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Seeking Remedies for Severe Pain Weeks After Knee Replacement Surgery

Posted By Gracie (Nottingham, Uk) on 01/19/2018

I'm in my late seventies and in May last year woke up to excruciating pain in my right knee, and could barely walk for six weeks. It was diagnosed as a flare-up of arthritis, though I had little pain beforehand. My doctor advised physiotherapy but it wasn't successful though the pain did diminish somewhat. However, on the 30th October 2017 I had a knee replacement, but eleven weeks on I'm still in a lot of pain. It hasn't been an easy journey. Night times are a nightmare, as since the operation I'm not sleeping well. I'm in pain and the skin surrounding my knee is super sensitive. I cannot even bear a sheet over it sometimes. I was prescribed morphine and Co-Codamol, and whilst the Co-Codamol helps me sleep a little better I hate the side effects of it. It makes me very, very constipated, and the next morning feel so hung over that half the day passes before I can get moving. I dislike taking any form of medication, but do resort to taking Ibruprofen, Anadin, etc, which do not have same side effects as the Co-Codamel but only slightly help with the pain.

I've always been into healthy eating, so in May when I had the initial flare up I tried all the natural remedies, such as Borax, MSM, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, etc you name it I tried but nothing really helped. I would be interested to learn if other contributors to Earth Clinic had any answers.

Best wishes

Replied by Art (California ) on 01/19/2018

In reply to Gracie (Nottingham, Uk),

For myself, I have ground up ibuprofen or other nsaids like naproxen and aspirin into a super fine powder in a bullet type blender and add the powder to a lotion which I apply directly to painful areas. This allows me to reach tissue levels that would not be possible with standard oral dosing.

If I was going to try this on myself for the first time to see if it would be helpful, I would buy ibuprofen in a soft gel capsule and pop it with a needle and then squeeze the contents directly onto my painful area and then apply a typical body lotion right on top of it to help work it into the skin. If it helps with my pain then I would go ahead and make the powder and lotion mix to treat my painful area regularly. The advantage here is that although I can reach high tissue levels locally the chance for nsaids to damage my gut or kidneys are greatly reduced.

Another alternative is to use Arnica Montana ointment directly on my painful areas.

Art

Replied by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 01/19/2018

I hate pain. I can suggest you try some castor oil with activated charcoal mixed in it. Make a runny paste 1/4 cup and put it on the knee cover it with flannel or cotton and then saran wrap. Make a rice pack, heat in mircorwave and drive the oil into the knee with the heat. Hope this helps you. Charcoal penetrates to the deepest level and my nurse friend told me about this years ago. She ran a clinic using natural treatments.

Replied by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 01/20/2018

Gracie, you might want to try a more alkaline diet, gelatin, and castor oil packs or rubs.

Replied by Michael (New Zealand) on 01/20/2018

Dear Gracie, I had hoped I had been of some small assistance last year but you sadly seem to have got worse! Not good at all! I am upset!

Have you tried all the suggested remedies for knee problems on this Site including poultices and the "Russian Arthritis and Rheumatism Remedy" I posted not long ago? Castor oil wrap and heating pad, Calcium / Magnesium balance etc?

My only NEW suggestion would be to possibly try a new, natural product (here in N.Z. anyway). It is a "Full Spectrum Curcumin 800mg" which they now claim to possess much enhanced bio-availability. Made by a USA company starting with "S". Bio-availability has been an issue until now as you may know but hopefully this one will prove more effective.

Have any other posters tried it yet I wonder?

Apparently it takes from a few days to up to a month to show results at one tablet per day with a meal but I reckon that just MIGHT ease the pain and suffering with any luck in your case.

If not, then ask your Doctor if you can go on Tramadol 50mg for nerve pain if things just get too much.

Cheers and wishing you all the best,

Michael

Replied by Iowama (Iowa, Usa) on 01/20/2018

Dear Gracie,

I am so sorry that your knee replacement has not been the success you had hoped for. I do not mean to scare you, but your story sounds much like that of a close friend. Please ask your doctor to test to see if you have an infection. This is done through blood testing. Our friend's first replacement failed due to an infection, but it was replaced and the new knee is healing. It was a big ordeal made worse by his drawn out hesitation to question his doctor. Please continue to eat your healthy diet and call your doctor right away. My prayers are with you tonight. Take care.

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