THR Charlie's RTHR Recovery Thread

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary, Charlie!
I hope the shin splints are easing.
Here...Catch Whoopsie!
All in good fun.
@Charlie33

 

[Charlie33]

haha. Very funny @Layla! Saw ortho yesterday for 1 month anniversary appointment. After we had cake he said walk and commented the hitch in my first few steps will resolve and all looked ok and to come back in 12 months.

I find gentle calf/hamstring stretches after a walk and throughout day helpful for range and relieve shin pain likely coming from tight IT band.

Merry Christmas all!

 

[Charlie33]

HNY'e eve.

5.5 week update.... recovery has been slower than I thought.

ROM on operated leg is bad (external rotation almost non existent, atrophied piriformis muscle). This is my biggest challenge... so chipping away with that with some stretching and PT. Mostly minor soft tissue discomfort, aches pains that tend to move around: I've accepted just part of recovery process.
Feeling blah...not blue or down... I just thought I'd be further along by now

My PT and Surgeon say there is a 'window' to get range back more easily which is up to 3-4 months. So, trying to balance that with views here not to get worried about timelines....also finding I can't force range...just comes in tiny increments.

HNY!

 

[Layla]

Blah is better than blue or down, so there's that. You sound content and have spread some cheer here, so thank you!

We don't believe in windows of opportunity around here much so I have high hopes all will improve with time and the Blah's will become Hurrah's! Hang in there.

Happy New Year, Charlie! Thanks for taking part in the forum. Many blessings to you in 2023!

@Charlie33

 

[djklaugh]

@Charlie33 In your first post on this thread you mentioned that your hip had been bad for 15 years! Patience is the key for you. It is going to take time - probably more than your surgeon and PT estimate - to get all the muscles around the hip back to where they are truly supposed to be! It took 15 years to get to the point you decided to have surgery. So give your self time to slowly and carefully rearrange your body mechanics. 2 months post op really is early days still.

My prediction is that by the time we are set to ring in 2024 you will be looking back on this time and saying "Hum that really didn't take as much time as I thought it did".

 

[lanstan]

Charlie33 I had the same feeling at about the same time. i was able to do so much but my range just wasnt there. I am 5 months out and have most of it but not fully but it slowly comes back. Most of the time i dont think about my new hip but occasionally i get some "niggles". Putting full weight on my leg is still not happening. I am confident it will come with time.

 

[Charlie33]

Hi @Merrimay was reading your thread regarding tbursitis ending up as SI joint injection. Wondering if that solved your problem? Having similar pain on outside non operated hip. Literally pain in the butt. Also understand could be glute medius weakness. Thanksl

 

[Merrimay]

@Charlie33 , sorry to hear about your "pain in the butt!" The good news on my end is that the SI injection did do the trick. I was fortunate in that, as my OS was checking for bursitis, sciatica, you name it, the Sports Injury expert happened by. They consulted, discussed my x-ray, symptoms, etc., and and the SI man (who treats Univ of TN football players) injected me right there and then. There's some sort of numbing agent in the mix, so if the SI is the real source of pain, you may feel relief fairly quickly. Within 2 days, I was a-ok, though SI man said it can take up to 2 weeks for full relief.

Honestly, @Charlie33 , hip replacement can trigger Pain-in-the-Butt Syndrome for so many reasons. Best to let your OS know about it. And keep us updated. Good luck!

 

[Charlie33]

UPDATE SI joint pain.

@Merrimay saw my orthopedic surgeon today. He concluded same as your sports medicine person: SI joint irritation on non operated side (mild arthritis in that hip too). I am going to start with celebrex twice a day for one week. If that doesnt work he is happy to schedule injection.

Was your injection guided by imaging?

Thought helpful to post in case others experience same!

 

[Merrimay]

@Charlie33 , so glad you posted this news. Hoping the Celebrex takes care of it. My doctor did employ guided imagery. Quick process. They numb the spot, and while you do feel the probe and injection, it's not what I'd call painful. From start to finish, took less than 30 minutes. You take the bandaid off the next day.

I felt results the next day! It was definitely a positive in my recovery. Hope it will be for you!

 

[Merrimay]

@Charlie33 Update: just came from an excellent PT exam. They identified the source of my problem at the L 3-4 disc. He applied pressure to that area for about 5 minutes. I could feel the area relaxing. Then I did two exercises: both had me on my stomach and flexing backwards. When I stood and walked, the difference was amazing. I'll do the exercises at home every 2 hours and will see him twice a week for the immediate future.

So between the SI injection and PT, I'm hopeful things are looking up. Keep me posted on how your SI injection goes!

 

[Charlie33]

@Merrimay Glad you found relief and thanks for sharing! I need to find a good manual therapist. The exercise you reference is execellent! My PT not sure SI joint so going to try conservative approach before injection.

I'll geek out here for a minute on some standard SI joint PT exercises that have helped:

I find if I lie on my back and do isometric holds for abduction/adduction (squeeze ball between knees and use PT band, wrap around thigh above knee and push out), in addition to doing same on back while hips at 90 degree angle (could be some risk with this one) really open up the hip flexors and bring pain relief to both sides. I then do side lying leg raises then a version which fires glute medius. Again, pretty standard PT stuff, builds a bit of strength and range at same time.

