Help Sleeping after Total Knee Replacement

wattwrbev

Hello all - I am wondering if anyone has any advice on how to keep your leg elevated, comfortably whilst sleeping. I have a wedge pillow but really struggling as I don’t think your supposed to have anything behind your knee.

Thanks everyone for any advice.

Baloo

I don't know what they mean by having anything behind the knee as I don't have a knee replacement.

I use a wedge anyway to stop my legs swelling, but at first it was like sticking a brick under my legs. I used to add a soft pillow on the slope against my upper legs as it was both more comfortable and provided some support to stop my legs sliding off the side of the wedge and down the side of the bed. Also I believe it lifted my knees higher and stopped my ankles rotating from sticking out. Instead my heels were on the flat top of the wedge.

Slipping off the wedge used to be quite painful on my knee.

wattwrbev

Thank you @Baloo Im not supposed to have any bend in my knee whilst elevating and so struggling with the pain in the back of my knee as I elevate. I will try that pillow on the wedge though to see if it helps. Thanks so much.

stickywicket

It's important not to have anything under the knee after a TKR as this will prevent it from ever sttaightening. It's certainly tough at first but why do you need to elevate it in bed? If you must, I guess something to rest your heel on? Just don't have anything under the knee though, if it helps, a trough would be OK. Just google medical leg trough or somesuch.. Keep doing the exercises and it will improve quicker.

wattwrbev

Thanks @stickywicket I am elevating in bed as I still have a lot of swelling. I’ll ask the physio today if I should/shouldn’t be doing this as I find it all quite confusing.

Lindaa

Painkillers and put a flattish pillow lengthways under leg I was told that is ok by physio. Disturbed sleep is really common after knee op. Ask your physio for advice cos it seems to be different for different people