THR 8 weeks from THR

[Gloucestergal65]

@Spongebob There is no such thing as a normal recovery, each of us is an individual. For example, I can do a SLR without pain but I am still using a walking stick for my limp. I can’t sleep on the OS because it is too tender still at five months but other people have no problem much earlier on. I read about someone who was out playing tennis at 3 months but I’ve never been able to play tennis because of poor hand eye coordination.
If you are really worried you need to contact your OS. .

 

[Charlie33]

Reading your 5 month update, if your pain is 1-2 described would put in category of 'discomfort'. Sometimes after tissue has completely healed you can still get some discomfort/pain. When you break up scar tissue / tissue adhesions exercising, it can cause discomfort/pain.

Matter of fact, exercise itself breaks down tissue which causes inflammation, which can cause discomfort/pain. Its called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). That said, the idea is for the muscles to heal over 24-48 hours so they can handle additional load. Better, stronger, faster etc.. you get the idea...

I was out doing yard work yesterday. I felt discomfort today for sure, so just walked my dog today for some exercise. Now late in the day feel fine with niggles of 1-2 here and there...

For you? You are describing something pretty specific. 100% you need to schedule an appointment with your Ortho to give you the assurance you need.

Think about it: at 5 months out, even if I confirmed it was normal or @Mojo333 did, did that person confirming it have anterior or posterior surgery? Did they have a single or double hip replacement? Did they have the issues you did for 9 years preop? Are they 39 like you or like me and many folks here 55 or 60+? All things that make your situation unique and in need of some hands on advice.

Final thought: early days after surgery comparing notes helpful and yields great advice. After three months, worth checking with folks for sure, but for the discomfort pain 1/2 you describe most people would quietly admit (I think) they experience the same thing for quite some time up to a year and beyond.

Food for thought, be well.

 

[Mojo333]

This is absolutely spot on,
@Charlie33
So many variables, so much we CAN'T know about individuals....
Trying to align ourselves with distinct individuals with different pre-op and postop histories is bad form...
I was grateful to find comfort and general assurances on this open patient forum, however, you will never GET GIVENS ...
Listening to our bodies, finding our boundaries at unique points in our own unique recoveries...seem to be the key so we don't lose faith in the process.

 

[Rebelguy]

SpongeBob, I’m 38 and recently had both hips replaced a few months apart. Your posts resonate with me as I was in constant fear that something wasn’t normal or an infection was coming. I was very (and still am to some extent) self aware of my body at all times. I would wake up and feel a little something in my left hip….it would fade in a day or so….the next day my right ankle….then left knee….

This actually still happens a bit but I have learned that my body is still adjusting. If any pain lingers for a week or longer, I’d contact your surgeon’s office. Most likely everything is fine but these recoveries are so different from person to person I’d prefer my surgeon’s reassurance over Joe Shmo.

Good luck with your healing. Hope you don’t worry too much going forward. You will have strange aches/pains from body parts that weren’t operated on. Things will continue to improve.

 

[Spongebob]

Hi I have a random question at the weekends (not working) I get no or minimal hip pain but as soon as I go back work on Monday i start to feel aches in my hip more just wondered why this could be is it because at work my mind is focused on the little pain I have ?

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@Spongebob- I guess you have to ask yourself what you do differently on weekend days compared to weekdays to get your answer. Although it could be that when you are doing things you like, you just don’t notice as much as when you are bored at work.

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@Spongebob No idea what you do at work so rather presumptuous if me to assume it might sometimes be boring. Just judging from my own experience.

 

[Spongebob]

@Spongebob No idea what you do at work so rather presumptuous if me to assume it might sometimes be boring. Just judging from my own experience.

Can be boring some days yes

 

[Spongebob]

Morning i hope you are all having a super Monday i just thought I would share a 6 month update: I currently feel 100% better mentally and physically i currently am now able to do 90% of the things I couldn't do pre without pain I walk approx 12,000 steps a day mostly without pain but I do still have hip ache a bit and also a SLR still feels uncomfortable in my groin area I was wondering is this still normal as I am approx half way through my 12 month potential journey of recovery

 

[myglasshalffull]

Happy to hear you are doing so much better and yes, it's quite normal to still be uncomfortable in different areas of the body. Some days I still get groin pain for awhile, I doubt I'll ever be totally pain free, but majority of my days I'm just fine.
And what I'll add is what you feel is "normal" for you, something else would be "normal" for me cause we all recover so differently.
Have a wonderful day.

