Become an Insider

TKR Unexpected leg pain

I’m almost 12 weeks out and stiff as a board. I try and do my heel slides but the tightness on the side of my knee doesn’t allow me, is this an IT band issue? I have pain in both the side and back of knee which is excruciating when trying to exercise. Should I just stop exercising and just rest the knee or just push through the pain? Will this stiffness ease up? I just need some in courage meant.
 
We do not advise pushing through pain. That only creates more pain and swelling. If it was me I would stop exercises and just walk around and very gently bend your knee once in a while. The movement your knee gets as you go about yiur day is all the “exercise” it needs.

What exercises are you doing, and how many?
 
I haven’t been able to do any exercises because of the pain on the side and under my knee.
 
When do you see your surgeon again?
 
@Jockette i don’t see him again until April. You think I should make an appt to see him?
 
It depends. What is he like? Is he reassuring? You mentioned a while ago that your PT threatened that you might need an MUA, and we reassured you that there is no window of opportunity. Did your surgeon ever agree with that PT? Did he ever mention MUA? If he didn’t agree, and if you feel confident with what he tells you, then maybe a sooner appointment would help put your mind at ease.

While we really can’t compare our recoveries to any other, is this one a lot different from the one you had in 2017? That one was 5 years ago, and actually, I had mine done the same day as you, back in 2017! You have also had 2 hip replacements, so you have quite a bit of experience with joint replacement. Does this current one just not feel right to you?

You are still in the first part of your recovery, at 25% healed. You will still see a lot of improvement in time.
 
@Jockette last time I spoke with my OS was 6 weeks ago.. he told me I was doing good and to stretch my leg to get that knee straight. I really didn’t document my recovery much during my first knee replacement but now I wish I had. My first knee was much easier than this one. My hips were easy recoveries. I’m just concerned is all. I know I’m still early in recovery.. but my OS wants me to do these exercises and I just can’t bend this stiff knee for the pain in the back of the knee. I feel helpless and depressed. I really just need some help.
 
@Bluebell53 ROM can take a long time for some of us, mine took a long time to come in, but it did. I actually made better progress with it the second year. By then, my whole leg had healed and relaxed more. I didn’t do any formal exercises after the first month, and I didn’t really do them much that first month either because of the fresh pain of the surgery.

Extension often takes even longer than the bend. I didn‘t ”work on” my extension at all, I just let my daily activities and time take care of it, and they did.

What are you taking for pain? At 3 months I was still taking extra strength Tylenol every 6 hours around the clock, and also ibuprofen 3 times during the day, alternating so that I had one or the other every 3 hours.

Is your doctor recommending any of the following exercises that are crossed out?
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Heel slides and how to do them properly
 
@Jockette I’ve been taking Tylenol and Gabapentin for pain. Yes this knee is healing different than my first one and so was just inquiring about the pain on the side of the knee whether it could be IT band related. Yes I am experienced in recoveries because of all the joint replacements I’ve had, however, a lot of times we forget what the recoveries were like or at least I have. Thank you for all your input up to this point. I just need to patient and let it ride out.
 
Bluebell53 said:
@Jockette I’ve been taking Tylenol and Gabapentin for pain. Yes this knee is healing different than my first one and so was just inquiring about the pain on the side of the knee whether it could be IT band related. Yes I am experienced in recoveries because of all the joint replacements I’ve had, however, a lot of times we forget what the recoveries were like or at least I have. Thank you for all your input up to this point. I just need to patient and let it ride out.
Click to expand...
Yes it could be IT related but it might not be. I say possibly as I have to stretch my IT band as well as my hamstring and could almost write a layman's book on the two pesky tendons.:sad:

Not very helpful, I know but at the end of the day, I think a professional opinion is needed to give any semblance of accuracy.

If you can't see a surgeon or doctor, how about a physio?
 
@Scaredycat10 can you please if you can provide me the exercises for IT and hamstrings. I’d most welcome any information.
 
