Post Operative knee replacement, ongoing pain, please help

[4weddings]

My husband who is 70 had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago and the pain seems to be intensifying rather than diminishing.  He had a childhood injury to this knee, then another operation 13 years ago but is crying with the pain most of the time and has gone from ordinary pain killers to needing morphine.   He has physiotherapy 3 times per week, also hydrotherapy and acupuncture, they all say he is making some progress but very slowly and keep telling him exercising will relieve the pain.
He can walk around the house for short periods without either crutches or a stick so has some function but the pain seems unrelenting and is affecting his life quite seriously (and mine).
He says the pain now is worse than prior to the operation and I am wondering if this is normal.   It is so painful he cannot do the exercises as he should and the knee is very swollen and tight.  

He has seen the general practitioner who is managing the pain but I am wondering if this is how it should be or if something is going off track and we should be seeing the surgeon for a follow-up.  Thank you if anybody can help me.

[siscocid]

lactic acid build up discovered my ph was very acidic. 3 months out unable to sleep more than 2 hours at a time ankle calf thigh or knee would wake me in pain would have to get up exercise then ice then return to bed finally checked my ph and started drinking green protein drink pain tightness and cramping are much less intense i have hope again

[nici123]

I had TKA 4 weeks ago for osteoarthritis with a Biomet component. My pain is at a level 6 (disrupts sleep, need continual pain medication, upset ADLs) most of the time even with Norco every 4 hours.

What helps is MOVE the joint! Move it or lose it as they say. You need to keep up ROM and lengthen any tight ligaments. Physical therapy KILLS me but I know I need to do this NOW, or have a tight inflamed contracted joint foreverrnore.  Before scar tissue sets up, do the physical therapy if you have just had surgery recently.  After scar tissue forms, a surgical manipulation under anesthesia is what I have been told is the treatment for a frozen joint.

What else helps me:
Medical magnets placed on the painful points and held in place with ACE wrap. ( I got some from ProMagnet.com)
Ice packs for 20 min 10x day.
Elevate the joint
Stretching the tight ligaments and strengthening the muscles around the joint. (hurts but its the only thing that will help in the long run).

Good luck! stick with it!

[tomsjan]

People shouldn't be afraid to say exactly how they feel.  I had TKR 30 Sept 2011 and a year on I still have pain.  Having read through the posts here I feel encouraged just knowing that I am not abnormal.  When people I know ask me how I am, I automatically say "I'm fine", because in my mind I want to be and I don't want to admit I am no better off than I was before I had the replacement - in some ways I feel worse and find I have less walking abilities.  I also don't sleep soundly, thrashing around trying to get comfortable, in the evenings I fidget for England!  While I'm kidding myself  it is my Wife who brings me back to Earth with a sharp reality check and reminds me exactly how I am.  After coming off all my pain medication with the exception of Ibprophin, and Paracetamol I find myself having to go back to taking codeine tablets again with little effect.  People who don't know think that Knee Replacements are fairly routine and minor surgery and don't realise the level of pain and tiredness involved not only for the patient but also for their carer.  

[malibu19681951]

just reading your post -did the nerve block work for you?
Did it stop or relieve the knee pain?

[ColoradoHiker]

Recovery times of 10- 16 weeks are not out of the ordinary.  With my first knee replacement I was sidelined for a solid 12 frustrating weeks.  Currently I am having all sorts of fun with the right knee replacement done last November (10 flippn' months ago!).

[Koningja]

After reading though the comments posted here has made me realize I am not alone. I am 31 years old and have been dealing with knee pain for over 10 years.  It is nice to see that there are others in my age group that have had knee replacements as well as similar complications to what I am experiencing.  I know that no one wants to have these issues but it helpful to be able to hear from people in similar situations.  I recently had my 7th knee surgery.  After trying to find a solution to the extreme pain I had in my left knee (included surgeries - microfracture and bone transplants, braces, foot orthotics, medication and physical therapy) I ended up having my knee replaced (Uni Knee - Conformis) in October 2011.  My knee pain seemed to be getting better but never great.  My range of motion was fantastic and eventually in March 2012 I was discharged from PT.  My strength and range of motion were fantastic but the pain was unbearable.  I started seeing other surgeons and it was eventually determined to be infected.  Part of the infection meant the component was loose so this caused even more pain.  The new doctor took out the replacement within a week of figuring it out and put a temporary spacer in.  I was also on Vancomycin for 7 weeks through continuous IV.  Within 2 weeks I felt much better.  I had almost no swelling and was starting to get back on track.  At the beginning of June I started getting more pain and the doctor figured the spacer had started to come loose or fall apart.  June 13, 2012 they took out the spacer and put in a new Uni Knee by Stryker.  They debated full vs Uni but because of my age and the condition of the rest of my knee we went with the Uni.  I had an accident that damaged my knee and femur in a very specific spot initially so the damage was well contained.  I am 8 weeks post op right now and am still in considerable amounts of pain.  I have not started physical therapy because my range of motion is "impressive" (according to the doctor) and I am still in so much pain.  I am worried I have an infection again but the doctor is very sure that is not the case.  I trust him because after my first surgeon telling me I didn't have an infection but not having any answers for me about explaining the pain for over 5 months this new doctor diagnosed the infection without labs, blood work, etc.  I now have a hematoma so my knee and leg is extremely swollen and even more painful.   I am constantly icing, elevating and resting my leg.  I know that rest is the best thing for it and I am trying to do as much as I can to stay off of it, however my life doesn't exactly allow for me to not do anything.  I have 3 kids and the oldest two of them are 3 years old and I have a 9 month old.  Needless to say I can't spend all day sitting around.  I am getting relatively frustrated with the whole process now, needless to say.  I had really thought the whole "knee mess" was going to be over last October with the replacement but now I am 9 months out and still in constant pain, 2 surgery later and there is no end in sight!  Any advice for me?  I know it will take "time" - that's what I keep hearing but I don't think it is unreasonable to think my knee could return to some sort of "normal" state either.  I'm not looking to play sports, run marathons or anything like that, I'd just like to have a more traditional life that involves me playing with my kids and not having my wife bear all of the responsibility of our household.