Extreme pain 5 month post op

[muddy paws]

Hey Overdidit,
I sent you a private PM and am happy to help you

 

[Grammy211]

First I want to apologize for not posting on my previous post. I haven't been on here in a while and I couldn't figure out how to get to the thread.

I am 5 months post op and for the last 3-4 weeks I have had virtually no pain and have felt wonderful! My recumbent bike exercising was getting too easy (from what I thought) so I added a pillow to the back to add a little more challenge and make my knee bend a little more. I did this for a while with no problems. I only ride the bike about 20 minutes at a time.

Last Saturday my knee started hurting quite a bit - actually both knees. I thought perhaps it was due to the weather (it was raining and rained for 3 days). I felt a little better Monday morning and went through the day with not nearly as much pain. Then about 7:00pm it hit me like a ton of bricks! I could hardly walk, couldn't bend my knee, couldn't even lift my leg to put it on the ottoman (had to hubby lift my leg to elevate). The last couple days have been pretty much the same. I wake up feeling somewhat better, then towards evening it begins with extreme pain. Even during the day I have a very hard time bending when needing to sit down on a chair or toilet. At times I've had to have hubby help me.

Does anyone know if this is normal after about 5 months from surgery and after feeling so much better? Could it be from the rain or did I overdo it on the bike? Now I'm worried about blood clots. It's been so long since I've had this kind of pain that I'm not sure what to do. Should I wait a few days to see if it gets better or call the doctor?

About a month ago at my last PT appointment my ROM was 115 degrees and I felt like I had improved from that before this pain appeared. I also had very little if any swelling. Now I can hardly bend my knee and my knee looks like a grapefruit.

I would appreciate any help, suggestions, or opinions I can get. If this is a normal happening after TKR surgery then that's fine, I just need to know.

Thank you for any input!

Laura

 

[janae]

@Josephine Tagged Josephine for you. If anyone knows, it will be her. Try to elevate and ice.

 

[Jamie]

First of all, don't worry about blood clots. That is not what is causing pain in your knee.

Since you had this pain arise shortly after making a change on the bike, it is my guess that you've overdone things to the point of pain. The fact that both knees hurt at first suggests to me that the pillow you used caused your body to be in a position using the bike that was not good. I recommend that, when you use the bike, you stay with the adjustments that are possible on the machine itself. After all, it is designed to place your body in proper alignment when you exercise. Adding something like a pillow can mess with that alignment.

If you have access to an upright bike, it usually can be adjusted to give you a bit more challenge with the ROM. But quite honestly, you can do the same for your bend by placing one foot on a stair and leaning into your knee for a count of ten. You can do several reps of this bending 2-3 times a day and it will help stretch out the soft tissue. The advantage to this exercise is that you can do gentle stretching that should gradually increase your ROM.

As long as you're having pain like this, you need to ice, elevate and take something regularly to keep the pain levels down. Rest from exercising until it improves. It may take a week or so. More than likely, you have swelling going on in that knee and you need to get that taken care of.

I know it's difficult to imagine, but at five months you really are still in the middle of recovery. You aren't there yet. It's easy to overdo things and take a few steps backward. We all do it at one time or another. So don't feel bad about having it happen. Just scale back, take care of yourself and start again once the pain has lessened.

If for some reason your pain does not start improving in the next few days with lots of rest, icing and elevation....then you may want to give your surgeon a call so that he can check things out.

 

[Grammy211]

Thank you so much, this has really helped me!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I agree with Jamie. Also, from the point of view of gaining ROM you really don't need to ride the bike for 20 minutes, more like half a minute a few times a day would be more than enough. But, as Jamie says, not until the pain goes away.

 

[Josephine]

I couldn't figure out how to get to the thread.

I merged you new post into your old thread for you.

