Please advise:
I had my left TKR in May 2017 and my pain level is 3/10. My TKR bending was 113 three weeks ago. However my Right knee is schedule for TKR in October this year but my pain level is 8/10.
I have been given three shots of Orthovisc three weeks ago on my right knee to buy some time for me to recover from my left TKR but no change in pain. I also can not bend my Right knee at all, thus making walk with limp. I also still can not sleep at either side. I do put pillows in between knees but can not hold more than 10 minutes. I sleep on and off streight . I started going to work with my doctor permission 2/week for 4 hours and it makes my both the knees swollen and very painful. I use ice and ellevation only before bed time. Good news is that I can feel that I am on my recovery mode as well as surgical left TKR. I can bend better but I definitely feel stiff and little swollen ( all the time ) I am eagerly waiting for TKR for right knee.
I would appreciate If some one from this site can advise to control my pain ( already using ice+elevation and can take only Tylonol ) And secondly why I am not been able to sleep at side and what can I do to sleep better and sound.
Thanks to everybody who are involved in Knee pain forums and advise and motivate each other.
What type of work do you do? Much standing and walking involved.
Are you not able to take anti inflammatories?
More frequent ice elevation could be worth considering.
Are you using stick or crutch for support? Helps with reducing pain.
Sound horrid, best wishes, and steady recovery tooooo you!
Have you been to a pain management specialist. Not knowing where you are are located makes it hard to comment as to where that type group is available. In in the US and pain management comics are available in every mid size city as well as medical teaching facility. You say you can only take Tylenol but there are so many pain meds that a qualified pain med clinic can run the gambit of drugs and could possibly come up with a proper cocktail to help you get over the hump.
I would say stop work.to be in pain and with a swollen knee is not good .rest is just as
therapeutic as phisio. Sort out your pain Meds .never completely pain free I'm 13 weeks post op not working I'm a builder .chico can advise you more .your leg muscles need to rebuild and strengthen if your leg is swollen all the time you can't train rest take advise from doctor there might be more to the swelling than pushing yourself to much .I have sleep problems many of tkr do all sorts of different reasons.mine spasm.a nightmare. My doctor prescribed diazepan. Sometimes we have to sleep whenever we can if that's during the day so be it I'm just coming of Meds for pain nearly pain free now.this recovery is slow we have to be turtles not the hare we all do the same want a quick recovery happens to just a few.I won't return to work before Im ready .chico's advice. I'm skint with a family so that's hard .I wish you the best .and keep reading this forum.
I'm right tkr may of 17, left scheduled for august. keeping pain in check is hard. I was working full time before and the pain was so bad I moved surgery up from june to may. I always wore a knee brace (2 actually) and I have a TENS unit at home that I used, 15 or 30 minutes on the TENs unit and I could continue for awhile. Keep searchig there are answers out there, good luck