Bilateral TKR Pain on the insides of my knees<

[AnnieC]

I can’t even nap, it’s been so terrible to sit and lie. Went to gym today (week 6) and did upper body exercises, only to have the darn left knee turn on me viciously. I didn’t DO anything with the knee!? What the heck!?!?

I’m so wrecked with pain in my hips and buttocks I can’t even concentrate on the book I’m reading .... Find myself dispiritedly flicking through my mobile phone [emoji29]


Bilateral Total Knee Replacement 27 November 2017

 

[Celle]

Annie, I'm going to ask @Josephine to advise you.

By the way, please will you delete the "Bilateral Total Knee Replacement 27 November 2017" from the bottom of your posts? We've made a signature for you that tells us that, so it's no longer necessary.
You can't see the signature on your mobile device, but it is there - you'd be able to see it on a computer or laptop.

 

[AnnieC]

I have no clue how to do that, but I’ll give it a go [emoji849]


Bilateral Total Knee Replacement 27 November 2017

 

[Josephine]

I’m so wrecked with pain in my hips and buttocks

Can you tell me the site of these pains using this chart?

After that, I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?

 

[AnnieC]

Okey dokey. Let me try this within the limits of my technology:
The pain in my side and buttocks are L1B/D and R6B/D as well as LB2 & 3, R4B and 5 going down C, D and E. Gosh, that doesn’t make sense to me; I hope it does to you! So, the sides of both hips around line D and basically the whole of the buttock area from line C to E. The buttocks are a long-standing problem as a result of too many hours spent flying. I developed an inflamed butt and it recurs every time I spend a lot of time sitting. The sides of the hips is new and is as a result of the amount of time I’ve spent prone after my knee replacements.

As to the rest of your questions, please fire away. Thanks in advance.

Although, it is now midnight here, so please don’t mind if I only reply in (my) the morning [emoji16]

 

[AnnieC]

I went for a slow saunter down the road without my elbow crutches. Went just fine. New way of balancing and keeping a straight back. Also found that I’m walking with my toes pointed slightly inward. Back and sides could feel that they’d worked at the end of the walk. Not sore, an awareness

 

[Josephine]

L1B/D and R6B/D - Gosh, that doesn’t make sense to me; I hope it does to you!

No, it doesn't make any sense because there is no L1B or R6B on the chart!

 

[Irish Joe]

My apologies.
But I think all those co-ordinates are on the hip chart @Josephine (post #84).
It's a helluva lot of butt pain for sure.
Just wondering are you doing all your upper body work in the gym standing up and if that's having an effect.
I hope things improve.
Joe.......

 

[Josephine]

only to have the darn left knee turn on me viciously. I didn’t DO anything with the knee!?

This was why I left the knee chart!

 

[AnnieC]

@Josephine RF2/D would do it, I’d say. I have some on the right knee too, but nothing like as bad as the left. Was throbbing this morning when I woke up.

 

[Josephine]

I see. Well that could be an ITB (ilio-tibial band) issue


I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?

 

[AnnieC]

Go for it @Josephine

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Also found that I’m walking with my toes pointed slightly inward

Yes, I had to learn to walk properly almost from scratch. I could balance and get along, but it wasn't correct at all. But this makes sense, the knees have been completely reconstructed and your body has to get used to it.

Back and sides could feel that they’d worked at the end of the walk

Same deal. Everything has changed. You will need to concentrate on walking to get it right.

Even now, six years later, I still take short strides and have to remind myself to step out.

 

[AnnieC]

Ok! Makes sense. Not that I do much walking yet. But that’s about to be kicked up a notch from tomorrow. I will be cautious, but this mollycoddling has to stop. Thanks Roy!

 

[Josephine]

Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?

4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?

6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Not that I do much walking yet. But that’s about to be kicked up a notch from tomorrow. I will be cautious, but this mollycoddling has to stop. Thanks Roy!

Gently does it! If you walked 200 yards yesterday, don't walk a mile today, walk 250 yards. So easy to ramp things up too fast, I bet we've pretty much all of us done that.

 

[SusieShoes]

Totally agree with Roy about how to go about your walking rehab program: just add a little distance at a time, and not necessarily every day. Make the new distance your "normal" and then add some to create a new normal.

While walking, you can spend attention on correcting your gait as well. It took me weeks to break some bad habits left over from walking with bad knees, like a tendency to hunch over and shuffle.

 

[AnnieC]

Hunched over is a bad one for me, Roy. And remembering not to walk stiff-legged like a stork [emoji16]

 

[AnnieC]

@ Josephine:
1. Pain level about a 2 - mainly on this funny soft tissue pain on the insides of my knees. Night time pain can go up to a 4. Not bad really for 6 weeks?

2. I no longer use any prescription meds. Panadol x 1000 x 3 per day

3. Swelling is moderate, vacillating from one knee to the other as to severity.

4. Because I’ve not seen a PT or have any other way of exactly measuring my ROM, I can but say that right knee is WELL beyond 90 and left knee not so much. The biggest stumbling block being the swelling and the pulling on the scars.

5. I elevate at least 3x per day for an hour, usually icing at the same time.

7. Activity level is minimal. I can’t sit on a chair for any extended period, so I mostly spend my time pottering upstairs, reading lots. My DH and my daughter are my policemen and housekeepers.

8. Exercise I do just about 0 of no PT. Some leg extensions only to where I’m comfortable, knee raises when I remember. I do some upper body weight lifting from a seated position. Has stood me in good stead when it comes to manoeuvring myself in and out of said chairs.

 

[AnnieC]

@rickj - I remember my Disney experience being hugely impacted by pain. This was before my hip or knee replacements. I am SO looking forward to going for a brisk walk again! Soon!