I'm sure this is an old topic, but it sucks to get old. Surgery + recovery = both legs always sore

[SGHinDC]

Hello Everybody!

I just turned 60 and recently had a Total Knee Replacement (6 months ago in what should be a full year recovery) I bought my fitbit to help me track my recovery and I really love having it.  I've always been very active. Lived in DC and NYC for most of my adult life which means walking and cycling are the way to go. Now, at 6 months since my bionic knee was installed, I find both of my legs are chronically tired, sore and achy.  My knee is way ahead of any recovery metric and both legs seem to be equally sore. I've been on a 14 week streak of 10k + steps per day and average more than 20 flights of stairs a day. Younger me would have enjoyed this.  I really do enjoy it, but there is this nagging ache, from top of thighs to my big toe every day.  For the past 3 or 4 weeks, I've found myself adding another 3-4000 steps a day and have hit 100,000 steps a week.  I really don't understand why I ache so much. I've been fit for most of my life and have learned to ignore it. I can't believe this is a function of being 60!

I thank anyone who bothered to read this and would love to hear if anyone is in a similar boat.

Thank you!

[WendyB]

Your still in recovery. It takes time. Please talk to your DR.

I had a Hip replacement a year ago. I'm still fighting to get back to what I use to do.

Take it slow and move more when you can. Don't push it

[workingitbaby]

Unfortunately, as one gets older recovery takes longer, whether from surgery or from injury.  I fell down the stairs about 3 years ago and it took 2 years for my shoulder to recover.  It sounds like you may be trying to do too much too soon.  That sore and achy feeling could be the result.  My physiotherapist advised me to cut back a bit this fall when I hurt my knee.  I was working out twice daily at the time as well as walking (came to about 20,000 steps a day on average).  I cut back to about 17,000 steps on average and it helped.  Still get stiff but am no longer in constant pain.  I have been active on a consistent basis for the last 25 years and only recently has it become more of a challenge to avoid injury and overdoing it.  And yes, it sucks but you need to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.  By the way, I am 65 and still extremely active but it hurts more than it used to. 

[GershonSurge]

I'm a 64-year-old male and don't have any aches or pains. A few years ago, I wrote in my journal to set a minimum and a maximum goal for steps from all sources. It was such good advice, I stop following it a few months out of each year; I end up with sore knees that make it difficult to climb stairs, so I back off for awhile. Now, my range is about 12,000 to 14,000 steps from all sources. Once I see I'm going to be in the range, I stop working for the day.

Going outside the range for a long day is fine. 

Here is my step frequency for the last 31 days:

[emili]

sometimes it has to be matter over mind. In this case matter being your body. Your mind is remembering back to your glory days, but your body isn't there just yet. you have to give it time or you will give your self set backs instead of progress. It is great that you want to move and beat your averages.. but I am thinking you want to do it long term... listen to the aches..

[Daves_Not_Here]

Maybe I'm missing something - you've had persistent soreness in the face of high activity level, yet you continue to increase your activity level? 

Why?  I think Will Rogers said "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."  

Have you thought about taking a couple of days to rest and recover?

[Dominique · Accepted solution]

Sounds like a case of wanting to do too much too soon. What was your activity like during the couple of years preceding the replacement? I guess your bad knee must have been a serious limiting factor given it had to be replaced at such a young age, so maybe your activity was low both before the replacement and after it, and muscles in your legs got atrophied because of that. So now the limiting factor is no longer your knee, but rather the other parts of your legs. What exact parts of your legs are sored: muscles (quads, hamstrings, calves?), bones, tendons? Take it easy in the beginning and also have rest days. 

[Corney]

@SGHinDC:  It seems like you are not listening to your body, I think 20 flights of stairs may be too much too soon post TKA.  Try taking a few days off, or decreasing your steps and see what happens.  If some is good, then more is better is not always a good way to live your life.

[SGHinDC]

I thank all of you for your input. You all agree pretty much what the problem is. My natural pose is moving from somewhere to somewhere else. During the worst of the bone on bone situation that led my to go bionic, I would simply put the mileage into cycling.  Riding my bike was the one activity that gave me relief.  The Doctors explained that cycling is one of the good exercises that actually creates the synovial fluid that cushions the knee. My high school days of sports, especially football, made me think that walking around in some sort of pain is a natural state. The onset of my knee pain began almost two years ago.  They did x-rays and proved to me that a part of my knee was missing (the cartilage), however, I was granted a period of six months where it stopped hurting.. no cortisone, just pain free.  Then, wham! I could not walk more than a block.

I think I could understand better if my new knee hurt and throbbed, but I confused by making my whole lower body hurt and throb.  I will, however, take all the general opinion of all of your responses and back it off for a few weeks and see what happens.  

Thanks again for your input! 

[WalkingFiend]

Hey SGH:  It's been about a year since you posted you'd try to back off and see how the pain went.  Any update for us?  I'm post knee surgery(not replacement) myself and wondering how long it took you or if you ever got over having so much daily pain?  I know every situation/person is different and you can't really compare, but I have some folks I know had much lesser surgeries and therefore faster recoveries and others telling me not to push it as I'll do more harm than good.   I'm only a few weeks out of a more complex surgery, but not being able to even get on your bed with your surgery knee without pain going off the charts is a real bummer!  Can't climb stairs yet and as I'm close to your age this is really stressing the other leg and hips. 

Appreciate any feedback or advice! 

[Corney]

WalkingFiend: Yes it sucks to get old but I don't like the alternative.
I'm recovering from back surgery(double fusion of L3 L4) on October 15
2018. I was able to do some rehab on my own since I was a Physical
Therapist one month from surgery concentrating on core strengthening and
walking on my elliptical. As of January 15th my doctor released me from his
care and any previous restrictions, so I've added weight training for
previous Rotator Cuff surgery and now can use my Concept 2 rower. I know
longer have the left leg pain that led to my back surgery but wake up with
back stiffness and go to bed with back stiffness which is normal
considering I have 2 fused vertebra. As a retired Physical Therapist with
38 years experience I can tell those who have had total knee surgery they
can expect to be walking well with a cane after one month and walking with
nothing after two months and the first two weeks after surgery are pure
hell. What kind of complex knee surgery did you have if you don't mind me
asking.