THR IT Band Damage (a Mess)

[jam2013]

Good to hear about the taping, I've had that tape but didn't stick with it, will buy it again and use it MORE....I had used it on my OA knee, which his worse saddly, and that was before hip replacement I recall...so taping can be good on so many areas of the body....

For that taping of the IT band would one just add a strip down the side of the band? I know there are illustrations online and in the instructions, my daughter just got some tape and brought it up again to me....her 16 yr old plays tennis and already is having "pain" stuff...so taping on her back gives her some relief.....never ends, until it ends....both grandkids play tennis and are getting their pain issues at 16 and 13....maybe one has to be a monk to escape all the pain. huh.....

 

[jam2013]

Since I'm using acupressure so much on the IT band area, it's kinda loosening some, but I still have a LOT of
numbness down the whole area from the incision and replacement, I have to believe it's a lot of nerve damage and it could be with me for who knows how long..my neighbor who had the posterior doesn't have this stuff and she tells me wonder if you had the "best" approach afterall....too late...

 

[My way]

My PT just used one strip down the side of the band however, the tape I bought is different than he used. I have KT tape(elastic athletic tape) and I have to go to the KT website to see how to apply this properly. There are a couple of different ways to apply depending on where you have the most discomfort.My entire band is sore so I may apply it over my hip area as well as the knee. I'm going to have to watch this a few times to get it right but it seems to be fairly easy. At least I hope so. May end up taping myself to the bed!

 

[jam2013]

Ok, I had an hour Massage yesterday and she worked on the IT band and legs and hip incision area, breaking up scar tissue for one thing. She says that she has other clients who had hip replacements but none have had the issues with the IT band issue.....so I liked her and I HURT a lot when I got up off the table, and was concerned since I deal with the Fibro issue too, but this morning I'm feeling a bit better overall....

I also have the name of a A.R.T. (Active Release Technique) worker here in my town and may see him next for further work....or I may have another massage in a couple weeks....and will work on my IT band myself too....

What helps is grabbing/bunching that area and holding it tight and moving leg up and down, I get a release with that movement.... Good wishes all...jam

 

[My way]

Glad to hear your'e feeling a little better. Those IT bands are very stubborn critters. My Pt is a gentle soul but when he works on that band I nearly come off the table! I am re-taped and it seems to be helping. I will give the bunching a go tonight after a nice hot shower.

 

[jam2013]

Just thinking about my massage yesterday and the therapist and I really liked her too since she thinks as I do about nutrition and we hit on that...about inflammation and all the foods to stay away from to keep inflammation down...like sugars/carbs, wheat/dairy, etc.....veggies and fruits (minimal) are safest for us... keeping our bodies more alkaline vs acidic....so so many foods create acidic conditions, hence inflammation. I also told her about my new anti inflammatory, anatabloc, and she wrote down all the info about it and will tell some of her other clients who have pain... So we all have to be aware of the alkaline vs acidic conditions in our bodies re: inflammation regardless of hip or not...just for good health. I'm very aware but not perfect....Still have to buy some tape. But I do have to also say, the burning at the IT band near knee mostly is going away, I know it's due to anatabloc too.

 

[Poppet]

Allycat

It is very important when considering taking any supplement that the clinical study needed to support it is strong. I read that one of the active ingredients 'anatabine' does not have sufficient clinical study to support the case for it reducing inflammation.... Buyer beware comes to mind

 

[Allycat]

Ooo ok thanks Poppet

 

[Poppet]

Allycat, we are protected by the Therapeutic Goods.. So we have strong oversight of supplements and natural medicine in this country

 

[Allycat]

I guess like a lot of people I'm looking for a miracle anti inflammatory. I've tried glucosamine. The only one that worked for me was a liquid glucosamine and it is not made anymore. I've tried the rosehip one. At the moment I'm taking Krill oil. The only thing that really works is Nurofen (and of course I don't want to be taking them every day).

 

[sharonslp]

Interesting discussion. The truth is, pain makes us desperate and willing to take risks. (So does the desire for weight loss.) The natural supplement industry has quite the cash cow because of this. That doesn't mean it's all quackery....it does mean we have to be extra vigilant to do the research and read between the lines. Of course the regulated drug industry is no guarantee either. Products have been tested, so we know they work....but at the cost of a host of side effects. Again pain makes us willing to take risks. I don't know the answers.....I just know we all have to be careful.

