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THR Hip Recovery

Bike ride after 4 week ,,,,,whaast!!! I'm still on one crutch / stick ,not a cat in hells chance of walking unaided, told my surgeon @ 8 week check up who said absolutely no problem use the one stick as long as you feel , 10 week Monday and I couldn't dream of riding a bike ,I couldn't peddle anyway . Amazing.
 
Day 39

I‘m having an off day. I woke up yesterday (Friday) sore and stiff but continued on with my day as I had several appts I had to get to. I overdid it Thursday, walked a mile and then went to PT later in the day. We worked on a few new exercises to help me get back to my job as an organizer. I have a move-in job scheduled for the end of May and want to be up to it. I’m ready to get on with life. I made the mistake of not icing Thursday or Friday night like I have been.

My groin, top of thigh and knee are hurting so I’m taking it easy today, icing, then doing a few chores around the house ( mopping, laundry) and then I’ll ice again before making dinner.

My incision is SO itchy!! I was told a couple of ointments to put on it but it doesn’t really help. It feels like it’s itchy inside the incision, not on the outside.

I‘ve been taking 600 mg Advil in am and tinizidine(?) at night. But this am I took 800 mg Advil. I’m going to use my OneStep app in a little while to see how off my walking is today compared to other days.
 
Day 41

I understand recovery isn’t a straight line, but my knee is still bothering me & feels like it’s going to give out. I’m having trouble walking on it. Not sure if the discomfort I’m having is a result of PT on Thursday or just a coincidence. I had already been getting tingling in my knee when I go for walks other than just around the house or errands.
Last Thursday, at PT, she added a kind of sit/ squat with a big ball and then a kettle. This was added when I told her I was scheduled to go back to work at the end of the month and would be doing a lot of bending/ squatting and picking up boxes. Wondering if that caused my knee discomfort. It didn’t hurt at the time. Maybe I just did too many reps.

I had my first on-line PT appt w OneStep. She thought my knee was weak. She will be adding my exercises to my OneStep app. My in person PT has me working on quad strength.

Anyway, I’m feeling very discouraged and disappointed. Not surprised when I have an off day, but this has been 4 days in a row.
 
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@JohnWilky I think it’s easier to ride the bike than walk a mile at this point. I need to work on that! But first, I need to take care of this set back with my knee.
 
Teresa17 said:
Last Thursday, at PT, she added a kind of sit/ squat with a big ball and then a kettle.
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You have answered your own question. Squatting is very hard on a new knee. Then adding weight to an already stressed knee - well you see the result. Same on that PT for asking you to do this so quickly.

I would recommend rest, ice and elevation to get control of this. If you need to return to work, ease into any activity.You need to avoid getting into a chronic pain situation.
 
@Jaycey
Jaycey said:
Squatting is very hard on a new knee. Then adding weight to an already stressed knee - well you see the result
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Did you mean hip? I had a hip replaced not my knee. Is squatting hard on a knee when I’ve had the hip replaced?
 
Yes, sorry - new hips hate carrying any weight and squatting does nothing for them. I am not sure why PT want to put patients through "training" post op. You are not in training, you are healing.
 
Teresa17 said:
I have a move-in job scheduled for the end of May and want to be up to it. I’m ready to get on with life
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If you have to return to work, is there any possibility you can avoid the squatting and
lifting until you’re a little further along in the healing process...like an additional month? While we may feel like we’re ready to get on with our lives, sadly your hip might not cooperate without giving you pushback which may only stall your recovery. Not trying to be Debbie Downer here, just don’t want to see you end up with some chronic pain issue which I’ve read about here all to often. You’ve been doing so well!
 
If you google the muscle groups you'll see how the IT band goes around the hip and ends at the knee. There are so many muscles in the hip area that get stretched for the THR that it's no wonder why it's easy to over do and get pain. It's very common for the knee to hurt after THR, mine did, but when I studied it the muscles were what was hurting not my knee. The knee was where the pain signal came from.
I guess you're finding that you can't skip icing as it is the greatest relief. I iced any and everything that hurt and I iced for hours at a time if needed. I don't think most PT's know anything more than no pain no gain. I don't think they ever got the memo that you can't strengthen damaged tissue, it has to heal first.
 
