Please can anyone help me. I had my left TKR 5 months ago and since i have this terrible muscle tension and pain down the left side of my body ranging from my jaw to the knee. I also have arthrosis in the vertebrae with a scoliosis. This muscle pain is causing me depression and doctors don't seem to offer any help exept morphine, which i have refused. I'm 59. I feel like my life is at an end. I can't take any more. I don't think any one can really help me. My life is just non ending pain. The knee seems ok but i can't go on any more with the rest. I cry everyday. Is there an end to this.
Have you tried massage? I started with massage about 3 weeks after my TKR surgery in order to help relieve the muscle tightness. It provided me with a great deal of relief. Now that I am 6 weeks out I have also started seeing a chiropractor and swimming. I highly recommend that as well. The chiropractor also uses a TENS unit with heat which is wonderful. This is all in conjunction with trenching and PT. I hope you are able to get relief soon. Keep trying to be mobile - inactivity will not help those muscles loosen up or get strong. Best wishes for better days ahead!
I obviously don't know why you refused the morphine but if the pain is causing depression my strong recommendation would be go back and say you've changed your mind. Some things are more important than others, if you know what I mean. And it doesn't rule out exploring other avenues as well...
I know exactly what you mean about muscle tightness and muscle pain! My tkr was in feb of this year and im still struggling with it. It is really getting me down to as from the word go iv done everything the surgeon and physios have told me to. I have and am still doing stretching and strengthening exercises! I ice after work and elevate but then try to get moving as the tightness gets worse if i sit still. That awful artharitas pain has gone but this muscular pain is no joke. It clamps my muscles making walking any distance impossible! Im 49 and have 2 dogs i hoped to be able to take for long walks by now but it hurts to much! Iv had massage and do massage the muscles everyday myself. Im glad to hear im not alone with this! I really dont know the answer as whatever i try doesnt take it away long term! I have thought about trying private physio with perhaps sports massage! Any other ideas ? Good luck cant help but hope you dont feel alone!
Get some blood work done so you can rule out infection. I would think you have something else going on, separate from the knee. Could be a disc in your back that has slipped.
Please get help now! Go see your Primary doctor. You sound depressed and possibly suicidal. Call 911 and go to the Emergency Room. Your life isn't over. I know unending pain makes you wish you could die. I have bipolar disorder and have been exactly where you've been. I was at the Emergency Room a few weeks ago for pain and depression. I even had a razor blade which is practically impossible to get out of a disposable razor. My husband heard me smashing the razor and wrestled the blade out of my hand. Of course I cut myself and there was blood everywhere. My point is you need help. Take the pain pills. They will help. You my need antidepressants at this point. They will help. Between my Primary Care doctor, my Psychiatrist, and the Emergency Room I came through. I'm praying you get help today. Right now.
Deep tissue massage has worked wonders for relieving my muscle tightness and pain relief. I am almost 3 months post TKR, and I get a massage every 3 weeks. Wishing you pain free days soon ❤️
I know this pain that you speak of. Although because of my personality and makeup, I didn't feel my life was over, just wanted to go after the white coats that messed up my diagnosis for months on end and then didn't offer me any real pain meds to deal with it. I remember crying a lot.
Please insert ,,,,I am not medically trained, just very old and have endured more bone pain than the majority of plain old folks, I have common sense and do a lot of research .
From what you said, I don't think this is caused from your TKR. Such a brutal operation can do a ton of stuff to each individual, but you stated that you had scoliosis and arthritis probably now in those joints that are twisted either by nature or previous injury. I have scoliosis in 2 places due to a combination of birth defects and injury. Beause I am old, those joints are horribly deformed now and the root nerves that should come out of holes between the discs are pinched and compromised. When the injuries first ocurred, the pain was off the charts and were primarily located from my waist and arm up into my jaw although sometimes when I re-injure that area, my abdomen is affected as well on that side. Nerve pain is far more depressing and uncontrolled easily by ordinary pain meds. I would gladly have accepted morphine or any narcotic that had been offered. But none were. I know what root nerve pain is as the nerves spread and distributed themselves all over an area coming off your spine. My arm was useless and my muscles were shrinking from disuse. I couldn't turn the key in my door.
My doctor was a sports doctor not a nneurologist which is who i should have seen. But because I looked healthy and they were thinking I just pulled a muscle or something, I ended up in months of visits for tests which finally, after a lot of noise on my part, got an EMG test (nerve conduction test) that put my pain in real numbers to show the abnormal muscles and nerves that were not responding properly. Well, they responded all right- with a screaming pain that never let up.
