TKR Numb feet

Babybaby

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I am nine days out from my TKR and am having trouble with numbness and tingling in my feet. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
 
Welcome! Yes, I had numbness following my surgeries. There was a lot of stress on the tendons and nerves during surgery. It takes quite a while for them to recover.

How is everything else going?
 
I guess everything else is going well. I had my surgery April 3rd and quit taking the oxy codon on April 8. I'm not sure if I might have done that a little soon. I'm only taking Tylenol now. 500mg every 4-6 hours. Worried that I'm taking too much Tylenol but I don't know. PT is going well.I only have two more home visits. My biggest complaint besides the numb feet is insomnia. I am exhausted but can not get any sleep. Is this normal?
 
Unfortunately, yes. And it can last for months. I found taking Tylenol PM before bed did help some. It is very difficult to find a comfortable position. I nap through the day in my chair which helps me function enough to tend to a few household tasks.
 
My biggest complaint besides the numb feet is insomnia. I am exhausted but can not get any sleep. Is this normal?
Totally normal.
I am not a great sleeper anyway but my sleep pattern is only back to my normal at about 5 months. Any pain interfered with my sleep.
I would recommend asking your GP for some sleeping medication. My GP was OK with giving me a month's worth of zopiclone. Accepted that knee surgery was a very valid indication! I used it sparingly and also used valerian ( herbal nytol) melatonin and a sedative antihistamine. Switching around meant I didn't get tolerance.
I am back travelling and have saved some zopiclone for nights away.
 
@Babybaby Welcome to BoneSmart and the other side of surgery! What are you feeling is totally normal. All these symptoms will ease with time and patience.

Please read the article below about sleep issues. Unfortunately it is all part of this recovery. Nap during the day when you can.

KNEE RECOVERY 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.

If you want to use something to assist with healing and scar management, 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.

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
the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
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.
 
Welcome to Bonesmart! It is pretty early to be off of prescription meds. Many use Tramadol as a step-down pain med. You can take that with Tylenol which adds to the pain relief.
 
Eleven days since surgery. Progress is two steps forward one step back. Only need Tylenol for pain but the fatigue and restlessness is very overwhelming. Also feel very depressed even though I think I'm do going ok. PT has been gentle and I think I'm making progress but pretty sore when nighttime comes around. It has been helpful reading other people's posts. Thank you for sharing.
 
It’s all about the baby steps. I remember after my first replacement how excited I was when some little thing like being able move “the log” without using the foot strap or being able to stand while my morning cup of coffee brewed without having to sit down made me so happy!!

How’s the numbness in your feet?
 
@Babybaby I too had trouble sleeping sfter my TKR. From someone that had two shoulder surgeries who could sleep (ok with Oxi) for about 5-6 hours straight the day after surgery. With my knee, I only napped through the night and day. Ir was around the 6th week where I was elated to get a five hour sleep session! Whoohooo. Around the 7th week I started taking Tylenol PM. I still am taking it as it seems to help when I move in my sleep.
 
Thanks for the feedback. It's good to know I'm not alone with this sleep thing.
 
So today is day 14 since surgery. My ROM was at 90 yesterday but has gone backwards today to 84. Should this concern me? I'm feeling very defeated. What am I doing wrong? I also have more swelling today than before.
 
More swelling --> less RoM. Decreasing swelling will improve RoM.

At 14 days you have barely started the healing and your recovery. Maybe you are doing too much and not icing and elevating enough?

Also, there are day to day variations that just happen. At 14 days, rest, ice elevation and easy motion is the ticket to getting the swelling down, healing from surgery, and improving RoM.

If your doctor approves, maybe an NSAID to reduce inflammation? I was given Celebrex after some of my surgeries and it really seemed to help.
 
@Babybaby You are only 14 days out. Please do not worry about ROM. Ice, elevate, meds and rest. Did you the article I left above? Now is the time to baby that knee!
 
Thank you for getting me out of my spiral. I'm just being so impatient and I know that is a bad thing. I have read and reread the article. I feel like I'm going to do something wrong and I just want to do everything right. Thanks for your help.
 
So today is day 14 since surgery. My ROM was at 90 yesterday but has gone backwards today to 84. Should this concern me? I'm feeling very defeated. What am I doing wrong? I also have more swelling today than before.
You answered your question yourself. You are more swollen so you can't bend as well. As the swelling goes down, your bend will get better. But, you will have up and down days. This is normal. That is why it's called a rollercoaster recovery.
 
Yes I too have numb foot - around my ankle and around my heel like a band. It gets worse and radiates down my instep when my leg is flat with my heel touching even the softest surface. I am 7 weeks post tkr. When I lie on my side with a pillow between my legs it eases and when I’m standing up with my soles flat on the floor it eases. My sleep is terrible as I have to dangle my foot over the edge of a pillow or over the edge of the bed when on my back. I’m worried this will never get better. My knee itself is great. Extension is perfect and rom going well as I can go up and down stairs, get in and out of the car easily etc. I do still have some swelling around the knee and still a dull ache in my knee and calf so I’m hoping when that goes the numbness will also go. Is there anyone out there who has had the foot numbness which has got better and how long it lasted. So helpful to know I’m not the only one with this very annoying and uncomfortable problem.
 
Day 16. Feet still numb and tingly. Got my staples out yesterday and the incision looks good. Still doing gentle therapy. But today my knee is so swollen and stiff I can hardly move it at all. Pain is manageable but I'm just really uncomfortable. Should I be concerned about the stiffness and swelling. I have been icing and elevating all day. Any other tips?
 
today my knee is so swollen and stiff I can hardly move it at all.
Evidently, you have done something your knee doesn't like and has reacted with increased inflammation. Even if you haven't added any movements, you could have moved wrong while asleep. I found that explained some of my morning's angry knee.
I have been icing and elevating all day. Any other tips?
Continue to do this, plus no exercising or PT until your knee settles back down. When a knee is this angry exercising will have negative results, making it even more inflamed.
 

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