knee pain 7 weeks post op

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alanroy

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Can anyone out there please let me know if they have experienced the same.

I am posting this on behalf of my dad who unfortunately doesnt have a computer but on searching through trying to throw some light on his problems I came across this rather good web site.

He is 69 years old and is approx 7 weeks post THR. He is becoming very depressed largely I think because of the continued pain he is in and the lack of sleep which in turn doesnt help the fact that he hasnt got much of an appetite.

He is no longer having problems with the hip but has pain behind both knees and says the only relief he gets is when lying down. Although there is no swelling he says it feels like there is something inside that is almost stopping him bending his knees. He is practically in tears with the pain but the hospital/doctor said just give it time and really gave him no explanation as to why this should be happening. This knee pain has almost been there from the beginning of his recovery and now he is at his wits end. Is there anyone out there with any suggestions - please!
 
Alanroy, I'm sorry your Dad is having this problem. It's so hard to bear with pain and it seems no one is taking you seriously. A couple of months ago, I remember someone posted about knee pain after hip replacement. There are a couple of reasons: one is how the doctor puts the stem in the thighbone and the other might be the stress your Dad's knees took while he was trying to get up from a seated position after surgery. He may even have arthritis, and the THR has aggravated it. Try clicking on "Search" and type "knee pain after THR". Your post is first, followed by many others. If you have time try it.

Otherwise, there are many people in the forum that have had knee pain after surgery. I did initially, especially once I got home and tried getting out of my bed. But, the pain went away quickly and I've not had any problems since.

I hope you, your Dad and the docs can figure this out and get your dad some help. My prayers are with you.
 
thank you very much in taking the time to reply - i will pass your comments on to dad and check out the pages you suggested. Take care
 
Alanroy,
sooo sorry to hear about your dads pain but I can totally relate! I have had the same problem and I am not at 9 weeks post op. I described my pain to the doctor as feeling like my knee was swollen though it didn't seem to be. Even now, if I bend my knee all the way, it still feels tight. One of my PT's suggested it may be related to the muscles and nerves that run down the whole back of your leg that are now a little longer and a little out of alignment since the surgery. I have been regularly stretching that leg to see if that would help and although the pain has significantly decreased, i still have the feeling of that knee being swollen when I bend it.
 
Alan - some things come to mind:
- has he discussed this pain problem with his GP?
- what is your father regime for painmeds? Is he still taking them? If so, what and how often?
- has he tried icing and/or heat to relieve his pain?
- has he considered trying a TENS machine?
- has he asked the advice of a physiotherapist?
 
- has he considered trying a TENS machine?

What IS a TENS machine, & what is its purpose? I think I've seen other clients @ PT use it.
Thanks

Joyce
 
It's Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator - a little portable gismo that uses some gel/adhesive pads to send a small electrical current through the tissues around the painful area and make the neurones in your nerves fire, thereby interrupting the pain message going to your brain.

It's harmless (some exclusions apply), non-invasive, uses no drugs and is VERY effective. I've used one for years for back, shoulders, sciatica and neck pains. Would be without it. I also used it on my knee after I had an arthroscopy which got me back to work!

You can read more detail here. I got mine off Ebay for a modest sum.
 
Not to be confused with the equipment used by PTs. That's similar but different. PT's version is higher powered and does some other things I believe - can't speak too much to that as they aren't used much in the UK.
 
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