TKR New TKR
- Thread starter Kerious1
- Start date
Kerious1
new member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2024
- Messages
- 2
- Age
- 63
- Country
United States
- Gender
- Female
I am coming up on week #6 of recovery. As I continue to heal, I must decide whether to get my other knee replacement this year or wait.
The main issue I struggle with is throbbing night pain. Do others experience pain just under the skin around the incisio?
The main issue I struggle with is throbbing night pain. Do others experience pain just under the skin around the incisio?
Hi and Welcome!
6 weeks is still early days in this recovery. Many times increased pain at night means we are doing more activity during the day than our healing knee is ready for. What activities are you doing during the day?
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.
Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.
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:
3. Do what you want to do BUT
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
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 the 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 the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
6 weeks is still early days in this recovery. Many times increased pain at night means we are doing more activity during the day than our healing knee is ready for. What activities are you doing during the day?
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.
Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.
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
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
If you want to use something to help heal the incision,
BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.
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. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
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 the 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 the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
Welcome to BoneSmart, @Kerious1!
We have quite a few members who have done their TKRs just a few months apart. A benefit of doing this is that you basically have one continuous recovery and then get back to life rather than two recoveries. I'm sure some of those members will stop by to share their recovery stories.
I waited. After my first (right) TKR in 2021 I noticed that, as I healed and began to bear more weight on the surgical leg, my left knee improved -- I guess because it didn't have to carry all of the load any longer. Of course, I did eventually need to have it replaced (December 2023) and am now in recovery from that second TKR. One benefit of waiting was that I was able to look back on my first recovery and know that it would get better with time.
This is a very personal decision that depends upon the condition of that other knee, the amount of pain your are experiencing and your lifestyle.
We have quite a few members who have done their TKRs just a few months apart. A benefit of doing this is that you basically have one continuous recovery and then get back to life rather than two recoveries. I'm sure some of those members will stop by to share their recovery stories.
I waited. After my first (right) TKR in 2021 I noticed that, as I healed and began to bear more weight on the surgical leg, my left knee improved -- I guess because it didn't have to carry all of the load any longer. Of course, I did eventually need to have it replaced (December 2023) and am now in recovery from that second TKR. One benefit of waiting was that I was able to look back on my first recovery and know that it would get better with time.
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