TKR 6 months post op

[Schnautzer]

Still trying to navigate this site which I love. Dont know if my responses get to you guys so am trying this.
Thanks for your information. Let me know if I am reaching you. Your help is so appreciated. Schautzner

 

[Jockette]

@Schnautzer No need to quote a message. Just scroll down to the reply box and write your message, just like you did this recent post. We will all see it.

Here’s some help for you:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/view/how-to-use-this-forum.74/

 

[kneeper]

We see you.

 

[Rockgirl4]

Glad your dr is happy with things. I hope you get some improvement soon

 

[Schnautzer]

I am 2 weeks past 3 months. I know there has been an improvement with rom and slight one with back of knee issue. My surgeon said no point in xray ultrasound or test as no matter what it is I must just keep bending.Wish I knew what it was. I stretch and bend and now I can pedal on the stationary bike Dr is adament that I still go easy on bike. Also still doing hydro therapy. Standing and bending knee behind is so painful but I think it is better. I do get a cramp in my hamstring often when I do this. Does ANYONE have any idea how long this issue will take???? Rest of knee is pretty good. I can walk dog for 40 mins no problem and am not on pain pills. But still uncomfortable.
Am so tired of discomfort and being tired. HELP Want to feel normal again before next one gets done.

 

[Jockette]

Standing and bending knee behind is so painful but I think it is better. I do get a cramp in my hamstring often when I do this

I had extra pain when I did this exercise, also. So I stopped doing it. You don’t need it either.

Rest of knee is pretty good. I can walk dog for 40 mins no problem

Walking is a great rehab for a knee and you’re doing that fine.

Stop doing what hurts and do what doesn’t. You don’t have to do every exercise you are given.

Also, take it easy in hydrotherapy, it’s very easy to overdo in a pool and end up in pain.

 

[Celle]

Standing and bending knee behind is so painful but I think it is better. I do get a cramp in my hamstring often when I do this.

You don't need to do this exercise, so stop doing it. Remember our advice:

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.
​

The pain you feel during that exercise is your knee, trying to tell you that it isn't healed enough yet to do that exercise.

It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, and it will gradually increase as your knee heals.

 

[luvcats]

Am so tired of discomfort and being tired. HELP Want to feel normal again before next one gets done.

I'm so there with you! I really want to be done hurting and feeling exhausted. My husband helpfully pointed out that isn't going to happen until the second knee heals because I was like that to a lesser degree before surgery. So here I go.

 

[Schnautzer]

Thanks so much for your replies.I just keep thinking thst something IS not right and I should be doing something to help make it right and if I dont then I will be like this forever.Am going for a light massage behind knee today. At hydro therapy I do a lot of upper body work as have not been back to gym yet.
Again thanks. These months are going by fast but not the improvement. It is slow

 

[Schnautzer]

Hi schnautzer here
It has been a few months since I posted. I am now 6 months take a week. All is good except for pain behind knee. It is not bakers cyst.
I stretch quads and hamstrings daily , go to hydro therapy 2x a week and stationary bike 20 mins on other days. Still painful going up and especially down stairs. Bending leg back is painful.
I see surgeon in 2 weeks. In past he just says. Keep bending. I am at 115 degrees.
Am frustrated and worry this will be forever.
I aim to be able to hope on my bike and go. Impossible now. I have been in the same state for 2 months now
Any advice. This back of knee pain has exisited from day one but has improved Yikes. Still need other knee done.

 

[Jaycey]

@Schnautzer you will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. I changed the title for you. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.

 

[sistersinhim]

You are just 1/2 of the way through this year of healing. Having pain and swelling off and on is pretty common at your stage. Have you tried icing the back of your knee? That might help some.

 

[Schnautzer]

I ice daily and use heat. This discomfort is not off and on but is there. How do I determine if it is tight ligaments or muscles or soft tissue damage. I have not seen any posts regarding this issue nor met anyone with it. I dont have the pain issues most have. Wierd!!!

 

[Jockette]

I stretch quads and hamstrings daily , go to hydro therapy 2x a week and stationary bike 20 mins on other days. Still painful going up and especially down stairs. Bending leg back is painful.
I see surgeon in 2 weeks. In past he just says. Keep bending.

Maybe you are working too hard on the bending at this point. I would suggest you cut back on your rehab activities and let your daily activities be your exercise and let your knee settle down. You can gradually start those things again when it feels better.

It is also not unusual to have pain doing stairs at 6 months.

