Revision TKR Jolease's knee saga part 3<^

[Jolease]

@ celle thanks so much! I’ll go read it now.

 

[Jolease]

@sistersinhim Thanks me to!!

 

[lisabl]

Jolease, when I first got the problem of shooting pain from hip to knee on outside of the quad, I was really scared what it might be. I had just started aquafit thinking it would help a bit like hydrotherapy (I was 4 months post op and walking easily with 1 stick)- how wrong was I!!! The PT explained what it was, and when she massaged the area I generally had the rest of that day pain free. I would get up next morning and wham it would be there again. It would come and go if I walked more than about 20/30 steps so I needed my stick for when the pain come. Time healed it with continued massage for me.

 

[Jolease]

@lisabl I have a massage booked for Wednesday and acupuncture Thursday. I will increase my massages. Did they massage the glutes and side of leg? Ohhh I’m so happy to hear it resolved!! It’s such bad pain and definitely worse as I walk more, and forget about going Downstairs foot over foot. This really gives me hope! It started at about 6 weeks I’m 13 now..

 

[lisabl]

@Jolease they massaged the side of the leg and front and back of calf. It was like a deep massage where she used a kneading technique. I am being very careful now not to do anything that might agrevate the ITB. If my hip even slightly aches due to the position I have been sitting/laying in, I use my roller on the area. I also use arnica cream or dynamint muscle cream if I try and massage myself.

 

[Lindylee]

@Jolease I used the method Josephine describes in that article, kneading the area with my knuckles as well as gently massaging with the roller. The gym instructor said that as my knee was valgus I should concentrate on pushing the knee outwards when exercising, which makes me think that when I'm lying on my unoperated side the new knee is tending to fall inwards and putting more pressure on the IT band, but that's just my assumption. I hope your massage and acupuncture help.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jolease I am so sorry your IT Band is giving you such grief. It is painful and debilitating, and people don't realize how limiting it is until they experience it. I've had problems with it after all 11 of my surgeries (even now with my very recent TKR), and even a few times from doing too much of a certain type of exercise with little stretching.

A couple of thoughts---mine acts up when my lower back alignment is off (which happens easily as I'm hypermobile in my lumbar spine), and also if I bike too much. I've had to really mix up my exercise over the years to avoid aggravating it. I manage best by foam rolling every day and doing a specific IT band stretch with a belt, but there have been 3-4 times I had to go to PT specifically for IT Band treatment----for me, their deep tissue massage worked best, then I just kept up at home to prevent it from recurring.....until the next knee surgery when I had to start over. That PT was easy and felt wonderful though, as it was mostly massage, ultrasound, and stretching. I can get serious and lasting relief with a deep tissue massage from a massage therapist too, but that tends to cost me a lot more financially.

I'll be thinking of you and hoping you find relief soon.

 

[Jolease]

@Rockgirl4 Thank-you. It is so painful and seems to be getting worse. I sure hope it doesn’t last much longer. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through it also. You’ve had a lot of surgeries! Thanks for the tips. I’m trying not to lay on that side but I seem to automatically end up there, so I’m going to baracade myself in pillows. I stopped pt as I was going to strengthen thigh muscles and it was aggravating it. Maybe I need to go back for just the IT band pain. I’ll try anything!

 

[winemama]

I’m getting my first massage this week, can’t wait

 

[Jolease]

@Rockgirl4 When you had IT band issues, was yours aggravated by walking after just a short time? Also did it seem to start at hip and have awful pain at the side of the knee? I’m feeling so helpless right now. I’ve been rolling it, had a deep tissue massage yesterday, tens machine , but going to try and find a sports therapist that specializes in the it band/ hamstring. I just don't know what more to do but can’t believe the pain it causes. It’s been about 9 weeks now and seems there’s no relief in sight. Guess I just want to hear that it will get better in time... and also if I’m on my back and bend my knee about 30 degrees or so the pain on outside of knee is awful and the stairs going down forget about it... thanks in advance .

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jolease When mine was at its worst, and before I knew what the problem was or how to intervene early, everything aggravated it. I do mean everything!!!! I couldn't even lay on that side at night.

Biking and going down stairs were the worst though. Walking wasn't as bad, but it didn't necessarily feel good either. I honestly can't remember if going upstairs was painful or not (??)----it was too long ago with that first debilitating flare up (17 yrs maybe ?). Mine was initiated from too much sitting, too much bike riding (should have been mixing things up), plus no stretching. Now I know I have a very tight right hip, and a very loose left hip due to an accident in college----thus everything on the right side of my body has more tension/stress in it, and suffers the most with any injury/stressor.

I was also teaching full time at a college, and I was preparing all of my courses from scratch. It required a lot of sitting in one spot for hours, putting together notes and slides. Now, I still notice prolonged periods of sitting will make it tight, and that's a night I have to stretch and foam roll the IT Band a lot.

Lastly, and I don't mean to be negative, but I needed PT for 3-4 wks before I saw any lasting relief. It was a long progress with slow gains/improvements that could be offset by sitting too long in a car one weekend. Once we got 3-4 wks in though, I could maintain it with stretching. I didn't start rolling it until 5-6 yrs ago and find that workds faster and gets more lasting results. That's just me though. Also, IT Band PT did not hurt. It was absolutely wonderful once I got past the first 2-3 visits where the hot spots in the IT Band were so tender.

