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Post Operative knee replacement, ongoing pain, please help
My husband who is 70 had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago and the pain seems to be intensifying rather than diminishing. He had a childhood injury to this knee, then another operation 13 years ago but is crying with the pain most of the time and has gone from ordinary pain killers to needing morphine. He has physiotherapy 3 times per week, also hydrotherapy and acupuncture, they all say he is making some progress but very slowly and keep telling him exercising will relieve the pain.
He can walk around the house for short periods without either crutches or a stick so has some function but the pain seems unrelenting and is affecting his life quite seriously (and mine).
He says the pain now is worse than prior to the operation and I am wondering if this is normal. It is so painful he cannot do the exercises as he should and the knee is very swollen and tight.
He has seen the general practitioner who is managing the pain but I am wondering if this is how it should be or if something is going off track and we should be seeing the surgeon for a follow-up. Thank you if anybody can help me.
He can walk around the house for short periods without either crutches or a stick so has some function but the pain seems unrelenting and is affecting his life quite seriously (and mine).
He says the pain now is worse than prior to the operation and I am wondering if this is normal. It is so painful he cannot do the exercises as he should and the knee is very swollen and tight.
He has seen the general practitioner who is managing the pain but I am wondering if this is how it should be or if something is going off track and we should be seeing the surgeon for a follow-up. Thank you if anybody can help me.
I had TKR on 9/30/14 and I suggest rigorous physical therapy. If you let up it will only get worse. I'm now into my 7th month and I still have some pain and stiffness mainly if I don't do my exercises. If I stay on my feet all day I hurt for two days. I am still very mobile even though I still have to deal with the pain after a long day. I wish I knew the answer to overcoming this, but I have only one suggestion "physical therapy". Good luck.
I had left knee TKR on 11/11/14. Everything went extremely well and pain level never went about a 5 at most. By week 2 post surgery I was bending knee at 127 degrees and completely walking without a cane or other assistance. Now all of a sudden I'm getting a feeling of numbness like my entire leg has fallen asleep from the knee down to the foot. It keeps me awake at night. Does anyone else experience this same feeling? It's almost like you've been sitting on the commode for a long time and your leg starts falling asleep. Thanks for any help
I have exactly the same situation as you. Please keep us informed about your progress. I haven't found my answers yet, but am investigating getting stem cell and/or dextrose knee injections. I also started to always ice my knees after exercising. I had neglected this for awhile, but have done it every single time for the past week and the pain is less, already.
I, too, am 18 months out. Had double knee replacements at the same time in August 2013.
Good luck to both of us!
I, too, am 18 months out. Had double knee replacements at the same time in August 2013.
Good luck to both of us!
One last comment. I re-read your post. You said you wonder what is causing your depression. That is hard to say. There can be physical causes if it lasts for a long time and is severe. I would suggest that you check with a psychiatrist, as sometimes medication can help. Talk therapy helped me, too. Maybe get a second and even third opinion until you find someone you trust.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Depression can be an insidious condition. I had serious depression and anxiety before my TKAs Aug 2013 (done at the same time.) After surgery, I was still anxious about the same things as I was before but had the added layer of depression about losing my job in Aug 2013 when I told them about the surgery and gave three weeks' notice.
I still have 8/10 knee pain all the time and am going to look into stem cell injections, which I have heard work. They are expensive, but health is the priority.
Until then, I try to take my mind to "another place" and view the pain as being a good thing, because it means I can still develop more bending in my knee. If I were to "freeze" like most other patients do 6 months postop, my level of function might not be as good, but I'd be stuck with it for good.
Maybe the following true story would help your perspective. About five years ago, there was a young medical doctor in America who was rock-climbing and whose arm became trapped in a thin, deep crevase. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't get it free. He remained trapped for several days. He realized that he was in a remote area where it was unlikely he would be found and that he would probably die if he remained there. So, he made a drastic decision. He decided to perform "major surgery" on his arm in order to free it and climb back down to safety -- he would AMPUTATE it.
He had a pocket knife and proceeded to cut his arm free from the crevase. This involved cutting all the way thru his arm and bone. In other words, he cut off his own hand and lower arm!
How did he tolerate the horror and pain? He said he took his mind to "another place." (I don't know where -- a winning million $ lottery stage, a beautiful meadow?)
Due to the shock of the procedure, he felt less pain than he expected. He climbed down to a trail and then ran down until he found two hikers who ran ahead for emergency help.
He is now fine and has an artificial hand.
What he did was probably a type of deep meditation and maybe even self-hypnosis. I don't know what he told himself during the procedure, but you might try researching Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, since they involve taking negative thoughts and using logic to come up with a more positive thought. This works wonders for many people who suffer with depression. I studied it for three years and it changed my life. Neurofeedback ("biofeedback for the brain") also worked wonders for me; I did it for 2 years on a 2x/week basis. Afterwards, I used a software at home on my computer to practice the same skills. The boss asked if I was "doing anything" during my next yearly review. She said they had all noticed big change in me that lasted.
Whatever method or combination of methods you choose to deal with your depression, rest assured that you are not alone and that the more you do these things (with the help of a profesional) the better you will probably feel.
Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.
I still have 8/10 knee pain all the time and am going to look into stem cell injections, which I have heard work. They are expensive, but health is the priority.
Until then, I try to take my mind to "another place" and view the pain as being a good thing, because it means I can still develop more bending in my knee. If I were to "freeze" like most other patients do 6 months postop, my level of function might not be as good, but I'd be stuck with it for good.
