TKR More pain when I stand after being off my knee for a while

[ElanorG]

My legs itched too. I found that a little bit of shea butter on my legs at night and then back on with the TEDs and the itching stopped.

 

[sandyb]

Thanks! I'll give it a try!

 

[1ELISEA]

Great report sandyb!
Glad you are feeling better.

 

[1ELISEA]

My legs itched too. I found that a little bit of shea butter on my legs at night and then back on with the TEDs and the itching stopped.

I will tag Josephine and ask her if this is ok on a new uncovered incision. My OS was freakish about keeping the incision clean and nothing on or near it (like cocoa butter) until it was healed. And she might have an idea about the itching.

 

[ElanorG]

I did not put the shea butter anywhere near the incision, although I had a waterproof covering on it initially. But the backs of my legs, and down on my calf. My PT used some sort of lotion to do deep tissue work on my first PT session so I figured my own cream was fine too, as long as it was not close to the wound. There is no problem with that.

 

[skigirl]

Sandyb---you are doing therapy every day with a pt. then the exercises again that day. Then some other things five or six times a day PLUS the cpm---wow, that sounds like too much to me. Once a day is plenty for exercises.

And, I also agree that the cpm aggravated both my knee and my back. My OS said that after you have 90 rom, it is of absolutely no use whatsoever. so, I never used one since I had 90 in the hospital. It hurt both my back and my knee when I used it after an ACL, so I was not anxious to repeat that deadly lying there with my leg moving!!!

You are doing a lot of exercises--be careful that your swelling does not increase. If it does, slack off and ice and elevate more!! You are only 10 days out from major surgery, give your body a chance to rest.

I also got the ted hose easily---in fact, the top of it fell down over my knee lots of times, which was silly. I needed a garter belt!!! Maybe you have the wrong size? KElly

 

[Josephine]

I am taking Percoset - 2 tablets every hours during the day and one tablet at night.

Sandy that doesn't really help. I need to know the dosage and you forgot to say how many hours apart during the day.

I have some more questions to ask you:
1. how often are you icing your knee?
2. how often and how whigh are you elevating your leg?
4. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping and PT?

My guess is that with the CPM you are doing too much and that your pain meds are inadequate, but we shall see.

 

[sandyb]

I am taking Oxycodone-APAP 5mg/325mg two tablets every four hours. My PT is here 5 days a week and then I do her exercises one other time during the day. She isn't having me do any of the exercises any extra times anymore. My CPM is set at 120 and I use it 3 times a day for 2 hours each time. I walk around the house and sometimes outside several times during the day. I don't do any housework or cooking or anything like that. I use my ice chest whenever I'm down (on machine, elevating my leg, etc) and at night. I elevate my leg to where my knee is is higher than my nose. With pain meds and at rest, my pain level is minimal. I have very little swelling. I'm happy with where I am at only 11 days post-op. my incision still has stitches in it until Monday morning and is completely covered with a bandage, but I am careful not to get any lotions close to it.

 

[kneeper]

You probably don't need to use the cpm so much--or at all anymore.

 

[sandyb]

Three weeks post-op now and doing great! I am going to PT at the hospital now, 3 days a week. My knee now bends to 125 degrees, which is where my OS wants it to be, so that's good. Really my only issue now is lower back pain, which my therapist said is pretty common. Anybody else had that? And what did you do for it? My therapist had me stop using my cane in the house the beginning of this week, but use the cane elsewhere.

 

[katydid3]

I developed lower back pain that became quite uncomfortable. I was told it was because we are walking differently and our muscles can complain. I just used a heating pad.

 

[sandyb]

Thanks! I kind of thought that might be the case.

 

[Krynn49]

I had the same low back pain. My PT suggested I do a couple of the stretch exercises that I do for my tkr leg. They seemed to help

 

[1ELISEA]

Three weeks post-op now and doing great! I am going to PT at the hospital now, 3 days a week. My knee now bends to 125 degrees, which is where my OS wants it to be, so that's good. Really my only issue now is lower back pain, which my therapist said is pretty common. Anybody else had that? And what did you do for it? My therapist had me stop using my cane in the house the beginning of this week, but use the cane elsewhere.

Checking in to see how you are doing sandyb. Has the lower back resolved? Are you still doing PT?

Wow, 125 degrees ROM at 3 weeks is fantastic!