I hope you can get some lasting relief. IT Band pain can be absolutely miserable. I'm a side sleeper and simply couldn't put pressure on that side for months.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jolease I forgot to add that YES---the IT band pain ran the entire length of my leg, from hip to just below my knee where the band inserts at the lower leg. I think that's why I had so much trouble sleeping on that side. The worst "hot spot" though was on the side of my knee and a little above. It didn't just ache and hurt---it also burned horribly, and I avoided going down stairs at all costs. I literally thought I was going to fall. At first, I assumed it was another knee problem sending pain radiating outward---as I had already had 4 knee surgeries by that point.

 

[4quilts]

@Jolease I too have IT band issues. I am 20 months out from RTKR and 18 months out from MUA. What has helped me is @KarriB who gave me her schedule of walking. I started out in January walking 10 minutes twice a day (I did laps in my garage due to the inclement weather). I slowly, and I do mean slowly, progressed to 30 minutes twice a day. The other thing that has helped me tremendously is KT Tape. At one PT session the PT tried KT tape. The way she applied it was way too much and it was not helpful. I read @Jockette who posted a picture and about how much KT tape had helped her at one point. I watched a video on how to apply it to my leg/knee for IT band issues. At first, it felt weird but it has relieved the stiffness and pain from my IT band and makes walking comfortable. I still have issues with walking down a hill but at least I can walk down. I still cannot do foot over foot on steps and, if I am never able to, I can deal with that. I also do deep massage on my IT Band and any "hot points" (areas that are hurting) using some type of medicated salve. I do quad strengthening exercises as well. When I work in my yard, I use an Ace bandage or a brace to give my knees the added support but at least I can work in my yard. I won't say that I am without pain and stiffness totally but it is so so so much better than before. I still have days when I beg God for his help. Those days are not as frequent.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jolease After reading @4quilts reply, I remembered I also had great success with taping my IT Band years ago when it was so bad. It wasn't KT tape---just Leukotape and Cover Roll that athletic trainers use, but it was the way the PT applied it that helped take the pressure off. I bet it's all on the Internet now too.

@4quilts I'm glad walking helped your IT Band----it didn't hardly do a thing for me, and I could barely go downhill.

 

[Jockette]

I am still uncomfortable going downhill and I have to go slow. Unfortunately my driveway has a slope to it, and some of my neighbors driveways are steeper.

There are times I’m out somewhere and if the surface I’m walking on has even a slight slope that you don’t see, I’ll feel it. It makes me start to feel like I can’t control my momentum and I have to slow down right away or my momentum will take over. It’s weird.

I only used the tape a couple of times and then I got a bad rash from the tape that took 2 weeks to clear up. I think I have pictures on my thread.

I was surprised as my chiropractor had taped my back many times and I’d never had a problem but most likely the tape brands were different.

 

[Jockette]

Scroll down through these pages to see pictures. I taped my knee in a curved V with a straight piece across the bottom of the V. I did it from a video on YouTube.

My taped knee
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/my-drama-queen-patellofemoral-knee.43095/page-31

My rash from the tape
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/my-drama-queen-patellofemoral-knee.43095/page-33

 

[Jolease]

@Rockgirl4 Thank- you so much for replying it really helps when you know someone else has experienced this. Not that I’d wish it on anyone. I sure hope it improves I am going to look for someone who deals with it band issues. My hip is defiantly tight and I have started rolling it every day sometimes twice. Walking and laying on my side wich is so hard not to do are the worst. I’m a side sleeper to and that side ugh. I’ll try the tape

@4quilts Im so sorry you’ve had the issues also. It is the worst. I walk e wry day but walking for any length of time aggravates it . I’m going to first find a pt for it band and try the tape. Oh I just hope it’s not the end game it’s awful. If it’s not one thing it’s another with this knee. I don’t go downstairs foot over foot it kills the outside of my knee. I have great ROM but a lot of good that’s doing me at this point.. sigh. I appreciate all your tips and hopefully I’ll get past this road block sooner than later.

@Jockette I’ll will have a look at the video and try the tape. I’m sorry you got a reaction from it. I think stairs are a ways away for me yet.. with my partial I had no stair issues but I also didn’t have IT band problems either.

 

[4quilts]

@Jolease and @Jockette . I take my tape off every night before I go to bed. I then do the massage. I reapply the tape the next day. Today was one of those God please help me days. I was sitting a lot today doing computer work, getting up periodically to walk around. My knees did not like this at all. Sometimes I feel like screaming.

 

[Jockette]

It never occurred to me to take the tape off every night, when my chiropractor used to tape my back, I could wear it for several days. I was really surprised to react to it this time the way I did.

 

[KarriB]

@4quilts isn't it weird that the knee is bothersome on the days you’re sitting a lot? It’s exactly what I notice, even 5 years out. I don’t walk excessively, but on days I don’t walk much at all my knee is just unhappy and wonky.

Walking downhill is difficult for me at 5 years post op. There’s a section of downhill on my daily walk and I used to stop, glare down the hill before taking it on. Now, I’m able to keep a fairly regular pace going and realized that I had been walking toe to heel instead of heel to toe going down hill.