Overall pelvic stability all comes down to flexibility/strength which sadly takes time and patience...wish I had more of the later!

On Range of Motion: I'm finding this to be real work. Would welcome any and all feedback: I know folks say it just comes back naturally over time, but external rotation is something I chip away at every day... hopefully someday I can sit like a baseball player putting ankle on knee.

Thanks again @Merrimay

 

[Merrimay]

Hi @Charlie33 , I see my PT again tomorrow since he's out if town Fri. He had two trainees with him while we worked and he mentioned glute medias exercises, so I suspect that what you describe may become part of my regimen.

Meanwhile... I followed his instructions and did the two back flex exercises every 1 tone hours. Now I feel like I'm back in the ODIC. I'm going to ask him if we can take it more slowly. Maybe every 4 hours. OUCH

 

[Merrimay]

And you're right: ROM improvement can be slow as molasses in January.

 

[Elf1]

@Charlie33 I sure hope you're not setting yourself up for a visit to the ODIC. You're not even two months out from surgery, this recovery takes time and pushing it can set you back.

You mention doing some exercise with hips at 90 degree angle, could be some risk with this? You're in recovery from major surgery, not training for an athletic event, please take it slow and steady. I think the conservative approach would be taking the celebrex for a week as your OS prescribed and give it a chance to work.

And as @Merrimay seems to be finding out, the ODIC is very easy to join. Patience is the toughest muscle you need to work during this recovery.

 

[Charlie33]

@Elf1 @Merrimay thanks for feedback. Really appreciate it. my friends mother had a knee replacement in October. 89 years old and already talking about golf in the spring. Very cool and inspiring story, and motivating as well.

 

[Charlie33]

UPDATE: Searching Boston Massachusetts Area PT Specialist for Hip Replacement.

Welcome any suggestions on specialist PT/physio referral in Boston Area that specializes on a combination of manual therapy/hip/lower back/gait.

Also anyone ever use Feldenkrais method in recovery?

Feel free to post or send me a private message.

Thank you!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Charlie33 I'm glad you are looking into a PT and my hope is you find one that is mindful of the time needed to heal and return to normal activity without pushing timelines as we all have similar but unique bodies with sometimes similar but unique pre-op situations... thus unique recoveries.

I just had to remind myself often -
Tightness is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. The surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You're tight because your tissue is healing...

If a long full step right now is causing pain and limping, don't take long full steps. Take smaller steps. Take a short walk several times a day, instead of longer walks. Use your cane. Use ice. Rest a lot.

This isn't the time to do anything to excess. Baby steps now, and lots of patience, pays off big time later. Recovering from self-induced tendinitis can end up taking weeks or months. Consider yourself as still recovering from surgery and structure your return to your life as a slow, gradual process where you introduce very small increments in activity, and then give yourself time to see how you react to it.
All temporary, and worth the patience. I am certainly glad I am able to get back to a full happy life

Also anyone ever use Feldenkrais method in recovery?

I've heard it mentioned on the forum a few times along with somatrics and it does seem to be a more mindful approach to rehab.
My fellow staffer is a PT, @Pumpkin, so maybe she can lend her thoughts on this method.

 

[Charlie33]

@Mojo333 appreciate the thoughtful and encouraging response. I guess at 8 weeks I expected more progress. The whole surgery was advertised as 6 weeks back up and running. ‘Oh my uncle/aunt had hip done and was fine in a month’ kind of preop feedback. And I actually took the first 6 weeks easier and just chilled more. But now my PT is like ‘I’ve done thousands of these and we need to get down to business’. So even though I’m dying to go faster he’s feeding into it my own paranoia I'm not going fast enough. So I kicked it up a notch (and if rubber bands is a lot with some exercise bike) I'm paying for it today..... And I know the answer: patience, but I feel abnormal...

And yes tightness and all kinds of roving aches/pains/discomfort how I feel every day, and thought by now it would be better... want relief... And it makes me wonder 'do i push through or pull back' all the time...

Sorry to be grumpy all!

@Pumpkin welcome any feedback. My PT's view: we ignore (ie dont treat) issues with non operated leg or lower back and stick to business with operated leg. Does that make sense?

 

[Layla]

The whole surgery was advertised as 6 weeks back up and running.

This is nonsense. Think of the trauma your leg endured during surgery.

But now my PT is like ‘I’ve done thousands of these and we need to get down to business’.

Well good for your PT that he's done "thousands" of these and expects you to "get down to business". I am assuming that means pushing you to the point of pain, whether you like it or not. Don't Do It, is my advice.

And yes tightness and all kinds of roving aches/pains/discomfort how I feel every day, and thought by now it would be better... want relief... And it makes me wonder 'do i push through or pull back' all the time...

Tightness is from swelling and hopefully you're still icing and elevating for relief, rather than continually aggravating the healing soft tissue.

it makes me wonder 'do i push through or pull back' all the time...

Please don't do anything that hurts, or allow your PT to push you to do anything that hurts. It is your body and you will pay the consequences of overdoing it in the form of discomfort, pain, steps backward, while he goes merrily about his biz of helping the thousands.

You're not grumpy, but only discouraged. If you readjust your expectations you won't feel as defeated. You're not even two months post op from a major surgery that takes on average a full year to recover from and even longer for some. Chin up, brighter days are on the way!