Help with pain after 3 months of TKR

Posted by fran102 @fran102, Mar 8, 2023

It has been 3 months since I had TKR and still have terrible pain behind my knee. I finally got my ROM up to 115 and can bend my knee when walking although I still have to use a walker. I’m going to get a second opinion because my surgeon has been totally unhelpful. Does anyone have any recommendations on coping with the pain and is this normal? I feel so frustrated and scared I might be this way for the rest of my life. It’s pretty much nonstop pain. I go to PT 3x a week for 2 hour sessions and they have helped me with ROM and knee strengthening but have so far to go. They are trying to get me a Dynasplint. Has anyone ever used one and does it help? Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I’m so depressed! I had no idea it would be like this.

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@cindymattern

Gabapentin can be very helpful for nerve pain. I was taking it before my TKR and went off it however went back on after the TKR because of nerve pain. It will go away in time and the Gabapentin will help. It made me drowsy so I took it all at night. Keep in mind it must be weaned off of when you stop as you can't just stop taking it or there are side effects.

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Thank you for your response , I appreciate it , as this experience has been more than I ever expected!!

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@brescher

Thank you for your response , I appreciate it , as this experience has been more than I ever expected!!

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Agree...and I thought my sinus surgery years ago was bad. It's definitely a process and I'm at 6 months. Still get frustrated but told it takes 6-12 months which I apparently fall into but I'm ready to be done. I'm tired of being sore and sometimes hurting but it will pass. I'm just not patient lol.....I honestly feel that 2 hour sessions are way to much PT. I did 3x a week for 45 minutes the first month, then 2x then 1x and stopped at 3 months. At 6 months I am doing everything except getting off the floor which I need to try and learn as I can't put weight on the knee. However I still do get sore if I do too much.

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@brescher

Went for 2nd opinion. Not IT BAND !!
All X-rays and CT scan are good!! No swelling….no redness. But very painful surrounding knee. Diagnosed as nerve pain.
Hopefully will go away… prescribed GABAPENTIN!! 17 weeks out from TKR.
Has anyone had this??
Brescher

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I’m 14 months out of TKR and take Gabapentin was all ready on it for chronic pain condition and it took a while for it to help me I take 600mg 2x daily am /pm but I still have days when my knee hurts pretty badly I have nerve in it my knee around my knee cap and when the pressure changes when it’s going to storm out hurts in the winter because of the cold my knee also pops some times but I was told the piping sometimes is normal I think my knee will always hurt sometimes because it fake I still sleep with it propped up on a pillow sometimes it help but when I had my knee replaced I could not walk on it at all I couldn’t bear any weight on it at all
And now I can walk but it dose get better it just takes time be patient and hang in there don’t let physical therapy Trish you for what your not ready for I let them and it caused more pain and could do damage to to knee
Good luck have a great day

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@jlf2

I’m 14 months out of TKR and take Gabapentin was all ready on it for chronic pain condition and it took a while for it to help me I take 600mg 2x daily am /pm but I still have days when my knee hurts pretty badly I have nerve in it my knee around my knee cap and when the pressure changes when it’s going to storm out hurts in the winter because of the cold my knee also pops some times but I was told the piping sometimes is normal I think my knee will always hurt sometimes because it fake I still sleep with it propped up on a pillow sometimes it help but when I had my knee replaced I could not walk on it at all I couldn’t bear any weight on it at all
And now I can walk but it dose get better it just takes time be patient and hang in there don’t let physical therapy Trish you for what your not ready for I let them and it caused more pain and could do damage to to knee
Good luck have a great day

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It appears that there are many people that experience negative outcome of TKR..
prior to surgery, all they tell you is how much better your life will be. I know walking bone on bone is not desirable…. However, I truly believe that the negative side should also be discussed!!
Thanks for you comment….
I will continue to hang in and post and post on this page as I go forward, I believe it is good to be in touch with people that are riding in the same boat, so to speak 😉

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@brescher

Went for 2nd opinion. Not IT BAND !!
All X-rays and CT scan are good!! No swelling….no redness. But very painful surrounding knee. Diagnosed as nerve pain.
Hopefully will go away… prescribed GABAPENTIN!! 17 weeks out from TKR.
Has anyone had this??
Brescher

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Yes gabapentin can help. Also massage the areas, the more the better. Yes, it will hurt while doing it but it will help. Rub different textures over and over the areas to desensitize it. Good luck.
I too am 3 months out and mine bothers me mostly at night. I finally asked for pain meds to help sleep at night. Then all of a sudden it seems to be getting better. Pray that yours goes that way also.

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@msmom

Yes gabapentin can help. Also massage the areas, the more the better. Yes, it will hurt while doing it but it will help. Rub different textures over and over the areas to desensitize it. Good luck.
I too am 3 months out and mine bothers me mostly at night. I finally asked for pain meds to help sleep at night. Then all of a sudden it seems to be getting better. Pray that yours goes that way also.

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Thank you. I will massage and continue to hope that time will heal!!

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@brescher

Went for 2nd opinion. Not IT BAND !!
All X-rays and CT scan are good!! No swelling….no redness. But very painful surrounding knee. Diagnosed as nerve pain.
Hopefully will go away… prescribed GABAPENTIN!! 17 weeks out from TKR.
Has anyone had this??
Brescher

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Yes I have primarily had nerve pain and thank heavens for Lyrica ( similar to gabapentin) as it was the only medication that gave me any relief.
I am almost 7 months post op now and still take it occasionally when my knee gets “active” which is usually at night

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@continentalred

Yes I have primarily had nerve pain and thank heavens for Lyrica ( similar to gabapentin) as it was the only medication that gave me any relief.
I am almost 7 months post op now and still take it occasionally when my knee gets “active” which is usually at night

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Thank you for your response along with nerve pain it still feels like the kneecap is being strangled very tight. Has anyone else had that same feeling and like I mentioned I’m just over four months out of a total knee replacement I’m 65 and in really good shape I can’t figure out why I am having so much pain.

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@brescher

Thank you for your response along with nerve pain it still feels like the kneecap is being strangled very tight. Has anyone else had that same feeling and like I mentioned I’m just over four months out of a total knee replacement I’m 65 and in really good shape I can’t figure out why I am having so much pain.

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Not every case is the same… for me I was where you were at 4-6 months pain 60-65 rom my dr said it was my inability to go through the pain , than it was my hip, headaches you name it my dr blamed…. I went for second opinion the knee original surgeon put in was too big …. That is why I could not bend beyond 60-65 even after manipulation….which made worse ….. I had revision within a year happy to say rom like 115 still a work in progress lol ….I went for graston technique yesterday today back of my knee feels great… I continue to do things as I go like graston , mfr , also continue exercising… good luck to you

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@cindymattern

Agree...and I thought my sinus surgery years ago was bad. It's definitely a process and I'm at 6 months. Still get frustrated but told it takes 6-12 months which I apparently fall into but I'm ready to be done. I'm tired of being sore and sometimes hurting but it will pass. I'm just not patient lol.....I honestly feel that 2 hour sessions are way to much PT. I did 3x a week for 45 minutes the first month, then 2x then 1x and stopped at 3 months. At 6 months I am doing everything except getting off the floor which I need to try and learn as I can't put weight on the knee. However I still do get sore if I do too much.

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Getting down on the floor and then up is difficult. It's hard to kneel after a TKR. Mine went flawlessly but getting up off the floor is challenging. Small price to pay considering how much pain I was in before TKR.

So when you do have to get on the floor, and hopefully that's rare, have an object nearby that you can use to push yourself up. I hope this helps.

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