TKR Question About Using Heat
- Thread starter imjustme62
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imjustme62
junior member
I agree, it's not fair to those who actually need the pain meds.
We shouldn’t have to argue with people over our pain levels either. I know what I’m feeling and experiencing. I’m the one doing the PT and most importantly I know my body better than some nasty nurse who just met me a month ago.
My PT called my doctor’s office yesterday as the Tramadol isn’t doing much to cut the pain. We’ll see what happens.
Have you ever had your soft tissue massage? OMG I had that done yesterday to break up some of the scar tissue. The word massage you’re thinking how nice this is going to feel….Yeah, not so much! Not doing that again for a long time!
kmak81230
post-grad
Hi Imjustme62: Hang in there - the massage should not be painful either (at least according to my PT). They should ask you how you are feeling throughout and stop if you are in pain. I have what I call mild discomfort in the massage, but no pain.
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imjustme62
junior member
Well, my doctor’s office said if I’m still having pain and swelling over the next 3 – 4 days they want me back in the office because the nurse said something might now be right.
I’m totally freaking out right now because I’m not sure what is going to happen now.
I have to take Advil along with the Tramadol and see if that helps.
I’m totally freaking out right now because I’m not sure what is going to happen now.
I have to take Advil along with the Tramadol and see if that helps.
Nope it was more than mild discomfort....LOL
PT should not be hurting you like it is. All the activities you are doing is showing that you really don't need PT anymore. Many of us on here never took PT or did exercises. As long as you do your daily living activities, your knee is getting all the PT is needs. That's all I did after 11 knee surgeries and my knees turned out just fine!
Your knee is stiff and painful because it's swollen and it's swollen because it has been through a major surgery that caused a lot of trauma. Instead of doing lots of exercises now, you need to concentrate on helping to reduce the swelling, with as much rest, ice and elevation as you can manage.
You already have good ROM for 4 weeks, so you shouldn't worry about it.
Your knee is stiff and painful because it's swollen and it's swollen because it has been through a major surgery that caused a lot of trauma. Instead of doing lots of exercises now, you need to concentrate on helping to reduce the swelling, with as much rest, ice and elevation as you can manage.
You already have good ROM for 4 weeks, so you shouldn't worry about it.
Red's Mom
graduate
I had pain and took medications for at least 8-10 weeks. For me (don't compare) 8 weeks out seemed to be a big turning point and by 12-16 weeks I was falling in love with my new knees. I can't believe the "nurse" is giving you so much gruff. My guess is she is not truly a RN or she has some huge gaps in her education. Have you tried the scheduled Tramadol/Tylenol? that really worked well for me starting about 4 weeks post op but I also didn't aggravate the pain with PT. Consider following the mantras 100% they do work. You can't work on this healing only wait and do the right things to limit swelling and inflammation. Good luck with your continued recovery.
@Red's Mom
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imjustme62
junior member
Hello everyone~! 
Yesterday was my 1-month anniversary for my TKR – I’m making progress, although it’s slow.
I look back and see things that I can do now that I couldn’t do when I got home from the hospital. So, my thinking is anything that moves me forward on healing and better mobility is a good thing.
The calf on my surgery leg is so tight and sore. My question is, has anyone used heat and not ice to relax the muscles in the calf area?
I figure I over did it a bit a couple of days ago and that’s why I’m having an issue with the calf hurting.
At least the tight band feeling is gone from my knee, which is a relief!
Now if I can get the calf to loosen up, I’ll be happy. 
Yesterday was my 1-month anniversary for my TKR – I’m making progress, although it’s slow.
I look back and see things that I can do now that I couldn’t do when I got home from the hospital. So, my thinking is anything that moves me forward on healing and better mobility is a good thing.
The calf on my surgery leg is so tight and sore. My question is, has anyone used heat and not ice to relax the muscles in the calf area?
I figure I over did it a bit a couple of days ago and that’s why I’m having an issue with the calf hurting.
At least the tight band feeling is gone from my knee, which is a relief!
Now if I can get the calf to loosen up, I’ll be happy. 
newlybionic
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If you are having pain in your calf you should give your OS a call. You might have a blood clot there and it's best to be safe. If there is no clot you can use warmth there but just don't use it on your knee as that will increase swelling.
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You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you
Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
- That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
- If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
- Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you
Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
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imjustme62
junior member
It seems much better today, thanks everyone!
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imjustme62
junior member
Yesterday was a bad day. I had a total meltdown and just bawled and bawled.
