The physios tell me this is normal but the exercises don't seem to make any difference. Does using an exercise bike help or are there any other suggestions? Saw the consultant yesterday for a follow-up appointment and he seemed to think that I should be completely pain free by now. Should I be? My reaction was that he can't possibly have much post op experience.
View 25 RepliesHi, I know this has been mentioned in the past, I think I commented on it, but I am now beginning to stress about this. My recovery seemed OK until about 7 weeks post op when I realised that I couldn't straighten my knee. I don't know if the swelling had stopped me noticing this before, but at my 6 week check, all was well and my surgeon was happy. Now I can't walk properly, uphill is ok, but downhill is a struggle and painful, also back of knee really stiff and painful after even a short sit down.
I attend physio weekly and have been advised to hold off from all usual exercises, can use the static bike, bend and extend my knee and use the bottom stair as a "step" for exercises. I can also use the pool when I can get there, but there seems little or no improvement.
Has anyone else experienced this at 11 weeks or beyond, or have any advice that has worked for them.
I am in the UK.
Thanks.
I am about 6 1/2 weeks out. Bend is great but need to work on straightening knee. How long did it take to get it totally straight after surgery? Just wondering if I am behind.
View 13 RepliesI'm a 18 year old me female and last month I fell off of a quad and since them my knee hasn't been normal. I cannot straighten it fully or bend it fully, it doesn't affect my walking or anything. Sometimes, randomly, like when I move a certain way it goes out of place? Whatever it does it hurts REALLY REALLY bad 10/10, it almost feels like I can't move my knee/leg for at least 1 minute and then the pain gradually lets off and takes about 10 minutes to go away and be back to me just not being able to straighten it or bend it fully. I also can't put my body weight on my knee at anytime or it hurt. When I first got hurt falling of the quad I did go to the hospital because my mom was worried and everything on X-rays way ok?
View 1 Repliesi am 5 months post op from a tkr. My knee will not straighten. And I have pain when I walk. My Doctor said I will see you in November, should I get a 2 no opinion.
View 39 RepliesIn PT they me doing strengthening exercises.doing the pedal. Leg raises. Leg bending. What I want know is why my knee and leg isn't straight? I ice it and put heavy books on the knee, I stretch and I hang my leg off the bed just below the knee lying on my stomach. What else can I do?
View 10 RepliesI had a scope three years ago. Knee wouldn't straighten out and had difficulty walking( I played volleyball but nothing traumatic happened ), they found I had a discoid meniscus and took out a lot of inflamed tissue to "clean it out". After surgery was able to straighten my knee and was back to normal. A year later I started having the same issues(no sports this time, just running), so another scope and they removed more inflamed tissues and a small mass (tested negative for anything ) . Was good for about a year after surgery, am now having the same problem. MRI never showed anything the past couple of years, can't figure out what's going on
View 1 RepliesStarting about a year ago, sometimes when I wake up in the morning my leg is bent and it causes extreme pain at the top of my knee to straighten it. It generally takes several minutes for me to straighten it out. But once I get it straight I can bend it again and straighten it again with no pain or stiffness. I sleep on my stomach so I always thought it was blood loss in my knee from sleeping at an odd angle. But i have injured my knee before (strained) and arthritis does run in the family. It only happens with the one knee. Is this something I should see a doctor about?
View 1 RepliesSo 3 weeks ago, I had a bad bike accident where I flew off the bike and slammed onto my knee. Had no immediate pain until about 2 hours later, but at that point my knee was so swollen that it looked like I had grown a second kneecap! The pain got progressively worse and by the end of the day, I couldn't walk. I'm homeschooled so for the past 3 weeks, I've only left my house to go to doctors appointments because the pain is so bad even while sitting. I can't bend my knee too far or straighten it much at all, it pretty much has stayed in a bent position for three weeks. So I went to the dr, got an MRI done, and the dr was so disrespectful to me. Told me my pain was all in my head, told me to "just get up and walk" even though I visibly couldn't. He tried to manipulate me into straightening my knee by talking to me about college while trying to push the knee straight. So unprofessional. But that's besides the point - he told me my MRI looked completely normal? My knee is always popping and has all the symptoms of a torn ligament (although I don't have excruciating pain if you put physical pressure on the kneecap, although it is somewhat painful.) anyway, just wondering if I could get a few second opinions on these MRI's? I was thinking torn meniscus or ACL, but let me know.
View 4 RepliesI'm currently training for the army and my fitness level is so-so. I ran up and down hill, and then did Grit Plyo exercises. During Grit my knee felt sore, kind of a shooting pain. Afterwards it hurt like hell. Keeping it curled seems to make the pain go away but I can't fully extend it and I limp everywhere. I can't feel any swelling 24 hours later but there is inflammation (it's a bit stiff) I didn't hear any popping sounds and I rest it with a hot water bottle and some anti flammability pills three times a day. I've had achilles problems in the past if that's any help but I seem to get knee problems from going up and down hill, as last time I went uphill my knee hurt but I was able to rest on it. I went to a physio and within two weeks it was fine. I waited a month before getting back into high impact exercise and now this happens. Any advice please?
