Back pain: does it resolve post-op?

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sandiegomom

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Hello All, I am a 41 year old female in need of a RTHR. I am in the midst of interviewing surgeons, and am thinking I'll have a replacement in the next 6-8 weeks. Yikes!

As my hip has been deteriorating (rapidly), my back pain has increased with it...I have such terrible back pain at this point, it is a different pain than my hip (ache and weakness vs. sharp hip pain) but it rivals the hip in how distracting it is. It feels hip-related (intuitively, it feels like my back is straining to 'carry' the bad hip and is thus hurting). I am worrying I'm doing serious damage to my back and that worries me more than my hip problem - back problems are no joke!

Curious: did others experience serious low back pain pre-op? Does it magically disappear once you have a new hip to support your core?

Thank you!
 
In my case, the low back pain occurred before I had any hip symptoms. I do still have back pain since the operation (especially if I overdo it), but it seems to be decreasing. With a now-healthy joint (after THR), I think it will continue to resolve as my body resumes a more normal gait and posture.

No magic here, but definite progress!
 
This is a bit different but my right knee started bothering me, from compensating for my bad hip. After surgery and a few months later, it's gone. Big relief for sure!
 
When you restore your posture with a new hip, a great deal of backpain went away for me :)
 
@sandiegomom Having suffered back problems for years (including surgery) my left hip pain was incorrectly diagnosed as back issues. It took having the joint collapse before I got a correct diagnosis!

You are now walking all wrong trying to stay off that sore hip. If you are not currently using a cane or crutch either may help to ease your back pain. For many THR patients this eases post op. It may take a bit of time as your pelvis is tilted. But over the first few weeks I'll bet this eases.
 
I had severe hip pain along with an equally distracting low back pain. After my first hip surgery in April 2014, I was so relieved to be rid of so very much pain and excited to begin doing and living life again. Although the other (right) hip seemed not so nearly bad, I was determined not to let it get as bad and limiting as the first (left) hip. Plus, my lower back was just a constant irritating ache. My pain doctor and hip doctor both acknowledged that, yes, I had issues with back, specifically SI joint, but that with hip so bad there was no way to be sure cause of pain.

Fast (well maybe slow) forward, I had second surgery in October 2014, and I was ecstatic for eight weeks of totally pain-free living - albeit though I went right back to work, the hours I was not working I was asleep on my recliner. :sleep: Once I deemed I had had enough recovery time and started really doing life, my back pain came back with a vengeance! I had been walking straight and was so proud of that but was suddenly hobbling again and so crooked that my neck, shoulder and upper back ached. I did a whirlwind of back doctors and pain specialists because I could not face living in pain and not being able to do after two surgeries to get back to life!

I really do feel that allowing my hips to get so bad and limping along for so long helped create my back problems -- but so could arthritis in back, five easy birthings, and carrying heavy children around for years! :what: :cry:

So, after researching, doctors, injections, and lots of thought, and encouragement from friends here, I had SI joint surgery in May of this year. And I will absolutely agree that back problems and surgery is no joke - hip surgery definitely a much more positive adventure:umm:I am finally finally starting to be able to do and see the light at the end of this long tunnel. I can really feel how much straighter I am walking. Back is still a little achy but no where near what it was for the past years before surgeries. I never knew where to put the ice packs! :heehee:

Yes, for me, with the hip pain and hip surgery, pain and limitations magically went away . . . BUT, did my back pain magically disappear - nope. Well, :friends:, okay a bit of surgeon magic, time magic, body healing magic, PT magic for the back, and LOTS OF PATIENCE magic..... and it is disappearing finally!:flwrysmile:
 
I had hip pain around the joints after the operation. We can’t expect a magic to happen. It would be better to get some treatments like massage therapy or physiotherapy. Both of them will give some relief from the severe pain. I almost got rid of the hip pain after my physiotherapy in Mississauga, but the back pain seems to be stuck and still causing me pain. However, my physio have suggested some regular exercises to get some relief from the hectic pain. So try soe regular stretches or exercises if you can or else consult a physio.
 
I've had on/off back problems for years - from dull aches lasting a few hours to back-bending spasms the kept me crooked for a week. I'm sure some, if not most, is related to my hip problems. I know I have some deteriorated discs in my lower back.

My surgery was May 7 and I am still recovering and not back to pre-op activity levels. As of yesterday I would have said my back did feel better. However I seem to have tweeked it sometime this morning at work (desk job) and it is pretty bad. I may have set things off at the gym last night and did something today to push it over the edge. I've been lifting weights with my upper body and sticking with using the machines in the gym as opposed to free weights and suspect I'm over-working my upper back and ignoring my lower back.

I am hopefull that over the next few post-op years my back will get better but it for sure wasn't better instantley. My right hip however was pretty much better right after surgery.
 
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