TKA leg hurts when walking

Good evening @cathyanne, Congratulations.......it seems like you are doing exceptionally well. Were you surprised at what a difference your pre-surgical efforts made? I sure was when I had my second TKR in 2021. I am kind of wondering if you talked to your PT "trainer" about introducing additional activities.

Here's what I found out. I was very anxious to get back to my 3 or 4 days of walking up to 3 miles along the Mississippi River. I missed being so close to nature and enjoying the seasonal activity changes for the birds, ducks, geese, swans, and even the squirrels. I started with a 1/2 mile....then 1 mile.....and so on. It appeared that the stiffness and swelling did increase if I got carried away and walked too far. Then....remember you have to walk back. So I used my iPhone to plan my walk and extend my distance appropriately for me.

Now..here is another issue.......the weather. When the BP....(barometric pressure) rises and falls as seasons come and go......I notice a considerable difference when it goes below 30.00. When the BP is steady, I do well. When it is changing .....either up or down, I struggle a bit.

How is the rest of your body doing? Do you breathe well? Do you perspire easily at times?

And.....my last question. Have you been doing exercises that support your leg, ankle, hip, and thigh muscles? My biggest problem has been when the I-band gets a bit riled up. Oops...one more question......have you had any scar tissue encounters?

Remember that the connective tissue around your knee....with tendons, ligaments, etc. needs to be healthy and happy also.

May you be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
I look forward to hearing about your walks and how well your knee is supporting you.

Chris

A little soreness is not unusual, especially with the fine rehab work you're doing. Even walking inside for 5 minutes, three times a day should help. I also used a recumbent bike at the gym to just pedal t a very easy rate - for 30 minutes each time. Helps with real/practical motion and should also help improve circulation and reduce swelling.

Thank you - I will try your suggestions! Merry Christmas.

Hello Chris.
Thank you! My health is all excellent - breathing etc. and I am fairly thin.

Yes on all the other exercises. Heel raises (36) for ankles. Linebackers for hips. Leg lifts with weights for quads and these other exercises for hips/bottom.

Thanks so much. I appreciate all the input. Merry Christmas!

"It really stiffens up and swells" does not sound good. Discuss this with your current physician and see another physician if you don't get satisfaction from the first.

One thing I forgot, the stiffness and swelling is not totally unexpected at 3 plus months, even for someone like you doing everything right. Chris's advice on building up walking is excellent.

I didn't have these problems, but I bike rather than walk a lot. I did have a friend, in great pre-surgery condition, and his knee was stiff, sore, and swollen for a good 5 months before it started to get better.

So we're all different. Stick with your plan. A very good device to cool your knee is the Hurt Skurt (or Skirt) - you can get one on Amazon. Stick it in the freezer then just pull it on. It surrounds the knee and helps.

Hi there. So is this what you mean? See foto. Thanks so much - you have been very helpful to me!

Ice and heat ice and heat and keep walking…my doctor said it would be a year before it is 100%….after about 8 months I visited my daughter in Omaha, I live in Nevada and she wanted a room painted on the 3rd floor of her house…so it was up and down the stairs and up and down the ladder…best thing I ever did! Seriously….until I did that I could not even get up from the toilet without pushing myself up…now, I have no problem doing about anything!