Tkr short term pain

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi everyone 

I’ve had a tkr 9 days ago and basically the pain level is not getting any better I have achieved thus far a 90deg bend in my leg and can walk relatively easily with both crutches,I’m trying to do all the expertise’s 3 to 4 times per day but am struggling a bit. Is it normal at this stage to have that sort of discomfort whereby no matter where you have leg when resting ( elevated) you just can’t find a comfortable spot. And secondly it seems to me that the pain through my leg is considerable.

does the pain reduce say after 14 days or does it continue for 4wks before overall pain reduces.

im on 5mg endone every 6hrs  with a couple of panadol.

i would appreciate any feedback 

ta

2

Good morning, hate to tell you that 9 days is very very early.  I am 5 weeks out from PKR and still taking big Pain meds at least once a day.  In fact, this crazy knee kept me up most of the night so am about to have food and take some meds.

This forum has been wonderful for hearing of others experiences and advice.

Right now I would say listen to your body and your knee....rest, ice and take your meds as prescribed!

3

Hi I'm 6 weeks post  TKR and it's only the last couple of days where I've felt comfortable and haven't taken Tramadol. I had a lot of pain in the early days couldn't even elevate my leg without my foot being supported. You will probably need a stronger dose of your medication. I was on cocodamol but went onto Tramadol instead. I wouldn't worry too much about walking at this point just concentrate on keeping your knee moving to prevent scar tissue building up. I'm having problems with my range of movement and looking back I wish I had concentrated more on on bending my knee during the early stage of recovery X 

4

I am also finding all of these posts fascinating!  I live in the US and most on here are in the UK.  Protocol and meds for this surgery vary so so much!

5

Yes yes 😊 Pain Etc is SO Individual Be Kind To Yourself It's a Tough Recovery

I'm 5 months Post TKR and Still have some Pain 😯

6

😀 I think most on here from US I'm from the UK 😉

7

Gday Ellen 

and everyone who’s replied I’m from Tasmania Australia I’d just like to say thanks for answering.

ill definitely use this forum as it’s nice to speak with people going through the same thing now.

8

Hang in there. It will get better. Keep doing what your physical therapist says and don’t give up. Sometimes it will seem like you are taking a step forward and two steps back.  It took me a good 18 months to feel normal after my bilateral tkrs.  Take care. We are pulling for you.

9

Neil,like all the other people that did reply to you,I will tell you the same thing: hang in there!!

9 days is very early in the process of healing,and unfortunately when you go to that 1 hour class about your surgery they touch very distant the recuperating period. At 9 days you have to focus on therapy,and just do what you can do,do not overdo! I am 14 weeks after a double TKR and tho the pain is not as severe ,still use every other day a Norco,and Tylenol,and 2-3 times a day exercise! Your body will tell you when you have to move those knees! We all feel and move and medicate differently this kind of surgery but all of us TKR patients have something in common: compassion and understanding for for each other,because this is not a easy task,to have your knee replaced.

i did find very useful at 9 days using the TDM machine,one hour in am.and one hour in pm. Every other day the rehab. Personnel was increasing the flexion by1 degree,and that was very helpful. Do not let pain overcome you, take the pain killer before it gets very bad... 

The best of luck and speedy recovery,and remember,you will be one day totally pain free,with a beautiful new knee! 

10

Hi there. I felt the same way as you - my pain for two weeks after surgery was really bad and nothing seemed to help it. I was never ever comfortable. Doctor had me on Dilaudid, which turns to morphine in your body, every two hours.  Short term relief. I found it helped to take the pain pills on a regular schedule to get even a little bit of relief and to do the exercises even though they are quite painful early on. The doctor told me the knee has to move to begin to heal. 

If it helps - I am only on day 17 after surgery. But on day 15 the pain changed. I turned a corner. It went from breath-taking, raw pain that took my breath away and made me want to faint or cry - to more tolerable pain. Achy pain and not total relief but definitely way more manageable, I’m now able to only take the Dilaudid during the night and first thing in the morning, and Tramadol during the day. 

So as we are told....it does improve. Slowly. And everyone is different. Hang in there! 

