RestAssured
BoneSmart Staff
United StatesHmmm... Have you tried the old standby of doing nothing, resting, icing, and maybe alternating heat, and elevating? Maybe you did do too much, and you leg is protesting.
TKR From Difficult Moment to Some Positive Moments
- Thread starter Onestepatatime
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Karen, does the pain come on only at times or is it there all the time? Does it hurt when you move your leg? When you are lying still?
Since you say it is worse with your activity (stretching and bike riding), I hope you have taken that as a clue that you need to rest and let things settle. If you haven't tried taking something for the pain, I suggest you give the BoneSmart Cocktail a try for a week or so.
I'm going to tag Josephine so that she can comment.
Since you say it is worse with your activity (stretching and bike riding), I hope you have taken that as a clue that you need to rest and let things settle. If you haven't tried taking something for the pain, I suggest you give the BoneSmart Cocktail a try for a week or so.
I'm going to tag Josephine so that she can comment.
For sure it's nerve related - that's sciatica you are describing! Don't do more, do less! Rest a lot and carry on with the moist heat. You should also use the Tylenol/ibuprofen cocktail for a while. If that doesn't do the trick over the weekend, go see your GP and get it looked into. A visit to a chiropractor might also help.
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
Shall do. I got myself all worked up that it might be a clot or something because I made the mistake of googling my symptoms. I have never been to a chiropracter. But willing to give all avenues a shot. See how I feel on Monday. This is frustrating I feel like I am regressing. I am dying to get back into a fitness routine. Seems contrary not to be working out and enjoying the new knee. But apparantly whatever I am doing presently is making it inflame even worse.
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
Hey Everyone! Been a while since I have posted, but have been reading up on everyone's progress, new stories, etc. Unfortunately since I posted last, my swelling and pain in my thigh down towards my calf has increased. I am struggling for practical advice on what I am doing wrong. I was reading back on my posts, and it seems I simply do too much. I dont know. I feel so frustrated at the swelling and the deep ache. I feel like if I rub my muscles I can't get deep enough. And I feel like I have a metal clamp on my knee. Is it over activity, I am 7 months out of surgery and feel like I should be able to handle 45 min work outs on the exercise bike and stretching 3x a week, and sustain my daily living routine. I do take the bonesmart cocktail, ice almost daily, moist heat, etc.
Help! I am so frustrated.....
Help! I am so frustrated.....
Karen, while YOU may think you should be able to handle that level of activity, you body may have other ideas. You are not in charge. It is possible, if you've consistently pushed yourself too hard, that you have set yourself up for this pain and swelling instead of allowing your body the time it needed to heal. The best way to find out for sure is to take several WEEKS off from this schedule and dedicate yourself to rest, ice, and elevation. That means NO workouts. You probably can do about 5 minutes a day on the exercise bike if you like, but no resistance. GENTLE stretches are always okay. I don't know what your "daily routine" looks like, but if it involves a lot of time on your feet, you need to minimize that. Let home chores go. No outdoor activities. Only minimal errand-running.
If you do this religiously for two to three weeks, I think you'll see a difference and then you'll know the answer to your problem.
If you do this religiously for two to three weeks, I think you'll see a difference and then you'll know the answer to your problem.
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
As always, thank you for your sound advice, and I will take it to heart. As for my daily routine, it is quite hectic. While I have a desk job I am up and down a lot, and there is no way to really keep my leg elevated. I know I need to cut back on my hours in the office. It has been 10 hour days there. I really thought being at the gym just doing 30 min on the bike and stretches was a good thing. But my spare time is jam packed with errands it seems. I guess I pretty much took 4 months off, and jumped back into my life, minus the level of fitness I would like so much to be back at. I will cut back for 2-3 weeks as much as I can, and that includes socializing after work as well, which makes a 10 hour office day into 13 hours out of the house. My son goes to his Dad's next week end, and I am going to make a promise to myself to just stay in and rest, and not get depressed about it. The pain in my right leg is driving me nuts.
Oh my, Karen.....I got tired just reading your schedule. It is too much! Right now (and until you are fully healed) YOU are the priority. With a schedule like yours, you don't need a gym workout. But you do need to make time to relax and put your feet up when the day is over. I hope you can cut back on the social life, errands, home stuff, and all. I think it is the answer for you. Remember, it's not forever. But the more you try to push, the longer it will take your body to recover to a normal functioning. It only has so much energy to give and a good bit of that is required to heal for up to a year or more after surgery. When you shortchange your body's needs by trying to do too much, it will rebel with pain and swelling.
