Knee Spasms

  My mother had a total knee replacement 4 weeks ago.  A day or two after surgery she began having unexplicable spasms behind the knee.  The spasms only seemed to happen when she would try to go to sleep.  These spasms can and do occur once or twice a minute for up to 6 hours almost every night.  No medicine seems to help and the surgeon doesn't seem to think it is directly related to the surgery.  My mother has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for several years now.  Do you think that her condition could be a result of the Fibromyalgia?
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Fibromyalgia often accounts for otherwise unexplained pain, but this sounds unusual.
Have your doctor look into the possibility of restless legs syndrome (RLS). The information available here doesn't paint an exactly typical picture, but one at least suspicious for that entity. If your doctor is sufficiently familiar with RLS, he/she will be able to ask the right questions and rule in or rule out RLS. Specialized tests are rarely needed.
I suspect your family practitioner or internist will be more familiar with RLS than a surgeon. If you get blank stares, then see a neurologist, preferably one with special expertise in movement disorders.
I hope this helps. If you wish to seek an opinion at CCF, you are welcome to call 800 223-2273 and ask for neurology appointments at 4-5559. CCF MD mdf.

[russ1941]

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