THR Getting mixed messages on PT after THR<

[Debru4]

Thanks, @Layla for the New Year's Greeting! I received so much support following my own hip replacement and am glad for the opportunity to offer others my support now.

There are countless people here on the forum who have been helped by your wise, compassionate support of them, myself included. Thank you so much for always taking that extra step to connect with people on a feeling level, as well as to offer hip related advice.

Happy New Year to you as well!

 

[CricketHip]

Happy New Year! I will be in your amazing state soon, to see my son and his family.. I am excited to gaze upon the mountains. sigh It never gets old.
Here's wishing you are a great New Year. I know I have some high hopes for it!

 

[Debru4]

Thanks @CricketHip---I hope your New Year is a good one as well. I appreciate the warm and friendly way you support others here on the forum----just what folks need when they are in pain, frustrated, or worried!

I love living in Colorado---most of the time. I do get a bit tired of the cold and snow sometimes, but it's much nicer now that I am retired and don't have to drive/slide to work every day, and then spend long amounts of time helping kids in and out of their winter gear or out on playground duty! (former elementary teacher)

Where do your son and his family live in Colorado? Do you get to visit often? Are any of you skiers/snowboarders? I think the fact that I am a gardener/ hiker/walker, and don't do winter sports is partly why I don't enjoy Colorado winters as much as our summers.

I hope you have a fun trip out here, and whatever it is your family likes to do, that the weather cooperates. If it's winter sports you enjoy, then I'm willing to tolerate some extra snow on your behalf. Safe travels.

 

[Fit4Family]

You mention all the reasons I miss Colorado @Debru4 I grew spectacular roses when I lived there. Thought I had something to do with it, but that skill did not follow me East. The low humidity and closer sun made ideal conditions. I don’t think I knew you were an elementary school teacher. What a gift! I was a substitute teacher one year between jobs. Much more physically draining days than I perviously imagined. Had a much better understanding of reality of teachers time with our second child. Did much more home support with him those early years, which may have made school easier for our second.

What winter sports can you do now with your new hip? Any restrictions?

 

[CricketHip]

Thanks Debru4, I have never skied, ever! My parents thought I was too accident prone to let me on skis or roller skates..
We basically will enjoy visiting as we are only there 5 days and daughter in law will be working part of that time.
They do love the ski slopes and boarding, though and if they wanted to go I would love to go experience it with them.
In the warmer months we do a good bit of hiking so I'm right there with you! I love Co. and it's abundant sunshine.
They live in Co Springs. We have a crazy early flight this morning but the direct flights into Denver were very limited so off we go with dark circles under our eyes!

 

[Debru4]

Well, @Fit4Family, somehow I missed your comment on my thread from a month ago. So sorry to be so slow to respond. How are you doing?

I am not very fond of winter at all, and have never downhill skied or snowboarded so I'm not likely to start now. It's interesting that out of my 4 kids and their partners/spouses,(8 total) only 2 ski/board regularly. 1 goes annually, and the rest very sporadically. This is true of a lot of people from Colorado---many never have skied, and many who do can't afford, or aren't interested in going that often. Did you ski when you were in CO?

I have lived in CO all of my life, and have been an avid gardener most of it. So I have no real point of reference as you do in terms of how things are different. I know I have a lot of envy for those who live in warm climates where they can garden almost year round, or those like you who live in areas where they can grow big beautiful flowering bushes and trees and other plants that don't grow well, or at all out here! I also love roses---have a lot of them, including a large number of mini roses, which surprisingly are very hardy.

I loved teaching---it was my calling and was the best job in the world for me. With that said, I chose not to sub when I retired as many do, as I think that is a very challenging, hard job. I know lots of people enjoy it, but for me, I loved the relationships I had with my kids and their families, and the process of planning, creating, designing lessons and the learning environment. That might have been more your style. At home support makes all the difference in the world....even if parents aren't actively working with their kids on schoolwork, their attitudes about education/school/teachers, etc. really has a positive impact.

