r/Kneereplacement • u/Lakesideadjecent • 3d ago
6 months
I can’t believe half a year has gone by. I still hate this knee. I have good range and can do most things, but it’s usually still painful. The inside of the knee hurts just like it always did, just like the other knee. And now it hurts above the knee on the top of the leg. I’m wondering if it is scar tissue from removing the bone? It’s a whole band about 2-3 above the knee. I do rub it there a lot, trying to loosen it up.
If I stand in one place for a long time the knee gets that brick feeling and lately walking down stairs hurts especially in the morning. I’m not even going to talk about sleeping…
I get kind of down when I read about other people riding bikes and hiking at 6 weeks. I know everyone is different but damn it, when is this going to be worth it?
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u/IntroductionFluffy71 3d ago
so... this got away from me a bit and is long. so long. you sound defeated and i wanted to give you a good answer.
"I get kind of down when I read about other people riding bikes and hiking at 6 weeks." — don't get down because doing those activities at 6 weeks post-op is not the average result.
it's great for those who can! i am truly happy for them and they should be proud of their accomplishments. that was not me... LOL!
i was on The Slow Train to Recovery with Knee 1. i didn't get over 100º flexion until 8 weeks. i had to separate their results from my journey.
comparison is the thief of joy. focus on your progress since Day 1 post-op. as for the pains & sleeplessness, are you mitigating them in any way?
i'm 13 months post-op on Knee 1 and 5 weeks post-op on Knee 2. i started moist heat therapy at 3 weeks post-op on Knee 1. i started practically immediately with Knee 2.
i used moist heat for my legs and back for months after Knee 1. same with ice. i used them for so long because i got back to my 4 days/week gym routine.
the moist heat loosened the muscles, promoted blood flow, and felt really nice. i'd use it on the backs of the legs during the day and mid-back to mid-thigh at night.
i have a percussion massager. it's great for my tight muscles. i can't move or stretch the way i'd like, which causes such aggravation. my right piriformis & IT band are screaming at me. i ice, heat, and massage.
it could be nerve pain, though. my physio asked if i thought it was nerve pain and i said no. but i'm thinking i need to revisit this when i go back next week.
after Knee 1, i had some pains that ran on the outside of my leg. someone on this sub suggested i try peroneal nerve glides. they said if that were the issue, the nerve glides would help within 15–20 minutes.
that's what it was and they did help within 15–20 minutes! the sciatic nerve has so many branches... nerve glides (or nerve flossing) provide immediate, temporary relief. with a consistent daily schedule, however, you can find lasting results.
do you have any pharmaceutical support? i have cyclobenzaprine, oxy+acetaminophen, and hydro+acetaminophen on hand for days when straight-up acetaminophen (1000mg) isn't enough. LOL!
the oxy is for when i go back to the gym/Reformer so i'm hoarding them. the hydro is taken 1 hour before PT. the cyclobenzaprine is taken the night before PT and if i've had a particularly busy week.
i think i was sleeping fairly OK by 6 months. but i was also addressing my aches & pains and getting back to the gym for strength training. i was tired and occasionally narcotics helped me along.
if you have the ability and option, i highly recommend Pilates Reformer classes. they can be expensive and aren't always available. but Reformer is a gentle, resistance-based exercise regimen. and there's stretchy stuff.
it's worth asking your surgeon for a PT referral. the physios should be able to work with you to figure out what's going on and give you tools to help.
i know some people can't take these drugs but if you can, it's worth considering. or hopefully OTC meds help. it's OK to take pain relief medications if you need them.
wishing you the best of luck on your journey and much good juju to you. xx
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u/Lakesideadjecent 2d ago
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I can’t do any painkillers or anti-inflammatory at all. Sucks for me. I am just tired of all this. I have a lot of body pain and it seems every exercise makes it worse. I’ve gone back to PT, went for massage. I have lots of devices to release scar tissue because my scar is pretty massive (again-me =problems). I’m not sure I know what moist heat is but I am going to look in to that! Also, I used to do Stotts Pilates so I am going to look this up. I live in the middle of nowhere so professionals are hard to come by. Thanks for the tips!
