← Return to Pain after recent Knee Replacement. What is normal? For how long?

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@johnbishop

Hi @oceanspruce, Three weeks is still pretty early in the recovery process. Are you doing a lot of icing and elevating of the leg during the day? The reason I ask is because I thought I was until my post surgery followup with the surgeon and found out my idea of icing and elevating was not what he was telling me to do - anytime I was sitting and not doing the post op stretches and exercises, I needed to keep the leg elevated and frequently iced to keep the swelling down.

That really helped with my inflammation and swelling and I slept a lot better at night.

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Replies to "Hi @oceanspruce, Three weeks is still pretty early in the recovery process. Are you doing a..."

Hi John,

Yes, I have been elevating and icing regularly but not constantly between my other activities including walking, physical therapy exercises, eating, using the bathroom, traveling as a passenger in a car, etc. I've had seven in-home physical therapy sessions with five different therapists so far, and last week one of them told me that when I was elevating and icing while remaining in a upright seated position, such as when I'm sitting on a sofa, I wasn't receiving much anti-inflammation, anti-swelling. She told me in order to receive the full benefit of elevating and icing I need to have my back flat down on the sofa or bed with my leg ABOVE the level of my heart. Since then I've tried to be in that position more often, but it's difficult to remain in that position for so much time day after day after day. Also, my surgeon is reluctant to prescribe me (or other of his joint replacement recipients) anti-inflammatory medication because of several of its possible negative side effects, especially damage to the kidneys. However, upon my specifically inquiring about such medication at my 16-day, post-surgery follow-up appointment three days ago, he did relent and agree to prescribe me seven (7) 200 m.g. Celecoxib (Celebrex) to be taken once a day for seven (7) days. I'm hoping with these adjustments to my recovery regimen I might see some improvements.