swelling keeping me from exercising

[janni]

needles and pins in knee area

I am 6 weeks out of knee replacement. I am having a problem bending my knee. I have really been working it. Then I experience swelling. Today I have nedles and pin feeling in my knee. I can't bend my knee much more than 95 degrees. I am quite frustrated. It is swollen and I feel needles and pins in knee area. I am worried that I will not be able to exercise and my knee will freeze up.

Has anyone ever experienced this. Everything makes me scared. Any suggestions?

 

[Jamie]

Re: needles and pins in knee area

Usually those "needles and pins" feelings are related to the nerves reconnecting as part of the healing process. In fact, some people will get some pretty good zingers of pain that is nerve related. It may come and go. But it will eventually be resolved as the nerve endings get back together and make peace with your artificial knee.

Janni....what is your ROM? You know there is a point where you can over exercise trying to gain more flex and keep the tissues irritated and swollen. I sure wouldn't want to see you do that! Remember that 6 weeks is still VERY early in recovery!!!

 

[RestAssured]

Hi Janni and Welcome to BoneSmart!:biggrin:

You are at 95 and it has only been 6 weeks but you say you are having problems with swelling.

Well first of all your leg won't "freeze up" because you can't get past 95 right now.

Next, the reason you can't get past 95, is your leg is swelling up.

In order for you to gain more ROM which by the way is really just a number, are you elevating, icing, and using pain meds on a schedule?

Or are you like a lot of us who think, "well, I think I will push my knee a little harder and it is bound to do better!" I used to think that way, but I have learned that swelling means you have to stop what you are doing get the leg elevated, iced, and get back on pain meds.:biggrin:

Read from the library and you will see that MANY of us went through exactly what you are going through! There are many excellent threads that will tell you there is no set time in gaining more ROM.

Good Luck and keep posting! We care about you!

 

[Tykey]

Are you trying really really hard to force the ROM to improve, by doing extra exercises and hard physiotherapy?

If the answer is yes, then STOP IT!!!

Listen to Sonja, she's just told you exactly what we all find out, eventually:THUMB:

 

[referee54]

Re: needles and pins in knee area

Janni--almost all of us have had numbness in our surgical area---that is very normal, as many of the nerves were cut. As they reconnect, they feel weird and, to be honest, for some time, I hand no feeling at all around my knee. It all returned, though. Don't worry about it. Every now and then, as Jamie said, I would get some zingers (I called the bottle rockets) shooting around my surgical areas, as I had a BTKR.

I , too, am wondering about your ROM---what is you exercise regimen? You may be working a little bit too hard and actually slowing your progress down some what. This is not a a case where the harder you work, the more ahead you get--you have to take it slowly and work within your comfort zone.

Keep icing and elevating as often as necessary, too.

 

[janlyn48]

Re: needles and pins in knee area

At 3 months out, I still have the needles and pins. Now and then, I still have a zinger too.

The main difference for me now, from 6 weeks ago, is that I can usually find a 'pain free' position.

 

[NM Diver]

Re: needles and pins in knee area

The Zinges, the electrical zaps. I still get them. Weird to just be sitting there and all of a sudden it feels like an electrical current is running through your knee. I just move alittle and it goes away. Still have a big patch of numbness on the front of my knee where I would kneel on it. It does seem to be getting smaller but if that is the only downside I experience out of this, I will just start to carry knee pads when I am doing anything where I might be kneeling!!

 

[kneeworn]

I too struggle with swelling and am a later bloomer when it comes to flexion. I had to temper my rehab with respect to swelling. Now I measure 127 which functionally ends up being a little less. If you read in my thread you will see my slow but steady progress. Sometimes I would only just maintain then the next time gain. Be sure your icing and elevating often and take your pain meds so you can do your rehab.

Hang in there. Your doing fine. We all progress at different levels so don't be so hard on yourself. Some get there faster than us. But we will get there too.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Recycled]

An added note. Everyone's maximum range of motion, even with your natural knees is not the same. If your only having one knee done and your other knee doesn't have ROM issues, measure it. Hearing what others reach as their ROM limits may not be yours. My big stubby legs ROM will not even come close to my wife's skinny legs.

 

[referee54]

At six weeks after BTKR, I actually wasn't that much further than you. Just make sure that you are icing and elevating to combat the selling---work within your comfort zone and do not overdo it, as that will exacerbate the selling, too.