In terms of restrictions, like most people my age, and following a replacement, I need to remember not to overdo, or to do anything really stupid, but it sounds like I can resume/do most of the things I used to do. I'm so ready for spring and summer---my times of the year

 

[Debru4]

@CricketHip ---I realized I never followed up to ask how your trip to Colorado was? Did you have good weather? My son and his wife lived in Colorado Springs for 4 years and I always loved going down there for the day, or for a few days. There's so much to do around there.

Every summer all 4 of my kids and their families and I spend 4-5 days together somewhere in Colorado, taking a mini-family vacation. It's hard to coordinate a longer trip due to both time and finances so a Colorado getaway is perfect. Once summer we rented a big house in Manitou Springs and it was a blast. We've also stayed in Canon City, Salida, and Buena Vista down that way.

Colorado in the summer is heaven as far as I'm concerned.....glad you enjoy it too. If our kids don't live near to us, it's always great if they move someplace fun to visit! Even in the winter we have sunshine most days---even then I always feel a bit "off" in the winter when the days are shorter....not full blown SAD, but definitely something. I don't think I'd be happy living in the Pacific Northwest or someplace with lots of cloudy days, so it's a good thing I'm where I am, even if I dislike winter.

At this point in your recovery are you pretty much past the parade of aches and pains? You will be perfectly poised to have a fabulous summer, won't you?!?!

 

[Fit4Family]

What a nice surprise to see a message from you this morning @Debru4 I lived in Denver when it was just in the process from converting from more of a cowboy sprawling city, to what it is now. Late 80’s. It is so true about skiing. We did ski, but more often went cross country skiing as downhill was expensive and there was so much else to do.

Colorado summers are what I miss most. You get the heat, but without humidity, which makes it so much more enjoyable. My sister and I grew some amazing Iris. We had a deep garden and all along fence we grew huge Iris. Can’t remember variety. Never have gotten them to perform here. Even with amended soil, think it might be the bright intense sun. Hope you can enjoy all things outdoors this year!

 

[CricketHip]

@Debru4 We had a great time and I enjoyed a couple days with temps in the 50's and 60's. And their glorious sunshine!
We hiked Red Rocks Canyon - near Garden of the Gods but with less crowds- and my hip was amazingly strong and I felt stable clambering around.

 

[Debru4]

@Fit4Family While I've never downhill skied (no way, even if I were wealthy and could easier afford it), I have cross country skied a few times, and I liked it a lot .....except for the time my ex-husband decided we should cross country ski on some hiking trails in Rocky Mt. National Park. So there we were, wearing cross country skis shooting down winding somewhat steep rocky trails, sliding off into trees, getting slapped by branches...not fun at all!

My brother grows dozens of varieties of iris. His wife is so tired of them....wishes he'd diversify a bit;) They do thrive here in CO---multiply like rabbits. He loves to share them. I have several different types but am not taking any more until I can get out and divide/share the ones I already have. That's interesting that they don't grow readily everywhere....I just assumed they did.

With all of our recent snow and cold, I am more than ready for the "gardening season" to get here. I'm with you on the warm, dry, sunny summers!

How is your recovery from your revision progressing? Are you still in a lot of discomfort? Is your ROM improving? What sorts of things are you able/not able to do yet? Take care!

 

[Debru4]

@CricketHip I'm so glad you had a nice trip out to CO! You were here during one of our many "pretend" springs, where out of the blue we get warm, outdoorsy friendly weather, only to be followed by the freezing, cold snowy weather. I don't think I've ever been to the area you describe, but will check it out. They have considered some new regulations at Garden of the Gods, including a proposed fee to take photos I recently heard. I'm not sure if that is true, or if it would actually be implemented, but there are times in the summer especially when the crowds are pretty big. In truth, I try hard not to be one of those folks who hate all tourists and want everyone to stay away. I understand the beauty of CO and what a nice place it is to visit. But anytime you have crowds, whether it's in your favorite restaurant, on the interstate, or in the line to a restroom, it can wear on you.

