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Foot neuropathy (numbness and pain) after total knee replacement (TKR)
Joint Replacements | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (744)Comment receiving replies
Hello @npt1903, welcome to Connect. I've recently had my right knee replaced and I have some balance problems. I'm not sure if I can blame it on the knee replacement as I've also have small fiber peripheral neuropathy. I only have numbness with the neuropathy but I think it contributes to the balance problems. I have to be careful when I first get up after sitting for awhile or when I first get up in the morning. I think physical therapy works if it's more focused on helping balance and not to increase the knee flexion and/or build strength.
Here's some information that may be helpful for improving your balance. I use a couple of the exercises and they seem to help me.
A Balance Exercise Program Appears to Improve Function for Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Clinical Trial
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2879033/
Mayo Clinic -- Balance Exercises
-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/balance-exercises/sls-20076853?s=1
Do you think your balance issue might not be related to your knee replacements?
If you would like get a second opinion from Mayo Clinic, you can find the contact information for the Minnesota, Arizona and Florida campuses here http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.
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I have never really received a definitive reason for my balance issue. I've been told that I have neuropathy but only suggestions as to the reason--maybe from knee surgery, one lumbar lamenectomy, or the scoliosis causing all my pain. I hate to have the surgery for scoliosis as it involves rods, pins and screws and I don't know if my back pain issues will go away or if the neuropathy will go away. I hate to try one thing after another just to eliminate possible causes. I would just like to deal with the reason for my balance issue because of the constant possibility of falling. If it is neuropathy causing it, I will most likely always have that to deal with. Too many unanswered questions. I use Percocet for the back pain and use a cane for the balance problem--neither of which is dealing with the cause.