes it taste nasty but it will help tremendously with the nighttime SPASMS & Cramps.
My sleep finally came went my doctor have me a mild muscle relaxant for bedtime only, and YES, I'm still drinking the tonic water. I'm 62 & now 7 weeks post TKR, and I have returned to work.....I have a sit down job and I get up every hour and take a walk, I exercise before work, at lunchtime and when I get home at 6 pm, and between work and my muscle relaxant. I SLEEP LIKE A BABY..try every thing, you'll learn from experience what works for you. Good luck and I'll keep you in my prayers.