10 weeks out RTKR

[ophelia_54]

This past Monday was my 10 weeks surgeversary. I am still experiencing pain and stiffness when walking, standing, and sleeping. Is this normal? For pain I am on Tylenol 3 and sometime I take Advil. Take physical therapy 3x a week and can bend the knee at 95*. I am new to this site...wich I had found it earlier.
Ophelia

 

[dovcar2000]

Hi......and welcome.
I was lucky and found this site just after I came home on Nov. 15 with TLKR.
Everyone has been so helpful as I like you was in a strange world of pain and pain and more pain.
I am now coming up to my 7th week and I found that putting ice on the knee so much made it stiffer on me and hard to do exercises.
I am now using ice after my exercise and the rest of the time I use a heating pad with a moist flat sponge inside of it. This has really helped me. From what I have gathered on here that pain and stiffness stays with us for a long time so we just have to find a way to manage it.
I have my range up from 63 when I came home to 99 last Wed. so I think we are on the same track bascially. I have only gotten to 99 because my husband does the pushing on the torture board as I have an injured right shoulder that needs replacing once I am over the knee replacement. Trust me if he was not pushing I would not be this far. Someday I want to hit him over the head with my cane...lol
So hang on and post a lot here .......it helps. Carol

 

[shutterbug]

Ophelia;
Everyone heals diffrent. From what I have read here pain and stiffness goes on for a few months. At 8 weeks I still have stiffness and pain. Pt 2x a week. Rom at 115. I take
hydrocodone 10/325 2 to 3 a day. This helps me bend ,stretch ,stand ,and walk. What helped me with rom is sit chair,bend knee as far as it will go, then help it further back by leaning foward, or pushing back with other foot. This helped me go from 95 to 110 in no time. I always would take pain med before to help.
Good Luck

 

[Linda2]

It's perfectly normal to have pain and stiffness at ten weeks and beyond. I am at 5 months, and still have some stiffness and some pain, but mostly when I have been on my feet a lot. I rarely take anything stronger than Darvocet for pain, and I still take the occasional muscle relaxant. I think most of the pain and stiffness at this stage comes when I have swelling. The knee area will swell when TKR recipients have taxed their new knees, and I believe it can go on for a year or more. It is nothing compared to the pain and swelling after pushing the pre-TKR knee! Keep working at ROM and strength. I am going back to Pilates next week to get more strength back in that blasted quad. I tried at about 14 weeks, but that was too soon. Heat is good to loosen up, but ice is your true friend because it lessens swelling. Hang in there; it gets better.

 

[Josephine]

Think about it this way - how long did it take your knee to get into the state where it needed a replacement? You didn't seriously expect it to be better in less than three months, did you?

Still early days. If you're still getting pain, then you need to take the meds a bit more often.

 

[Gretchendz]

This past Monday was my 10 weeks surgeversary. I am still experiencing pain and stiffness when walking, standing, and sleeping. Is this normal? For pain I am on Tylenol 3 and sometime I take Advil. Take physical therapy 3x a week and can bend the knee at 95*. I am new to this site...wich I had found it earlier.
Ophelia

Welcome Ophelia,

I had my LTKR Oct. 15 so I am close to you in terms of timing. Yes, I still get pain (especially this last week with Christmas preparations!). For the most part, ibuprophen controls it, but I still sometimes need a vicodin to get it under control. We are perfectly normal for this phase! (*grins* a couple times lately when I have been unconsciously grumpy from the pain, hubby has said "Could you take a vicodin please?")

I am fortunate--I had TKR on the other knee last April--so I have a point of reference. I will think--soon my left will feel as good as my right.

Actually, the stiffness and general achiness can last as long as 18 months I am told. The next month or two you should notice quite a bit of improvement.