Hi all I am new to the group and am now 3 weeks post op following full knee replacement. Just wondering if you have any advice on how to reduce swelling please. I doint sleep much ans try to do my exercises but theres not a lot of guidance form the nhs on what to do!!
Ice up to 20 minutes every couple of hours, elevate up on pillows but dont put pillow directly under joint, rest and take anti-inflammatory tablets. It takes a good while to go down - is worse after exercise and in the evenings. I also use the bio -oil and a bit of a massage seems to help. I remember it was like a football at three weeks but now is normal size. Still gets a bit swollen when overused. Am 18 weeks. Think swelling started to go at about 6-8 weeks. Good luck
ice it as much as you can especially after excersises ,and put it up for awhile other than that it can take months to reduce when you think how much tissue and the rest they had to go through when replacing the knee it makes sense that it would swell as long as its not hot and red it will go down its self if its warm thats ok as for sleep join the gang sleep is a luxury ha!! good luck it seems your doing great welcome
Thank you for your advice, it certainly feels and looks like a football! I use bio oil and its amazing stuff but not sure where to massage exactly, is it my knee cap?
All round the sides front and back top and bottom even calf and thigh muscles
Thank you , I think im probably trying to run before I can walk lol, I push myself hard and try to stay motivated, but get so tired. StillI I guess its early days.
ok thank you, sounds like hard work, but Ill give it a go if it helps
I, too am 3 weeks post full knee replacement and I was told to massage firmly on and around the scar(even though it hurts like hell!!!),pressing as much as I could bare(not sure which is the right bare/bear!!!) but I was told both by nursing staff and physio to use E45 cream. And to always apply the ice after massaging and exercising and more often if it feels hot or uncomfortable. Mine is still warm most of the time but not as hot as it was. As for sleeping, I got practically no sleep at first but now am beginning to get about 5 hrs but with a toilet break in that. When I wake up after about 4.30am I become so uncomfortable that I need to get up.
How are you managing walking about? Have you got over the tearful days yet? I think at last I have. This is a great place to find answers and it's good to talk to people who are going through the same thing as you. Good luck in your recovery.
Oh, I forgot to say, two of the things you hear most is that "everyone is different" and "it's early days yet". But it is true.
Hi Jackie, I am also 3 wks after Bilateral total knee replacements, and travelling really well. At my first Physio session I was given a lymphatic system massage which stimulates the system to reduce bruising and swelling, carrying away the waste, and this worked a treat for me. I do it at home as well as I can manage every couple of days. The trick is to massage gently in one direction from your feet to the groin. The lymph system is just below the skin so light massage with your fingertips is sufficient. Start at the groin to activate / unblock the nodes, then massage your thighs from the knee to the groin to clear any waste build up near the nodes. Then massage around the knee, again in the one direction, using your thumb to work the areas of most swelling. I have some very hard swollen areas at the side of the knee which are quite difficult to move, though they are gradually responding. Massage up the thighs again to keep things moving. Then the part you might need help with depending on your flexibility. Massage the feet and ankles, then gradually work your way up the calves, concentrating on gentle massage on areas of bruising. I had huge bruises on my calves which have now cleared up really well.
This has worked really well for me, and I no longer get swelling in my feet and ankles ( unless I am naughty and do too much). then rest, elevation and ice, and a light massage as above and the swelling is gone. Swelling on the knees is still a work in progress, but the stiffness I did have around the knees is much relieved.
even if this massage technique doesn't relieve your swelling, it is bound to make your legs feel really refreshed and relaxed.
Even better if you have someone to do it for you so you can just relax and enjoy.
put your feet up afterwards to allow gravity to help the movement in the lymph system.