View 1 Replieshi I seem to have woken up this morning with what looks like an indent on the right side of my new knee. It was completely round last night but now has a dent in it. I am nearly 21 weeks post TKR. Anyone had anything similar and why this is?
View 6 RepliesI'm 11 weeks Post Op and when I stand from sitting or getting out of bed I get this awful stiffness like someone pulling a belt tight around my knee? Does anyone get medication for what I assume is stiffness or do we just deal with it?
View 98 RepliesHad a tkr almost 5 weeks ago. Pain is tolerable, I walk without cane, do steps one at a time, drive but it seems almost impossible to bend my knee. My Physical Therapist is telling me I have to bend it. Help, is anyone else having this problem? Sleeping is not good, just can't get comfy with my knee. I can only bend knee 50 degrees.
View 6 RepliesWell it all went ahead and came home Friday 5th Feb.
It is hard as you all say and nothing can prepare you for it.
Pain is quite bad (codeine 60 mg and paracetamol) which is what I've been prescribed for a while now but because of anticoagulant therapy am not allowed my naproxen which makes it feel worse. Taking 4 hourly on the dot.
Hard to sleep for long because of the pain and cant get comfy. Some people advise to sleep on side - but which side? The opposite side to the op site? Leg feels like lead and been using a belt with loop to lift onto bed until I get a Loop leg lifter from Amazon (ordered) First physio tomorrow.
Managed 90 degree bend 1st day post op.
Taking each day as it comes and reminding myself that this is "good" pain not the old bone on bone pain!
So if anyone has any advice how best to get through the first two weeks I would be really grateful.
Icing 5 times a day, trying to walk for 5 mins hourly, donut exercises, managing stairs OK.
8 weeks TKR. In the last week my other knee & ankle has become slightly painful. Op knee, fine just a little discomfort when I get up in the morning, soon goes away.
View 7 Repliesi am 10 weeks post TKR including knee cap. I have been doing well can walk 3 miles, walk up and down stairs properly albeit only 2-3 times a day. The swelling is under control this only happens when I overdo it. My problem is that I have bruising show up behind the knee it was not there last week, not sure how long it has been there, but the last 2-3 days I have experienced bad pain in knee, so much so that I have had to start taking tramadol and paracetamol to ease it. Has anyone else had this?
View 1 RepliesI had a total knee replacement two weeks ago. Progress is OK though still very painful. I'm doing all of my exercises including trying to bend my knee. This is painful but also seems almost impossible! The operated knee is still about three times the size of the good knee and I keep thinking something will snap if I push it too far back! I'm left to do my physio until I get assessed by the physio team in six weeks' time. I can bend the knee about 50% at the moment. Any tips/experiences as to how long this might take?
View 8 Repliesi thought I would share info. First 2-3 weeks, barely sleep. Pains as opposed
to aches, lost 15 lbs and my taste for food. No appetite. And exhausted.
approaching 6 weeks Tuesday and not as tired, doing constant PT in office and home.. Slowly getting appetite back, sleep somewhat better. Pain has migrated to itching and aches. Let's not forget stiffness in AM or after idle.
I can walk it off a bit, but never really without that dull ache feeling. I have good ROM. Stretching helps. I am 71, but in great shape. Two knees is not for the faint heart or out of shape. Glad to answer any questions. The recovery is slow, but one can see it come, "ever so slowly". I am physically ahead, but one must let all the tissue and nerves recover..reading other experiences is a bit of a comfort. Not alone.
I'm 8 weeks post TKR and not doing too badly apart from the usual sleepless nights, stiffness and ache at back of knee, etc etc but I wondered if anyone else experiences getting to about now (7pm) ish and feeling absolutely exhausted, and every part of my body hurting? I had to go to bed this afternoon and slept for an hour but still feel dodgy. Is it still my body recovering from the operation? Lord knows how I'm going to be able to go back to work in four weeks time - not gonna happen.
View 39 RepliesIt's now been 20 weeks since my tkr and my ROM is still only 78 deg. I had MUA 11 weeks ago and the surgeon said it was a success and the tight band below the knee disappeared. Within days the stiffness returned. I have done all the exercises and I'm now at my wits end wondering if it will ever improve. I went for my hospital check up 2 weeks ago and the surgeon said keep trying to bend it and he would see me in 6 months! Has anyone else had this problem?
View 36 RepliesIt'll be 3 weeks tomorrow that I've had my op and still get better days than others! Scar is healing well but a bit lumpy in places but I'm concerned about the pain behind my knee and occasionally when I walk unaided if I straighten my leg it starts to give way? I live out in the sticks and not yet started any physio because I have to arrange not only appt but how I'm going to get there? I am continuing with my exercises given in hospital!
im also suffering awful mood swings one minute I'm fine the next snapping at everyone because,of all the silly things, trying to do everything with one hand? I'm not sure even what sort of housework I should be avoiding or attempting at this stage?