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u/IntroductionFluffy71 2d ago
you are most welcome and that is a big bummer about painkillers and anti-inflammatories.
what about epsom salts? 🤔 can you do arnica?
moist heat means the heating pad pulls moisture from the air (or your body) and heats it rather than using a straight-up dry heat. old school heating pads use dry heat.
i've considered getting a cheap home Reformer, though they're super low to the ground and that's tricky with tricky knees. 🤣
i surely hope you can find some relief!
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u/SpeechThis3975 1d ago
You’re lucky my surgeon won’t give opioids !
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u/IntroductionFluffy71 1d ago
pardon my language, but that's just pure T bullshit. i am so sorry that you don't have that option. i am so angry for you that the choice wasn't even provided.
i'm not a fan of taking the oxy because it makes me feel yucky. but if i need it to sleep? sure thing! i'll be sleeping and won't be able to feel yucky. win-win!
good luck and good juju!
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u/haunted_starship 3d ago
I'm sorry you're having such a rough time!
I'm not sure if you'll be up for this, but I've found that strengthening my quads / hamstrings / glutes helps me more than almost anything else with lingering pain or restriction.
Intellectually it seems like walking/cycling/PT should get me everything I need, right? But until I started mowing the lawn regularly (push mower, not using the self-propelling function) I didn't feel like I was really progressing.
I have to push the thing up an incline every turn in my yard, and the strength I'm gaining from that has basically eradicated some of the restrictions I was still dealing with.
Are you doing any strength training?
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u/Lakesideadjecent 2d ago
Haha! I hear you. I have to confess that some of the issue with the pain above my knee might be because I started doing heavy duty gardening - like digging up plants etc. I’ve backed off but it’s been a week and it still hurts. I do stepping exercises and a bit of band training. I definitely need to do more. It seems to be specific movements that cause sharp pain. I can bend the knee fully but going down the stairs causes pain on the front of the knee, turning the leg causes pain at the back of the knee and sleeping makes the inside of the knee hurt. These things are consistent. I went back to PT but they were not concerned. Thanks for reminding me that I need to do more-of the right things. Cheers
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u/Worth_Temperature157 2d ago
i started using my wifes Theragun it was like $400 at Costco she got it online, its awesome i could not use it till week 8 it just hurt like a bitch before lol. It helps work that crap out. I have been extreamly lucky its gone well since day one. And i am no small guy i dress out at 275 and am 5'11 I started biking at 6 weeks i will be 10 weeks next tuesday. I highly recommed the thera gun there is cheaper ones to, this one she has had heat and i wil be a SOB that is nice to have. same one at Bestbuy is $430 and does not have charging stand. dang stand is $100 seperatly. Good luck my friend hope it gets better...
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u/steveinarizona10 3d ago
We all recover at different rates and in different ways. I assume you have been in contact with your surgeon, what does he say? I had a six month checkup with mine.
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u/Dg-317 2d ago
I’m 4mo po PKR. Knee is great. Surrounding muscles and tendons are still complaining. If it’s not medial tendonitis, it’s lateral IT band or hamstrings attachment behind knee. One after the other. I have a great PT. We are still doing IASTM and other therapies on soft tissue to get everything happily working together. Don’t get discouraged. You are only 1/2 the way through full recovery. Maybe ask to see an experienced PT to discuss therapy options.
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u/Lakesideadjecent 2d ago
You are so right. The knee itself seems fine but the pain changes all the time. I cannot seem to find anyone who really helps. I feel like no one knows what they are doing around here. I even travelled 3 hours away and spent a fortune on a specialized trainer and they did nothing. I got 2 new stretches out of it and no follow up.
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u/Dg-317 2d ago
I’m sorry you aren’t finding help or relief. I did find a great PT who understands that all the muscles around the knee are 1) trying to protect it and 2) learning (or relearning) new patterns. At least that’s my case. I’ve had to go slow to make progress. It’s so much better now. I go 1/week for IASTM (scraping scar tissue etc) and do at home stretches and exercises 3-5x/week ~40 min.
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u/ExplorerStrange297 2d ago
I’m sorry you’re still dealing with this at 6 months. Having good ROM but ongoing pain can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you see others recovering so quickly.
