THR Hip replacement March 22

[IndigoKnee]

@Deni444
Sounds like your arthritis not only came on suddenly but became severe really fast. I don’t know much about undiagnosed hip dysplasia in adults. I remember when my daughter was small a friend’s baby had to have surgery and wear a cast for several months keeping her legs wide apart.

You are correct that most people really don’t seem to 'get' how long it can take to recover and sometimes it leaves me feeling that they think I'm just not trying hard enough! I met a younger neighbour yesterday who is due for a hip replacement next week and he said that having watched me still hobbling past he is starting to have second thoughts. I tried to reassure him that lots of people do recover a lot faster than me. Though his surgeon telling him he would be back to normal in two weeks does seem somewhat ambitious! Why do they do that? When I had the elective knee replacement my surgeon told be I'd be back to all my activities in 6 weeks and it was only when I saw him for the 8 week check that he admitted that it is a long recovery and I should think of months rather than weeks.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Thanks @myglasshalffull. That is encouraging. I suppose I have been more down about the hip as it was 'fine' before, whereas when I had the knee replaced it was pretty shot so needed doing.
I initially did no PT except walking and only started doing some a few weeks ago when it seemed I wasn’t making progress and in fact the physio is concentrating on the lack of ROM and pain in the knee.
How long was it before you were back to walking decent distances again?

I know around 6 month mark I was pretty solid on my feet.
By end of first year I was walking couple of miles. I slowly increased. I kind of was over zealous and decided to go back to work that spring. Felt great first few days then I wasn’t great. Down for the count! Turned out it was my back not my hip that betrayed my return to restaurant life! So I hung up my apron!
We spend two weeks every February in Virgin islands and it’s quite hilly and I was able to walk there every AM up and down the hills on my one year anniversary. I leaned to listen to my body. Wasn’t easy. But when the hip says that’s it for today I listened. Slow and steady wins this race unfortunately for folks like us that didn’t plan on getting a new body part! And friends mean well but until they experience any type of invasive surgery there’s no way they get it. That’s what is so great about this group. We all get it!

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @myglasshalffull
That is encouraging that it did take you a long time but eventually you got back to 'normal'. I must try and be more patient. I guess part of my concern is that the knee of the same leg is causing me so much pain and has a lack of ROM since the hip replacement.

Yes, friends may mean well but their surprise that I'm not fully recovered does leave me feeling that they think I’m just not trying! Though I'm also surprised so I suppose it’s understandable that they are.

It’s really good to hear from you as you also had surgery after an accident rather than a planned replacement. Thank you.

 

[IndigoKnee]

My replacement was due to a fall and subsequent fracture necessitating surgery.

@myglasshalffull - As you also had a fracture which necessitated the surgery I wonder if afterwards a bone density scan was done and what the results were? I’m asking because I had a DEXA scan and have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, the readings vary - spine not too bad but head of femur and arm really poor. I have of course done lots of research into meds etc but not made a decision yet.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Indigo
I did have bone density scan last year and results were osteopenia.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Also Indigo if folks like us that were in great physical shape before falling and fracturing and getting replacements recovered quicker due to our healthy lifestyle I should have been up and back to my day to day life much sooner. But I just wasn’t. Not for lack of trying! I had to take that big patience pill many speak of here!

 

[IndigoKnee]

Indigo
I did have bone density scan last year and results were osteopenia.

Thanks @myglasshalffull for your reply. I was diagnosed with Osteopenia about 10 years ago but declined the bone strengthening meds at that time. Might have save my fractured femur, though I fell so hard onto hard ground maybe not. Now that it had progressed to Osteoporosis I may decide to take them.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Also Indigo if folks like us that were in great physical shape before falling and fracturing and getting replacements recovered quicker due to our healthy lifestyle I should have been up and back to my day to day life much sooner. But I just wasn’t. Not for lack of trying! I had to take that big patience pill many speak of here!

That is very true. Think my stash of patience pills has run out - will pick some up at the pharmacy this week

 

[Layla]

Here ya go! We always have some in our inventory...for FREE.

Happy Tuesday!

 

[Deni444]

Upon reading your comment on another thread, I was wondering how you are doing? You mentioned that it is painful when walking and I wondered if it is improving slowly or constantly the same? Are you able to go any further on your walks yet? Laps up and down my conservatory seems to have helped me. I think the fact it is very flat and level. Very boring and frustrating but it is helping, slowly. Sometimes poles, sometimes crutches and some days just one pole or crutch and then others back to both.

