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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.
Hello Dora, Welcome to MedHelp!
I'm sorry to hear about your husbands pain! I (Orthopedic Surgical First Assistant) have assisted on hundreds of this procedures and it is one of those "it takes time" situations.
I am only allowed to give my opinion over the internet, always consult your Orthopod . That being said, I can only suggest a couple of options. Either get a more potent pain med or get in to a Pain Management Clinic. The clinic offers more intense pain management i.e. injections.
I hope the situation improves. Please feel free to contact me for any information/ questions you or your husband may have. I am the Orthopedic Leader for this site.
Best wishes! JD1963
I'm sorry to hear about your husbands pain! I (Orthopedic Surgical First Assistant) have assisted on hundreds of this procedures and it is one of those "it takes time" situations.
I am only allowed to give my opinion over the internet, always consult your Orthopod . That being said, I can only suggest a couple of options. Either get a more potent pain med or get in to a Pain Management Clinic. The clinic offers more intense pain management i.e. injections.
I hope the situation improves. Please feel free to contact me for any information/ questions you or your husband may have. I am the Orthopedic Leader for this site.
Best wishes! JD1963
My husband had his op just over 5 weeks ago and has experienced the same excruiating pain as you have, he went back to surgeon who said that it was early days and it was a big op! He could take some paracetamol for the pain. My husband's physio therapist said it was not the operation is was something
that needed other medication. We went to our GP and she prescribed some anti-inflammatories. This has decreased the number of spasms he has had but he still has them. They are very painful, he is coping with the new knee and has brilliant range of movement and walks about with no crutches or cane, but this pain, mainly in bed is something else!!!!!!!
that needed other medication. We went to our GP and she prescribed some anti-inflammatories. This has decreased the number of spasms he has had but he still has them. They are very painful, he is coping with the new knee and has brilliant range of movement and walks about with no crutches or cane, but this pain, mainly in bed is something else!!!!!!!
My husband had his op just over 5 weeks ago and has experienced the same excruiating pain as you have, he went back to surgeon who said that it was early days and it was a big op! He could take some paracetamol for the pain. My husband's physio therapist said it was not the operation is was something
that needed other medication. We went to our GP and she prescribed some anti-inflammatories. This has decreased the number of spasms he has had but he still has them. They are very painful, he is coping with the new knee and has brilliant range of movement and walks about with no crutches or cane, but this pain, mainly in bed is something else!!!!!!!
that needed other medication. We went to our GP and she prescribed some anti-inflammatories. This has decreased the number of spasms he has had but he still has them. They are very painful, he is coping with the new knee and has brilliant range of movement and walks about with no crutches or cane, but this pain, mainly in bed is something else!!!!!!!
I have the " knocking" too ( I call it clunking). I am at 10 weeks, occasional pain if I overdo it, use a cane to do stairs and outdoors. Extension 4 degrees and ROM 105. Told we have to be patient t, but it's hard
Hi. I was discharged by my Consultant recently after six weeks and have completed my last Physiotherapy session following my knee replacement surgery. I still have a problem with high riser stairs at home but can almost run up and down the shallow rise staircase at the Medical Center without a stick, although I am still in pain with muscle aches and almost unbearable nerve ending tingling around my knee. I am now able to drive but only short hops. However the sleepless night continue....any suggestions welcome?
Best regards to you all.
Danzo
I wrote this letter below to my Consultant to thank him for all that he had done.
Dear Sir
I wanted to update you on the progress of my recent knee replacement which you undertook for me and I am delighted to tell you that everything is healing wonderfully. The knee has as much movement as is possible and I now look forward to going swimming and cycling and enjoying the things (including sea fishing) that previously I was unable to do because of my old crippled arthritic knee. Obviously there is still a lot of surface inflammation and other factors have hindered me immediately after the operation, such as my arthritic hips and feet, as well as the back pain, which I have endured for so many years but these things are made so much better due to my replacement knee and I am so much happier emotionally and feel better physically also.
People ask me about my knee replacement and I rejoice in being able to give a positive testimony to the benefits of having the operation done but my greatest joy is telling them who it was that undertook my operation and my eyes sparkle with gratitude when I tell them that it was you who did my knee replacement, thank you so very much my friend. I am utterly confident that should my other knee ever need to be done (hopefully not) I would love you to do it for me.
Yours gratefully
Best regards to you all.
Danzo
I wrote this letter below to my Consultant to thank him for all that he had done.
Dear Sir
I wanted to update you on the progress of my recent knee replacement which you undertook for me and I am delighted to tell you that everything is healing wonderfully. The knee has as much movement as is possible and I now look forward to going swimming and cycling and enjoying the things (including sea fishing) that previously I was unable to do because of my old crippled arthritic knee. Obviously there is still a lot of surface inflammation and other factors have hindered me immediately after the operation, such as my arthritic hips and feet, as well as the back pain, which I have endured for so many years but these things are made so much better due to my replacement knee and I am so much happier emotionally and feel better physically also.
People ask me about my knee replacement and I rejoice in being able to give a positive testimony to the benefits of having the operation done but my greatest joy is telling them who it was that undertook my operation and my eyes sparkle with gratitude when I tell them that it was you who did my knee replacement, thank you so very much my friend. I am utterly confident that should my other knee ever need to be done (hopefully not) I would love you to do it for me.
Yours gratefully
Hi I am sixty one years old and male and I also had my knee replacement six weeks ago and as you say the slightest touch of the duvet or blanket triggers off a whole lot of surface nerve endings across my knee. I had a heart bypass eighteen years ago and my chest was the same for months and even now sometimes when the car seat belt lays across my chest I can feel the old nerve endings burning.
I found that by massaging a non perfume E45 moisturiser into my whole leg gives me a lot of relief and especially beneficial for me is if I massage my upper leg from the knee up to my hips and my lower leg from my knee down to my feet, this seems to send the pain away from my knee somehow and is a welcome short period when the pain stops. I am only on paracetamol but use Volterol cream when pain flares up around the sides of my knee and especially at the back of my knee, where the tendons tighten up and hurt. Hope that helps. God bless. Dan
I found that by massaging a non perfume E45 moisturiser into my whole leg gives me a lot of relief and especially beneficial for me is if I massage my upper leg from the knee up to my hips and my lower leg from my knee down to my feet, this seems to send the pain away from my knee somehow and is a welcome short period when the pain stops. I am only on paracetamol but use Volterol cream when pain flares up around the sides of my knee and especially at the back of my knee, where the tendons tighten up and hurt. Hope that helps. God bless. Dan
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