 

[Spongebob]

Happy to hear you are doing so much better and yes, it's quite normal to still be uncomfortable in different areas of the body. Some days I still get groin pain for awhile, I doubt I'll ever be totally pain free, but majority of my days I'm just fine.
And what I'll add is what you feel is "normal" for you, something else would be "normal" for me cause we all recover so differently.
Have a wonderful day.

When they said on here that recovery could take a year I now whole heartily believe that as I'm 6 months post op and still have hip ache and it hurts in different motions is it normal to still have pain in different motions in my hip/groin?

 

[Jaycey]

Please read your thread again @Spongebob . Many of our members have already answered this question multiple times. As you just posted, recovery take one year or longer. Discomfort at 6 months out is totally normal.

 

[Spongebob]

Hi im 6 months post op from a left THR and it's the best decision i have ever made as living with Perthes disease has been horrible especially the last 9 years in that much pain i was crying daily and depressed so a win win for me but just a question i have I currently still have hip ache and a slight limp but only now and again everyone on here has advised me that it could take 12 months to recover fully and to fade off and get the full benefit of this surgery just wanted people's experiences and opinions on this please is this all normal at this stage Is there anything I can do stretches wise to help with it and the limp?

 

[myglasshalffull]

As far as limp are you concentrating on heel/toe walking and good posture??? Is one leg different length???
Did you purchase new shoes??? You need new shoes after surgery cause old shoes form to the way you were walking pre-surgery.
As far as pain we all have a different threshold for pain and what "pain" really means to us.
I'm over a year post op and some days have aches and pains. But for most of my days I'm just fine but honestly I had aches and pains before the surgery and I'm much older than you!!!
Give it the full year, you are 6 months and look how far you've come. Live your day to day life and enjoy your new hip.
You will be fine.

 

[Spongebob]

Straight leg raises (also kown as Supine Leg raises - SLRs) are tough for new hippies but are often used by doctors or PTs as a diagnostic tool.
Your quad is weak not from permanent damage but from soft tissue trauma and/or weakness pre surgery.
You are still in the Let It Calm Down Stage especially since you didn't know to so early on. If you attempt to do a few sets of SLRs and tell me where you feel it – I bet it will be in your groin. That’s because when used as a quad “strengthening” exercise, the muscles you are really working are your hip flexors. And it's unhelpful to irritate your hip flexors at this point because that’s something that is really tough to calm down.

If you are activating the quad in lying position and you want to give it the best chance to activate, why would you put the quad muscle in the shortest possible position (full knee extension)!? So the SLR puts your quad in a one of the most mechanically disadvantageous position to contract (and then actually makes the rectus femoris even shorter as you do the exercise).
As we've all tried to communicate : Time and Patience are the best Healers.

I couldn't do it easily for the first 3 months, and I found it unhelpful to push to try.
Hope your PT is mindful and gentle and is familiar with hip replacement.

Hi how do I know if I have irritated my hip flexors as got hip ache which seems to get worse after activity

 

[Jamie]

Why do you feel the need to keep trying straight leg raises when they are difficult for you at this point? Just go about your life, don't do things that hurt during or afterwards, and try to be patient. Every time you test yourself this way and end up hurting, you set your recovery back.

 

[Spongebob]

Why do you feel the need to keep trying straight leg raises when they are difficult for you at this point? Just go about your life, don't do things that hurt during or afterwards, and try to be patient. Every time you test yourself this way and end up hurting, you set your recovery back.

That is definitely 1 hard lesson I have now learned and won't be done again I am just doing strengthing exercises (glutes) now and walking and swimming is that what would be best for now ?
P.s could the fact I had perrhes disease mean the Recovery takes longer as the surgery was more challenging

 

[Mojo333]

I am just doing strengthing exercises (glutes) now and walking and swimming is that what would be best for now ?

Yes, but again... in moderation, which is key.

P.s could the fact I had perrhes disease mean the Recovery takes longer as the surgery was more challenging

Yes.
Time and patience will eventually lead to more improvement.

 

[Spongebob]

I am just doing strengthing exercises (glutes) now and walking and swimming is that what would be best for now ?

Yes, but again... in moderation, which is key.

P.s could the fact I had perrhes disease mean the Recovery takes longer as the surgery was more challenging

Yes.
Time and patience will eventually lead to more improvement.

So why does my hip ache hurt more after a gym session Have i set my recovery back?Is hip ache after 6 minths normal ?And I notice a slight clicking noise in the day when I walk with no pain is this normal ?

 

[Jamie]

Please read Mojo’s response carefully. If you are experiencing pain after a gym workout, you’re doing more than your hip is ready for. Everyone is different. You must find the balance where you can exercise without pain afterwards. Constantly pushing, getting pain (which results in inflammation), can slow your recovery down. Don’t be in such a hurry.