MUA knee so stiff<<

bland9

graduate
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Hello All
This is my first post to the forum though I have been reading and getting personal strength with all I have read on how others have coped with there own knee replacement, the reason for my first post is that I'm now into my 3rd week on my left TKR , my pain is decreasing though my leg and knee is so stiff its though I got a tight lead band around my knee and its difficult to bend, walking still difficult, what I ask is this normal for this amount of time in my recovery period, I am wondering if I will be able to bend the knee again silly I know but it does make one think
 
Hi welcome to BoneSmart
is this normal for this amount of time in my recovery period
YES! Stiffness can continue for a long time, please don't worry.

Yes you will be able to bend your knee, the key thing now is not to push it and let recovery happen all by itself. The guidelines go into detail about that...
 
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs

Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling

Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery

Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
The tight band you are feeling is normal, and will go away with time.
"Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee

You may want to slow down and concentrate on letting your knee heal. What your knee needs right now is Rest, Ice, Elevate, and Medicate on schedule as prescribed.
This recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take a year or more to fully heal, though most start to feel better around 3 months, some sooner, some later.
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
 
I'm at four months and my knees bend fine now, but I still feel the tight "band" thing across the top of my knee. It is decreasing bit by bit but like this whole recovery, it takes ever so long and I want it now. ;) It will feel better.. not soon.. but it will.
 
I agree that you should take it easy and let your knee heal then worry about PT. The tightness takes a while to go away, but it is normal. If would be abnormal to not have that tight band feeling!
 
Be patient. Follow the BoneSmart guidelines. Tincture of time is a miracle medication! You may find less is best as far as exercise, PT and activities other than your personal ADLs. Good luck and keep us posted!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
 
It is still very hard to bend and walk so spending most time resting on bed and doing exercises cannot bend it to any degree though trying with gentle exercises though even with this it is not improving seems worse now then while in hospital. leg also feels like its burning with pins and needles, though one small surprise today is that for the first time I can lift the OP leg up independently though with a lot of pain and leg seems to be filled with lead weights,
 
Hi All
Hope all are doing well , just a quick question here again- when can a person have a Bath after knee surgery - has here in my old house I got no shower just a old fashion bath :chinstroke:
 
Not until your incision is fully healed, no scabs, 100% healed. Best you call and ask your OS office, you are still very early in recovery and do not want to risk infection.
Suggest you obtain a hand held shower head to bathe. Some are available that will fit over your shower faucet.

Please post your surgery date, a moderator will add it to you signature. You surgery date will help us advise you properly.
 
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
 
@bland9
What date did you have your knee replacement?

As Pumpkln said, you shouldn't immerse your knee in water until the incision is completely healed, with no open areas or scabs. To do so earlier risks introducing infection.

Is there any chance you could buy a hand.held shower attachment that will fit over your bath taps? amazon.co. uk has one like this, for 12 pounds 49 p.

aimages_na.ssl_images_amazon.com_images_I_41aUlonenwL.jpg
 
My Operation and new knee was done on the 3rd of June 2017 so still very new all the bandages and plasters are off - thinking of buying bath seat and the hand held shower unit is a good idea , silly why I did not think of it , but many thanks for the suggestion which I will be buying soon
 
Hi @bland9, I'm in UK too and all the info I received prior to op and afterwards from physio stated that on no account were you to try having a bath until 12 weeks post op. It was nothing to do with scar but more to do with not putting any force on the new knee getting out of the bath, showering was fine immediately post op as the dressing is waterproof
 
Hello
Just yesterday I was asking the forum about the very tight band feeling again mentioned how it bugged me to no end, wanted to know if it goes away suddenly or slowly. Slowly and in several months is the general reply.
My LTKR was 3 days before yours so we're at a similar stage of healing.
Sometimes I can sit almost normal (for about 20 minutes) at around 80° flexion. But slides while prone nuh-uh. It hurts at 60. :swoon:
Because I strained a thigh muscle on operated leg on day 8, sitting up and down is quite painful as is walking more than 200m (with crutches).
"Patient patients" said the doctor.
Am elevating and icing as I write. Join me!
 
It's quite normal to not be able to get as good of a bend while laying down than what we do sitting up. Those in-bed slides are mainly for loosening up the knee. Don't let PT measure you that way. It's not fair! Measure it while sitting up.
 
With this tight and painful bending do anyone else feel like if you bend it to far it feels like I going to pull the stitches and scar apart this worry me don't want to pull it all apart. strange how all of sudden I developing a health anxiety associated with the TKR
 
Oh geez yes! I asked each of the nurses, I even asked OS this on his every visit and again in an email. Asked Physiotherapist too. Almost an obsessive worry. (But I have a reason. long story. 30 years ago I had an abdominal incision that opened up at one end, two stitches, and I completely freaked out. It happened while I slept.)
Each time I was told it is so very, very rare.
Just don't push it and do the Bone smart guidelines.
 
It is very easy to become preoccupied with every little thing while you're recovering. I know I was "all knee, all the time." :heehee: But that's what's so helpful about coming here and seeing that we all share similar stories.

While the knee is swollen it will feel like a stuffed sausage about to burst for a while. ;) Some of us also talk about these early days as the "log leg" phase. Very normal.
 

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