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Deni444 Thanks for checking on me. It has improved a little and I am still doing my exercises every day and walking outside most days. Though still not walking far and it is painful to do so. Using poles whenever outside.There is absolutely no strength in my glutes on the left. I saw on line 'the clam' exercise to help strengthen them and couldn’t move my leg upward at all! It does worry me that something is wrong as I not only have pain in the hip area of the replacement but in the knee and deep within the thigh, where the stem of the prosthetic extends to. The knee of the same side has limited ROM and is stiff despite knee exercises. Annoyingly tis also painful to sit even on well padded chairs. I was due to see the physio last week but he went off sick and they were not able to offer another appointment. Grumble grumble ….

 

[Hip4life]

@IndigoKnee I'm sorry you are still experiencing pain. I would definitely make an appointment to see your surgeon. It seems you should be able to walk without that much pain at this point in your recovery. You might want to try and back off any exercises you are doing in addition to the walking to see if that helps. Also icing that hip or anywhere it hurts might help alleviate some of the soreness. Don't try to do clamshells if you're hurting like you are. I definitely think your surgeon should weigh in on this. It will give you an idea of what's going on, give you some peace of mind that the implant is okay, and hopefully, get you started on a plan of care that will get you feeling better.

I understand the frustration of not feeling like you are where you should be in recovery and still experiencing pain when so many other hipsters have moved on with their lives. Some of us take a bit more circuitous route there but with the continued aid of their surgical team. Keep us posted as to what you discover.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @Hip4life. I'm planning to try and contact the surgical team tomorrow. This may not be as easy as it sounds as it’s always difficult to get follow up advice under the NHS but certainly going to try!

Interesting to see you had a tendon release 8 months after your RTHR. Was that related?

 

[Deni444]

We're all different but I can absolutely identify with some of what you have described. Personally, I seem to respond negatively to any of the so called gentle strength exercises. In desperation when my walking was so limited, I tried doing knee lifting and abductor strengthening. I ended up with quite a bit of pain from literally only doing 5 reps, three times a day. During that time, I began to think I'd damaged my new hip because of the significant discomfort I hadn't experienced previously. I stopped doing them and within a couple of days went back to no pain around my new hip. After years now of living with worm out hips. I am familiar with what I'd explain as a build up of tension along the leg. I've learnt how to recognise and release that now, thankfully. My go to is a gentle stretch through the heel, toes towards the head. Stretch and relax, 5 times or until the pain is gone. It's just a suggestion of something to try. It really did work for me. Before learning the technique I couldn't sleep. I had months of misery due to pain at night.

I'm glad you are seeking medical guidance but also be aware of how much discomfort can come from the soft tissue. Healing can take a long time and then everything needs to get back into balance. Strength training can get in the mix and hinder the balance depending on what is going on.

 

[mendogal]

I agree about prolonged or late-developing soft tissue healing.

This is what I've come to think of as the Great Structural Reset.

Our arthritis-affected weight bearing joint, over time, creates a lot of structural changes as the body tries to compensate. Some muscles and tendons lengthen and stretch while their counterparts contract and tighten. This can happen slowly and below our level of consciousness even as these forces start tugging at bones, skewing our pelvis, our posture, our gait.

All at once in surgery everything is essentially reset by the surgeon. Part of recovering from a hip or knee replacement, besides the actual healing, is a re-modeling of our structure to adapt to our new improved structure.

I think it was @Jamie who specifically sought out hands-on therapies for post-THR soft tissue problems quite a bit after surgery.

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Deni444 I’ll certainly try that stretch, I assume done whilst prone? Pointing toes to head then pointing away? I guess I was only trying the clam exercises as feeling desperate to try and get this sorted now. So frustrating to be unable to even sit without pain, let alone walk any distance.

@mendogal It certainly could be soft tissue still healing but my THR was due to an accident and prior to that I walked fine, no arthritis in the hips. This is why I am finding it so frustrating to be unable to get back to how I was in March when I was able to walk long distances and I wasn’t previously nursing an arthritic hip.
Hopefully I will get some sort of review scheduled when I speak to the hospital tomorrow.

 

[Jamie]

Yep, you’re right on target, @mendogal. And I was one of several who benefited from specific therapy over a year after my hip replacement. And now at three years out, I’m still a bit of a work in progress as I am working not only with the hip but also my lower back to get things in good alignment. It’s definitely a journey!

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Jamie what was the therapy? Chiropractor?

 

[Jamie]

Pressure point therapy was what worked for me. A chiropractor sometimes can help as well.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @Jamie Once I've seen someone on the surgical team to see what might be going on I'll see if there is anyone offering pressure point therapy anywhere near me. I do live a bit in the middle of nowhere so might be tricky.