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THR Am I dreaming? Not anymore!

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Thanks all, pretty soon we'll all be back to our ornery selfs. Something to look forward to right?
 
Hi all, thought I would give an update and maybe get some good advice. I'm a little over 2 months post op on my LTHR. My hip has been doing great. It still reminds me when I do something it doesn't like, but moving right along. My problem now is my lower back. I saw a back Dr before second surgery, but even though I told him it's been steadily getting worse over the years, he was convinced it was caused by hip. His whole demeanor made me feel he was just blowing me off. Well the back pain is now excruciating at times. It sometimes starts in and gives me warning that it's coming so I can sit down. At other times, it hits me all the sudden and I can barely put any weight on my right side. It hit me like that at a yard sale the other day. I dug my fingers into the pressure point and as long as I kept it there, it allowed me to walk back to my car. Can't imagine what people thought when I walked away with my fingers pressing into my hip. Lol. Here I was looking forward to greater mobility, but am now in worse shape than when my hips were bothering me. Can someone tell me what a pain clinic or Dr does? I've heard the term but never understood what it was. Because the pressure took much of the pain away, I'm assuming it's muscle, although my OS did tell me I had arthritis in my lower back also. Iceing helps some but I don't dare stay on my feet too long. I would love to here from @Josephine on this. I just can't believe after all I've been through with 2 hip replacements, I am stuck with back pain like this. Very frustrating. Chiropractic gives little relief. Any thoughts are welcome. Sorry about the pity party, it just got the best of me.
 
@Midchild54 I'm glad you came back for an update but sorry you are still having lower back pain. I'm still afraid my lower back (possibly SI joint) pain will still be there even after I'm fully back from THR. I'm very interested in following the recoveries of members like you who still have back pain after THR.

Hoping the moderators will be able to provide some insight!
 
@Midchild54 sounds like a lumbar disc problem. My L5 is unstable and can cause excruciating pain down my right leg, numbness, tingling, and back pain. At it's worse I had drop foot and my right knee kept giving out. Might not be your problem but I went to see a neuro spine guy. MRI and two back injections and I am much better. I know what to avoid...anything with prolong activity...and I quit at the first nibble of a problem. Rod and screws are the only fix and that would cause the next disc to buckle as well. So it is easy does it here. My drop foot is gone and so is the knee pain. For the most part it is pain in my lower back. My heart goes out to you. Investigate all areas. They will start with PT but that did not help me. I hope you can find relief and answers. The hip, knee, and back can refer pain to each other so your problem might be different. It could even be an aggravated bursa. Sending hugs, wishes, and good thoughts to my fellow hippee.
 
@Midchild54

I, too, have lower back pain, and have for years. Fortunately the PT person I have right now understands that in addition to strengthening my legs strengthening my core is equally important. She's given me exercises for both, and I'm hopeful that it will help. Years of hip issues contributed, no doubt, but now is the time for me to re-train my muscles, leg and otherwise, that I can now stand up straight and walk and should use my buttock muscles instead of my lower back muscles to do these things.

Are you in PT? Have you seen a back doc? Have you had an X-ray or MRI of your back?
 
Agree with @Cindy99 on core strengthening. Some thirty plus years as a paramedic and RN sure didn't help long standing back issues but I always coped pretty well till the hip went bad and I was relying on a back support. I lost a lot of tone in my abs the last few months before my surgery and had more lower back pain, so gaining back core strength is pretty high on my list. At my own pace but using my new "walk straight and tall" rule.

Patti in Vail AZ
 
@Midchild54 It's always good to hear from you. Sorry it's about a back issue.
I remember working with a young fellow who had terrible back pain. He did data entry for 8 hrs a day. He went to the back doc and was told not to sit on his fat wallet! I also have to share that once I started to drive & socialize, and being a bit vain I was back into my 'tight' jeans. No, not skinny jeans as seen on TV, but that made think of how I noticed a sense of pulling or tugging and stinging area around my incision while I was out. I'm back to wearing stretchy loose around the house. And now I wear skirts & summer dresses when I go out and get lots of compliments! I guess I'm always looking for a simple reason. I just changed beds and it took me 3 nights to adjust to the firmer mattress to include back stiffness with everything else. I know you are back to work. Do you wear a uniform with a belt? Maybe it's time for the PT -- as you can read many of us have been happy with their work and advice. Take care! :groan::sad:
 
Hiya I attend a chronic pain clinic. The underlying purpose for this clinic is for those who all normal shall we say methods of pain relief are exhausted. My group of practioners consists of a specialist Dr in the diagnosis with me it #CRPS a specialised PT and a psychologist. They look to ways of alleviating pain we can use and perfect ourselves with guidance. Eg relaxation. I'm doing mirror therapy idea being I'm trying to trick the brain into thinking my foot is fine. They will also look at other proceduures I had daily injections and an infusion these working on swelling and some extra movement from reduction of swelling. Tag me if I can help more. Keep smiling

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Thanks @Legin, that was great information. Its kind of what I expected. @wcgirl and @DesertHorses, thanks for your thoughts on PT. I hate PT, it has only helped me maybe half the time in the past for other problems but maybe it's time to give it a try again. It would be worth it if it helps. Then if it doesn't, perhaps I can try a pain clinic, they have a few around here. @sunbunny @agileHippie @cindy999 Thanks for your input. I am going to go back to a back Dr, but preferably a different one. See if I can get an MRI of my back and hopefully have a diagnosis to work with. I definitely do not want surgery on my back, but maybe a steroid shot will help. @Josephine I know you are big on chiropractors and so am I. Unfortunately it gives me little relief for this. Its always good to hear from you all. I miss being on here.

I was keeping on everyone's posts for awhile, but I've been pretty busy lately. My daughter got married this last Saturday and I have my grandson for a few days. I've wanted to go to Fort Fun since I moved here 8 years ago. So yesterday I took Hunter and my son, Christian. I went to get in the bumper boats, not thinking about restrictions until I sat down in the very low seat. But I was already there so went ahead with the ride. I did fine but needed help standing back up to get out. Then I went to the go karts and same thing, only worse. But I was already there and went for it, I had a blast. I made it through most of the day but my back and hips started complaining so I left the other two to do there own thing for the last hour or so. I expected to be sore or hurting today for all of it but got up with no more stiffness than usual. Wonderful signs of healing, right!:yes!:
 
Definitely best to try to keep moving. Library Lynn used to swear by acupuncture and massage for her back.
On a diff note my lower back is so much better as my CRPS physio lady pointed out my legs were diff length due to swelling a wee heel raise later and bad back was behind me so to speak.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
@Legin I think that's the most frustrating. I have never had a leg length differential and still don't so it perplexed me that I'm having so much lower back pain. It would be an easy fix, but the massage and acupuncture sounds very plausible. Don't know why I didn't think of that, thanks. I don't know if it makes much of a difference, but I'm pretty tall at 5'10".
 
@LibraryLynn is also tall anyway good luck there is nothing worse, I take it things such as sciatica have been ruled out, as there are diff painkillers for nerve pain.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
hey @Midchild54 You are in my thoughts this morning. How are you?? Any update on your back issues? :flwrysmile:
 
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