Hi:
I am 11 weeks out from TKR. I have osteoarthritis. I have done PT, restorative yoga, cryotherapy, and norma Tex boots to get better. At the end of 9 weeks I actually had a few days of no pain. However my lower back and hip have hurt since the surgery. I decided to try swimming and it caused me to have a Seroma and more fluid on my leg. Now my toes are tingling, and My knee swelled up so I can barely walk. I went to my doctor who was getting me some pain medication which insurance did not want to pay for so they sent me steroid cream for rashes. I am like what??? And Voltaren gel and I was already using that and lidocaine. So I made my own red cayenne pepper, 1 tsp and crush up 3 aspirins and added some skin cream and just applied it to my leg. It worked and stopped the pain. My hip was also hurting since the surgery and my osteoarthritis said it was like someone may have injured me during the surgery as my hip hurt so bad after I woke up from surgery in the assisted living facility 8 days later. The doctor left me for dead that did my surgery. The assisted living overdosed me with opiods and sent me to the ER. When I finally came out of my coma, all’s I wanted to do was get out of the place. I left five days later. I never have taken another pain pill since. I used an ice machine for weeks but I did not like to be tied down to it so gradually went to ice packs. All I do is try to take care of my self. I can’t do anything else and if I try to do more, I get a setback. If one more doctor asks me what I do for fun, I’m telling them, I don’t know that F word. I feel I am making progress but my feet feel heavy. Today a steroid shot in hip, Friday a rhizotomy on my L3. The doctors really jerk you around when they do the surgery and since my body is small, they pulled my L3 in spine out of place, I had pelvic tilt and that had me in so much pain but between chiropractor and pain doctor I am getting back into shape. I think I have drove my significant other crazy as I can’t drive but short distances. The faster you start PT will help but I am in way more pain since the surgery than before even though my knees were bone on bone. I will never do this ever again as the recovery the doctor tells u is three weeks, they lied just to take my money.
Hi:
I am where you are at. I tried diflonec cream, it did nothing but I took a pill crusher and crushed up three aspirins, 1 tsp red cayenne pepper and mixed it in two Tablespoons of skin cream and have been applying it to my knee area and it seems to help. I also take turmeric. I used no pain meds since I arrived home but used lots of ice. I won’t be having any fun any time soon. I told my doctor I don’t know that F word. So disgusted with my progress. I will never have surgery ever again as I have too much oseoarthritis. I am starting Celebrex.
I'm 10 weeks also flex is 110 able to do the bike and still ice every 2 hrs. However on the past few days on the outside of my knee really sore. Occasionally I have like a stabbing pain only lasts seconds but boy does it hurt. I've also got a pocket of swelling PT wasn't concerned but wonder if its normal. After an hour shopping really achy. Am I rushing things
Carol, is the cryotherapy you talk about: "iovera" and was it done prior to your TKR?
Ten weeks out of tkr and still in a lot of pain,especially downthe outside of leg and behind the knee.i had a manipulation shortly after op.
I am also 10weeks post R TKR and continue to have swelling for an area about 8” wide around my whole knee almost as soon as I have risen from bed. After exercise I commonly feel a tight band horizontally across my kneecap and other times a band vertically over my knee however I find it goes if I stretch it by bending my knee for a few minutes. I am only able to get a max. of 80degrees flexion although this is an improvement from 70degrees pre-op. I had a torn ACL & PCL 40yrs ago and after ‘repair’ had a full leg cast for 16weeks with my leg bent at 50degrees with resultant limited flexion and majorly altered gait. I have had numerous arthroplasty’s done over the years to remove loose bony fragments and each time my knee got a little more restricted and for the last 10yrs bone on bone over the whole joint. During my TKR I had a MUA after my arthritic joint had been removed and prior to putting in the replacement as my surgeon wanted to see how severe my Arthrofibrosis was - boy oh boy! swelling & bruising ++++ for the first 4weeks, then my wound broke down so had to stop flexion exercises. I am now undertaking exercise at home but am having great difficulty getting the sweet spot between doing enough and overdoing it so I keep ending up with worse swelling and pain. I cannot get a full turn on my exercise bike so I sit and rock it trying to force it a little each time. I have minimal acute type pain so have stopped taking slow release Targin and now fairly well manage pain with Paracetamol. I am eager to improve so have been doing exercises 3 times each day, do you think this is too much? I am travelling from Aus ( where I live) to the Netherlands & UK to visit children in early October.
Hi emcvey93, ..ive just gone on line to see if its normal to have swelling, pain, and stiffness still after 10 weeks yesterday since TKR....id like to know how you got on,....will my knee ever feel normal again? ....im so tired of this now. Rose
Hi, how are you now? I hope your knee is better and your depression has lifted....im 10 weeks after TKR and im feeling so low and fed up with this constant pain. I wish I never got it done, the pain from arthritis wasn't constant like this is...have you any encouragement for me please. Rose
Dear Rosmary, I too am 10 weeks out and have struggled with the depression that goes with healing. This is my fourth surgery on right knee, second replacement in that knee so it's been a very long time for being in pain. I am speaking and thinking possitive that I will de able to walk freely. I have learned not to push until the swelling becomes debilitating. That meant stopping pt, they pushed too much and it was a night of no sleep and a whole day of sitting with ice. This being the fourth round, I know the exersises and do them faithfully and have a little stationary bike. Ankle pumps, ice and elevation...and a whole lot of patience. I am 60, my
Aunt is 80, had both knees done. She walks two miles a day. I focus on that vision for myself. You will get there too. Ten weeks is still very early.