I guess I’m a bit fearful that I’m never going to be able to meet the surgeon’s expectations and he hurts me my bending or straightens my knee. My next visit is the 7th of September.
See, I had that happen to me the day of my discharge from the hospital. The guy came from PT and he had me lay on the bed and push down trying to straighten the knee. I felt the pain and told him, that’s all I got. He replied “There’s always more” and shoved my knee down onto the sheet, which caused so much pain.
I began crying and he just looked at me like I was crazy and had me sit on the side of the bed and took a plastic bag and put under my foot and told me to slide my foot back as far as I could. Once again, I did that until I felt pain and he took and pushed my leg to the edge of the bed. Once again, I burst out in tears.
Then the
made me walk way too far all the way to the PT room to teach me how to go up and down the stairs. At least from there I was able to get into a wheelchair and ride back to my room.
Don’t worry, I did report him, and plan on telling my doctor when I see him on the 7th of September. I plan on telling him about his nurse as well as I caught her in a lie the other day.
If you do something wrong just own it, don't lie to me.
I’m taking the Tramadol and Advil and really not using much of the Tramadol, as it doesn’t do much anyway.
I guess I’m a bit fearful that I’m never going to be able to meet the surgeon’s expectations and he hurts me my bending or straightens my knee. My next visit is the 7th of September.
See, I had that happen to me the day of my discharge from the hospital. The guy came from PT and he had me lay on the bed and push down trying to straighten the knee. I felt the pain and told him, that’s all I got. He replied “There’s always more” and shoved my knee down onto the sheet, which caused so much pain.
I began crying and he just looked at me like I was crazy and had me sit on the side of the bed and took a plastic bag and put under my foot and told me to slide my foot back as far as I could. Once again, I did that until I felt pain and he took and pushed my leg to the edge of the bed. Once again, I burst out in tears.
Then the
made me walk way too far all the way to the PT room to teach me how to go up and down the stairs. At least from there I was able to get into a wheelchair and ride back to my room.Don’t worry, I did report him, and plan on telling my doctor when I see him on the 7th of September. I plan on telling him about his nurse as well as I caught her in a lie the other day.
If you do something wrong just own it, don't lie to me.I’m taking the Tramadol and Advil and really not using much of the Tramadol, as it doesn’t do much anyway.
Instead of taking Advil (which is an anti-inflammatory drug, not really a pain-killer, and can have some dangerous side-effects), have you tried taking Tylenol in combination with Tramadol? That usually works very well, as long as you take effective doses.
Here are a couple of charts that suggest the doses to take. The first one is for 4-hourly and the second one is for 6-hourly.
Make sure that your dosage of Tylenol doesn't exceed 4,000 mg in 24 hours, including Tylenol in any other medicines you're taking.
Jennszoo
post-grad
That PT sounds awful. Sadly, if I reported that to my OS, hed prob cheer him on. My surgeon is very much a "no pain, no gain" guy. Sigh. Good surgeon, so I'll take that and ignore the rest.
I really started feeling better around week 9-10 with my first knee. Not perfect, but I wasn't thinking about the knee constantly. I'm still waiting to turn that next corner with my second knee. It's still a crabby brat and gets swollen if I do too much of anything. But I'm just at 6.5 weeks right now.
I really started feeling better around week 9-10 with my first knee. Not perfect, but I wasn't thinking about the knee constantly. I'm still waiting to turn that next corner with my second knee. It's still a crabby brat and gets swollen if I do too much of anything. But I'm just at 6.5 weeks right now.
Oh my, I remember those days at 4 weeks that I beat myself up for agreeing to this surgery especially when my PT got too aggressive! And I shed tears along the way as well.
I will echo the others. It does get better albeit WAY more slowly than anyone anticipated or likes.
At 6 weeks I had days where I could see the dim light at the end of the tunnel and now at almost 14 weeks I am having more good days than bad. My new knee feels solid but the soft tissue, my quad and calf still require TLC.
I am still doing PT once every couple of weeks for non aggressive therapy, laser, massage etc but really just ADL's. My extension is 0-1 and my flexion has not yet passed 102 but my OS says just keep doing what I am doing and both will improve.
All that is to say, things WILL get better! You are still very early in the recovery. Take the advice of the BoneSmarties on here and don't overdo it. You will just make it a longer journey with pain and swelling.
Come here to rant and rave but we will also be here to celebrate your baby steps towards a pain free knee!
I will echo the others. It does get better albeit WAY more slowly than anyone anticipated or likes.