7 weeks

@Layla Thank you. I DEFINITELY don’t want chronic pain issues. I would be really interested to read what other people did that caused that issue. You are right, I am ready to get on with my life. I’m a little confused what I should be doing at this point. My OS has told me from day 1 that I am only limited by my pain. With the SUPERPATH procedure, I never had any ROM limitations. Should I still be icing frequently, occasionally? Should I still be taking Advil/Tylenol? I was taking 600mg in the mornings just as a preventative so I could go throughout my day. But I feel that taking Advil everyday for this long might be a bad idea. I just don’t know.

@Eman85 It’s been 7 weeks and my knee is still bothering me. It kind of bothers me all the time but mostly when standing from a sitting position. Takes a few steps before my knee feels strong. I’ll kind of limp but then I force myself to do the heel/toe and it actually becomes easier. Just wondering how much longer the pain will last....
 
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Well 12 weeks is the next mile marker on this highway, All I can say is stay at the speed limit and see how it works out. I had a weak muscle with my right that still isn't 100%, it's getting better but it still hurts with certain movements. I look at it as acceptable and a good trade to get rid of the deep joint pain.
 
Teresa17 said:
Should I still be icing frequently, occasionally? Should I still be taking Advil/Tylenol? I was taking 600mg in the mornings just as a preventative so I could go throughout my day.
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Ice if / when you’re experiencing pain. I also iced preventatively if I felt I may have pushed it too much with activity on any given day in the early months.

Re: Advil / Tylenol....Personally, I’m opposed to taking anything I don’t need and if I wasn’t dealing with any pain, I certainly wouldn’t be taking pain relievers. That’s just my opinion.

It seems you’re progressing nicely. I hope you have a nice day and weekend! :SUNsmile:
 
I had an organization job yesterday (a closet). It was a good first day back. The client wasn’t there so I didn’t feel pressure but still completed the job on time. All went well, no problems getting up from the floor, only pain I felt was sitting kind of cross legged on the floor. Came home and then I was sore. Had my son help w dinner ( I had been on my feet 4 hours working). By this time I was having trouble putting full pressure on my leg. It hurt to stand on it and I was hopping around.

I iced that night, took it easy today just sitting, elevating & icing and, thank goodness, the pain is gone!
 
Glad the rest and icing helped and you’re feeling better today. You’ll find your limitations pretty quickly, as you realized. I don’t believe I even tried sitting cross-legged for many months to a full year afterward. Doing so for any length of time feels a bit ambitious this early on, but that’s just me. I think the stretching or pulling sensation would have bothered me. I hope your next job is easier on you. Remember icing preventatively after a long time on your feet, while resting at night can’t hurt.
A great week to you, Teresa! :wave:
@Teresa17
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary! :flwrysmile: With best wishes for a great week.
@Teresa17
 
10 Week Update

I am getting around pretty good and have gone back to work organising. I just finished
2 - 8 hour days of a client move in and I’m exhausted. Slept 12 hours!!! I can’t remember when I’ve done that. I still feel wiped out and I’m just going to chill today. After my job yesterday I was a little stiff (all over) and would occasionally get a shooting pain in my groin. I iced/elevated last night and it stopped before I went to bed.

I am REALLY grateful for my recovery but still frustrated that I have a day at home and I’m too wiped out to do anything. I have projects I want to do and phone calls I need to make but I’m just not up to it. I’m still stiff when I get up from a sitting position and limp for the first couple of steps. I do play the mantra “heel, toe” in my head when I have pain or feel like I’m limping and it stops the pain and fixes the limp. Amazing how heel/toe eliminates the pain!
 
Teresa17 said:
I am REALLY grateful for my recovery but still frustrated that I have a day at home and I’m too wiped out to do anything. I have projects I want to do and phone calls I need to make but I’m just not up to it.
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Hi Teresa,
Please don’t get discouraged so early into the healing process. Ten weeks is not that long in the entire scheme of things. Check out the article below and see if it gives you a better understanding. I hope you enjoy the rest of the week.
bonesmart.org

Healing: how long does it take?

How Long Does it Take to Recover from Joint Replacement Surgery? Most patients undergoing total hip/knee replacement surgery want to know when they'll be able to return to their normal life. "Recovery time" is a common question posed to specialists and non-specialists alike. There are many...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
@Layla Thank you for the link! I feel bad for even complaining about it so the article really helped. It feels like the surgery was much longer ago.
 
You're welcome! Please understand you’re in good company in losing patience with energy drain. Just keep in mind that your body uses energy for healing first, not leaving the amount we hope for to do everything else we’d like to do. Its a good thing! Your body is working just as it should and it’s letting you know when to stop and rest. I’m glad you’re listening. I hope today is a good day! :)
@Teresa17
 
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