Does scar tissue last much more than 12 weeks? I massage it but it makes it sore enough to give me yet another bad night. Any advice welcome please
Scar tissue will last as long as you do if it isn't broken down by exercise. Its the body heals that causes the scar tissue in the 1st place. Some people are more prone to excessive scaring than others. I happen to be one of those. Because of the number of surgeries I've had and the slow healing my body does, I have a terrible time keeping my knee tissue torn loose.
Yup. Started PT at 3-4 weeks...lasted 10 weeks and I got to -1 / +123. Took more work after that to get to 0 / +133. If you think you're done in three months, sorry to break the bad news...this takes a year. After you get your ROM back from PT you have to: 1. keep it that way, and 2. get back all your leg strength. This is a very long recovery...embrace it.
Good question and good answers. Oh that dreaded rom and scar tissue. I'm at 9 weeks and can only get to 92. Went to the doctor yesterday and he said keep at it, and everything looks good and you'll get there. This is a very long process. My straight leg is 0 so,that's good. ,I ask d him why my knee still hurt and he said scar tissue and you knee is still mad. He's going to wait until 12 weeks and if I can't get a good rom he'll go in arthroscopicly and "tweak it". Don't worry he said, all will be well.
I almost feel, from reading everyone's posts, that we need to slow down, give ourselves a mental break, do our own exercises faithfully and heal. We've been cut, hammers, glued back together. Gee, no wonder we hurt.
Sorry to be thick here - are we talking about the scar tissue of the wound that we can see, or scar tissue that we can't see? My scar is sensitive but isn't 'seizing up'. I'm just doing it with emu oil every evening. Still looks a bit of a mess, but not complaining:-)
Hi Eileen, I am having some trouble with scar tissure and am 23 weeks today. It seems that since I have gone back to work it has become worse. I just made an appointment to seee my Dr. I go back on the 19th of May. They told me if I get even worse to call and they will get me in quicker if they can. When going down stairs my knee locks up on me. Not sure how normal that is. I alos still have a lot of pain at night time and my knee is still very stiff. Do you have an appointment soon to see your DR.?
The unseen scar tissue is normally the most fficult to combat. I've always used vitimine E oil for the actual incision healing. Massage it in twice daily with finger tips
Thanks Oldfatguy. I started with Vit E but it was stinging a bit so went on to emu oil and that's been fine, but how do you massage the unseen bit - where is it? Or do you just give the whole knee a good rub?
have a look on the internet, (you tube) there are lots of videos on massaging scar tissue. I am at almost 6 weeks now and my incision is less bumpy than it was and feels a lot better. It is tender but nothing like it was. I had Steri-strips with glue, and dissolvable stitches deeper down.
So we are talking about the visible bit then? I've been doing that with emu oil. Mine is a lot less bumpy now and I've only just realised that the holes where the staples were have gone! I'me 7 weeks.
Yes, that internal scar tissue has to be broken down. The external scar is handled in three different ways:
1. Women want it to be INVISIBLE. So I guess you'll spend some bucks on gallons of whatever cream can do the best job.
2. Men mostly don't give a hoot plus most of us regrow hair over it anyway.
3. Us ex-hockey players wear all of our scars as badges of honor.
Choose your category...
I'm no hockey player but still proud of my scar LOL!
You have to have a deep penetrating oil that soaks in and breaks down all those little knots you feel. Don't be fooled as they will return if you don't keep it up
Damn right!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw my doctor yesterday Kimmo & she gave me anti depressants I'm not depressed but she said they would make me sleep. I didn't take it last night & put up with yet another sleepless night. I took 2 Naproxen, 2 Co Codamol 2, Codeine phosphate & 2 herbal sleeping tablets & I think I had 3 broken hours sleep. I am seeing my surgeon in 3 weeks have kits I want to ask him.
Ah, right - thanks Oldfatguy! I THINK my knots have gone apart from one little bump where there was a stitch hanging out and they pulled that out so it's healing now, so once the scab has gone I'll do that as well but will keep oiling the rest for a while yet:-))))) Thank you! I just wondered if there was somewhere else I was supposed to be massaging around the knee LOL! Didn't want to miss anything LOL!
Eileen, if it were me, I'd be concerned about taking anti depressants if you're not depressed! I'm permanently on them (brain issue LOL!) and it's fine for me, but if the issue is sleep I'm not convinced they will address that. I tend to have sleep problems generally but a couple of paracetamol seems enough to give me a good night, or sometimes I swap those for a Piriton - that's enough to make me sleep. BUT you do need to make sure anything isn't a contraindication with the drugs you're taking. I found herbal sleeping tablets did make me depressed and so did the other ones - non herbal, that you can buy from the shelf. But you do need to find something to help you sleep because that does drag you down!
Yes, antidepressants will help somewhat with sleep. I would try them and see if they help you, you need to sleep! Good luck and keep us updated!
Yes I will try them but reading the leaflet they look scary.
I am NOT a fan of using anti-depressants for short-term post-op depression. Once you know what it is, you can kick it without any drugs at all.
An old tricyclic like Elavil (amitriptyline) might be OK for the small time period but has side effects. Use of an SNRI or SSRI (Cymbalta, Paxil, etc.) should be completely avoided. Once you are on them, it's hell to get off. Sleep aids like Ambien can also cause major problems. Something simple like 1 mg Xanax at bedtime could be a great relaxer and help you get to sleep, again, on a very short-term basis. There are also muscle relaxers like Flexeril that can be used short-term. The best OTC med is simple diphenhydramine (generic Benedryl). 50mg (2 capsules) will get you drowsy. It's the active ingredient in all the nighttime "PM" products. Again, check interactions and side effects.
Remember...this post-op depression is a very temporary condition. You do NOT want to get hooked on major anti-depressants!!! Talk to your doc about your options but stay away from the SNRIs and SSRIs!!!!!
Here are some more sleep tips...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
You have to PREPARE to sleep...it helps.