Hope this helps, it has been great for me.
good luck
alison
Hi Alison, thank you for your reply,sounds like you are doing really well, I will try the massage definitly, you make it sound so simple when it is explained poroperley.Am going to an exercise class today Iin the hospital so will keep you posted. Good luck
Hi thank you for your reply, this site is great to use as you say its good to know Im not on my own. It is 5 am and I have just got up as Im so uncomfortable in bed, but dont feel quite so stiff this morning. I set myself targets to try and exercise at least 10 minutes every hour. Then ice with ( knee peas). I think have cabin fever lol as Im not used to being home all the time, Im usually an active person!I walk with 1 crutch in the day but tend to use 2 when Im tired. And yes I do get tearful days when Im frustrated and wish Id never had the op! But hopefully things will get better. Let me know how you get on.
Hi Jacki, added bonus....using a non greasy moituriser / hydration cream while massaging does wonders for your legs. My skin hasen't looked so young and shiny for ages....apart from the knees, my legs look great...and believe me they were very dry and flaky looking before.
Hi Jackie, 3 weeks is still early and massaging can help. I am 13 weeks and still have slight swelling but massage with bio oil three times a day before exercising. I also do both legs ankle to thighs and the skin does improve, your hands also benefit and its also good for your face. Just read these knee problem pages you will find more information than the NHS can give you and remember no two knees are ever the same.
sorry to hear you are feeling frustrated, we have all been there,tears and all, and I reckon at some point we all wish we had not bothered with the op, I promise you it will get better,6 weeks was a big turning point for me, although I feel far from back to normal I no longer wish I hadnt bothered, hang on in there, it sounds as though you are doing all the right things,best wishes to you and stay in touch
Thanks for your reply. I've just spent the afternoon in bed and actually slept about 1 1/2 hrs but woke up really tearful and worried my husband will get fed up of me being like this. Thought I'd passed the tearful stage but it's sort of sprung up on me again. Sitting here writing this with tears streaming down my face. I'm really fed up. Everyone says I'm doing really well but that sort of puts me under pressure to do more. I tell everyone I'm doing fine and it's only on here that I can let it all out. Well enough of that time to get up again(and clean the drips off my iPad ) and go back downstairs.
Ice it down after exercize while elevation in a reclining chair. I have a wonderful receipe for an ice pack that has worked wonderfully for me. It is a gel, simple and cheap. Take 2 cups of water and 1 cup of isopropy alcohol. Put into a gallon ziploc bag (I double just to be safe!). Put in freezer and it will firm up to a nice, pliable gel. Best ice bag I've ever used.
After completing your first couple of months, ..... Your knee will let you know when you have overdone and will become sore/swell. Grab your gel pack and sit back.
Good luck to you. It definitely gets better. I'm almost 8 weeks out on my second TKR.
PS Hardest thing for me was the confinement. So, if possible, ask whomever is drivining you to therapy to give you a ride around and about after therapy to one of your favorite places to see......beach, lake, wooods, etc. It was and is a definite morale booster.
thank you sounds cool lol, will try it.
Hi Prue, my heart goes out to you as I know exactly how you feel. Dont be pressurised by others, give yourself small goals to achieve and then when you reach them you will feel better. I am really struggling with my right leg, cant lift it all, feel such an idiot, but I know it will get better. My husband is a rock, but like you I worry that he is probably sick and tired of me moaning and groaning, cant wait for a bit of independance and be able to drive again! Hang on in there hun and stay in touch xx
Hi Jackieyj. I'm in exactly the same position, i.e. 3 weeks post op from a TKR. I hardly sleep, at most 3 hours a night. The leg pain keeps waking me up whichever side I lie on and I can't sleep on my back. I use frozen peas ice packs four or five times a day to help keep swelling down and I do my exercises on an ongoing basis. My biggest problem is bending the knee. I push it every day and it is getting better but it is sore and very hard! I also have spondylosis which is basically arthritis of the lower spine and the sciatica that results from this is also affecting my left hip/buttock/leg now and again. I'm encouraged though as I can walk outside for a few minutes with my crutches and can walk around inside the house without any sticks at all. I do feel a little isolated in terms of support and can't see a physiotherapist for another 10 days so I'm working off an exercise sheet. Good luck!