TKR Roller coaster recovery of Jas

[luvcats]

The surgery straightens our knees, which completely changes the position of the foot and how we walk. My guess is that might be affecting you. You say you tried different shoes. I was advised to replace my shoes because of the changed gait. Were you advised to do that? Does extra stretching help? Have you tried adding a little gentle heat to your lower calf?

 

[sistersinhim]

If anyone else experienced any calf pain while walking after TKR and have any tips please share.

My calf was a pain for a few months right along with my knee. I found if I stretched it as much as I could with causing more pain, it would ease up. New knees give us a whole new way of walking that affects all of our body. As long as you calf isn't hot and red it's probably just sore soft tissues.

 

[kneeper]

I had tight calf muscles after my tkr and would even get cramps. My PT showed me some gentle stretches which helped.

 

[mannbub]

@luvcats Ya my PT recommended me to buy a different brand of shoes and insoles. She thinks it’s plantar fasciitis which explains my heel pain when I first walk. I will buy the new insoles and I hope it helps with the calf pain too. Calf pain is constant when I walk. She thinks it’s all related. She told me to stretch also. I have been icing my knee but i can try gentle heat on my calf.

 

[mannbub]

@kneeper Ya my calf muscles are tight according to my PT. She messaged them today and asked me to do gentle calf stretch. How often should I do it? Any other exercise you can recommend?

 

[kneeper]

My PT had me do the stretches in the morning and before bed. It helped a lot.

 

[mannbub]

@sistersinhim Ya it’s not hot or red. It is sore or tight muscles.

 

[mannbub]

@kneeper Is it the one where you put your hands against the wall and bend your good knee and keep your bad knee/leg straight? Is there any other stretch?

 

[kneeper]

Yes, that's a good one. Early on even just sitting on the bed with my legs extended and pulling my foot up to a perpendicular position and leaning slightly forward helped.

Like this picture only I didn't use anything to pull my foot back.

 

[mannbub]

@kneeper Thanks!! I will try this and see if it helps.

 

[mannbub]

I need a little advice. I have posted about this before. I have been doing calf stretches. Been icing and elevating but I continue to have really bad heel pain to the point where I am having a hard time putting my weight on it and even walking to the bathroom. Also I continue to have calf pain while walking. I called my surgeons office. They had me get an urgent ultrasound to rule out DVT. It came out negative. I feel that my calf pain has to do something with my heel pain. My question is should I go see a podiatrist to get to the bottom of this? I am at loss right now about this issue. It’s affecting me in so many ways in my recovery. I am almost 9 weeks post op.

 

[luvcats]

I think a trip to the podiatrist is warranted. It may be something simple like your muscles reacting to the new positioning, but it might be something more serious but correctable. If it's impeding your walking and recovery, then you definitely want to get to the bottom of it.

 

[ElanorG]

I agree with @luvcats that a trip to the podiatrist is warranted. They can point you to shoes that are best for your feet and might feel orthotics would help.

I have tight calves, both before and after knee replacement. I stretch at least several times a day and when I exercise. Easiest exercise is to stand at a counter like in the kitchen and put your toe against the baseboard and stand tall and pull your body as close to the counter as you can get. This is doable almost anywhere when you are standing. I also use this Powerstep UltraFlexx Foot Rocker a lot at home

I set it on a large book so the other foot can hang. It helps a lot. With calves, I find it helps to just stretch them randomly throughout the day. So if I am filling the car with gas, I stretch my calves. If I am washing dishes, I stretch my calves, brushing my teeth stretch my calves, anywhere I am standing with a wall handy I stretch my calves. That way I don't have to make a production of it like "I am now going to spend 20 minutes stretching". I just incorporate into whatever I happen to be doing at the time.

 

[kneeper]

It sounds like it may be worth getting it properly diagnosed so you can get the right exercises or treatment. I wound up with plantar fasciitis a few months after my tkr (prime symptom was heel pain).

 

[sistersinhim]

Seeing a podiatrist is a good idea. It's even possible you have a heel spur. I had one and your symptoms sound similar to what mine were. It is best to find out what is going on with you leg and heel so you can get on with fixing it!

 

[ElanorG]

What @sistersinhim said jogged my memory. Years ago when I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis they found a heel spur. Luckily between custom orthotics and consistent stretching I have never had to do anything more invasive about it. It has been so long I had forgotten about it!

 

[sistersinhim]

Luckily between custom orthotics and consistent stretching I have never had to do anything more invasive about it.

I had to have mine filed down. He was able to do that under a local right there in his office. After about a week, I was back to normal. I never regretted having it done for a moment.

 

[marieltha]

Wow. I have never heard of filing down a heel spur! Did he make an incision or use laser? Or...?

 

[ElanorG]

@sistersinhim I will always opt for the least invasive solution first. Things can go wrong with even the simplest of procedures. My podiatrist mentioned that procedure but suggested I try the least invasive solutions first. And they have worked well and I have never had any pain or plantar fascitis since.

 

[marieltha]

@mannbub
I would see an MD foot surgeon podiatrist (higher level) and continue to share/discuss with your OS. I do this and each MD contributes something from his perspective, which can be slightly different, but always helps. Good luck. Keep us posted.
@ElanorG , your stretch regimen sounds great. Thanks for sharing. I think we’ll all benefit from that.