Hi Leslie, I'm nearly 14 weeks now and not any better, I too am 60...your aunt is a remarkable lady, I still have pain every day....today I stood a lot.....only cooking and I have pain in my ankle non stop since, even when I sat down and I'm in bed now and it's still paining me, I'm sorry I got it done, the pain I have now is much worse than the osteoarthritis pain.
I have those days of despair. Some days are good, today, at 11 weeks out I am having to elevate and stay off as much as possible. Too much activity yesterday , I thought oh good! I am making great progress! and bam! all the activity made the knee very painful and swollen. Makes me angry and frustrated. Getting tired of sitting around. Have to remind myself that this poor knee has been through a lot. It will get better Rosemary. And mine will too. So hard to be patient. I look for blessings, mine being I have wonderful people to help and a comfortable place to heal. I read that three months is a turn around for the better. Doc says it takes a year. Hang in there.
I am 10 weeks out too. so much pain I can not sleep, but I noticed has declined over time. it has been a full yr. for my left leg that was TKR, 12-29-17. I often forget it is not a real knee, so I try to focus on that fact. sometimes the thearpy goals can cause too much too fast. it's ok to slow up severe pain can sometimes mean the knee is asking to go easy... Good Luck
roz...
Rtkr nov6/2018 almost 9 weeks in. Gave up pt at 6wks rom 108 stairs no issue, walk 1m per day, stiffness hell ya,gym 1st time yesterday 2 leg machines 3 sets ea 8 reps per set no weight then walking in pool for 20minutes cut out oxycontin 3 weeks ago. Good and bad days not as depressed as before just hanging in great wife
9 weeks today stiffness for sure,quit pt after 6 weeks 108 rom walk 2 k pday stairs ok joined gym for pool hoping for the best
I had TKR 1/10/19. Initially doing great; a little after 2 weeks had 125 and -1. PT said I was the golden child. Then they mistakenly gave me a wrong band for a new exercise and ended up with IT band, hamstring pulls and pes bursitis. Have been in pain now for 6 weeks. Can't take NSAIDs so no relief. I am sick and tired of this. I still go to PT and after 5 weeks am able to do some of the exercises I had been doing easily prior to the incident although with difficulty. But by midday the swelling and pain is awful. Last night was so bad I was thinking about taking some oxy (I only took for 2 weeks and still have a lot left) but am thoroughly disgusted that I am in this amount of pain 7 weeks after going off narcotics. I am 200% worse than before surgery and wishing hadn't done at this point. I have made no progress for past 6 weeks and things seem to just get worse in terms of inflammation and pain. Anyone else had this problem. Not sure how bursitis will ever get better if constantly aggravating knee with exercise but you can't not exercise after TKR so just not sure what to do. See surgeon in couple of weeks but they say not to worry. I don't think it's normal to have to go back on narcotics 7 weeks after stopping. Sorry such a rant but like others say, really getting down. I was a 5-6 day gym woman prior to this so my mental health is suffering! Thanks for listening/reading.
Rant away...that's why we're here. Yes, it's unusual to have to go back to the pain meds but your situation is an injury (setback) because of the mistake with the band. While advances, setbacks and plateaus (the worst) are all part of the "game", yours is a different situation that cannot be compared to any other's recovery.
The only tools we have are time, work and patience. You need to apply those. Your situation is fairly unique in that we don't hear a lot of PT injuries stories. So... Be good to yourself and give it time. There is no schedule. Give up all your expectations and let the knee heal. Do all you can to make that happen...
PTSD
Hello. I have thigh, hip and lower back pain. I take a warm bath and Tylenol and message those area's gently. I'm 9 wks post. Try to lay on the non operative side. Did PT show you excersise for your thigh and hip?
Very common...
Other Pain After a TKR
Warm baths, Voltaren Gel (RX in US, generic diclofenac elsewhere) as a topical a few times a day plus bedtime (check with doc for interactions...rare), OTC Aspercream with 4% Lidocaine, OTC capsaicin/menthol patches, an inexpensive ($25) TENS machine from Walmart... Lots of choices.
As in the discussion link above, I ALWAYS have my chiropractor handle my pain first. Your hips and back could most likely be out of alignment causing the pain. This is very common post-TKR as our brain subconsciously shifts our weight to avoid the knee pain thereby causing pain elsewhere. With a chiro, it's non-invasive, NO DRUGS. Can't take acetaminophen or NSAIDs long term...10 days max. I'd do that first.
Hello and thank you for the information it's very helpful.