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THR Charlie's RTHR Recovery Thread

Yes, many complain of spasms in leg muscles post op. They are normally temporary and ease with time. If they continue to be bothersome you can talk to your surgeon's care team about a muscle relaxer, but before that I'd try Magnesium -
Magnesium supports the following:
Bone health
Healthy blood sugar
Cardiovascular health
Muscle relaxation and nerves
Promotes healthy sleep (falling asleep and staying asleep)

An article on Magnesium -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/magnesium-is-a-star.20301/

Good Luck, Charlie!
@Charlie33
 
Well that's wonderful, but I'd try to take it for a length of time rather than only here or there. I think it would work best that way, although it's obviously personal choice. It helps some with sleep also which can be a problem in early recovery.
Have a great day, Charlie!
 
Recovery includes diet, our bodies struggle in recovery to rebuild the damage. Any shortages in nutrition will show up in our recovery. We are burning a lot of energy just sitting while our bodies try to replace the blood lost and repair the damage to our muscles, we have to fuel the fire.
 
Three weeks post op today.....chatted with my PT a about walking program and thought I'd share as it was very bonesmart like advice (is that a word?) :)

Walking: in my case, PT ok walking around for normal daily stuff but not a dedicated walking program.. Too early.... why? given my gait a bit off, more walking = reinforce bad gait = something I have to work on to fix later! They dont mind 10-15 mins a few times a day but only if I can maintain heel to toe and good gait.

So advice is to rest, heal, get better ROM which will naturally improve gait and just take it slow.

I was surprised my PT and another friend who is a PT both said up to six weeks 'a lot of healing', and aren't focused on 'window of opportunity' etc.. maybe they follow this site lol... hope you all having a good day.
 
I'm pleased you have sensible PTs. I was warned by mine not to miss my "window of opportunity." But if I push things, my limp gets worse. If I take it more gently, my limp improves. It's not rocket science :egypdance:
 
Question for all re: Outer shin pain & weak hips 3+ weeks into recovery.

Feels like my calves and outer shins very tight and a little painful. Could be some minor swelling as well causing pain. Any experience in recovery with shin splints? Trying to make progress, not pushing walking etc and dont want to push tissue too far.

Thanks in advance! Taking my magensium daily :)
 
It sounds to me like a body trying to adjust to the new hip and also with another change in how your body moves.
Not to mention the manhandling that happened to that leg while on the surgery table.

Hang in there, and I would suggest icing there, too.
 
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I had shoes that didn't like my new hips... especially shoes with old wear patterns...
I agree it can be things adjusting...
The Wonder of The Travelling Pains of hip surgery recovery:oyvey:
 
What Mojo says above is so true. You would be better off to have some new walking shoes to wear while recovering. Your shoes- pre op- are worn down to fit the crazy gait your body was doing to keep you ambulatory.
My experience with this was yes, I did get new shoes for my recovery.
Fast forward several weeks maybe more, I slipped my feet in some other shoes and when I started to walk I could literally feel my body shift into that limping pattern, my foot was sliding laterally to follow that shoe. It was a crazy feeling and I promptly threw them away. I didn't want to risk donating them either, no unsuspecting person should be subjected to them!
 
I read online that shin pain can be common post THR while your gait changes once again as the prosthetic settles in with the muscles and soft tissue surrounding it. This pain can persist until you strengthen your calf muscles again. New shoes with some cushion and great support should afford you greater comfort also. You're doing well, Charlie. I hope you have a nice weekend!
@Charlie33
 
I bought myself some new Orthofeet shoes. They hurt my shins, I assume for exactly the reasons you mention here. Most I can wear them is about 2 hours. Then I use new Skecher slip-ons.
 
Treat yourself to new shoes. I think springing for ones with good support is well worth it. My doc says rigid arch support is preferable to the mushy soft kind, but they might take some getting used to.
I had purchased a pair of G-Defy shoes, which look kind of dorky but are super cushiony and supposedly good for hip pain. But although I like them now, I didn't like them in the weeks after surgery because they're sooo cushy that I felt wobbly in them, like I couldn't tell where my feet were.
When you go to pt or your pt comes to you, ask about stretching for your lower legs. My pt recommended calf stretches, the one where you stand on a stair or sturdy stool and drop your heels until those calf muscles stretch out. Then follow with standing as high as you can on the balls of your feet to work the shins. Be sure you do these somewhere that has a good sturdy handhold. A couple sets of these daily fixed up my lower leg issues, and some weird tendinitis in my feet.
 
Thanks for the feedback and encouragement everyone! Also heard compression socks good for this as well, welcome experiences on that too.

@subie2021 on PT: went to my PT and he recommended same as you: dynamic heel drops on steps (with rail to hold on to). Sort of mini strength and stretch thing. Have to be careful as I have achilles tendopathy issue that took a year (first nine months of 2022) to recover from due to bad hip gait issues. Thankfully resolved just as I approached hip replacement.

Convinced my gait and weak hip the culprit. Also now doing standing rom and very light strength (side step ups). Funny as 'strength' exercises a relative term as this stage of recovery.. the first 10 reps should be as easy as the last... :)
 
My gait was a real problem preop and thus postop. To compound matters, I wanted to show how much I'd improved by walking on own. Only made matters worse. So I got myself some Activity poles in Amazon. Like Nordic track poles but thick at the bottom like canes. Went back on them at week 7 with the vow not to come off until my limp is a thing of the past. One positive side effect: they work my core and upper arms!
 
I just mentioned I want a pair of walking sticks, I can walk totally fine but I'd like to do some hiking and I think the walking poles would be great to have.
As far as shoes I purchased OOfos slides I wear around the house, very comfortable, I have flat feet and arthritis on top of my feet so podiatrist said "no bare feet." I love being barefoot! Oh well, boy when did I get this old?!?! LOL!
Arthritis, walking sticks, ortho shoes...what the heck!!!!
 
Merrimay said:
So I got myself some Activity poles in Amazon. Like Nordic track poles but thick at the bottom like canes.
Click to expand...
My brother had back surgery and used walking poles for recovery. They take pressure off both hips and agree encourage better gait. Will give this a try too!
 
Oh good! The activity poles are recommended by physical therapists as well.
 
Reposting an old Bonesmart thread on shin spints. Very helpful and describes what I am experiencing and some solutions.

bonesmart.org

Shin splints, shin pain, compartment syndrome

All much the same kind of thing - pain in the front of the lower leg. It can be very tender and sensitive to touch, very painful and resists things like stretches and medication. However, understanding the condition is key to dealing with it and, much, much better, preventing it. Let's start...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
Sorry, about the shin splints and discomfort it's causing you, Charlie. With any luck you'll have success with the treatment ideas within the article. Good luck!
I hope you have a good week and a Merry Christmas! :xmas-wave-smiley-emoticon:
@Charlie33
 
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