Bilateral TKR tjcteacher's recovery thread<

[Celle]

Has anyone had sciatica nerve pain in leg after knee replacement? If so what helped?

Last night was so tough with the spasms in that left leg-made me jump up out of bed-I did use the heating pad @Gigi32. It did help some Thanks for the advice. That muscle, mostly down the calf and kinda on the outside of the leg below the knee, gets so tight-can't get it to relax.

Thank you-the pain is from my knee down-not hip or thigh. Calf and outside of calf below knee.

I'm not sure that this is all caused by sciatica.

Let's ask @Josephine for her advice.

 

[Josephine]

That muscle, mostly down the calf and kinda on the outside of the leg below the knee, gets so tight-can't get it to relax.

the pain is from my knee down-not hip or thigh. Calf and outside of calf below knee.

That sounds to me very much like Shin splints, shin pain, compartment syndrome. I had this a few months ago and it was murder!

Yes still going to PT and they have been working on it during my sessions.

But what are they doing to it? Tell me the usual details please and I'll be back to comment.

 

[tjcteacher]

2 times per week I go to PT for 1 hour. Have been working on strengthening hips and knees
10 minutes warm-up on bike;
massage & stretches and bends- of both knees and the trouble calf 15 minutes;
laying down with ankle on large ball rolling it up and back-both legs-3 sets x 10 each;
sit-up on table with small ball between my feet and raise leg from knee to foot-3 sets of 10;
side steps with band 5 sets of 10 steps;
1 foot at a time onto a small step-up and down each leg-3 sets of 10;
3 sets of 10 kinda like squats on something called Total Gym
cool down-sit down stepper machine 10 minutes

I don't do hardly anything at home at all as far as exercies-slight stretches and sometimes ride recumbent bike for 10 minutes.
Walk around and do normal life stuff.

 

[HookEm613]

That sounds to me very much like Shin splints, shin pain, compartment syndrome. I had this a few months ago and it was murder!
But what are they doing to it? Tell me the usual details please and I'll be back to comment.

Shin splints can be super painful! I had them so bad when I started running, that I got of the treadmill one day and nearly collapsed from pain. Years of playing soccer, and I never experienced shin splints like that. Who knew the treadmill could make them flare like that?!?

I have also coached now, for the past 8-9 years, and our trainer has my girls sit with warm compresses on their shins. I would definitely talk to someone more experienced in TKR and pain, but heat seems to help with Shin splints. If that's what it is, I feel for you! They can be more painful than anyone knows!


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[Josephine]

2 times per week I go to PT for 1 hour. Have been working on strengthening hips and knees

That's a lot of stuff for only 8 weeks out.

My comments in bold
10 minutes warm-up on bike - okay so long as the seat is high and there is zero resistance
massage & stretches and bends- of both knees and the trouble calf 15 minutes - what are the 'bends', please?
laying down with ankle on large ball rolling it up and back-both legs-3 sets x 10 each - that's not helping your leg pain
sit-up on table with small ball between my feet and raise leg from knee to foot-3 sets of 10 - neither is this
side steps with band 5 sets of 10 steps - definitely designed to cause shin splint pain!
1 foot at a time onto a small step-up and down each leg-3 sets of 10 - so is this
3 sets of 10 kinda like squats on something called Total Gym - NO squats!
cool down-sit down stepper machine 10 minutes - well okay

I'm not impressed with this - it's NOT 'working on your pain'. More like working to give you MORE pain.
I suggest you stop going there. They are excess to requirements!

 

[tjcteacher]

ok thanks. I thought as I was typing all that-no wonder it gives me issues. My last PT was on Thursday and my leg has not bothered me with pain for several days!!!!

 

[kneeper]

My PT sessions were about 1/2 hour. It seemed short, but was probably for the best. An hour of exercise on a recovering knee is probably too much.
It sounds like they're having you do too many sets, and too many exercises at once. One thing that my PT told me was that though I had a sheet of exercises, I could do some one day, others another. Or one kind in the AM and one kind later in the day. So never a long session all at once.

 

[tjcteacher]

I just called and cancelled my two PT appointments for this week to give my knees a break! Odd that I feel guilty doing that!

 

[HookEm613]

I just called and cancelled my two PT appointments for this week to give my knees a break! Odd that I feel guilty doing that!

Smart move! I have my second PT session today, at 7 days out from surgery. My PT is super gentle and we are working on pain management and swelling mostly, but if it is painful at all, I will cancel my other two for this week.


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[Floridagal]

I bought some zero lift shoes after a bout of plantar fasciitis. Zero lift means the heal is the same level as the ball of the foot. They are soooooo comfortable. They look like the earth shoes that were popular in the 70's. I got them at a running store and they were expensive but well worth the price. I wore them yesterday and my knee seemed to like them.

 

[Josephine]

I'd cancel for at least three weeks if not more! Stay away from those people!

 

[Keen Skier]

Hope your leg is continuing to settle with rest.
Thought I would give you a challenge that won't upset things since you're kind of my partner in crime. Apart from the ? Shin splints you seem to be just a bit ahead of me BUT today I had to go to an informal meeting and wore a pair of denim capris with no problem so I'm sure you'll make your goal of wearing jeans by August 1....probably sooner!


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[tjcteacher]

Good news Keen Skier-I have noticed that the blankets, sheet and such are not as annoying as they were!
The pain is not in my shins but more in the calf muscle but I really think could be caused by some of the exercises I have been doing for strength. Maybe that baby left knee is just not ready for such stuff! Scars not doing too bad. Doctor did say use sunscreen when out in the sun or they will remain pink! Don't want that!

 

[uva55]

Scars look great!!!

 

[Keen Skier]

Mine too. The horrible itch has subsided and the "knee hot flashes" are much reduced. Scars are pretty similar...mine are maybe just a bit less pink but I've been using lots of Arnica.
Good idea to cut back on physio. I've just been going once a week with maybe a slightly less intense program but I think I'm stiffer and a bit less comfortable in the three days after physio even though I spin and work on my quads every day at home.
I also found that when using the spin bike with my seat a bit high I could feel a hamstring pull at the bottom of the pedal stroke so my physio told me to back off a bit. She's also adamant that I stay at 0 resistance for a while longer.


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[tjcteacher]

I need to get some Arnica-I got too much sun on them and they actually peeled! Not good! They seemed to have spread wider too :( oh well-I wear them with pride I suppose!
I am going to do my bike here in a bit and try to do some stretches.

 

[tjcteacher]

Gigi32 I still have not bought new shoes! I think I need to but . . .

 

[Keen Skier]

I think I figured how to do this...my 8 week scars if it works on a distressingly white background!

 

[tjcteacher]

they look like mine I didn't show my whole leg but my scars look like yours.

 

[Keen Skier]

That's always encouraging!


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