At 6 weeks I had days where I could see the dim light at the end of the tunnel and now at almost 14 weeks I am having more good days than bad. My new knee feels solid but the soft tissue, my quad and calf still require TLC.
I am still doing PT once every couple of weeks for non aggressive therapy, laser, massage etc but really just ADL's. My extension is 0-1 and my flexion has not yet passed 102 but my OS says just keep doing what I am doing and both will improve.
All that is to say, things WILL get better! You are still very early in the recovery. Take the advice of the BoneSmarties on here and don't overdo it. You will just make it a longer journey with pain and swelling.
Come here to rant and rave but we will also be here to celebrate your baby steps towards a pain free knee!
Happydale
senior
@imjustme62, Welcome to the BoneSmart forum. Pleased to make your acquaintance. It's been a week since you shared, so I wonder how you'd doing now. It sounds to me like your recovery is actually going well, despite the bumps in the road you've shared. ALL of us get discouraged, frustrated, sad, dissatisfied, and painful. The good news is that we share that burden with others on here who understand, and provide information, support, and encouragement. I hope you feel the love!
I'm going to throw in a radical idea about pain meds here, only because I think it's at least something to consider. Let me stress that I have absolutely no professional experience in health care, and I don't even have any experience with any health care problems except for my arthritic knees. On the other hand, or maybe because of that, I really spent A LOT of time plugging through research studies available on the PubMed website. They are difficult to get through because of all the technical terminology, and there is a danger of lay people not understanding. On the other hand, they always have a brief summary of the conclusion of the experiment, and that's usually more straightforward. That said:
I believe there is a possibility that narcotics, while definitely a great option to reduce pain, may actually cause pain. We all know how addictive they are, and we also know that many people can become addicted after having a legitimate prescription for medically necessary pain relief. There is some research suggesting that the addictive nature of these drugs is a result of your body creating pain to result in more narcotics. This pain is produced by the brain and is directed to the original location of the pain in the first place.
I am experiencing an amazing recovery and I have many co-existing theories about why that is the case. I'm healthy, my knees weren't as bad as some others even before surgery, I have a rock-star doctor, my physical therapists have been way better than average, I have lots of help at home, and lastly, having been through another TKR, I'm way more confident and relaxed this time and way less anxious. One other potential reason is that I haven't taken any oxy. The reason for that is because it made me extremely nauseous - and it wasn't because I'm tough. I am much more of a wimp that just about everyone in BoneSmart! And I have a high fear of pain and a low pain threshold!
During my first recovery, I developed a long list of strategies for pain relief, since I was so freaked out about not being able to take oxy. I actually wrote the list out, and took notes on when each worked and when it didn't. It's the things that everyone on here suggests, but I like having my own written list right here for when the pain ramps up. Each person's list is different, but here's a taste of mine: Moving around, Ice, Elevation, Compression (my ice machine has this feature), Ankle pumps, Warmth on various non-knee spots on my body, and Distraction. I try to get deeply involved in a gripping t.v. show or movie and sometimes just taking my mind off the knee really helps. Lastly, my P.T called my doctor and asked if I could add ibuprofen to the Tylenol and Tramadol I was taking. She came up with a schedule so I could take one of these pills every two hours without exceeding the daily limits on any of them. I've always turned to ibuprofen for other pain, and I really felt it helped with my TKRs too.
I hope I haven't upset anyone here, but I decided my experience might help others. Hope the last week has shown you some tangible improvements! Hang in there.
I'm going to throw in a radical idea about pain meds here, only because I think it's at least something to consider. Let me stress that I have absolutely no professional experience in health care, and I don't even have any experience with any health care problems except for my arthritic knees. On the other hand, or maybe because of that, I really spent A LOT of time plugging through research studies available on the PubMed website. They are difficult to get through because of all the technical terminology, and there is a danger of lay people not understanding. On the other hand, they always have a brief summary of the conclusion of the experiment, and that's usually more straightforward. That said:
I believe there is a possibility that narcotics, while definitely a great option to reduce pain, may actually cause pain. We all know how addictive they are, and we also know that many people can become addicted after having a legitimate prescription for medically necessary pain relief. There is some research suggesting that the addictive nature of these drugs is a result of your body creating pain to result in more narcotics. This pain is produced by the brain and is directed to the original location of the pain in the first place.
