TKR 3 years - still have pain

[bottomshollow]

The real question here is----are you actually "working" on eliminating the limp? If you take a slightly longer stride, squeeze your cheeks together like you're trying to hold a walnut, and consciously do the heel then toe thing---but you do have to "work" at it.

Take care ladies and keep us posted. We care.

 

[KathyH]

I will try that, Judy, thanks for that. Hope the walnut won't be too painful though

 

[pdx]

Tee-hee. That image is too funny.
Meanwhile, I'm hanging out with my 97-year-old dad for a few days & out of my exercise routine. I can tell already that I've lost ROM. So apparently a person has to keep at it, and at it, and at it. Back on the exercise bike Friday!

 

[Brownie51]

PDX yeah if you stop your exercises you lose flex! I wonder how far out we have to be from our surgery for that to stop happening!

 

[KathyH]

It has been said that going about your daily life will help to improve your ROM, so I don't think that stopping exercising will cause you to lose your flex. However, it has also been said that you need to do your exercises for life! Comments, anyone?

 

[robynhood]

I agree with you Kathy, surely with everyday life, going up and down stairs, walking more because of less arthritic pain, doing exercise when we can, swimming, working etc. all of that must help with the flex because we are all using the knee so much more than before the TKR. Im sure if you can include exercise in your routine that will help of course but we cant be expected to do the flex exercises every couple of days for ever. can we???????

 

[referee54]

I had a limp for five months after my BTKR---I had to work on my gait and, to lose the limp, I had to work on specific exercises to eliminate the limp. That tight band feeling came and went for me, too. Doing specific stretches and using an ice massage helped me---I certainly understand your frustration!

 

[Josephine]

Sephia You keep running away1 I've merged three of your recovery threads so we can see your previous posts but you keep posting and then disappearing! What's going on?

 

[Sephia]

Hi Josephine - sorry, I guess I wasn't aware that I needed to continue posting in my very first thread. I thought I needed to start a new thread each time.

I work about 60 hrs a week and don't always have an opportunity to check back. I have been focusing on my walk - 'heel, toe, heel, toe' and find that when I do, my little limp doesn't seem so pronounced. I have an appointment this Thursday with my OS for my 6-month checkup.

 

[Sephia]

What exactly "loosening?" I had my TKR a year ago in September 2012. I still experience pain, and a tad bit of swelling. I've never had a moment when it didn't hurt since I've had it done. It's not excruciating - maybe a 1 or 2. Nothing that a little ibruprophen won't solve. Sometimes the pain is a sharp pain down the inside of my knee and radiates a little up towards my thigh. I understand the "it can take up to a year to heal from this surgery," but it's been a year for me, and frankly, I've been feeling regretful that I had this surgery. It has not improved the quality of my life. I've obtained a good ROM - about 120, so I'm satisfied with that. But I don't understand why it still hurts....

 

[maryo52]

It would help to know a little more about your issue. I take it you brought it up with your surgeon. What response did you get? What does your activity consist of? Are there movements that provoke this pain?

Loosening is when a prosthesis loses its bond to the bone. Infection is one of the causes. From what I've heard of loosening, the pain is moderate to severe.

Tissues around the knee get inflamed by surgery, and it does not take much to keep an area inflamed, espeically if PT was more than gentle. For myself, the inside of the knee got bothersome with a small amount of cycling. There's a bursa there, pes anseris. You could look that up to see if that possibly fits what you're experiencing. Anyhow, pain = inflammation, and after knee replacement it can be hard to get rid of. Icing helps. Rest helps. Some times an ortho will inject cortisone.

 

[Sephia]

Thanks Mary, for your response. I haven't yet seen my surgeon. I'm a year out from my surgery and don't have an appointment scheduled - I intend to make one. I was just curious as to what loosening meant because I often read about.

The activity that I do is simple walking. When I first get up it hurts, and it hurts with each step. Sort of a sharp pain on the right side of my left knee. I'm able to do my spin class though, without pain, but afterwards it sore. I figure it hurts when I do nothing and it hurts after a spin class, so I might as well get in some exercise. I had gentle PT - no aggressive pushing. My PT never hurt me - just to the point of a little discomfort and then she would back off.

I've never not had pain. I thought it would subside eventually but after a year, it's still there. I plan on making an appointment with my surgeon. I would figure that after a year that I wouldn't have constant pain.

 

[patient 99]

Hi Sephia, this is bad news. I am just over 7 months post op and keep waiting for things to improve. I've been banking on everything being good by the 12 month stage. Everybody says `it takes 12 month'. Clearly that is not the case. Actually, there are a number of people on BS who are at, or approaching, the 12 month mark and still having trouble. So you aren't alone - I know that doesn't help one bit.

What was your condition pre op? Were there any underlying issues that you can think of that might impact on why you've still got pain? Carol

 

[maryo52]

I suspect your spin class is causing you to have the same thing I got from a mild amount of cycling, which is pes anseris bursitis. If you palpate the area, can you feel a bump? Here's a chart for you to identify where the pain is.

Inflammation can get quite entrenched. In time it would wane but not if we continue to "feed" it by continuing the activity that caused it. So the fact that it hurts after you spin and hurts when you do nothing doesn't mean that activity is not contributing. I'll tag Josephine to weight in once you've indicated exactly where your pain is.

 

[Josephine]

I'll be back when you've given the numbers ....

 

[Sephia]

I'm back - I was away from home for a couple days without internet access.

Josephine - I would say the pain I experience is about C L2, L3, and D L2.

 

[Campervan]

I still get pain in those areas at almost two years post op. The CL2, L3 is when I go up or downstairs or hills.

 

[Sephia]

I want to know WHY I still have this pain and what I can do about it. I had bone-on-bone pain before I had the TKR, and still have pain over a year later. It's a different kind of pain, but it still hurts, nevertheless.

 

[Josephine]

If these are the areas you bow have pain, then I would suggest that they are soft tissue - or tendinitis. I certainly have the bottom pain although it's more of an 'exquisite' tenderness when touched or bumped and makes it impossible for me to kneel though I have no idea why that should be. It just is.

The upper one is most likely either the quads tendon or the suprapatellar bursa or even maybe both. Both can be irritated by intense activity, even walking. I suggest you try using a TENS machine. It's worth a try, anyway.

 

[kneesrus]

This condition comes in clinic every now and then. We jump on it very early but I feel you can still over come your pain. I agree with Josephine that it is soft tissue inflammation. I place my patients in a patella tendon knee strap.
It supports the patella tendon which contains all your quads. They cost is about $12 at a sporting goods store. They are easy to put on, just wrap it just below the patella. It has a Velcro strap and you can make as tight as you want.
The support will decrease the inflammation in the tendon and at the tendon muscle junction just above your knee. We have had great success with this product.
You have to reduce your pain before you can get stronger. You can not be strong and painful.
Best of luck
David