Good luck, hon. I know it's hard to be patient and put yourself first. But it will be best.
Good luck, hon. I know it's hard to be patient and put yourself first. But it will be best.
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
Hello,
So I just wanted to post my latest. My pain progressed to my hip and it began to feel worse each day. When it was a burning in my groin and felt like my muscles were tearing, I went to see my doctor. The x rays showed arthritis is now in my hip, along with an inflamed cyst. Good grief! I really thought by now I would be on the tail end of my knee heeling and my quality of life would improve a lot. He said while it is not bone on bone, no doubt it is painful. He put me on celebrex and said hopefully that will help. If not, there is the option of injections and lastly replacement which is likely inevitable for both my hip and my other knee. It was that sinking feeling leaving there that the discomfort I have been feeling is more arthritis. I am sure my crazy routine doesn't help but that was not the root cause. I decided I am going to be religious about stretching and strengthening and exercising as much as I can.I might be on the Hip Replacement forum soon.
Life....but hey it could be worse......
Karen
So I just wanted to post my latest. My pain progressed to my hip and it began to feel worse each day. When it was a burning in my groin and felt like my muscles were tearing, I went to see my doctor. The x rays showed arthritis is now in my hip, along with an inflamed cyst. Good grief! I really thought by now I would be on the tail end of my knee heeling and my quality of life would improve a lot. He said while it is not bone on bone, no doubt it is painful. He put me on celebrex and said hopefully that will help. If not, there is the option of injections and lastly replacement which is likely inevitable for both my hip and my other knee. It was that sinking feeling leaving there that the discomfort I have been feeling is more arthritis. I am sure my crazy routine doesn't help but that was not the root cause. I decided I am going to be religious about stretching and strengthening and exercising as much as I can.I might be on the Hip Replacement forum soon.
Life....but hey it could be worse......
Karen
Nanners
post-grad
Oh dear sorry to hear that now you have hip problems. Hopefully with some gentle stretching you will be able to work it out. We can hope, can't we
Good luck Karen!!
Good luck Karen!!
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
Aawww, I love these two faces!
Nyland
post-grad
Hi Karen!
I'm so sorry that your hip is now bothering you. I hope that the celebrex gives you relief. Take care!!!
I'm so sorry that your hip is now bothering you. I hope that the celebrex gives you relief. Take care!!!
OP
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Onestepatatime
senior
Thanks. I do not know what to do with myself these days. I am going to try and stay active as possible, I am 46 and am not done being active. I have always been active, I feel like I cannot get a break and thought by now the healing would be almost done and this whole TKR experience would be behind me. And now the hip is going? I feel overwhelmed.
Nyland
post-grad
Sending you a hug. I can understand your disappointment and despair. You have been through huge surgery and recovery and it is tough to accept more blows. I felt like that when I had a tough to treat UTI and now when I have a raging, active dental infection. Not nearly as tough a blow as you are experiencing, but I did feel like I wanted yo scream, "Enough already!" a few thousand times. I hope it helps to know that we understand and care very much. We are here for you. Reach out when you feel down. We are always here for you and I know that Jacky has enough of super positive energy that she doesn't mind sharing. Take care my friend. Glad you are back. Feel better!
Debbie_joints
post-grad
Karen it is tough when you get the one two punch thrown at you. I did it opposite that you are doing. I had dealt with a very painful hip for years that no doctor would do anything about. I had a leg that would not rotate outward and it was affecting the way I walked. I finally went to a new arthritis doctor who tried to turn my leg and her mouth dropped open. Well she got new x-rays and got the ball rolling and I got a new hip. Had anterior approach and only in hospital one night. I never did anything stronger then tramodol and only had to go to three PT sessions. Of course you don't just jump right up, but walking was the best therapy and I started walking and was doing pretty good. Then came the knee. Always had problems with it, and I normally had to baby it. Well with getting the opposite hip replaced the knee took more abuse and that same doctor asked me if I was going to use the same OS that did my hip to do my knee. So that is my one two punch. One thing at least in my opinion is that the hip replacement is easier to recover from then the knee replacement. Hopefully the medicine or injection will buy you some time. But if my other hip ever acts up, I will not hesitate to get that one done as my hip feels wonderful now.
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