THR A week post-op

Hipster023

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Hello from the other side! My surgery was a week ago and it's been a rough week, but today as I was sitting in by back yard enjoying MDW BBQ I thought how amazing this recovery has actually been, despite the pain. I was doing pretty well first couple of days, but then the PTs that came to my house got me started with apparently wrong exercises - pelvic bridge and 3lb weight on the operated leg, which my Dr said I shouldn't be doing at all. My pain got much aggravated since then, especially in my lower back on the operated side (which I also had before surgery). Anyone else experiencing the same? Did anyone else get bridge and weights exercises during the first week? Would love to hear the from other May peeps and anyone else willing to share. Happy healing!
 
Pelvic bridge and a 3 pound weight on the operated leg during the first week?!? I would say something rather vivid, but will not out of respect for our BS friends. My doc, who has been doing anterior approach THR exclusively since 2003, does not prescribe in-home PT at all. Period. He does not prescribe outpatient PT, unless someone has some specific need. You get a handout with the basic exercises- foot pumps, heel slides, etc. And you do them as tolerated, 10 reps 2 to 3 times a day. No weights.suggestion-skip the bridges entirely for the time being. Do glute squeezes, then try some baby bridges in a week or two. And ice, ice, baby!

I'm finding that if I overdo, I hurt. If I under do, like I did yesterday and just sit on my butt all day listing stuff on eBay and watching movies, I hurt. It's the Goldilocks principal yet again - 'not too hot, not too cold, just right!'

Alternating heat and cold on the back might help, heat promoting circulation and cold to reduce swelling.

Happy healing to you!


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Welcome to recovery! I'm so glad your surgeon intercepted those very misinformed therapists you had! I hope you have been doing a lot of resting and icing to allow that mistake to get corrected. Your hip is going to need some TLC to heal in these coming weeks...not a lot of exercise.

Here are some basic recovery articles for you. Please take a look at the links and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Oh, and to address your question about anyone else doing bridges and using 3 pound weights....you should definitely not be doing anything of the sort!

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this Activity progression for THRs

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Glad you are on your way to healing and glad you are insightful enough to realize that kind of PT is not helpful for your recovery. I dropped outpatient PT the first week and have kept my exercising to walking and some mild flexing etc when I feel up to it. My recovery seems to be going well. You are still early on, be easy on yourself.
 
Far too much exercise for week 1 or 2 or 3 for that matter.
I too had significant back pain before surgery and it has eased considerably since having my hip replacements.
Your doing great so far.
Joe... .
 
Welcome to the other side! I am coming up to 2 weeks post op (seeing surgeon tomorrow) and everyone tells me that I am doing very well. I have just stopped taking the Paracetamol but still take Ibuprofen three times daily, which I find is enough. I am icing two or three times a day and particularly after exercise, which is just walking and simple leg raising and heel slides. I am now only using one crutch and hope to swap this for a stick tomorrow when I see the physios. I try to have a nap after lunch and am sleeping well at night now that I don't need to go to the bathroom at 4am.

I also have lower back pain on the operated side and I believe it is aggravation of the sciatic nerve/piriformis muscle which is moved during surgery (I had a posterior mini approach). Icing really helps this but if I overdo things I feel the pain below the knee as well. For the first week post op I slept a lot (I did not have a GA) but sleep and rest is healing so you need to listen to your body.

I am hoping to be allowed to drive after I have seen the surgeon - I have practised getting in and out of my car, which is not a problem at all, and have played around in the driveway to satisfy myself that I am capable of doing an emergency stop if necessary. Fingers crossed as I hate being housebound!!
 
Jas, hi - my consultant maintains 6 weeks min before I can drive and you have to advise Insurance Co that you have had a hip replacement
 
@Mellowman. It depends on the approach - I had posterior mini rapid recovery technique and was told by consultant that it was a strong possibility that he would clear me to drive at 2 weeks so I will wait and see what he says.
 
Thanks for everyone's responses! Yes, it seemed strange to me that bridge and weights were not listed in the booklet, which prompted me to reach out to my doctor. I am so glad I did. Let me also mention that the agency was recommended by the hospital as the best option for CareFirst insurance and that they are in network with a few other reputable hospitals in DC. Scary, right?
I took your advise and slowed down with exercises. Doing the bed ones 2-3 times a day, taking stairs twice a day and doing a bit of walking and bathroom trips. Still taking the prescription medicines for pain, mostly in the back and thigh. I feel walking is getting better though. Still limpy, but I feel more strength is coming from that leg everyday. Oh well, this is only day nine.
 
