Living with PTA

Tweedy6769
Tweedy6769 Member Posts: 1
edited 25. Feb 2025, 11:32 in Living with arthritis

Hi guys, new to this group and looking for some advice on pushing through the pain. I suffered a grade 5 tibial plateau fracture of the left knee in 2005 and had the knee rebuilt. Was told at the time I'd probably need a knee replacement but they'd try to keep me on mine as long as possible. I'm 56 this year, I'm an otherwise fit and healthy ex rugby player hence the push through attitude. I've always had bad days with the knee, cold weather, too long on my feet, too long sitting down, sure you guys know the triggers.… but the bad days are out numbering the good ones. My othopod is aware but still insists on waiting. I'm on neproxen and 30mg codys to manage the pain. I have been given tramadol but it made me feel dopy so wont take it unless its a screaming agony day, even then then i dont like the feeling. I eat well, mostly home cooked and try to cut out as much ultra processed stuff as possible. Try to stay as mobile as possible, my bmi is on the high side, but i do still have a rugby players build, my waist size has been the same since my teens, which my pain nurse says is a good thing?? When i was my "ideal" weight after the knee surgery i looked and felt like death warmed up. Any ideas on managing the pain and keeping my sprits up through the worst days. I know it'll get worst, the orthopod says even the knee replacement is no guarantee of being pain free, anyone got any experience of this?

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Comments

  • MaryL44
    MaryL44 Moderator Posts: 165

    Hello  @Tweedy6769 and welcome to the Community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience as well. Sorry to hear about the pain you are in. I have had knee replacement but didn't have a rebuilt knee beforehand! It looks to me as though you are doing everything you can by eating a healthy diet and staying mobile but sometimes the pain just breaks through, doesn't it. If you feel the specialist is waiting too long you could as for a second opinion. Hopefully you will see some progress soon. In the meantime our website is a mine of information so do look at it. These articles on pain management may help:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/april/ways-to-manage-your-pain-while-waiting-for-surgery/

    Also, our community members will have vast experience so keep checking back here for their responses.

    Please keep posting now you are here and let us know how you are getting on.

    Best wishes

    Mary

    Need more help - call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,241

    Just popping in to offer my sympathy @Tweedy6769. I do feel your pain (not in the knee for me atm luckily) are they saying you need to lose weight before they'll consider surgery? Or is it your age or is it both?

    If it's both then you could do with ditching some of your weight if possible so that when you are 'the right' age you aren't held back by it. I think I read somewhere that of all the joints the knee hates carrying extra weight most. Knee joints are super-complicated.

    The age thing is far trickier you just have to keep on applying pressure to the consultant and doing what you can to help yourself. Physio exercises if you've been given them? If not then there are some on the same site as the information Mary has given you. Just put knee exercises into the search engine.

    Things that might help ease pain for now that I use are heat (microwaveable wheatbags (and stick on heat patches) or coolgel if that works better for you. I also rub in some MSN gel and sometimes resort to my tens machine.

    Sending some (())

    Toni

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