If you relate to this at all, you should make noise to get to see a neurologist. Depending on the country you are in, this may take time. I worked on my problem with anti-inflammatories for a little while until I realized that my special blood defect did not allow NSAIDS. Then I had no relief, so I went to the YMCA which had an Olympic pool and suspervisor there who had degree in physiology. With her help, I was taken into the deep water and floated around for days until she could show me moves with my arm under the water and eventually on land with the stretchy bands, and then to the gym. I built my arm up under her supervision. The pain?? Of course it still hurt, but not as much as I gathered muscle strength again. I was told by the neurologist that administered the tests that I could expect from one to 3 years of pain. By the end of the 2nd year, I wasn't thinking of it much except when I carried a heavy packeage or something and the chronic pains returned, but not for very long. Rest and ice did what I needed with that.
When you have these spinal problems, they may be classified as "brachial plexus" injuries or "thorasic syndrone". Doctors can't really help us with scoliosis when we are older adults and our spines develop arthritis really bad. They just want us to go away so they can pass on to help some young kid that they can really fix up. I understand all of that. But I still harbor bad feelings about their lack of compassion.
Don't carry any heavy weights around now. If you can take anti-inflammatories, do so on a regular basis. Try water in some capacity, even if it is just to float around in. Fill your ears with beautiful music and practice deep breathing. People around you will probably not understand your misery because you will look so normal, just complaining all the time.
The forum will give you an audience that understands chronic pain.
If this is all from your TKR, then make a lot of noise to your surgeon and demand some proper meds to help you. And since your health issues are more complicated that just a knee, please ask for referrals to see spinal doctors or neurologists to investigate your spinal arthritis.
There are no easy answers to chronic pain, but you have to be pro-active on your own behalf to get what can help you that is out there.
Let me know if any of this relates to your problem. I'll try to rethink those years and try to remember what I did to cope with it all.
Stay strong! This, too, will pass..
Hi youpicat, I had TKR right knee 11 months ago and am still in great pain. I've been told that this can be normal. I'm waiting for a TKR left knee now, but my iron count is too low and I have an ulcer so they won't operate until I've had another colonoscopy and gastroscopy. So I'm waiting for these to be scheduled. There are other pain meds rather than morphine and you should discuss alternatives with your primary care doctor. I take quite a few meds designed to work together to help with the pain. My left knee is degenerating a lot. So I work within the pain. I time things that I need to do after my pain meds have kicked in. I do hydrotherapy every day to assist. See a physiotherapist who can give you a range of exercises to suit. Don't just swim or just walk in the water. I've heard about people being told to do these things, but that's because they're just not seeing the physio who will give you the right exercises to do. Good luck!
Hi, what is trenching?
OK I'm hearing you!!I can only get my bend to 70 and still very painful especially at night, I think you need to see not only orthopedic doctor but a family counselor depression is part of this I'm on Celexa antidepressant because I'm getting very depressed it will get better I'm only 10 weeks out and I do see little progress ,you're getting better. Did you take the class before the replacement. I do feel for you we all are here for you .Please first call a Doctor or RN ASAP. AND REMEMBER U WILL PULL THEW THIS.I'M 58 YEARS OLD AND I THOUGHT I would be ready to go back to work in 3 months, Nope DOCTORS NOW SAY 1 YEAR AT LEAST. SO hang in there get help then get back on here with your support team. PLEASE REMEMBER WE ARE ALL HEALING DIFFERENT PACE..HANGOOD IN.
OH dear, I'm so sorry to hear about your poor health. If the knee is not hurting, have you tried a pain management specialist. I'm 6 months po and still have swelling pain stiffness, not a happy camper, but still plugging away with all the exercises I'm suppose to do. Goin on vaca soon, hope that goes well. Little did I know I would still be feeling like this after six months. Will deal with docs after I get back. Stay strong, healing prayers blowIng your way 🌬🌬
Thankyou all so much. There is some very valuable information here in your replies. I cannot reply to all as i cannot stay on the pc long enough due to the muscle pain and that's why i haven't been back sooner but i am so greatful for the advice and am going to use it for sure. I would like to see a neurologist but am worried about what he may say. i take a lot of pain meds already and for years because of the arthritis and am worried about addiction or my body just not reacting any more to them. I have to have the other knee done pretty soon and hate the idea because of my back and because of all that goes with the tkr.
Thankyou all again and will get back to you.
Pam
Yep I had to see my primary doctor as well. The surgeons just want to push you off to PT and move on to the next patient. It's like an assembly line and once the surgery is done...see ya! My primary has known me 20 years and was a huge help. Good advice.
Oh I forgot the depression is horrible. I'm on antidepressants already but still cried constantly and felt suicidal. I have Xanax too which helps and also makes you tired so you can nap. You may want to get some Xanax as well.