TKR Pain on my kneecap

[Jaycey]

Any suggestions on how to speed up the process. I’m so tired of taking steps one at a time!

Afraid not - you just can't rush this recovery. It is not unusual to not be able to do stairs post op. Just keep trying - it will come. You are already half way there if you can go up the stairs!

 

[sistersinhim]

Any suggestions on how to speed up the process.

The best way is not to worry about it, it will come. You can not speed up your healing, the knee is going to take as long as it takes! But, if you try too hard to hurry it up, you can actually slow down that healing by causing extra inflammation, swelling, and pain. Going down the steps is always more difficult than going up them for every one of us. Just relax and you'll be able to go down those stairs before you know it.

 

[kneeper]

There really is no formula for speeding things up. And doing the down motion definitely takes longer for almost everyone. My PT said it was because of the muscles involved in that motion.

What I did as far as stairs, was to try doing a couple steps (fairly) normally each day. So basically go down stairs one foot at a time, but for the last one or two try it normally. Gradually it got a bit easier and I'd do a couple more.
At 12 weeks, I could pretty well (though not totally comfortably) do the down steps (with the railing) but I didn't do them more than once per day that way.

 

[Claire56]

@Debbie S Getting to the point of going down stairs seems to take FOREVER! It requires more range of motion than going up. So as that improves, so will being able to go down stairs.

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, Debbie!
Navigating steps toddler style will ease with time. I hope you had a nice Christmas. Sending best wishes for a great 2023!
@Debbie S

 

[EalingGran]

It is very normal!!

In my experience no amount of pain killers will completely take the pain away.

The pain will go away with time though. The feeling of tightness will go away as well! I know it sucks really bad but it can take weeks and months for it all to go away. I'm about 8 - 9 months post partial on my right knee and it STILL feels a bit tight and numb.

Totally agree. I am 10/ 11 weeks post PKR and still get tight and sore with some swelling- but definitely improving. I found an iced water machine better than any painkillers. I was also taking Naproxen ( a non-steroidal) which definitely helped.
I had been on this for months prior to surgery for pain in knee/ hip/ back. I am now trying to stop it and just use iced water.