I'll bet your were excited to feel good as you "clambered around". I love that word. And for a person with 2 hip replacements you obviously are getting to reap some rewards of having the surgeries. I'm hopeful I can get back in hiking/gardening shape, as my winter activity levels really decrease. So far I haven't met my goal of doing more winter exercise/classes, and I'm starting to feel a bit stiff and achy as a result at times. I need to remember that too much sitting isn't good for me!

 

[Fit4Family]

Hi @Debru4

How frightening to get hit with branches while you skied with cross county equipment, I think I will leave that one behind for my youth. We haven’t gotten much snow at all, but TONS of rain. Hoping it is good for trees or something as it’s getting pretty dreary.

I am plugging along with recovery, Have six week check tomorrow. Seems like I am progressing a little each week. Hope you have a wonderful week!

 

[Debru4]

It will soon be 4 years since I had my right hip replaced, and I continue to be grateful each and every day that I had the surgery done, and that it was so successful. Each year I find myself able to walk and hike longer distances and go on more challenging trails. I also am able to garden, care for grandkids, and do the maintenance tasks required to keep my house running and in good shape. I will never forget how miserable I was during the months before my surgery, and how challenging my 3 week trip to Europe right before the surgery was. I had put the surgery off until after the trip as moving the trip wasn't an option. I just returned from a trip to the mountains with my kids and their families and they were commenting that they forget I even had it done---and I realize that I do too, most of the time.

I had a question about something that has periodically come up in the last few months that I wonder if others have experienced this far out, or if it sounds like something I need to follow up with my doctor about. Right after my replacement surgery I remember feeling like I was sitting on a hard tennis ball, or rock on the right side of my bottom. I would have to shift and move a lot to get comfortable, and sometimes the pain would radiate out toward my hip. I did a lot of icing at the time. Within weeks--perhaps a couple of months that pain seemed to lift and I didn't have it anymore. The last 2-3 months, when I sit for extended periods that soreness is back, in the same spot---rights side, deep--almost feels like on the bone, and it feels tender moving toward the hip on that side. It is more annoying than severely painful, but the fact that I am feeling it again makes me wonder what's up.

If any of you have had something similar occur, or remember what you might have been told about it initially, I'd love to hear your ideas. I believe I recall others mentioning they had experienced it as well after surgery, but am at a bit of a loss as to why is is recurring.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Debru4
The symptoms you describe may point to Piriformis syndrome (see this article from our library) and many describe it as a real "pain in the butt"
You will see that this syndrome involves the sciatic nerve so this article also may be of interest.
You sound like you have been doing very well, but I wonder if some of the more challenging trails you describe may have irritated the piriformis and according to Josephine, our former nurse advisor, it can be a stubborn one to calm down.

The article shows stretches, and foam rolling that may help.
You may also want to pay close attention to your gait to insure your "form" isn't an issue.
I find myself reverting back to my old gait (toe walking) as I forget about my hips mostly too.
I hope this helps some.

These "out of the blue" niggles this far from surgery can certainly stress one out... I have had a few moments where I have thought "Whoa, what?" (usually due to new overdone activity)

 

[Debru4]

Hi Mojo---Thanks for your response. I will definitely look into the Piriformis information. I do have some back issues, and I know it is often hard to discern what is back and what is hip with those regional kids of pain. So far I am not experiencing sciatica---and I hope I never do again!

12 years ago I had a laminectomy to address spinal stenosis and repair a disk. At the time there were other issues that we opted not to take care of because I would then need a fusion. The surgery was very successful and while I've still had some ongoing back pain, overall I have been able to manage it well.