@ScenicRte - how are you doing? I've been thinking a lot about you but assumed everything is good since you've been quiet . Today was the first day I spent almost entirely out of bed and it was great! I am going to my first post-op check up with my Dr tomorrow morning. They will take x-ray and remove the dressing (I still have it!). I walk with cane now but sometimes I forget it and even make a few steps on my own. I still need to work in that limp though, it is pretty much the same as before the surgery. I am taking extra strength Tylenol and Celecoxib only, and of course Aspirin twice a day for four weeks. Would love to hear from you!
 
My doc is in the same camp as ScenicRte's - no in-home PT, just get walking. And anterior-only. He's an orthopedic surgeon for the US Olympic Ski Team, and it was only a miracle of God that I was able to snag an appointment and surgery with him...

I couldn't imagine such exercises so soon!

The journey is rough, no doubt.. I'm anxious for it to get better.
 
Thanks for your response, I slowed down with PT and I feel much better now. Funny but my dr in DC also works with US ski and snowboard team!
 
That's so cool! I guess when you're someone like Shaun White or Ted Ligety, it doesn't matter where the doc is, they go for the best!
 
Thanks for thinking of me! Things are progressing, slowly, day by day. Daytime more energy, but would crash with fatigue and pain from early evening on.

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Just started taking Tramadol in the evening and at night, which seems to be helpful. Glad to hear you had such a good day (Tuesday?) - I'm sure your doc was pleased at your postop check.

The range of recommendations for post-op activity is remarkable. My doc insists on a walker for the first month - it's all about reducing the risk of a fall as much as possible. I cheated a little today and used a cane to go to the beach - even with fat tires, didn't want to take my rollator on the sand. My kid surfed and I sat, and was happy to be there.

Get this - I started outpt PT and one of the first things she did was to grab some massage cream and really work my (healed) incision - up, down, side to side, even right along the seam! I need to do this daily to break up adhesions, restore the ability of the different layers of tissue to slide over each other (just like working with facia) and promote circulation. Immediately improved ROM and reduced limping. Who knew?

Adventures in healing....

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Welcome Hipster,

That PT routine sounds bogus to me. I am doing in home PT. I showed them what I was doing from the handout, what I couldn't do yet and asked what they thought I might do to make sure I can get back on my bicycle Sept 1 - 3 mos after surgery. She showed me some resistance band exercises as well as a couple of exercises to strengthen my lower leg to improve balance. I had some discomfort afterwards but it was nothing ice could not fix.
I worked out almost daily pre surgery so I would be able to get out of bed unassisted. The work on my core paid off.
If you don't want to do something or it hurts, don't do it!
I have some long term fitness goals and if I can get in home PT provided, sign me up. I could start pt after they release me to drive..., but I am home, it is boring and if someone can add something to my workouts, I'm going to take advantage of it.

Good luck, Doug
 
That PT routine sounds bogus to me
It certainly doesn't sound bogus to me. It sounds very smart to loosen up all that tightness... Be careful it's all closed up on that seam. Dougie, I like your ambition and drive, but I feel like all of you over zealous hopes who want to hurry up and put deadlines on when you will get back to what you think is a healthy lifestyle could be doing yourself a disservice. I'm gonna get well first... Then tone up, strengthen etc. ScenicRte, you are still on such early days. Don't let anyone make you think you are not doing enough. Plenty of time for all that. I struggle with my feelings all the time when I read posts like... Hiking after 2 weeks... Walked 5 miles 2 days after... Glad you are doing well... You too Dougie. But be careful. Worry that you put too much emphasis on PT
 
Hi @Mojo333 - I agree with you

It's very easy when you see some posts on here to doubt yourself and your progress, but I seriously don't think there is a "magic" cure or set of PT exercises which can short cut what happens naturally. Everybody is impatient, everybody wants a quick fix, but the reality is that this doesn't and won't happen. Too much activity in the beginning is counter productive, patience and gradual improvement is the way to do it

I trust the staff on here who have many years' experience and have seen anything. There advice is consistent and sensible and I will continue to follow it!

So, keep up the good work ..

Peter
 
Hello there! Well first of all my post-op appt was with PA which I didn't expect but she seems quite knowledgeable. They took bunch of x-rays which she was very pleased with and they took my dressing off which she was also very excited about. Me - not so much: even though the incision is only 4in long it is kind of crooked and ugly with a dimple and keloid at the bottom end - ugh!!!! When I asked if I could start using Scaraway or Mederma she told me to wait two months, which is different than what they say in their websites! They recomend using it sooner rather than later. How about your incision? Are you happy with yours? Did you start using anything yet? Other than that, things are still progressing slowly. I still have pain in my thigh, back and knee. I am taking celecoxib 1/day and 1000mg Tylenol 3-4 times s day. I walk with a cane with a limp I am working on correcting it as much as I can, but it is tough.....how are things over there?
 
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