TKR Scared but I made it!!!

[Josephine]

Yes, that would be fine and not a bad idea. But we have said before - repeatedly - that this vice feeling lasts for around 6-8 months. Different time periods for different people, of course.

 

[kneeper]

It feels like a VICE, gripping it, exactly the way it feels, it it radiates up my thigh to the top of my leg.. using the tennis ball and rolling it over the thigh where it's tight, does help, including rolling the ball over the "vice" area...
I gotta live with this for how many more months??????

I didn't scroll back:redface:, but have you tried a heating pad on the thigh (away from the knee itself) to help loosen those muscles a bit?

 

[grabbit97]

So it is safe to use the IBULEVE (ibuprofen gel 10 percent) while taking celebrex and tylenol?

 

[Jamie]

Natalie, according to the drug web sites, the two should not be used together. You probably should contact your doctor before changing anything. @Josephine:

 

[Josephine]

So it is safe to use the IBULEVE (ibuprofen gel 10 percent) while taking celebrex and tylenol?

I forgot that! :DOH: Thank you Jamie.

 

[grabbit97]

Figured something out, when I press in an area by my groin, on my upper thigh, I know the muscle or tendon is connected down to my knee, the pain I have been having goes away, also massaging the quad muscle, all the way up, really strange, but it has taken alot of the pain away, anyone hear of this???

 

[Josephine]

Of course - it's called the gracilis muscle and you can see the length of it here

If you can manage it, this stretch - done gently - is a good therapy for it.
See the arrows on the model's arms indicating that he is pressing down on his knees with his elbows.
Alternatively, have a word with your PT scratch: if you are still going to PT - I can't recall)

.

 

[grabbit97]

Thank you for the exercise to stretch that muscle.

Lets start from where I am now. HAS ANYONE experienced this.
I am 4 months out....
I have a vice gripping pain in my knee, lower right side of the patella area.. lower ¼ of the knee if it's a circle....then I have numbness down the right side of my leg under the knee along the right side of the shin.
I also have pains from the knee UP to my torso up the thigh area on top (quad??), also pains along outer leg from knee up to hip, and sometimes pains from knee up to the groin area (gracilis muscle Jo said)... also have frequent pains in lower back right side just below the waist.
Along with the cramping in my lower legs (which I seem to have lessened eating a banana and drinking smart water)...
At 4 months, I seem to have more discomfort that I thought I would at this stage. I am frustrated.

Has ANYONE experienced any of these pains this far out from surgery....
Mine seem to be constant, no matter what I do, I stretch morning and night, hamstrings, quads, now the gracilis muscle, not overdoing the exercise, this past week only walked minimal, no bike...
Hubby says maybe the surgeon did it wrong?
Sorry for being so complainy....

 

[Josephine]

It's nothing to do with the surgeon 'doing it wrong'! What you have is wisespread tendonitis and inflamed ligaments, quite possibly from having done far too much in the early weeks. This is what happens when people overdo the PT, they get their muscles all wrought up and angry and it takes an age for them to settle down again. This is the price people pay when they overdo it. Now you need to see either a chiropractor, an osteopath or a good therpeutic masseur to get those muscles to settle down.

However, if you are really worried, then cut along to your surgeon and have him check you out, just to be on the safe side.

 

[grabbit97]

I am going to call this other PT lady, and see if they can just massage these muscles gently to see if they can break up the pain... like a masseur,,,its worth a shot at it, I am not happy right now,
I should lay off the stationary bike for awhile?

 

[Jaycey]

Natalie, I would lay off everything for awhile and focus on getting the pain under control. There is no reason to push yourself.

Please let us know what PT says.

 

[Josephine]

Quite right - everything.

 

[grabbit97]

Will call them in the morning. What is a good stretch for the quads? thanks

 

[grabbit97]

I found one on the internet for stretching the quads, I seem to have the IT BAND, and 2 other sets of muscles that extend from my knee to my torso or groin that are giving me problems.. and hoping that stretching and massuer from the PT (if they can do that) will help, I have NOT done any exercising in almost a week, other than normal walking (while in house or shopping).. no recumbant bike or outside bike, no shuttle (using feet to push against weigts), Jo and Jamie think I overdid the last 5 weeks in PT while here in Az, too much exercise, this PT guy that I just quit had me doing alot of it, then manually manipulating my leg all which ways.. probably stretched the muscles that they should not have, they were healing and pulled them to hard or soemthing??

 

[Jamie]

Yes, Natalie.....as Jo said, you are going to just have to give yourself some time to let things settle down. You're not going to be able to make it go faster by anything you do. Please don't expect a massage therapist to "break through" pain. It doesn't happen that way. It will be slow progress over an extended period of time. Sorry....I'm pretty sure that's not what you want to hear. Doing gentle stretches will help also.....just so you don't do too much of it each day.

 

[referee54]

PATIENCE!!!

I understand how you feel---I know that it is tough doing nothing or taking it easy---but listen to what the folks have said. The harder you try to work on this, the slower recovery may become. Don't obsess over it---if you relax and ice/elevate/rest, things will come under control.

If you expect to speed things up, you are setting yourself up to become even more frustrated; don't work harder; work smarter.

 

[Josephine]

Please don't expect a massage therapist to "break through" pain.

But a good one can encourage the inflammation and resultant spasm to ease off which is much the same thing. But that will only influence the pain in those muscles of course.

 

[grabbit97]

But a good one can encourage the inflammation and resultant spasm to ease off which is much the same thing. But that will only influence the pain in those muscles of course.

I have an appt.this afternoon,will postwhat I find out.

 

[grabbit97]

OK, so I had an appt. with a NEW PT, and she was great.. I explained everything, the muscles in my thigh, the cramping, the pains in my lower back at times, the vice pain under my knee cap, the numb feeling down my leg below the vice area... she got it all... and came up with:
She is going to HEAT the thigh, then massage. then Ice.
She gave me an exercise, I sit, then dig my heal into the ground, hold for 3 sec, relax, and repeat for 20 count... along with the other stretching exercises. She will have me do the NU STEP (kinda like a recumbant) in a few times from now... she wants to loosen the thigh muscles, which she said are tight, and strengthen my quads... I will give her until the end of the year.. to see if her ideas work, I told her NO PAIN....I don't want to come home and be in pain for 3 days after.... PT 3x a week now for 3 weeks.. HOPING this will work, so tired of pain.

 

[Jamie]

Sounds good, Natalie. That exercise is an excellent stretch for the back of your leg. I hope you found just the right person to help you.