I had a very serious fall on the ice in January that resulted in broken ribs and internal bruising. It was a vintage "cartoon fall" where I went up in the air for what seemed like an eternity and then crashed down on the porch step right on my mid back. It took about 3-4 months to get over the pain from that. As you suggested I am now suspecting that I may have returned to more strenuous activity too quickly and aggravated that injury. At the time I worried about my hip as I did end up rolling on it after the initial blow to the back. But until recently, I didn't feel any discomfort in the area and thought all must be well.

As I said, there is no severe, acute pain---just some annoying discomfort that worried me, similar to what you said you have experienced. For now, I will definitely plan to back off and let things settle down. Then I'll look into the Piriformis exercises. My last appointment with my surgeon was almost 3 years ago, which was a year after my hip surgery. I might schedule an appointment to get an X-ray, just for reassurance. Thanks again for the support, and the suggestions--both are greatly appreciated!

 

[Klassy]

Hi @Debru4 , I remember you from the months after my first hip! It is good to hear that your new hip continues to give you an active life. I am also very grateful for my new hips.

I am sorry that you have some discomfort now, and I hope it clears up soon. I’m only guessing, but I think that nasty fall in January might be the underlying cause. My left hip had reached the stage where I would genuinely forget about it, but when I overdid it too soon after my right THR, it was the left hip that played up. Our bodies are complicated things!

 

[CricketHip]

You fall sounds horrible. You poor thing, that had to hurt for quite some time afterwards.
It will be interesting to see if the piriformis stretches help you and suggest using our beloved ice packs to the area after doing them.
I wonder if you would benefit from a few sessions with a PT to get things balanced, that is, if the stretches don't help.

 

[Debru4]

Hi @Klassy---I remember you as well. I'm glad to hear you now have 2 new hips! How have you been doing with the 2nd one overall?

You are so right about the complexity of our bodies. My first big hike (still a moderate, not super hard level) in the CO mountains a full year after my hip replacement I was so thrilled to be able to do it and feel no hip pain. No surprise that I overdid it, leading my family (adult kids and grandkids) down the mountain. They were all so impressed and I was so excited---until the next day when my left knee began hurting for the first time in my life. I found I had displaced my kneecap and did PT to get it back in position---it related to the new way I moved following the much needed hip replacement. The older I get the more I am aware of how interrelated everything is---and also the fact that the parts of our bodies can start wearing out.

 

[Debru4]

Hi @CricketHip ---That fall was pretty epic---so horrific I still get flashbacks, and also such a dramatic one that if I'm in the right mood it makes me laugh at myself at how wild it was. We'd had a nasty black ice storm and when I went to urgent care later in the day, the staff there said it had been nonstop all day long with folks coming in and reporting some pretty crazy details of their fall.I was in good company!

When I looked up the Piriformis stretches I realized that I do them, or variations of them pretty regularly already as I learned them years ago with my back issues. But I never had the terrible pain in my buttocks until after my hip replacement so I associated it with that and not with the sciatic nerve or back. As you and @Mojo333 have pointed out, it likely is related to that fall on my back. Naturally any pain in a replaced joint/hip makes one worry they have damaged the part that is hurting. I am hoping that by backing off of more strenuous activity and letting it settle down, while increasing the stretches it will take care of it.

I will see the dr. if the hip pain continues in addition to the bottom pain, as I did end up rolling on my hip as part of the acrobatics involved in my fall. I don't think my discomfort is severe enough to be hip joint related, but my high pain tolerance level has gotten my in trouble more than once. I suspect the dr. will refer me for PT if they think it will help.

I also wondered about massage, as part of me feels like everything is so tight in there that loosening it up might help as well. What are your thoughts about massage for something like this? Other than an occasional "fun" massage for relaxation (which I LOVE), I've never done it therapeutically. Thanks so much for your support and your input.

 

[Mojo333]

I think a professional massage would be great, and a PT's take after assessing you would also likely be very helpful.

Please let us know if/when you pursue this... and how it helps.