Would you also indicate the exact location of your pain using this chart? Each square requires two references, the vertical and the horizontal and also say if it is front or back

 

[Grammy211]

Thanks for merging @Josephine! As far as location of pain I would say L2-L3 from B-D (mostly C-D front and back) and R2-R3 from C-D (front but not as bad as left knee). Does this help?

 

[Josephine]

Well, I would have preferred each square identified instead of groups like that but I did my best!
Is this a rough idea of your pain patterns?

 

[Grammy211]

Yes but the left front extends to L2-D and L3-D

 

[Josephine]

Okay, I get it. My best guess is this - that you have quadriceps tendinitis in both knees and possibly some hamstring issues in the left leg too. Both can be caused by doing to much of one exercise like on your bike.
I suggest you stop doing any exercises for at least 10 days, also take otc pain meds such as Tylenol (1,000mg four times every 24hrs) and see if that helps things subside. If it doesn't then see your GP.

 

[Grammy211]

ok thanks for the help! I never would have thought I was overdoing it but guess I learned the hard way! Im so thankful for this site and all the support, help, and encouragement you provide!

 

[bottomshollow]

Hope you and yours have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with lots of family fellowship and sharing of gifts and lots of good food to eat.


I’ll be looking for you at the BoneSmart annual New Year’s Party. It’s been a very eventful year for most of us---and will be a very eventful year coming up for others of us looking forward to surgery in the new year.


Remember to bring food and drink to share---and pictures are always appreciated and loads of fun to share.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!!!!!

bottomshollow

 

[Grammy211]

I haven't been on here for quite some time due to a family health issue that I've had to deal with. Anyway, I am now 11 months post TKR on my left knee. My PT stopped last November. At that time I was about 112-115 degrees ROM and doing very well. I'm pretty sure I even increased the rom after I finished pt. However I did not continue with my specific knee exercises and now it seems that I've lost quite a bit of ROM which concerns me. I have occasional pain but nothing I can't deal with. Mostly stiffness right now. But I've noticed that going down steps has become more difficult and that's when I realized the loss of rom. There were times when I could walk down the steps quickly as though I never had knee surgery and now it hurts in the back of my knee and I can tell when sitting that my knee won't go nearly as far back under the chair as it did. I am able to ride my stationary exercise bike with no problem but if I go more than 10 mins I am quite sore the next couple days.

Would all this be due to my not keeping up with the exercises? Can I ever regain that ROM back if I start the exercises again or is it too late? I am fairly active and have had to keep up with my grandies who have been living with me while my daughter is in the hospital with a bone marrow transplant. I have also lost 28 lbs since my surgery (on purpose) hoping that would help me from having surgery on the other knee.

I really would like to gain that ROM back if possible but I have no one to blame but myself. Life threw a wrench in our lives and I just didn't take the time to take care of me! I hope someone can help me with an answer!

Thank you in advance!

 

[Grammy211]

@Josephine

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Can I ever regain that ROM back if I start the exercises again or is it too late?

Yes, definitely. It's just soft tissue and muscle, it can always change.

Start doing stretching exercises today, there's any number to choose from (see my thread on this, below, for a few).

You might well benefit from massage as well.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @lalyfa I hope you don't mind me popping in. I just read your post. Speaking personally, I would be inclined to restart all of your original exercises. Gently, slowly a few repetitions at a time. A good one that works for the stiffness for me is the bending on the stair one. That's a really good one. I'm no expert in this, I'm just over five months post op and having a few problems. It might perhaps pay you to try the exercises from the Bonesmart mantra that would have been sent to you x good luck! Xxxx please take care x x x

Love Nana moon 27 xxx

 

[Grammy211]

Thanks so much; I'm encouraged!!

 

[Nana moon 27]

Good for you Laura, @lalyfa love the positive attitude. Xxx love Nana moon 27 x x x

 

[Josephine]

Before we start suggesting recommencing exercises, I'd first like to know about the pain you are experiencing.
And by pain, I also include things like soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness!

Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the instructions in the smaller image