TKR My post-op thread

[tigz]

The thing about the ODIC? You never know you've joined until it's too late! ;-)

sent from my Galaxy 4

 

[kmann]

Ok peeps, so now I'm getting really frustrated. Feel like the knee is doing really well, still have swelling I do too much for the most part I can get around pretty well. But now this hip pain is kicked into overdrive. It started kind of lateral and posterior in the butt area, have had some nerve type pain off and on from it. It seemed to really hit when I was doing leg presses on the machine, or heel sides. . it would shoot an electrical nerve pain into the arch of my foot. So they thought maybe I had weak hip muscles at therapy, yesterday they started me doing a little bit of hip strengthening.. I had to lay on my side affected hip up, bend the bottom knee keep the affected leg straight, move the affected leg posterior to the body a little bit, and then do like a lateral leg raise. So today I not only have the pain in the butt area of the hip, but I also have pain in the anterior lateral area of the hip. When I walk my hip is absolutely killing me, knee feels pretty good though, anybody else have problems like this what should I do?

 

[KarriB]

Did the PT look at your gait to see if that could be causing the pain? If you think you're doing too much, you may be putting too much stress on your hip while walking.

 

[kmann]

Yeah, they r trying to figure it out, I know I walk strange and have for probably at least 25 years. Its just so frustrating, seems like I get one problem lined out, and bam heres a new one. I had some hip pain prior to TKR... and had some of that same pain right after surgery. But this pain is completely different, and just really started Tuesday. We did figure out though Friday at therapy, some of the exercises that are supposed to be working my quad, I was unknowingly using my butt muscles instead of the quad and didn't even know it. The leg press machine for example, the quad should be firing especially when I get to full extension and it wasn't at all. They would hook me to electrical stim to try to do quad sets and I was squeezing my butt and the quad was barely even firing, if it even wss at all. But now that I realize the difference I have noticed I am able to get the quad to fire. So I don't know if it was just that I was using that buttock muscle so much but that's what got it fired up. But we gotta figure this out!

 

[tigz]

It's interesting how the body compensates, isn't it? The PT has noted recently that I compensate for my quad weakness with my hip flexors and the gluteal muscles, depending on what exercise I'm doing. It took them a while to figure that out!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[KarriB]

Patience is needed for hips, butts and knees, I guess! So it could be what you were doing in PT or maybe your gait?

 

[Braunzie]

@kmann - Good luck figuring out and fixing what's going on. So sorry to hear about your added pain.. hang in there!!

 

[Jamie]

Let me tag @alexthecat. She is our exercise expert.

I do know one thing to watch when you are using a leg press machine. Be sure you never, ever get your knees straight out or locked. You always want to keep a slight bend in the joint when doing the extension motion.

Please consider that this may be a case where you need to pull back and let your sore muscles heal before attempting new or strenuous exercises. Any time you are in pain, it's a signal to stop....not to exercise more to relieve it.

 

[KarriB]

Just wondering how you're getting along with back to school activities...hope the shopping trips aren't too much for you.

 

[kmann]

Hey there @KarriB....Thanks for checking on me!!! We went to Lake of the Ozarks Saturday, to the outlet mall. Its an outlet where you can drive right to each store front, so that helped. Got all the shopping done! Ready for 1st day next Wednesday. I have been getting out and about more. ...but that has meant increase in swelling. Also over the last week the swelling has included my lower leg, which is new, used to be confined to the knee, and I would get a big baseball size area of swelling above and lateral to knee cap. ..which still comes, but with the added lower leg swelling. I still feel like I should be further along (9 weeks) out now, my inner quad muscle doesn't want to work, I can hardly do a quad set at all, and can't do a straight leg raise, knee has to flex about 5 degrees before I can lift. But I am at 119 and 0 for motion. Notice I can get up from a chair and take off much easier, but boy of Im shopping, or standing for long, knee gets really stiff, have to stand and do some hamstring curls to loosen it back up. Also, is it normal for me to think the knee "feels wierd", or not quite right when I walk, its not pain, almost feels like it doesnt bend "straight" if that makes any sense..hubby says it probably because its finally working right!!! LOL Its so nice to be back to cooking most of the meals, and going places with the family again. We just got in from watching the meteor shower, it was amazing, and great family time!! Hope all is well with everyone!!

 

[Raffs]

I'm 3 weeks behind you but experiencing similar issues - I'm trying to increase my activities but then end up with more swelling. Like you, I feel I should be further along, think this is a common feeling during this recovery! I was out for lunch on Tuesday and when I stood up to leave my knee was as stiff as a tree trunk! My knee feels weird too, it moves differently and not how I would expect it to. Sorry I can't offer any practical advice, just wanted to say that you are not alone in your frustration!

 

[KarriB]

Remember 12 weeks is the usual time off from work, my OS suggested that also. Even when I went back part time at 12 weeks I still had to come home to ice and elevate and you're at week 9. In the beginning it felt weird to walk, I think because I wasn't walking straight legged or arcing my leg out so I wouldn't bend the knee. I know they say once you can do straight leg raises it isn't necessary, but even now I do them to keep my quads strong, because I feel they're a bit weak. Plus when I do them I can feel it pull my core, which has to be a good thing!

Your numbers are good, but I'm betting the swelling is just from spending so much time on your leg with cooking, shopping etc. I know life must go on, but when you're done cooking ice and elevate while someone else cleans up. But I am glad to hear things are a bit better for you and you're enjoying time with your family.

 

[janetg]

Is the hip pain the same side as the operated knee?

 

[cpd599]

I'm only 3 weeks out, but my swelling is mainly in the same area and under my knee cap. It seems that as I'm able to move more, I feel like a "clunking" sometimes. My PT says until the swelling goes down, the implant won't function 100% as it should. Does/has anybody experienced pain across the middle of the knee and knee cap when bending? When I do some of my PT exercises, I feel the pain until I flex thru that position. She gave me a new exercise to just stand and bend my knee up behind me, and it hurts. I told her I'm going to take it easy with those and she said try them every once in a while. I'm gonna avoid pain after my little setback.

 

[CATSMUM]

Yep, l certainly have experienced pain in that area, especially in the early days, it is settling but is still a little sore. If you watch what they do to you when they operate, that would probably explain why you're getting that type of pain.

 

[kmann]

Yes hip pain same side as knee..it has gotten a bit better, but as I swell, it seems to aggravate the hip, thinks its how I walk when swollen. Also my quads especially the medial, are not wanting to work, so they think I am compensating with other muscles, that are getting aggravated.

 

[Celle]

I still feel like I should be further along (9 weeks) out now

I'm 3 weeks behind you but experiencing similar issues - I'm trying to increase my activities but then end up with more swelling. Like you, I feel I should be further along,

Neither of you should be further along. You're both doing fine and progressing normally.

I know it's hard to be patient, but patience does pay off big time in the long run.

 

[cpd599]

Compensating. I think of my Pre-Op pain. Always compensating just to get thru the day!
Sounds like you have good people working on it. hang in there, it will all work itself out.

 

[kmann]

K, so I know Im still early in recovery at 9 weeks, and I still have ALOT of swelling at times....at approximately what point did you really start to notice it going away/ being completely gone

 

[KarriB]

I still noticed swelling when I went back to teaching at week 12. Not a lot, but enough to notice, so I worked mornings and iced in the afternoon. It really depended on how long I was standing or walking. The more I stood or walked the more it would swell. I'd say around week 18 there was no swelling and I say that because that was when I went back to full time with little icing.