How long does the morning pain last?

How long does the morning pain last? I'm 3 months post op from a lapidus and those first 20 steps out of the bed are so painful. Im literally holding on to the wall. It hurts right where the incision and plate/fusion is. After walking a bit and getting shoes on im good. But those first steps are almost unbearable. Any one else have this?

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Community replies

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Community comment#1

Pump your leg up and down while sitting on the bed before you get up, wiggle your toes. I am 4.5 mths and the worst at the moment is the tightness between my big toe and the next.

Community comment#2

Yup I am 3 months also! Same surgery. And yes, I’m very stiff in the morning and it hurts to walk down the stairs. Although I do have pain throughout the day also. It varies as to where it hurts. This past week I have swelling on the top of my foot at the base of all of my toes 🤷🏻‍♀️ I feel a lump on my bottom of my arch that hurts. This recovery is way too long.

Community comment#3

I had to stretch my foot every morning before I got out of bed and had to move all my toes back and forth then I could walk

Community comment#4

It does eventually go away. Blood always rushes to the point of injury. Sit on side of bed for a few minutes before walking.

Community comment#5

, per my surgeon, the pain that I was experiencing first thing in the morning was due to two reasons: 1. Stiffening of scar tissue from sleeping all night. 2. Fluid shifting: when gravity starts pulling fluids and blood back towards the ankle and foot, causing pressure. He instructed me to perform the lymphatic massage on my entire foot (toes to up past my ankle, top and bottom), to perform plantar/dorsiflexion exercises and then my physical therapist added ankle pumps (to get the blood circulating) to my morning routine prior to getting out of bed in the morning. Those exercises helped alleviate that morning pain.

Community comment#6

Yes, it's normal. All of us are the same, but different. 🙃 It's a whole variety of emotions, sometimes in just 10 minutes. Take care.

Community comment#7

It takes time …you’ll have a whirl of Symptoms and question as you recover . On a positive it does works out .