The pins and needles that you feel is perfectly normal; many of us felt the same thing---you had a great many nerves cut with the surgery, so they will feel weird from time to time---the front of my knee basically had no feeling for quite some time, and I had "Zingers"---what I actually called "bottle rockets" ---pain that would shoot across my knee as the nerves worked to re-attach themselves.

This is a frustrating time, but hang in there; it is a long road that we have all traveled, and you will reach your destination, too.

 

[ladydi8676]

Hi Janni,
I am almost 3 months out and my range at best is 110. It took me quite a while to get where I am now. I am all done with PT next week and will have to discipline myself to exercise and keep trying to gain more ROM but I think I can do it. If you still have a lot of swelling that is what is holding you back so try not to push it and ice, elevate and do exercises that you can tolerate in time you will get better.

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Janni....welcome to the forum!

These folks have given you good advice. You're actually doing just fine for this short time out of surgery. Your knee is not going to "freeze up."

Your main job right now is to get the swelling under control. That means cut down on your activity levels or pushing with exercises or therapy. Ice and elevate as much as you can. And take your pain meds on a schedule through the day and night.

What kind of pain medication are you taking and how often? How much are you icing? These things are sooooo important....more so than the exercise!

 

[Josephine]

Re: needles and pins in knee area

I am 6 weeks out of knee replacement. I am having a problem bending my knee. I have really been working it. Then I experience swelling. I can't bend my knee much more than 95 degrees. I am quite frustrated. It is swollen and I feel needles and pins in knee area.

The answer is in what you have said. Firstly, 6 weeks is very early in your recovery and all your tissues are going to be sore and angry. Then you "work at it" and make it more angry and sore. So it swells. The swelling acts like a plaster cast and prevents your knee from bending.

So the answer is to manage the swelling by managing the pain and you do that by applying this mantra: rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock! These four points are crucial to have a successful recovery from a TKR.

Read these threads
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Discussion on managing pain in TKR surgery
Using ice

I am worried that I will not be able to exercise and my knee will freeze up.

Have you been told this by some well meaning PT or your surgeon? It's nonsense and I can never understand why supposedly 'caring' professionals choose to lay this guilt trip on their patients. It's rubbish. Fact is, your knee will bend very well except for the pain and swelling which is blocking it. Manage the pain and swelling and you'll find you have all the flexion you could want!

Some more reading for you
Myth busting: The "window of opportunity"
It's never too late to get more ROM!
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Today I have needles and pin feeling in my knee.

Yes, that's quite normal too. And a numb patch. I have been following my progress in this area and you can see the story here Numb Area after TKR: How Long Will It Last?

Has anyone ever experienced this. Everything makes me scared. Any suggestions?

Yes, don't be scared, be informed! Read the articles I have linked for you, read lots of the old posts in here and know that you are not abnormal in any way. Another 6-10 weeks and you will be feeling quite, quite different! :THUMB:

 

[4mom]

Thanks Janni ----and everyone who has answered and encouraged her. I've read these posts and see that maybe my 81 yr old mom (5+ weeks post-op from BTKR) is pushing a bit too hard on her therapy. She had fairly pudgy swollen feet this evening and was a little concerned. (Me too!) I think I'll tell her to ease up on her therapy and ask the nursing staff at the rehab facility for some ICE and help elevating for a little while each day. Sounds like she could use that even at 5+ weeks out.
Seems like the nurses would know that as this rehab facility takes in quite a few joint replacement patients from the local hospital. Hmmmm.......

Thanks again everyone. This forum is SO VERY helpful!
Jean
for mom, BTKR, 2/14/11

 

[Josephine]

One thing I know about nurses - don't ever assume they know anything! :th_heehee:

 

[PhoenixS]

One thing I know about nurses - don't ever assume they know anything! :th_heehee:

The nurses I know say the "RN" really means "responsible for nothing"!!!

STOP pushing you knee. It is sending you a very clear message that it needs a rest!!
A swollen knee will not bend. Period.
BTW, numbers are useless. They just stress all of us out. Use your ability to function, and at 6 weeks, my function was ...well, not great. I was pushing it way too hard, and it was ticked off at me all the time.
Know this:
Your knee WILL WIN, so just let it plod along at whatever pace it needs to be at, and you will get there.

Best,
Sandy

 

[Jamie]

Well, five weeks out is not very long! Ice can be helpful for months after surgery. In fact, I iced almost constantly when I wasn't up and moving around (even all through the night when sleeping) for at least 5 months. In my case I had a lot of swelling and it really helped make me comfortable.