I am experiencing an amazing recovery and I have many co-existing theories about why that is the case. I'm healthy, my knees weren't as bad as some others even before surgery, I have a rock-star doctor, my physical therapists have been way better than average, I have lots of help at home, and lastly, having been through another TKR, I'm way more confident and relaxed this time and way less anxious. One other potential reason is that I haven't taken any oxy. The reason for that is because it made me extremely nauseous - and it wasn't because I'm tough. I am much more of a wimp that just about everyone in BoneSmart! And I have a high fear of pain and a low pain threshold!
During my first recovery, I developed a long list of strategies for pain relief, since I was so freaked out about not being able to take oxy. I actually wrote the list out, and took notes on when each worked and when it didn't. It's the things that everyone on here suggests, but I like having my own written list right here for when the pain ramps up. Each person's list is different, but here's a taste of mine: Moving around, Ice, Elevation, Compression (my ice machine has this feature), Ankle pumps, Warmth on various non-knee spots on my body, and Distraction. I try to get deeply involved in a gripping t.v. show or movie and sometimes just taking my mind off the knee really helps. Lastly, my P.T called my doctor and asked if I could add ibuprofen to the Tylenol and Tramadol I was taking. She came up with a schedule so I could take one of these pills every two hours without exceeding the daily limits on any of them. I've always turned to ibuprofen for other pain, and I really felt it helped with my TKRs too.
I hope I haven't upset anyone here, but I decided my experience might help others. Hope the last week has shown you some tangible improvements! Hang in there.
OP
OP
imjustme62
junior member
I was told to take the Advil because of the swelling. Tylenol never has done much for me in the past.
I can feel the love and support and I appreciate it so much as well as the useful information I’m finding on here.
I follow almost the same plan as you Happydale. I've even had my hubby get me a coloring book so I can keep my busy little mind on something else!
Almost 55 and coloring But, I do stay in the lines! LOLWell, lets see I got in and out of my garden tub yesterday when I soaked my calf, so that's a good baby step. Nothing to go marching up and down Main street over, but it's all good.
You know, I think my surgeon is a lot like yours Jennszoo. Maybe I'll just keep that to myself. I reported him to the hospital, so maybe by me doing that he won't put someone else in the pain I was.
Thank you so much everyone, you made me feel so much better!
Hand in there, things will get much better as time goes on!
Pheebs52
big-cheese
I wish I could get you an appointment with my surgeon and my PT. I really do. Both are literally "Heaven Sent." My surgeon would tell you, "Of course you have lots of pain at 4 weeks post-op! You do know what we did to your knee, right? And you may still have a lot of pain at 6 weeks, or 8 weeks or even further out. Everyone heals differently, so please, don't compare. Right now, you are exactly where you're supposed to be. This surgery is one of the most difficult to recover from." An interesting side note: My surgeon is 63 years young and has actually had a TKR. He will prescribe pain meds for 3 months, as needed.
My PT, Gary Glitter, would nevah (Boston accent, lol) bring tears to your eyes. Nevah! He would make you a bit uncomfortable at times, but real pain is totally unacceptable. Why? Because it makes us cry and causes mascara to run. Oh....wait...no, not that....I don't wear mascara to PT, or anywhere really. I'd poke myself in the eye with the wand.
Oh, ok, now I've found it, his real reasoning: He doesn't PUSH anyone, ever, because PAIN increases swelling and inflammation, which then creates....MORE PAIN! Yep, pain is like a circle game.
Sooo, arm yourself with this information and know what you are experiencing is perfectly *normal*....for this point in time, post-op. BTW? It really does get a LOT better! Heaps better! You'll get there!
My PT, Gary Glitter, would nevah (Boston accent, lol) bring tears to your eyes. Nevah! He would make you a bit uncomfortable at times, but real pain is totally unacceptable. Why? Because it makes us cry and causes mascara to run. Oh....wait...no, not that....I don't wear mascara to PT, or anywhere really. I'd poke myself in the eye with the wand.
Oh, ok, now I've found it, his real reasoning: He doesn't PUSH anyone, ever, because PAIN increases swelling and inflammation, which then creates....MORE PAIN! Yep, pain is like a circle game.Sooo, arm yourself with this information and know what you are experiencing is perfectly *normal*....for this point in time, post-op. BTW? It really does get a LOT better! Heaps better! You'll get there!
OP
OP
imjustme62
junior member
Love the Boston accent Pheebs! That make me smile
Yes, my hubby watched the operation on YouTube and said no wonder you're hurting!
I get it, I really do. I'm just not one for patients 
Never have been actually....LOLI'm a total 'clean freak' and this is driving me crazy not being able to get things done in the house.
What can I say, I'm a little weird 
