TKR Left Leg TKR shin bone pain

[Cabu]

@Wallsy I’m nine nearly ten weeks post op and to date I have done 2 official physio sessions. And that was the week directly after my surgery.

Since then I have only done stretching at home to the point of pressure never pain and only by my own force. I’ve tried to incorporate as many tasks of my normal everyday life into my recovery routine and at the start they were very few and far between. But now I’m back doing most things, driving,walking unaided all the time,all the household tasks and grocery shopping.

I still have some pain and some swelling around the knee,I take tramadol once a day and paracetamol whenever I need it. But I ice as much as I can and I try and elevate at least once a day while icing.

I don’t know what my ROM is but the movement I have in my knee now is better than it was and improves nearly everyday. The way I see my recovery is in the tasks I’m able to do with less or no pain.

You could try and give everything (physio wise) a break for a week or two and see does it make a marked difference. If you are doing nothing, only your normal everyday life activities, you will clearly be able to see an improvement or not. I think you will though and once you’ve seen less is more you can gradually ad back in some of the more gentler exercises.

Also if you can ice while at work it helps with the stiffness. A lot of the time I’m sitting I just plonk a bag of ice cubes or frozen peas on my leg(not directly on skin) and I find it just helps both pain and stiffness. I work from home so it is easier for me but I think you can get the “snap” kind of cold packs that aren’t messy at all but will do the job just the same.

 

[Sisterpat]

Great advice from Cabu! You would be better off with no formal PT, than aggressive, painful PT. It is not about the numbers.

 

[Ghostpipe]

Wallsy, my ROM was not exceptional before I found this forum and stopped over pushing it. It may be worthwhile having a few days of complete rest. I say this because I got so dispirited at around 13 weeks that I just sort of gave up, and just sat around with my legs in the air and did nothing for a few days. Best thing I could have done, as the swelling went down a lot and as if by a miracle my ROM improved massively. Since then, it’s only really good first thing when I wake up, then it gets progressively worse over the day as the knees fill up again.
If I do too much in one day, the early morning ROM is worse the next day.
Too much stress on the new joint=more swelling=worse ROM.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi Mar

wow, a lot going on with you, I hope you have turned the corner, I pray your on a steady road to recovery. Good luck, keep the forum posted, I'm interested to know how you get along.
I think i'll follow the advise in the forum and ease off on my physio, see if this swelling goes down.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi Ginger 1210 and Cabu

thanks for the words of encouragement. Ill be easing of on the physio for a few days try and get the swelling down. When i read some of the other patients situation i feel positive to get through this I hope to have 120degree flexion.

 

[Ginger1210]

Hi Wallsy that`s the key to try and stay positive it is hard when you feel as if you are not progressing as quickly as you would like. We all have bad days and good. I know my wife is sick of hearing about my knee . I have become a professional moaner. Bonesmart is the best i read other threads and know i am not alone in this recovery struggle.

 

[sistersinhim]

I'll be easing off on the physio for a few days to try and get the swelling down. When I read some of the other patients' situations I feel positive to get through this I hope to have 120degree flexion.

It will probably take more like a few weeks to get that swelling down. The inflammation needs to decrease for the swelling to decrease. That takes time. That 120 degrees will come, but it will be on your knee's timing, not yours.

You are doing really well for a little over 3 months out of a year-long recovery.

 

[Jewlz1]

Hi Smokey1

swelling has reduced massively, but my knee feels like it has a very tight donut around it at the front.
I'm seeing my surgeon next week so I will be unloading all my concerns and fears, as most of what I read advises by 12 weeks I should be able to resume normal activities, I may be paranoid but by what my NHS physio does not say, I believe she believes I'm not progressing well. I feel my condition now is a million percent worse than pre op, this could be my impatience! hope so. Its great for these forums to share experiences.

I have read about MUA and I'm wondering if I'm at that stage if my concerns are indeed scar tissue related.

Good luck and speedy recovery for you.

