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Foot neuropathy (numbness and pain) after total knee replacement (TKR)
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Nov 3 11:28am | Replies (743)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for your response. FYI. I turn 78 years old yesterday I'm in generally good health , but I do have type 2 diabetes . Tomorrow I will see my regular doctor for another routine follow-up on my type 2 diabetes. What is quite interesting is that I was told it would take up to year for my knee to heal.
I don't remember having numbness in my foot before the total knee replacement and my wife does not remember me talking or complaining about it. I feel some tingling and numbness in the lower part of my left leg, but mostly it's on the top of my left foot.
Obviously, the subject of neuropathy comes up in my mind. Over the past couple of years my blood sugar has been 7 or less on the A1c
Yesterday was one year to the day from my total knee replacement on the left knee. I was told that it would take up to a year for my knee and leg to completely recover.
So I guess what I'm trying to find out it has anyone else have numbness or tingling in their foot on the lake where the total knee replacement was done. Did it last 4 a year? I can tell you that I feel a bit of numbness from the knee replacement down in the leg but it's mostly on the top of my left foot not the bottom. Any ideas or responses would be most welcome! Thank you all!
Replies to "Thank you for your response. FYI. I turn 78 years old yesterday I'm in generally good..."
Hi billjan1950. FYI, I am having the same problem as you. I am 73 years old with Type 2 diabetes and my A1C is usually below 7 and TKR was done on my left knee 9 months ago. Other than the diabetes I am keeping good health. I still get pain in the knee and and there is numbness. My surgeon tells me it takes a year to 18 months for the numbness to go away and so also the pain. He says each one is different and the healing process differs for each individual. For the past three months or so I have started feeling numbness and tingling in my left foot toes, just the small three toes only on the top. I have been massaging with coconut oil every night but no effect yet. I am waiting to ask my surgeon at my next appointment coming up soon what it is due to.
I am also getting pain behind the left knee and the surgeon told me once I have the TKR of the right knee it will get better. I have had the TKR of the right knee 2 1/2 months ago but the pain behind the left knee has gotten worse and so also the pain in the same knee. I am also starting to get the pain behind the left knee also.
I am also having scar tissue problem with my left knee which turned out to be a keloid. I was recommended to see a dermatologist which I did couple of weeks ago. The dermatologist gave me a steroid injection to flatten the scar and may have to take couple more doses of the steroid every 6 weeks. I am also starting to develop a scar tissue on my right knee too. The dermatologist told me to massage at least three times a day with Vaseline which I am doing.
Any advice or recommendations on the problems I am having? Thank you!
@billjan1950, @jnoronha, It does appear that you two have similar quagmires.........recovering from TKR procedures within the time frame you had been expecting, and without the pain you hadn't been expecting. My experience, unlike yours or anyone else's is also different. I have neighbors on both sides recovering from a partial and a total procedure. I don't understand the partial concept but then I didn't choose it. I did hear him say he was going to have another partial on the other knee. Maybe two partials make a whole. "Enough of this for today.....Chris"
The situations that we are dealing with are varied and somewhat unpredictable unless everything is 100% the same. And if that were true (100%) you wouldn't need the surgery and I wouldn't be writing this to try to show you comfort and provide support. What I can do is refer you to a Discussion Post that I wrote a bit ago. If you have a few extra minutes read some of the posts by others. Many have struggled with implementing a rehab program that should have led them to functionality without discomfort within a year.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-can-you-do-to-extend-the-life-of-your-tkr-and-mobility/.
There is no magic exercise or cream or any other form of technology that will make a difference. You can eat right, exercise correctly, sleep well, and keep a heck of a good attitude and you still may run into difficulties.
This is the time to make doubly sure that you asked the right questions of the right person and that there were no misunderstandings or forgotten messages. Because you know more now, you probably can do a better job of describing the sensations you are having and responding to the medical questions you may be asked. Double-check your understanding of verbal suggestions or ask for it in writing.
And finally, just do it exactly the way your clinician says to do it. And then....when it starts to feel better, don't push it. Don't try to have more "bend" than anyone else. Just pat yourself on the back and drop a note to Connect. I am here for you and anxious to be a part of your journey.
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris
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Hi, @billjan1950 Welcome to Connect.
I have had two TKRs and have not had any numbness. If it's been a year what does your ortho say about it? If he/she does not have any answers then I would get a second opinion from a highly regarded doctor with no association with the original doctor. Preferably a doctor at a major medical center.
One of the real questions is, is this so problematic that it impacts you greatly? It sounds like a nerve issue which I guess may happen sometimes during surgery. If that, it may not be correctable so hopefully it is something that you can live with and put in the back of your mind. It would be good to know precisely what the problem is though.
JK