Severe outer knee/IT band pain not improving at all after ACL + LET (day 10, 2nd surgery, barely sleeping)
I’m on day 10 after my second ACL surgery (with LET). I’m dealing with one really specific issue that hasn’t improved and I’m trying to understand if this is normal or if something is off.
Most of my recovery is slowly progressing, but this has stayed completely constant:
Severe pain on the outside of my knee / lower IT band area (right near the knee, not the hip)
Feels like a tight pulling / “tug of war” sensation
it Has been constant and not improving for about 6 days
Everything else is getting better, but this spot is not
I’m doing cryotherapy almost all day and it’s the only thing that helps a bit
Ice helps slightly, but meds (ibuprofen, gabapentin, cyclobenzaprine) barely touch it
Oxycodone only helps a little and doesn’t last long
Stretching doesn’t help and sometimes makes it worse
Pain is significantly worse at night and I’m only getting ~2 hours of sleep per night
My hip on the same side has also flared up badly (this happened after my first ACL surgery too, likely from how I’m forced to lay down for long periods).
This is also my second ACL surgery, and I don’t remember this specific persistent lateral knee pain last time.
I wake up repeatedly from the pain and it’s been emotionally and physically draining
I know post-op pain is expected, but this feels very localized and unrelenting compared to everything else improving. Has anyone experienced this after ACL + LET around this stage? Did it eventually settle or was there something that actually helped?