TKR Wobbley knee

[newlybionic]

If your leg wasn't straight before your surgery and now it is your whole leg has got to get re adjusted. It will take some time but everything seems to calm done over time.

 

[cshs78]

16 weeks out. Went and had a massage yesterday. Wow, broke up some of the iT band. Knee feels good! Now, to get rid of arch and opposite side back pain. I hope you are right newly bionic. I wonder if I should see the family doctor for low back PT??? Still swelling to lower leg, especially with the heat and humidity, and no AC in my classroom of kinders.

 

[kneeper]

If you didn't have foot problems before the surgery, it will probably settle down on its own. But you could probably get your arch situation evaluated. Several of us developed foot issues while getting used to our new gaits.

 

[cshs78]

Kneeper, what did you do with the foot issues? I hate to think of orthotics or inserts forever, but the issue is hurting the back. I do have an appointment this coming Thursday with my family doctor because OS is done with me. Knee is complete, so says his office

 

[zzevi]

@cshs78 , I wasn't great in the beginning about icing, and elevating I spent most of the time in a reclining chair and thought I was elevating well enough, looking back ( and after my daughter mentioning.) I don't think I was getting my leg high enough, once I went to the couch or bed and elevated on a stack of pillows for more than 15-20 mins. I started seeing better results. Make sure the time you are spending elevating is beneficial. And someone on here also stated if their up and about a certain amount of time they spend x amount of time elevating and icing.

 

[kneeper]

I had developed plantar fasciitis and got sent to PT to learn some stretches and had to wear a walking boot for a couple of weeks. When I saw the doc for that, he also found I had posterior tibial tendonitis--unrelated to the tkr (but possibly related to my years of RA) and so I do have orthotics now that help my arches.

 

[cshs78]

I am getting so depressed. I am sitting here crying. Today, I am 4 months post op from my LTKR. I have this trouble with swelling. A month ago, I thought it was my flat foot, and got inserts. That didn't work after a couple of days. Went back to where I got my new tennis shoes from, the manager said they were the wrong shoes, so even though 60 days had passed since I purchased them, he traded them for another pair. That hasn't help-was last Sunday. I have arch pain, but when I look, my lower leg and ankle are swollen, which I think could be causing the arch pain. So with the pain to the arch/foot, or whatever, my gait is back off, causing opposite side lower back, sometimes hip pain. I called the OS, and said call a foot doctor. Well, people say he will just have you get the expensive orthotics. Celebrex didn't work, and Aleve use to, but not any more. On Monday, I am going to my family doctor to see what help I can get.
I will admit, I don't ice like I did. I went back to work (kindergarten teacher) August 15. I still get in either a walk or recumbent bike ride. I find that I was walking 2 miles, but since I work all day, I can only for 1.25 miles.
Sorry for ranting, but I am so miserable.I thought I would be so much better at 4 months.

 

[uva55]

We all rant at times, I am almost 13 weeks and I still have swelling at times, when I went back to work at 7 weeks my foot/ankle was swelling quite a bit, I still find that ice is what help me the most for the swelling.

You are probably exhausted also and that does not help, my daughter is also a teacher, she is still exhausted and trying to adjust, and she didn't have a TKR.

Don't be do hard on yourself, this is a slow, long recovery process. I hope you feel better soon

 

[zzevi]

@cshs78 sorry your feet and legs are bothering you so much. Maybe some of the problem is also the surface you work on, I know I work at a school also, and we have carpet, but it's thin and over cement. A day of standing on a surface like this can bother anyone that has issues. I would think if your flat footed ( I am also) that you could benefit from custom made inserts that are molded to your feet. I've had them in my main shoes for yrs and do add comfort when spending many hrs on my feet. If you have plantar going on that seems to take a bit to calm down once it is flared up. I think a foot dr, could be helpful and you want to get everything in aligned, also some shoes you can pay a lot for them but there junk, no support especially when your on your feet all day. I often think when rising up since my tkr that some of my hobbling when just getting on my feet is caused from my feet issues verses my knee. ( store bought arch supports most of them aren't worth much, Dr. Scholls inserts are pretty good but go for about $60 at walmart.)

 

[newlybionic]

I was having all types of pain in my whole leg from hip through my foot at different times. I finally went to my PCP and he recommended a chiropractor. It turned out that one hip waso higher than the other and it was throwing off my gait, caused back ache, foot pain and basically my whole left side wasn't happy. They did some heat therapy followed with some massage and adjustments and everything has calmed down quite a lot. Now if I could get rI'd of the swelling by the end of my day...

 

[zzevi]

@cshs78 another thing my foot doctor told me a long time ago, it doesn't matter if you spend a lot of money on a pair or shoes or buy cheap ones after a few months of wear, there broke down and don't have the support they originally had. So I usually never spend any more than I have to, to get something of support and comfort, and even tho they should be probably switched out or retired at 3 mos, I usually go about 6 with my main shoes I wear for work. I don't know if it's part of aging or what, but as I've gotten older I have had to have more support for my feet, it's just part of aging I guess.

