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Numbness in foot after tkr
I am reaching out to someone who posted last month about numb foot. They were going to have surgery for circulation on April 11 and I wanted to know if it resolved the problem. I think mine was caused by using the compression socks for 30 days. I begged the doctor to let me stop using them during the day but they did not want to be responsible for risk of blood clots. I was quite active and fit (with all parts of my body except my right leg) before the surgery, so I think the socks interfered with my nerves somehow. I am 7 weeks out from surgery and the foot is not keeping me awake all night anymore and the string around the toe sensation has almost gone away entirely. My knee swelling has gone down a lot and I think the ability to get good flexion is taking off a strain that was making everything really tight down to my foot. I force my knee to bend with a strap around my ankle. I attach a cord (bsthrobe tie) to the metal ring on a velcro gym strap that is atound my foot or sometimes just around the ankle, and I am up to 128 degrees. So I just wanted to let anybody with this type of foot numbness and extreme pain, that it will go away as the leg gets more active. I was really feeling defeated and scared and decided to just not think about it as much as possible. Just work the knee hard and you have to cause yourself a lot of pain to get the best results. I am on a bike 20 minutes three times a day and I do a heavy regimen of exercises and stretches three times a day that the PT gave me. That should be your life for recovery. I have a good meal at the end of the day for my reward.
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Congratulations @irol and welcome to Connect. Sounds like your recovery is going very well. I have had two TKRs - the last one in Jan 2019. I agree with you about the importance of working hard on PT. I'm looking forward to being able to take long walks in the morning - I used to do 10.000 steps a day. You mention being active before your surgery. Is there anything you are especially hopeful about getting back to? Best of luck in your recovery.
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1 Reaction@irol what a great feeling it must be to have relief from that pain. I am glad you are well on the road to recovery and being active. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.
JK
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2 Reactions@contentandwell Thanks for all the encouragement you give to everyone. Tomorrow is my big double whammy day. I’m glad I found this site. Please Keep me in your prayers. Donna
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2 ReactionsI had TKR 8.5 weeks ago & I’m experiencing a great deal of nerve pain radiating from L4 &L5 to the bottom of my right foot. The heel is just beginning to turn numb with pressure pain when I walk. The constant tingling in my foot has me afraid of permanent damage. I’m going for my second epidural Tuesday so i’m Hoping it can be controlled since I have had many of them before do to inflamed bursa in my hips.
I am totally numb on the outside of my knee which my surgeon said will resolve in time. The inside, (other side of the incision, is ultra sensitive. I take Gabapentin 600mg BID & Voltaren 1% Gel 4x’s. Daily into my knee which seems to help.
Bottom line, I’m deathly afraid of permanent nerve damage. Anyone else experiencing these symptoms? Anyone have success with these types of issues?
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1 Reaction@texk I'm 13 weeks post op bilateral and still have a tenderness on the inside of knee incisions . I also have numbness on the bottom of both knee caps. I am slowly started to feel pin pricks in the numb areas and also my incision will feel prickly when I massage them. This all indicates that nerves and circulation is rejuvenating. It's slow and I hope you start to see and feel improvements.
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2 ReactionsI had horrible sciatica after surgery and I was referred to a chiropractor who helped me so much it was like a miracle. My hips were totally out of whack and once he realigned them, the sciatica gradually disappeared. It sounds like sciatica is a big part of your problem.
One thing that works at home is to sit on a tennis ball positioned squarely where the sciatic nerve comes out of the hip. Hurts a lot, but it really does relieve that pain after 10 minutes or so. As far as the inside pain, my PT said my body was trying to tell me something about the way I was standing and walking. If you turn out your foot and your leg "manspreads," ..you're putting force on the inner knee. Try paying attention to the body mechanics of sitting, rising from the sit, etc.
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1 ReactionHi @texk - Welcome to Connect! Glad you found this forum. I am 12 weeks out from my 2nd TKR. I didn't have that kind of radiating pain, but I did have numbness on the left side of the knee. It's almost gone now, but my doctor had warned me in advance that it might happen so I wasn't too worried about nerve damage. Are you still in physical therapy? Can you ask your therapist about ways you might alleviate some of the pain? Wishing you the best.
Hi Sorry you are suffering such terrible pain I had TKR just 6 weeks ago and from the word go I have had burning pain down the inside of my thigh past my knee to ankle Also on outside of thigh down leg to foot which is numb but burning as well My big toe feels as if it is being sawn off On Lyrica for 2 weeks but not helping much Had CT spine last week awaiting results Dr thought pain could be due to Spinal block irritating nerves or clot or infection Not anything like a sciatica pain I have had in the past Will let you know if I get any answers Take care
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1 ReactionHi @lindalockie - Welcome to Connect! I'm so sorry to hear that you are still having that burning pain after 6 weeks. I had a TKR in January so I'm about 12 weeks out now. I've heard of a number of people who have pain for weeks and then just have it disappear - and others who have it gradually dwindle down to less and less. Are you still doing your physical therapy? Does your therapist recommend anything for relief?
Hi Debbra all I have been offered so far is pregabalin which makes me very groggy Am still managing to do the physical therapy but as a public patient who lives in a rural area in Australia I have to do it by myself Not a lot of support Have to rely on my local GP who has sent me for a CT Spine Thank you hope you continue to improve
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