 

[roboknee]

Hi I had pain behind the knee too! It was pretty bad at times. My therapist at the time tried a laser treatment that warmed the tissues deep inside to help it. I was not allowed to ice on those days after wards only warmth. It seemed to help. Although I must admit it gradually lessened over time. I also was easy on the physical therapy especially when it was bad. Tried to let my knee tell me when I was overdoing things and that wasn’t easy!! I am two months over a year out no pain behind the knee anymore!

 

[Schnautzer]

Thanks for info. I too get massage therapy ultra sound and electrical stimulous. I can walk fine and a long distance. I stretch hamstrings calves and quads a lot. Just would like a diagnosis as to what the issue is.
It is encouaging to hear from someone who has gone through this.
Thanks and cheers!!!!

 

[Schnautzer]

How long did it take for the behind the knee isdue take to go away???? I saw my surgeon today and he finally admitted to me that this issue is unusual but does happen. He said that he does not know why or what it is. Hopefully it will go away. But maybe not.

I could live with this but would like to do anything to help it. Hopefully stretching or exercise will not make whatever it is worse.
No advice from the doc.Any advice? M

 

[winemama]

I am 7 months on one knee, and 10 on the other. The 10 is doing great, the 7 one, they straightened my leg and the muscles around my knee and down my calf and around the ankle hurt like hell. I was 3 months before I could do PT because of the swelling behind my knee, and the pain. Even today, the muscle pain is still there. OS said it will take a year or more. If you are walking and able to do stairs, you are ahead of the game. Patience is the name of the game
Good luck

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Schnautzer I am 6 months post-op today and still have pain when bending the knee too far backwards. My calf is still swollen a bit, and the muscles in the calf, even down to my ankle, are puffy. It's taking F.O.R.E.V.E..R. to get strength back in my calf/ankle/hamstring. My flexion varies from 100-110 depending on the day--activity, exercise, amount of standing, etc.

I saw my surgeon 2 days ago for my 6-month checkup, and he just verified what I already knew---I still have lots of swelling/inflammation. The arthritic disease is gone, but my soft tissues are in no way happy yet. He said time is the key and to assume I'll need the full 12 months for complete recovery---and maybe a bit longer because of my complicated history.

I noticed a slight improvement last night when trying to do a hamstring curl. When I tried a month ago (5 months post-op) there was still a hard stopping point and very sharp pain. Now it's a little bit better. My surgeon just told me to work on my patience. I'm adding back in lots of other activity/exercise, bit by bit and one at a time....I do think that has helped me small gains with this "back of the knee" pain, as the rest of my leg is much stronger than even a month ago. I know we may have a ways to go still though. ((BIG SIGH))

--Lisa

 

[Schnautzer]

Thanks for your reply. I just got this. Am not good at finding threads.You have encouraged me. I saw my docter last week(6 months post surgery). He finally admitted that my issue of behing knee pain is not common but he has see it before and does not know what the problem is as it is complicated back there. Muscle, tendons ligaments , soft tissue etc. Cant do mri because of fake knee. Surgery went perfectly well so to just keep on doing what I am doing. Those hamstring stretches ARE getting a bit easier (I still often get a cramp when holding the stretch) I can now get on my stationary bike and start peddling without rocking back and forth for a few mins before full rotation. That was a major breakthrough. Still painful in the morning and tough to bend. I use heat and then bend.
Hopefully this will improve by a year. I can at least walk easily and know I could ride my bike outside.Too cold and snowy now. Doing stairs is still painful. My goal now is to be able to go down stairs easily.
Hope we can keep in touch!!!!!
Cheers
Schnautzer(Bev)

@Schnautzer I am 6 months post-op today and still have pain when bending the knee too far backwards. My calf is still swollen a bit, and the muscles in the calf, even down to my ankle, are puffy. It's taking F.O.R.E.V.E..R. to get strength back in my calf/ankle/hamstring. My flexion varies from 100-110 depending on the day--activity, exercise, amount of standing, etc.

I saw my surgeon 2 days ago for my 6-month checkup, and he just verified what I already knew---I still have lots of swelling/inflammation. The arthritic disease is gone, but my soft tissues are in no way happy yet. He said time is the key and to assume I'll need the full 12 months for complete recovery---and maybe a bit longer because of my complicated history.

I noticed a slight improvement last night when trying to do a hamstring curl. When I tried a month ago (5 months post-op) there was still a hard stopping point and very sharp pain. Now it's a little bit better. My surgeon just told me to work on my patience. I'm adding back in lots of other activity/exercise, bit by bit and one at a time....I do think that has helped me small gains with this "back of the knee" pain, as the rest of my leg is much stronger than even a month ago. I know we may have a ways to go still though. ((BIG SIGH))

--Lisa