Swollen Legs

Yes, put your feet up as often as possible. You do not need to buy a recliner (though I love mine) any old poof will do!

Thank you all very much for the comments and advice It has taken three months, but I am now more mobile and the swollen legs have improved a lot. My bed is tipped up on a couple of bricks! and there are some hefty tomes under the end of the mattress. I start the day with ankles but they seem to disappear as the day goes on!

However am much better, and really pleased I didn't shell out on unecessary equipment.

I am a community nurse and in our clinic we would probably do a doppler scan to check your circulation to your lower legs - you have to lie down for 20/30 minutes and it takes about 20 minutes to perform. If that was normal we would measure you for compression hosiery to help the blood flow up the legs and hopefully help the swelling. We use Jobst garments which are good quality and used by lymphoedema clinics.
Also raise your legs above waist level when sitting and as Rizlett says go to bed if you can. Recliner chairs still compress the femoral artery/vein which stops good blood flow.
If there is a lymphoedema clinic in your area the GP or District Nurse can refer you there for an assessment by a specialist.

We went to a talk by a physiotherapist the other day to prepare for DH's hip replacement tomorrow. He said to raise your legs slightly when sleeping by putting cushions under the bottom of the mattress. Also, if you have someone on hand to help, get them to gently massage your leg, using some sort of cream would be good, E45, Nivea, anything like that.

I mentioned earlier my OH had badly swollen ankles for quite a while and tried one of those machines without success. He also had a couple of very bad bouts of cellulitis that had the GP threatening hospitalisation and scared my OH half to death every time he knocked a leg out of fear it would happen again. Now I know Rizlet said a recliner chair isn't good enough but in our experience it did the trick. For other reasons OH sleeps in a chair and spent all day working at a desk. His feet were always on the ground. A year ago we bought a proper electric recliner and today his ankles are back to their old trim selves. It's been a case of finding out for ourselves, despite conversations with several doctors no one suggested the cause.

Wriggling your toes , moving them up and down circling the feet at the ankles , all help circulation and remove swelling

Total waste of money - the electrical gadget - just doesn't work - but you do need to keep mobilising - your circulation is impaired because you are probably not walking about as much as before your operation. Walking helps the blood vessels get the fluid back up your legs. (so there is a real good silver lining in your repeated trips to the loo!)

Elevating your legs is really important too but a recliner chair just doesnt raise them high enough. (they need to be at the same level as your heart to effectively improve you circulation.)

I don't want to scare anyone but it's really key to keep on top of poor circulation as your skin can break down and you can end up with leg ulcers that can take ages (sometimes years) to heal.

It's really important you sleep in bed and not in a chair because your legs are then high enough to help improve circulation so maybe an afternoon nap might be of benefit.

Have you tried ice bags? I found those very soothing after my hip op.

Kirbygirl, if your GP has put you on diuretics it is likely that the swelling is oedema and will be helped with the drugs. Buying a machine will probably just lighten your purse.

I have a massage chair at home, with heat, cost me £150.00. It's very good, relaxing, but then I don't have false parts, well, not until this valve is put in. I will have to check that out, I don't want to rattle it back out!

We bought one when OH had swollen ankles. It didn't help and the GP didn't think it would help either. I'd avoid them as a waste of money.

Many thanks both of you. I will be careful and ignore the adverts!

Hi kirby I agree with charley, but for what it's worth I fractured my pelvis and had a bad lower leg break last year, and my lower leg was very swollen initially. I was advised to keep my feet propped up, for example when lying down, support my ankles on pillows, and if sitting on the sofa, rest them e.g. on a coffee table with pillows.

Hope you feel better soon.

Be very careful if you have joint replacements because over time this gadget could loosen hip,knee and ankle replacements.

KirbyGirl I would seek medical advice first as that is no small # and you must look after yourself.