Hi
@Suzanna. It's not unusual for aches to crop up in other body parts as we get adjusted to life with our new knee. I had to get the "good" knee (which was also very arthritic) shot up a few times during the LTKR recovery. With that said, if PT hurts roll it back a bit - you may simply be doing too much or pushing too hard for either knee at this point in your recovery. I also found that new shoes helped. It was strange to me until I thought it through - my gait changed as my recovery progressed, my old shoes were "burned in" with the old gait and I was actually fighting against those tiny adjustments.
Let us know your TKR date and which knee was done so that we can create your signature.
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.
Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for
you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.
FAQs about knee replacement recovery
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1.
Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2.
Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3.
Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4.
PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5.
At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for TKRs
6.
Access to these pages on the website
Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Closure
The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.