Hi Wallsy-it sounds to me like you're doing well. For me personally I would not bring up an MUA to the surgeon. See if they bring it up and then discuss it. Just remember your body (knee) is yours, nobody else's and you are in control of deciding what is or is not best for you.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi My fellow knee recovery friends. Thanks to all those who replied to my early posts.
I'm now 14 weeks post surgery, knee bend has improved from 85 degrees to 95 degrees, but my good hard work to get that extra 10.
Up and down stairs is coming, but still have to angle the body to avoid knee pain (stairs at home quite steep) I'm still doing home physio, Have a taught rubber band pulling my ankle, to bend the knee back, whilst sat on a chair and pulling it out again. Also using electric massage machine, then hand massage with oil.
Not sure if its working or not, NHS physio on bendex machine, but I get the feeling they want me gone now as I have 90 degree bend, they say is a functioning knee....bit of a joke.
Any one got some good physio tips? I would love to try them.
For knee straightness , sit with my heel on the chair , oven glove over knee with 4 tins of beans in let gravity do the rest.
I'm praying I can get to 115 or 120 as at the moment life sucks with the limited bend.
I'm going to try some swimming see if it helps.

After sitting down standing up, getting the leg straight is difficult and painful, limping for a short while after. Is this normal at 14 weeks........what is normal?

I have an Xray coming up and consultation with the surgeon mid August.

I have accustomed myself now to a long slow recovery, but I never thought this long, this slow and disheartening to think what the final outcome may be.

but ill keep pushing.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi My fellow knee recovery friends., error on my last post....im 18 weeks post surgery.

 

[Jockette]

but my good hard work to get that extra 10.

I'm still doing home physio, Have a taught rubber band pulling my ankle, to bend the knee back, whilst sat on a chair and pulling it out again.

For knee straightness , sit with my heel on the chair , oven glove over knee with 4 tins of beans in let gravity do the rest.

As we’ve told you before, you are working too hard on ROM and it is maintaining your swelling, which prevents the knee from bending.

There is no need to put weights on your knee to help straighten your leg, that puts undue stress on your healing knee and hinders healing.

Stop doing these stressful exercises and give your knee the privilege of sorting itself out, it will, if you let it heal gently, on its own timeframe.

Lose the Work Ethic While You Are Recovering!

Lose the Work Ethic!!! Article by Referee54 (Tim) Many of us have a tremendous work ethic---and for several reasons. I can still remember, to this day, my father saying to me on the morning of my first day on a “real job”, “Give them nine hours of work in an eight hour day.” I believe that...

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BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy

You will have noticed there is a significant opinion here about the potential hazards of PT. You may feel that your therapists are experts and know what you should be doing. However, over the last several years I've been here, I have observed that the more intensive the regimen of exercising...

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[Wallsy]

hi Jockette, are you saying I should stop physio, if I do I'm afraid I will leave it to late to get the knee movement I need.

 

[Jockette]

You don’t need to stop all the physio but hard work type physio is not necessary, like the things I highlighted above.

Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi everyone.
I was wondering if anyone has had this problem I'm having now and can offer any information or advice.
I'm 6 months post operation of left leg TKR. Recovery is progressing albeit slowly. I am now experiencing a bad sharp pain in my left hand side front shin bone. It appears after I have been walking, its painful and sharp especially when first putting my leg down. I asked my surgeon he just said yes it happens it will clear up?

Any advise, would be welcome.

Cheers

 

[MARYCOOL]

I had the same thing! I talked to my PT about it, and he massaged it, it went away, after a couple of days! It was very painful. I was happy it was fixed!
He said i had probably overdid it at PT!!

 

[Rain Dancer]

I wonder if it is shin splints? I learned a very effective exercise years ago from my trainer that has resulted in no more shin splints. Before going for a walk, while standing tap your toe 40 times while keeping your heel on the ground. Then swivel your ankle and tap your toe to the right 20 times, and then tap your toe to the left 20 times. I introduced my sister to this and she has never has shin splints again. I hope that your issue resolves.

 

[Pumpkin]

@Wallsy
I find wearing a compression sleeve on my lower leg helps with shin splints.

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.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Wallsy]

Hi MaryCool,

Thanks for your feedback and support.

I don't think its over doing physio as I have reduced what I undertake and concentrate on daily activities. It seams to be after a lot of walking? but other time just appears when I stand up.

I use a massage machine but whist good in other areas, not really helping this issue, it easily re-occurs.

 

[Wallsy]

Hi Rain Dancer,

Thanks for your feedabck and support.

Its only to the left hand side of my shin? is it shin splints? I don't know, ill certainly try your suggestion before undertaking any long walks.

Thanks

 

[Wallsy]

Hi Pumpkin,

Thanks for the advise and support, thanks for re-organising the threads, ill try keep it correct.

Cheers