Do you still get tightness in knee after tkr, after working all day?

Posted by cyndi2013 @cyndi2013, Mar 31 7:59pm

I am 16 months post op TKR. By the end of the day, my knee is really tight and stiff. I exercise every morning on elipitcal and recumbent, and walk steady at work. Does anyone experience this stiffness?

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cyndi2013 | @cyndi2013 | Apr 2 5:10pm

You are amazing 👏 .
I wouldn't dare have both done at same time.

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | 6 days ago

In reply to @cyndi2013 "@heyjoe415 , Thanks. I use stationary bike every evening. Every little thing does help. This us..." + (show)

My apologies Cyndi. You did mention you are on the stationary bike every morning.

Two things for your consideration:

1). Use ice on your knees, but never heat. Ice reduces inflammation and pain. Heat is very soothing for muscles, but it causes a rush of blood into the knee capsule, and this rush of blood causes inflammation, swelling, and pain. So ice, ice, ice - in my opinion.

2) You didn't mention stretching. There are stretches for the quads, hamstrings, and Illiotibial Band (ITC) that may help. If the pain is on the outside of the knee, it could be a tight ITB which can be stretched.

Finally, because you are 16 mos post-TKR, have you asked your Dr about this? It may be tie for an x-ray or MRI just to make sure the prosthetics are properly seated and aligned.

I hope this helps. I'm a bit of a veteran on joint replacements (knees, hip, shoulder) so please let me know if you have questions.

I hope you find some relief Cyndi, and soon!

Joe

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | 6 days ago

In reply to @lawanna85 "No two are alike I am finding out. I had both done at the same time..." + (show)

Hi Lawanna!

It takes courage to get one TKR. to have both knees replaced at the same time is a monumental achievement requiring great courage and stamina - good for you!

My younger brother did this with a lot of help from his wife. I did mine one at a time, four months apart.

Joe

Lawanna Bean | @lawanna85 | 5 days ago

In reply to @heyjoe415 "Hi Lawanna! It takes courage to get one TKR. to have both knees replaced at the..." + (show)

@heyjoe415 Thank you! It's not for the faint hearted for sure. It's a marathon, not a sprint!

cyndi2013 | @cyndi2013 | 5 days ago

In reply to @heyjoe415 "My apologies Cyndi. You did mention you are on the stationary bike every morning. Two things..." + (show)

@heyjoe415
Yes I do stretches daily. I have had xrays and MRI and everything is seated properly.
My body seems to be taking its time for this process.
Thanks.

Lawanna Bean | @lawanna85 | 5 days ago

Has anyone had a leg length discrpenacy after a double TKR? I am going to my 9 month out appt on Thursday and I need to ask some questions. I am pretty sure one leg is a bit shorter than the other. Not much but I think it's causing balance issues. It ocurred to me that someone else might be having or might have had a similar experience. If so, I would love to hear your experience. The surgery was a breeze compared to other things I have read. Recovery for the first 5 months went smooth. So in that respect, I was very lucky plus I did everything I was told to do. Then I began to notice balance issues. I went back to PT and he gave me exercises to do. It hasn't seemed to help that much. I use a cane when I am out and about and I am 9 months out. But I would rather use a cane rather than fall. I am surprised and frankly a little puzzled by this whole situation.

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | 3 days ago

In reply to @cyndi2013 "@heyjoe415 Yes I do stretches daily. I have had xrays and MRI and everything is seated..." + (show)

Thanks Cyndi. You've done all you can do.

You did mention the tightness/stiffness is worse at the end of the day. One thing to consider, footwear.

I have a very bad lower back and the high arches in my feet don't help. I have been wearing these inserts for about two years (bought them on a cruise, of all places....):
https://www.goodfeet.com/
If you haven't looked into this, it may be worth a glance.

Other ideas are pain relieving gels. My favorite menthol gel/spray/roll-on is BioFreeze Professional. No drugs, just menthol.

Voltaren is an OTC gel containing the NSAID diclofenac. I've tried this and found BioFreeze gave better, and faster, results. And diclofenac as a pill requires an Rx. So take a look at the side effects of the gel before making a decision.

Hope this helps and I hope you get some relief!

Joe

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | 3 days ago

In reply to @lawanna85 "@heyjoe415 Thank you! It's not for the faint hearted for sure. It's a marathon, not a..." + (show)

Hi Lawanna.

Well good for you for accepting that recovery from joint replacement is a lengthy and at times tedious process, especially in the first six months. I'm still amazed and impressed that you did bilateral TKRs. Wow!

I had my left shoulder replaced last August. The recovery has gone well but is even longer and more tedious than knees. The shoulder is a complicated joint and moves in a lot of directions. It took two months to start recovery for flexibility (primarily rest and a continuous passive motion chair), then another two to four months to rebuild strength. 8 months later and I am still rebuilding strength in the shoulder. But the horrible pain from osteoarthritis is gone!

But I did it by the book and the results have been great. When I inevitable talk to someone at the gym who has had a knee or shoulder replaced with a bad outcome, it's almost always because they didn't follow instructions for recovery PT.

It's a long road. The destination is worth it!

Joe