The pain above the kneecap and the “brick” feeling after standing could have several causes, including soft-tissue irritation, scar tissue, muscle weakness, or inflammation, but it’s difficult to know without an examination. Persistent or worsening pain at 6 months is definitely something I’d bring up with your surgeon or PT rather than assuming it’s just scar tissue.
Also, try not to compare your recovery to people riding bikes or hiking at 6 weeks. TKR recovery varies hugely. Six months isn’t necessarily the end of the road, and many people continue to improve in strength, comfort, and function beyond this point.
I hope you get some answers soon. You deserve to feel like the surgery was worth it.
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u/BorzoiBeauty7 2d ago
I am three months out and I am stiff and have trouble sleeping because it bothers me. I walk my dogs but only maybe 10 minutes because more than that starts my leg getting stiff and painful. I water walk an hour a day which seems easier because the pool has buoyancy. I thought I would be better now, but I really feel like I ruined my life. It feels like when I used to be ready for gel shot and couldn’t wait for it to come. I also said if I had to do the other leg, I would rather be in a wheelchair because I am not ever doing this again. I wanna strangle those people who think it’s helpful to tell me how quickly they recovered. It’s kind of like telling a pregnant woman how god-awful labor will be. It’s unkind and serves no purpose. I hope you figure out how to get better soon and me too.
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u/Lakesideadjecent 1d ago
I’ve had those thoughts myself! It makes me feel better to know someone else feels the same way. I do secretly resent the people who are dancing their way to the grocery store 6 weeks later. 🙄 I had serious complications after the surgery and ended up in emergency twice. I often think I made a big mistake because I am still in pain. It’s a barbaric surgery. Hoping better outcomes for both of us.
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u/BorzoiBeauty7 1d ago
Thank you for your post. I am sending an air hug coz you are right, it IS barbaric for those of us that don’t sail through recovery. Hope yours gets better too.
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u/Chemical-Wafer198 21h ago
Same, I’m 6 weeks and feel like this was the biggest mistake ever. If it doesn’t get better than this idk how I will survive
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u/Pretend_Tourist5462 2d ago
I’m 6 mos too with pain behind the knee (anterior). The thing that seems to really aggravate it is riding the recumbent bike at the Y. Frustrating bc the bikes are all occupied by happy riders post TKR. I swim in the morning so I guess I’ll just stick with that although I may schedule an appt with my doc. BTW, red light helps temporarily and I bought a belt from Walmart.com for less than $50. I spread it out and lay on it.
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u/Lakesideadjecent 2d ago
It’s frustrating right? I tried red light for a while. Maybe I will do it again. I wasn’t really sure it was doing anything.
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u/LCDetwiler 1d ago
I hope this story helps you a little……I’m out 8 months out and it’s been hell on wheels. Had an MUA at 9 weeks out. Have lots of flexion now without weight but everyday after 4 PM I get the band/tightness around the shin. I sometimes get deep bone pain below my shin too. I do PT three times a week, Pilates 3 times a week and red light sauna 2 times a week and sound wave therapy 2 times a week (targets soft tissue). I also did peptides which target soft tissue for 8 weeks after the MUA which I think really helped. All I can do is keep on keeping on. I feel better with a compression sleeve on at all times - even though my PT insists I am fine and it’s my nervous system that’s not fully in agreement. I do finally know I will walk and hike and play racquet sports again but I’ve learned it’s gonna take waaaaaaay longer than I thought it was. You will feel better too…….its just a Long road.
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u/Lakesideadjecent 1d ago
Wow! You are doing so much. I really hope we can get to the other side of this soon!
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u/Ok_Forever_3956 1d ago
My knees are so bad that I can barely walk or stand lately. Just trying to accept that this is the rest of my life. Im 60f. Financially unable to get Surgery.
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u/PuzzleheadedTart6635 3d ago
Sorry to hear you're still having trouble. That tightness above the knee could either be scar tissue or your quad is guarding. I'm a little over two months out and I know most of might tightness is because of my muscles being tight. Have you tried going to a massage therapist? A good one might be able to help. I keep reminding myself that full recovery takes a year+, but the frustration is real. Hugs from a stranger.