Has anyone had a tight band feeling after total knee replacement?

Sorry to hear you are in pain …. Question have you had X-rays since surgery make sure everything ok….. at 4 weeks I was still stiff and swollen…. It took me months and a lot of myofascial release to get rid of the tightness …..I know some people recover in no time …. Unfortunately I was not on of them…. I am still going through issues after second opinion found out my knee slightly to big I am do for revision july I am anxious but can’t wait for this nightmare to be over….so first I would get X-ray make sure everything ok …..also you can use rolling pin it helps loosen things up they have them on you tube…..last you can do myofascial release that was most important key to my recovery……so good luck I hope you find relief

Hi yes I had an xray and all good. I will try the myofascial as you mentioned. I'm in the UK and havent heard of it but will check it out. Sometimes it's unbearable and I wish I'd never had it done.

Same here I had less pain before…..even though I am going for revision and can’t get anymore flexion I am at like 80 I still do the myofascial helps not be so stiff and sore ….here in Pennsylvania it is 100 an hour so worth it….I have missed last 2-3 weeks my family had covid I definitely feel the difference…. Looking so forward going back tomorrow…. I hope you can find someone in the Uk I googled myofascial release dr barnes found one in my area….let me know how works out

Sorry to hear. Sounds grim.

And yet, the medical system tends to see numbness from surgical incision transverse nerve severing as a trivial, temporary problem. They perceive it as just a bit of numb skin - they fail to comprehend that the brain of sensitive people can see it as an alarming loss of feeling and create a tightening around the area as protect. Akin to the initial swelling. following surgery. But the tightness is accompanied with pain and also can damage movement - the brain can then fail to connect this consequence with the tightening it is doing. So it sees a further reason to hold tight.

Chronic pain is often caught in such feedback loops. After partial knee surgery 15 months ago the numbness and tightness and derailing of kneecap when moving persist. But I play tennis - walking not running - and just override my feelings. Then things can calm down. Catastrophising or feeling scare can create an additional amplifying feedback mechanism.

I am tapping and stretching and rubbing the numb area every day multiple times. For sure there is nerve tingling beyond the scar line so I feel that it can hopefully help it extend further.

Yes I did!! Around 3 months after it was really bugging me something changed and one of the “bands” was gone! What a relief. My best advice is DO PT. And realize it’s not a linear progression. 2 steps forward 1 step back, if your lucky. I’m at 6 month now . No band but stiffness and pain( but not constant) I have been hiking and doing well with hiking sticks. When I kneel it still feels really weird like a plastic Shield over kneecap… but still improving.
But definitely the weirdest surgery I’ve had.

I forgot to add; I did a lot of dry brushing . 3-4 times a day . I really think that helped get the blood flowing.

You’re at a very early post tkr stage but things do get better each day. Just keep moving the leg & do water exercise if at all possible. For the night time use an ice pad before bedtime so the knee is numb. At your stage I was using a cold pad to go to sleep with. I’m 13 mths post tkr & doing well but do still have the tight band feeling but without pain. I don’t know if this is permanent or not but I’m pain free & can enjoy walking again. However, even now I do try to do some kind of exercise 1-2 x day.

Wow the tight band feeling does last a while it seems. Can you move you knee like the other knee tho or do you gave restrictions. I don't mind the tightness if it wasn't painful. I will just continue to exercise, ice pack and walk and rest. Can I ask at 4 to 5 weeks how much walking did u do? We live in an apartment and no garden I walk around the apartment but my husband works so I don't get out every day.

Hello, this is my first post about post op tkr pain. I am about 11 months out and still experiencing significant pain all around knee, especially exterior side. I had a diagnostic test for nerve ablation and pain doctor said I have a 50:50 chance the ablation will work. Meanwhile I use diflocanec gel 3x/day, cbd cream at night, ice 2-3x/day, Tylenol before exercise, Lyrica at night to calm the nerves, massage, wear heavy sleeve on leg/knee almost all the time, hot tub almost every day. I used to cycle 100 miles a week but now maybe 40 and then have more pain. swimming doesn’t hurt as much but it’s pretty isolating. Hoping the ablation gives me some relief. Then wait and see how year 2 goes.

I seen my myofascial release person today ….. I told her you were from uk and were in need of myofascial she suggested you look up myofascial release trained by dr barnes….. Dr barnes is the pioneer of mfo….she did mention others might do mfo but if not trained by dr barnes may not help as much different techniques. Good luck I hope you can find someone.