11

Neil when you said you were on 5mg of endone I thought what the heck is that, obviously an Australian brand I had to google it. This site is brilliant I don't feel so alone you can pop a message on any time of day and someone replies X 

12

 Totally normal and if you can bend your legs at 90 and you're only  90s and you're doing good 

 I feel your pain I was the same thinking of you better than I was I'm glad you got onto this page because they help you a lot they've put me through my ups and downs for sure you're really won't feel any better till two months I like your doctor gave you some kind of pain meds mine gave me nothing I am now five months and pretty good.. just keep up with your therapy and keep it iced 

13

9 days is very soon after your TKR . The pain after the op is something we are not really fully informed about before . Take your pain meds regularly , do your physio and exercise as often as possible , but don't overdo it . Recovery takes time and is different for everyone . Don't judge your recovery by that of others , you may be quicker or slower , it doesn't matter you will get there in the end . Watch a few videos of the op on youtube , and you will realise what a major operation you have had . 

14

Neil, I'd advise you not to think of your recovery in "weeks". I done the same thing thinking I'd be running about in so many weeks 😁 Not a chance! I'm nearly 7 weeks post op and I still have, wouldn't say pain exactly but Im still swollen and tender to touch the area surrounding my knee. Most days when I'm bending the outside of my knee is sore and seems to feel like I need to click it into place when I straighten it again. I can see this being longer than anticipated

15

Well done, you sound like you are doing well.

My pain did gradually improve, it's important to listen to it and adjust how much standing and walking you do.

I am 8 months post op now. It is well worth the effort, but not does take time.

Here is something I wrote at 12 days post op, as I kept a journal;

" I still have my silly “making things harder for myself” mentality. As I look at the exercise booklet, it is so easy to feel that I MUST do that particular exercise (straight leg raise!) and I MUST do it now, and I MUST do it excellently. But what I realise I MUST do is keep moving, keep active and keep resting. My main focus is to include some movements which I enjoy (ie yoga) and try and do a little bit more walking around the house each day. Walking is not hard with the crutches, but it is tiring. Exercises could become a trial if I did not enjoy them, so I am starting to put some music and and to devise little sequences. Almost dancing! Almost. I am also making range of motion a priority. I regularly make sure my day is dotted with a mixture of bending my knee and straightening my knee as far as I reasonably comfortably can do it. Sometimes the bending involves a low level of what I will term ache-burn sensation. I won’t call it pain, because as long as the pain is being managed, it is more of a just hint of pain. Think of the following:

“A delightful blend of bending the knee, with the gentle addition of stimulating rich ache at the centre”

If it were a chocolate, this is how it would be described!

It is best to choose not to call pain pain if possible. However, while diverting the mind away from suffering, we all have our limits, and when it feels too much, it probably is. "

Are you in UK Neil?

People vary a lot, bear this in mind too.

I started gradually tapering off pain medication at around two weeks. At five weeks post op, regarding pain relief, I listened to my knee and while it did swell up from time to time and get a bit warm I did not push it to the point where it needed to yell at me. I sometimes took a Paracetamol in the morning, as it was uncomfortable first thing and I did my exercises in the morning, as I liked them to be pain free.

You may like to go to my profile by clicking on the image next to my name. I kept a journal of my own knee replacement journey, and I have been told by several people they found it helpful to read, or skim through. It was written to convey the need for patience, something our culture in the western world is not really geared up to! It has a lot of useful suggestions and information.

It's a good idea to jot down how things are, as it helps you to notice improvements as they happen. Keep positive, as best you can! Good healing to you!

16

UK TKRer, there are quite a few! 😁

17

Are, I see now where you are! Australia!

18

Nine days and your typing coherently on a computer?  Really?  At that point, all I was doing was drooling on my pajamas.  Congrats.

The pain will be bad, but decreasingly so, for the first 30 days...some people have that extended to 60.  Everyone's different.  The first few weeks are just hell on earth.  All you must do is manage the pain correctly with your doc.  Sometimes that involves a switch in meds, dosages and/or the number of times a day you take the meds.  It's very trial and error until you achieve a good balance.

But even then, there's still the background pain that only goes away in time.  You just have to manage the pain and let that time pass.  There's no magic bullet for this.  It's the most brutal of all surgeries and you just have to endure it.  One strategy is to take your mind off the pain.  Check out this great article...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-power-of-rest-some-great-strategies-to-try-on-a-tkr-617892

We're here to help anytime...

19

Hi Neil, sorry your hurting so much. You are still really early in the recovery phase. I'm 8 weeks out and still in a good amount of pain when I over do it. Make sure to do your stretches but don't over do it. Take it easy, you've gone through a major surgery and you need to baby that knee. Take your pain meds, ice your knee, bend it as much as you can tolerate, elevate it as often as you can, and rest it. The pain will get better but it will take time and patience.