Here is an article from the Bonesmart Library

bonesmart.org

ITB (ilio-tibial band) issues and treatments

The IT band is combination of muscle with a covering of tough fibrous bands called fascia. It starts on the outside top of the pelvis, passes over the greater trochanter of the hip, down the outside of the thigh and inserts into the side of the patella (knee cap) and the tibia, (shin bone). It...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
Bluebell53 said:
@Scaredycat10 can you please if you can provide me the exercises for IT and hamstrings. I’d most welcome any information.
Click to expand...
I would love to but I am reluctant to advocate any stretches as I re-started all mine under the watchful eye of my physio.
But
Looking at the link Jockette provided, the easiest IT one for me to manage is the one where the figure is lying flat.
However, remember, I am ahead of you time wise in the recovery stakes and I have been stretching and gyming it for many years so know what I'm doing.

The ham string stretches are much easier to achieve but again, as a non medic, I don't know if it's my place on here to describe the stretches.
 
Actually, there’s no way I can do any of those stretches, my body does not like to stretch that way, especially since my knee replacement, so be very careful if you try them.

I wonder if you might do better with a massage person, especially one who can do lymphatic massage. I’ll ask @CricketHip if she has any advice on that for an IT band issue, if that is indeed what it is for you.

I am also wondering if you might have a Baker’s cyst, with the pain you have behind your knee. You might want to ask your doctor about that when you see him next.

bonesmart.org

Baker's cysts and other knee bursae

Fact is that the 'cyst' is a normal part of your knee and acts as a reservoir for the fluid in your knee. You know how most car engines now have an overflow tank for their radiator? So if the engine overheats, instead of the water all blowing off as steam, it overflows into the bottle, cools...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
Hello @Bluebell53 , I’d like to expand a little on what Jockette posted above.
A thereapeutic massage could help you with your tight IT Band, but I would suggest starting with a therapist who is certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage. Some Phys. Therapists know this modality- which is very gentle. Massage therapists can be certified in it, hopefully certified in The Vodder method. This is what I do. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist but over 50% of my work is devoted to Certified Lymphatic Massage, also known as Manual Lymphatic Drainage. (MLD)
MLD can be very helpful in moving excess fluid away from your new joint plus by moving the fluid, it’s lessening the inflammation.
Pain and swelling behind the knee is understandable as there are several lymph nodes back there. One session will help but several- maybe once a week for a few weeks could really help.
Then after the edema is lessened then a therapeutic massage can help with other leg muscles and pains.
I did many sessions during my hip replacements and worked on myself…literally starting in the recovery room.
If MLD doesn’t help with the swelling and pain behind the knee then as Jockette suggested, it could be a Bakers Cyst/ like an inflamed Bursa and your Dr could help you with that.
I hope this helps and would love to know if you pursue the MLD therapy.
Wishing you the very best,, if you have any questions please tag me. :flwrysmile:
 
@CricketHip, you do MLD massage? You are my hero! Since a cancer diagnosis and a very mild case of Lymphadema, I have had regular MLD massages. My last one was the day before my LTKR and I believe it made my surgery easier. Just wondering, when would you feel someone sufficiently recovered from knee surgery to go for an MLD massage? And are there other massages that would benefit me during this recovery period? I should have asked my masseuse these questions when I last saw her but I was so relaxed during my treatment that I just emptied my mind and enjoyed the feeling!
 
I am so glad MLD has helped you!
Since there’s no lotions used with MLD, I would think you are ok to go now, you’re just over 4 weeks post op- especially if you have a therapist you are comfortable with.
Therapeutic massage can be helpful- can your MLD therapist guide you with that?
 
@CamGram I should have replied to you on your recovery thread, if you have any other questions let’s discuss there and leave Bluebell’s thread for her recovery. I’m sorry I didn’t think of this sooner.
But hopefully this discussion is helpful to you @Bluebell53
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD

Staff online

Members online

Total: 964 (members: 1, guests: 963)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom