I am so grateful I found this video. I'm one week after from TKR and I have severe hip pain (sciatic I'm guessing) and of course knee pain. I would have never thought of sleeping on side of surgical leg or of laying on stomach but they have both helped immensely..especially laying on my stomach. I do that during the day with tens unit on my hip and it is such a relief. Thank you.
So I had knee replacement both 6 weeks apart. I already discovered that putting the pillow in between my knees as a side sleeper was the best thing for me to do to feel comfortable where I can sleep for at least 3 to 4 hours before having to move and of course my knees were bent cuz I sleep in fetal position but I'm also experiencing burning and stinging and irritation of the incisions where the skin is resting against sheets and blankets and pillows but I'm using one of those Contour memory foam pillows which I found to be the best
Thank you for watching and sharing.. Some sensitivity of the incision to touch, sheets, etc is normal after surgery. Thank you for sharing your personal experience and tips to help other viewers and thanks for watching!
This is a fair point. I usually recommend to patients try to sleep on the back with the leg mostly straight at least until you are able to achieve full knee extension (0 degrees), typically within the first few days to week. Once we know you have full extension range of motion we are less concerned about the extent of knee flexion when sleeping.
This is common, most people don't tolerate laying on the stomach, especially early on after surgery. Side sleeping with pillows between the legs is a great option.
Thank you Luke, that’s great advice. I watched your videos last year with my first TKR and now I’m watching again as I’m one week into my second knee replacement. I find your advice really encouraging and so straight forward.
I’m going to try those methods tonight, after 3 weeks I am just now getting some sleep. I roll back and forth on my sides and it’s been hard to find a comfort zone. Thanks for explaining.
Live your videos, I’ve found them very helpful. Six weeks post op, second knee, range of motion is great and I’ve been doing well. I’m a side sleeper, and the knee doesn’t bother me but for some reason my bursa is super swollen, and even with pillows I get the deep ache and throbbing. I wonder if I’m just doing too much, now that I can.
Thank you for your question...hard to provide a definitive answer, but it's possible since you've increased your activity as you started to feel well, the soft tissue around the knee may not have been quite ready for it, which may present as some inflammation and discomfort. With activity and time the soft tissue will build durability and your discomfort will likely subside.. right now I would consider just slightly decreasing the intensity and/or volume of what you're doing and then see how your knee responds, then slowly build back up your activity level as your knee and body tolerates.
Also sleeping is more comfortable not only with pillows but if you put on scar cream before you go to bed to help ease some of that irritation you want to put vitamin E cream and Bag Balm and a few other things on like medicated Vaseline or just plain Vaseline to help with the irritation and the burning and stinging before going too bad also
How to best optimize the use of pain medicine is going to vary and come down to a discussion with your surgeon and healthcare providers. You can also incorporate other modes of pain management, this may include NSAIDs or Tylenol; icing, elevation and positioning. You will have to identify the best combination for you. Best wishes with your upcoming surgery and the rehab and recovery after!
I had a total knee replacement on Nov. 1st. I am still struggling to find a comfortable position. Most every night my hip kills me. My hip didn't bother me BEFORE the surgery. I take 2 hydrocodones about 2 hours before I head to bed, which is usually around 8pm. But I am usually still awake at 2 or 3! When I get up around 9-9:30 am, I still don't feel fully rested. I'm going to take your advice. Thank you for making this video!! ❤❤😊
New Subscriber here, I'm 62 years and I just had TKR. It's been 4 days. I'm adjusting to all the therapy exercises, just the sleep..... I'll try your way, hopefully I'll sleep good tonight.
You might want to check out the sleep meditation music videos on RU-vid. They have a variety of music videos for pain & inflammation. I use ear buds at night when I awake. I'm 4 wks post op on my 2nd TKR. Meditation with music has been very helpful. 👍
@@garioma1344 thanks for the info... I see you on your 2nd, I plan on doing my 2nd knee too, my question to you, how much time after your first, I heard it was 3 months
@@barryackerman3331 Yup. I've had two abdominal surgeries - had to sleep in the recliner for a week (we only had a waterbed, and I couldn't get out of it!). I had to protect my stomach with pillows from our 4 cats! During a foot surgery, I had 1 cat and our house bunny snuggled on my lap for 3 days straight. I'm plotting my upcoming TKR "Cat Sleeping Strategy" now! You can use foil and your walker as weird scaffolding cat defense shields, I've heard. 🙂
Thank you! I had knee replacement surgery just over a month ago on my right knee and before surgery I would sleep on my side with my right knee on the bottom. I was under the impression that would make things worse with my knee on the bottom like that.
You are welcome and thanks for watching. As long as it feels comfortable for you, there is really no reason why you can't sleep on your side with your surgical leg on the bottom.
I'm 13 days post op and struggling right now to sleep. I'm worried about using any pillows since it was not advised. But I'm guessing if you're sleeping on your operated side, it's ok to pop a knee over it. Tfs 😊
The main concern with using a pillow is to place it directly under the knee so the knee is in a very bent position all night. If you are progressing well with your range of motion this is less of concern. It is absolutely ok to place your leg up on a pillow while sleeping on your side or with the pillow between your legs.
Just some quality sleep would be nice. I’m m 6 weeks in after having 2 knees replaced and sleeping is still a big issue. I want to lay on my side but of course the knees hurt.
You are not alone! Knee pain and difficulty sleeping are big issues, especially early on after surgery... for most folks it does get gradually better over time.
Probably the most comfortable position is on your back with multiple pillows or a wedge propped under the leg to elevate it. You can also try sleeping in a recliner or sleeping on your side and using 1 or a few pillows between your legs.
I would ask your surgeon or whoever informed you to only sleep on your back. In most cases you can sleep on your side as well after knee replacement surgery.
I had a partial meniscus removed do I have to rest my knee everyday, I’m on my 3 week. Do I put my leg on a table or is it normal to sit on the couch feet down.
It can be beneficial to elevate your leg throughout the day to help decrease swelling, but you don't have to do this all the time. It is okay to spend some of the time with the feet and legs resting in a normal position.
@@KneeReplacementTherapists okay thankyou 😊 I also had another question... like I mentioned I’m in my 3rd week after surgery my knee still feels stiff and weak is this normal? and why does it feel stiff is it because the swelling because I don’t see any signs of my knee swelled up. Thanks
@@servantofthecreator Yes this is normal, the stiffness is normally due to pain and inflammation, even if you don't have visible swelling. Also, your body is in the early stages of healing and scar tissue formation which can contribute to stiffness...keep moving the knee and your body often throughout the day
Not sure what part of the video you are referring to, but if it is about bending the knee, although you should try to avoid prolonged periods of time with the knee bent it is okay to have a little bend if it helps make sleeping more tolerable. Thanks for watching!
Helpful video! Good sleep is essential to a fast recovery. FWIW, you say “lay on your stomach” /“lay on your back”….the correct word here is “lie.” The word “lay” is used with an object…for example, “lay the book on the table.” When referring to the action of of putting our body in a flat position, we should say, “Lie down,” not “lay down.” Picky, I know, but just FYI. Love your channel!
Thank you for watching! I know better, too! I've actually had patients correct me on this, too 😀 Thank you for watching, and I'll do my best to use the correct word in future videos!