Maybe the following true story would help your perspective. About five years ago, there was a young medical doctor in America who was rock-climbing and whose arm became trapped in a thin, deep crevase. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't get it free. He remained trapped for several days. He realized that he was in a remote area where it was unlikely he would be found and that he would probably die if he remained there. So, he made a drastic decision. He decided to perform "major surgery" on his arm in order to free it and climb back down to safety -- he would AMPUTATE it.
He had a pocket knife and proceeded to cut his arm free from the crevase. This involved cutting all the way thru his arm and bone. In other words, he cut off his own hand and lower arm!
How did he tolerate the horror and pain? He said he took his mind to "another place." (I don't know where -- a winning million $ lottery stage, a beautiful meadow?)
Due to the shock of the procedure, he felt less pain than he expected. He climbed down to a trail and then ran down until he found two hikers who ran ahead for emergency help.
He is now fine and has an artificial hand.
What he did was probably a type of deep meditation and maybe even self-hypnosis. I don't know what he told himself during the procedure, but you might try researching Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, since they involve taking negative thoughts and using logic to come up with a more positive thought. This works wonders for many people who suffer with depression. I studied it for three years and it changed my life. Neurofeedback ("biofeedback for the brain") also worked wonders for me; I did it for 2 years on a 2x/week basis. Afterwards, I used a software at home on my computer to practice the same skills. The boss asked if I was "doing anything" during my next yearly review. She said they had all noticed big change in me that lasted.
Whatever method or combination of methods you choose to deal with your depression, rest assured that you are not alone and that the more you do these things (with the help of a profesional) the better you will probably feel.
Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.
Like you, I too have still had pain one year and 3 months after double TKAs. They burn and hurt 8/10 most of the time, especially the right knee, and yet, I've done my PT and knee bending exercises faithfully every day (with only a few days left out).
I have thick keloid scars, which the doc thought accounted for some of my pain and feelings of tightness. I am considering doing dextrose injections (or even stem cell injections, which uses my own blood) because I've heard that they work! Very expensive, tho.
The pain is getting worse! It's always been 7 or 8/10 but now it burns and feels like the inside of my R knee has sustained a painful twisting "sprain." Yet, I have almost full range of motion.
I can do the knee bending exercises (e.g., stair lunges), my entire routine, which is 20 minutes, ONE time a day. I'd like to do it morning and night, but it hurts too much. If I ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes, it hurts so much afterward (even tho I ice it for 20 minutes) that I can't do aerobic exercise for 4-5 days afterwards.
ONE POSSIBLE PAIN CAUSE: I GAINED 30 POUNDS DURING THE PAST 4 MONTHS. DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN AS A CAUSE OF PAIN INCREASE IN TKR's? I had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss 11 years ago and have kept 130 lb off and even lost 40 more! Now I have gained 30 within 4 months! It's probably due to the fact that I a food addict and have the stress of starting a new job this July as a Caregiver to an 89-year-old man who is in very poor health and will probably die soon. I need the money because my husband retired 2 years ago and refuses to work even part-time. My job is not physical; it is as a companion. So, I know that I am not overusing my knees. I take walks outside for up to about 40 minutes at a fairly fast pace. My client and I eat out twice a week and it's hard not to overeat.
HOW SIGNIFICANT COULD WEIGHT GAIN AFTER DOUBLE TKAs BE AS A FACTOR IN INCREASING THE PAIN? I NEED TO LOSE ABOUT 50 MORE LB AND FEEL LIKE I CAN'T DO IT. TRIED EVERYTHING BEFORE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY AND IT DIDN'T WORK. THAT'S WHY I DID THE SURGERY. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SITUATION, TOO. LOOK INTO STEM CELL/DEXTROSE KNEE INJECTIONS AND GET SEVERAL OPINIONS.
I have thick keloid scars, which the doc thought accounted for some of my pain and feelings of tightness. I am considering doing dextrose injections (or even stem cell injections, which uses my own blood) because I've heard that they work! Very expensive, tho.
The pain is getting worse! It's always been 7 or 8/10 but now it burns and feels like the inside of my R knee has sustained a painful twisting "sprain." Yet, I have almost full range of motion.
I can do the knee bending exercises (e.g., stair lunges), my entire routine, which is 20 minutes, ONE time a day. I'd like to do it morning and night, but it hurts too much. If I ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes, it hurts so much afterward (even tho I ice it for 20 minutes) that I can't do aerobic exercise for 4-5 days afterwards.
ONE POSSIBLE PAIN CAUSE: I GAINED 30 POUNDS DURING THE PAST 4 MONTHS. DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN AS A CAUSE OF PAIN INCREASE IN TKR's? I had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss 11 years ago and have kept 130 lb off and even lost 40 more! Now I have gained 30 within 4 months! It's probably due to the fact that I a food addict and have the stress of starting a new job this July as a Caregiver to an 89-year-old man who is in very poor health and will probably die soon. I need the money because my husband retired 2 years ago and refuses to work even part-time. My job is not physical; it is as a companion. So, I know that I am not overusing my knees. I take walks outside for up to about 40 minutes at a fairly fast pace. My client and I eat out twice a week and it's hard not to overeat.
HOW SIGNIFICANT COULD WEIGHT GAIN AFTER DOUBLE TKAs BE AS A FACTOR IN INCREASING THE PAIN? I NEED TO LOSE ABOUT 50 MORE LB AND FEEL LIKE I CAN'T DO IT. TRIED EVERYTHING BEFORE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY AND IT DIDN'T WORK. THAT'S WHY I DID THE SURGERY. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SITUATION, TOO. LOOK INTO STEM CELL/DEXTROSE KNEE INJECTIONS AND GET SEVERAL OPINIONS.
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