Bilateral TKR Hit A Recovery Plateau

[newkneex2]

Hi all,

I am so happy to see this forum, it is hard to find people who have had the bilateral procedure. I am 3 and a half months out and still experiencing pain and stiffness. It gets discouraging at times because I sometimes feel as though I have "plateaued" in my recovery. It went great at first, no pain in actual knees then or now, but I have experienced quite a bit of pain behind my knee and stiffness is definitely still there. I also have had pain in my bursa, they are calling it "snapping hip syndrome." This bothers me as much as the knee pain. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it helps tremendously!

 

[Jamie]

@newkneex2 ... Hi and welcome to BoneSmart. I've moved your post to a recovery thread of your own so that any comments provided to you don't derail another member's thread. Please use this thread from now on to post any questions, comments or updates on your recovery. Of course you are free to comment on the threads of other members providing you are talking about their topics.

Here are some basic recovery articles to provide information about recovery. Also, it would help if you create a signature for yourself that has your surgery type and date in it. It makes things so much easier to know your date right away when writing responses.

First are the BoneSmart mantras ....

- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a therapist (PT) - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lie down!

Next is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.

And here are some very crucial articles

The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Activity progression for TKRs
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

And then some wise words from members who have shared their experiences ...
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Five “P’s” of knee recovery
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Recovering a knee - from one who knows!
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM

 

[Kansas Teacher]

Hi and welcome! I am just a bit ahead of you at almost 4 months. It is pretty typical to still have some stiffness at this point. Mine has improved quite a bit but isn't completely gone yet and most of my pain is also around my knee and in my leg rather than in my knee which is pretty much pain free. My OS said that it would take some time for all of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. to readjust to the new knee and I think that is what is happening in my case. I do believe it will get better in time and we need to be patient even though it's hard.

I'm not sure what the "snapping hip syndrome" is unless that's the same as the IT band pain I've been having which runs from the hip down the side of the leg to the knee.

I'm sure others will come along that know much more than me!

Roxie

 

[PolarBear60]

I'm at 4 1/2 months, so I'm just a little ahead, too. I'm experiencing nagging aches, and my non-TKR knee is giving me hassles (it will be fixed next year). Just today, I had some zingers just to the left of my knee in the "dead zone" area, which I choose to believe is nerves reconnecting.

I still experience some periodic tightness around the knee, but it usually stretches out pretty easily. I did take an afternoon dose of Tylenol today, and I haven't felt a need to do that for over a month. I usually take a morning and evening dose.

I felt as if I'd plateaued around the same place you are now. I figured it meant I was a little tired of being in recovery and felt it was tedious. I think it's a pretty normal feeling that will ebb and flow over the next few months for you.

 

[KYata]

I'm 5 months post TKR and get stiffness and little zingers if I have been busy plus to my surprise I am regaining sensation over the knee and in the scar and the scar can now hurt. Very tired of the plastic wrap at night but it still helps.

Rather than focus on stiffness and little annoying owies I try to think how I did more with greater ease this week than last week. I am parking in the shade rather than close to the store, I walk as much of the store as I please and walk the dog according to his needs rather than mine. It's been a long time since I did all those things and it is great.

 

[Josephine]

I am 3 and a half months out

care to tell us oyur exact date? then I'll put it in your signature for you.

still experiencing pain and stiffness
quite a bit of pain behind my knee and stiffness is definitely still there
I also have had pain in my bursa, they are calling it "snapping hip syndrome."

Care to tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart? Please say 'hip' for this hip one and 'knee' for the knee one as the references are almost identical and I can't tell them apart other otherwise!
Please note the instructions in the smaller image

 

[Kssii]

I am 18 wks out and still have stiffness, pain and swelling behind the knee and pain and stiffness on the outside of the knee. I still take a tylenol 3 at night. That is with a single knee and you had both knees done--give yourself a break! And yes, I think we do hit plateaus---I have been at one for about 3 wks, but I know that I will continue to improve in time; you go along and think "nothing is changing" and then all of a sudden you will realize you have made a jump forward.

 

[Campervan]

Well @newkneex2 I could have written just about all your post above. I was 3 months post op on my left knee on 20 August. Some days my knee is less stiff. And the back of the knee gets sore. When I sit for a while and then stand its painful. If I keep it straight then get up, not so painful. The stiffness sometimes wears off after I've been walking for a while and other times it just seems to ache. My calf gets hard. Physio says a lot of it is down to swelling/fluid and elevation is still required - toes above nose.

Like you for the six to eight weeks I just about saw daily improvements. Now I feel its plateaued but physio said no its still improving just much more slowly.

Having had my right one done over three years ago I'm not worried, just waiting for the left to catch up and then start doing my normal things.

 

[Kssii]

Margaret--It is most encouraging for those on our "first" trip through, to hear from those with several years experience--yes, we really will get there!! Right now my new knee is functioning at about at the pre-op stage--which is a vast improvement on the initial post-op stage!