 

[cshs78]

Well, I have been going to PT for the foot and lower leg. Basically the knee is fine, just a little swelling and tightness, but I am cool because I know it is a long process. I finally went to Foot Solutions, and the guy was awesome. PT had me get some inserts which were hurting my feet. He did something to them this evening, and I was walking fine! I am getting custom orthotics made, a some more PT, and another chiro visit. I did go Monday to the chiro, and he mentioned my flat feet and needing orthotics, Hopefully I am on the road again. My little kinders are such big helpers

 

[Celle]

And someone on here also stated if their up and about a certain amount of time they spend x amount of time elevating and icing.

I think it was skigirl.
She was told that you should spend two hours resting for every one hour you are up - have I got that right, @skigirl ?

 

[Timetolive]

Has anyone ever mentioned getting a compression stocking? I had continued swelling, saw a PT that specializes in swelling, and was sent for a PROFESSIONAL fitting of a mid-thigh high stocking. It comes about 4 inches above my knee, is NOT binding at the top and really helps with swelling. There is a huge difference in getting professionally fitted. Please do not compare these with the TEDS hose you may have been given after surgery. Another member on here has used them with success also. Since you are on your feet so much teaching, it is normal to swell. I am almost 11 months out and still have swelling when I am on my feet for long periods. Good luck to you!

 

[KarriB]

I was able to bend enough at the waist to put socks on, but have a friend who used the sock device. I was also able to put my TKR leg up on the spare bed and bend it enough to put my socks on. I say spare bed, because my bed is too high to use that way!

 

[skigirl]

I had some trouble with swelling with my first knee. I ended up going to a lymphatic massage person. I was skeptical, to say the least, but I decided to try. She gave me a wrap---a kind of cheesy looking wrap with foam ridges on it. I did not even want to take it, but she was so nice, I did and tried it that night.

The next morning was an epithany!!! my swelling was visibly down. I continued seeing her for a month and wore the wrap at night. at the end of the month, the swelling was gone. I did wear a compression stocking while working for about six months, however. I got it from surgical stocking.com. It was not heavy duty---about a light tp medium stocking. I got the footless kind, but there are footed ones as well. I got the thigh high and they were surprisingly comfortable. They did help quite a bit keeping the swelling form reappearing.

 

[mamazipp]

@Timetolive I used the professionally fitted compression stockings (well, one stocking) and it helped so much with swelling and aching. I will use them for any future flying as well.

 

[uva55]

I used TEDS hose for the first 4 weeks and I felt it helped me, I know many don't like them, but for me I think it helped, my leg felt better when I had them on.

 

[cshs78]

I AM BACK. I will be 6 month post op on Thursday. Knee feels fine except for some tightness by knee cap area when I first stand. My main issue is the foot. Finally went to a foot doctor, and I have had 2 shots for Morton's neuroma. They have helped. Still, when I walk a lot, I get pain to my medial ankle area, and lower back. Some of it can be I need to lose some weight. Also, I did go for a massage to help with swelling, which it did, but then so did the lasix I took for 3 days in October. Like I said, if I can get rid of the swelling to the ankle/foot, I would be cool.

 

[BBCG]

Hi cshs78, I also am what I guess I'd call a "sweller" too: my inside knee swells very quickly in response to, well, everything! I'm at 3.5 months out now and finally, since I stopped doing PT a couple of weeks ago, the swelling is down, my flexion is improving daily, and now, only now does squatting actually FEEL good! I'm supposed to be using my butt muscles more, per PT, so I do squats holding on to my kitchen sink. BUT, I did not try or even have PT suggest I do squats even this modified way until I was 2.5 months out!

On here it sounds as if here in the US, there is still a tendency to push TKR patents as if we were young athletes recovering from a sports injury. The old "No pain, no gain" mentality isn't correct for us though it might be for an injury recovery. We aren't injured; we're healing from surgery, 'fer gosh sakes! It's a different "critter" entirely.

Initially, my PT was also wanting to push me to do more to regain flexion and extension and I did cancel a PT session as I was just in too much pain. This is before I found Bonesmart, of course... Once I said I wanted to back off and work on specific tasks I needed to improve, she switched from her normal mode to helping me accomplish my goals: going up and down stairs, walking more smoothly, walking without swinging my leg out and around (I was pretty knock-kneed and had adapted to swing my leg out and around my other knee; not good walking habits for straight leg like I now have, on one side at least)... etc.

As Kneeper and Suz, and most of everyone here who's been through it says, "Less is More"!

One of the benefits of this forum it feels to me is the discussions here "give us permission" to retake control of our lives now that we have our new knees. We can and should say no to that which causes us harm; that's a sensible coping habit of healthy folks. We can say no to specifics of PT or to PT in general, depending on the value we feel we get from it. I didn't stop PT until my prescribed slots ended, but I did modify what I was willing to do and experience and I'm doing much better now! I had to go back to work sooner than ideal, too, but I made it work, iced alot, took ice packs to the store with me, used them then put them in the freezer there, etc.

Hang in there, as we all recover and heal at our own pace, not the pace someone thinks we should! You can do this, and we're all here to help cheer you on!