Sharon

 

[Poppet]

Interesting topic, I agree

sharonslp, Allycat, the important thing to remember, is that what works for one person, doesn't work for another.. No one size fits all.

There are many extremely good therapeutic herbal treatments that assist the inflammatory process, but "assist" and "support" are the key words, they are not necessarily "cures". There truly is nothing that will help once it has become bone on bone

If a person was gifted the OA gene from their parents, or if they just have 'wear and tear' the majority of the population has some form of arthritis...

I am science based, so even though I take liquid supplements in the form of practitioner only tinctures which are diluted, I still do heaps of research, mainly through journals and have to convince myself of the efficacy short and long term holistically rather than treating a symptom

 

[jam2013]

Here it is 2.5 yrs post op and I'm hurting and now worrying more...I have this "lump/bump" at the incision site and today things are burning more...wondering is it bursitis stuff or stuff going on with the hip replacement....grrrrrrrr

This lump/hump has NEVER gone away and I keep thinking it will go away with time, but not so....just talked to my neighbor who had Posterior and she has nothing like this...

Thought maybe it's all "normal" with this anterior work....

Of course, the IT band issue continues so it seems to all be connected....

I'm going to ice and most likely call surgeon tomorrow for an appt...oh how I dread going in....

Anyone relate? jam

 

[bottomshollow]

@jam2013, I have merged your multiple recovery threads. We prefer that you keep everything about your recovery in one thread as we have all your information in one area. This makes it much easier to answer questions or discuss concerns about your situation. Thank you so much for your cooperation.​

​

If you would like a new title for your thread, just let us know and we will be more than happy to make the change for you.​

 

[jam2013]

Oh, I goofed, sorry...thanks..since "everything" gets lumped into one's original post, when something "new" comes to mind and we post a question, it gets "lost" in the original topic...as I see it...

I would like to hear from Anterior people if they have a Lump/Hump at the site of the incision...and I can't get that answer from my neighbor as she has posterior....and I keep avoiding going to OS to ask these questions, I've been there 3 times post op and I guess I feel so unhappy with my total outcome.....

I iced yesterday after posting my comment and I feel better this morning, but the lump does not go away....is it normal and yes I know everyone is different...anyway...maybe I'll post again to my doc's PA.....

 

[jam2013]

Well, I'm looking for an answer "maybe" from Anterior people, I had an anterior late 2010, so I'll consider myself a 2011 for this question...I have no other choice I don't think.

I'm not doing great for sure, wish it were so but not the case.....I have horrible back issues, knee, foot/ankle and deal with a milder Fibro jazz.....but basically lots of DDD. And IT band damage, deal with that one daily with acupressure and whatever I can do....it seems to be loosening up some....

I have a lump/hump at the incision site of the anterior replacement....it never goes away....I have iced yesterday and today as I had a lot of burning yesterday and discomfort....thinking too could be bursitis in the hip area....

So just wondering, is this "normal" with the anterior surgery? I have not seen the OS in a while and am dreading going down there to ask this question...I've talked to his PA so much, and will probably email him on this lump/bump structure at the site....anyway, thanks anyone...jam

Oh good grief, looking thru my inbox I found a note from the PA about this issue and he says it's most likely "scar tissue" build up and to massage it daily and see how that goes....I've asked them so much over the 2 yrs, I forget a lot of what was said...so now I'm massaging the "lump".

 

[Poppet]

Hi Jam, I haven't experienced that sensation, but read quite a few members posts who have.. Usually it resolves, but at two years yours is hanging on... I have also read that some members try a soft foam roller to massage the area.. maybe that might help?

 

[C Mac]

And IT band damage, deal with that one daily with acupressure and whatever I can do....it seems to be loosening up some....

I have a lump/hump at the incision site of the anterior replacement....it never goes away....I have iced yesterday and today as I had a lot of burning yesterday and discomfort....thinking too could be bursitis in the hip area....

Hi Jam,

One of the things that I have learned about the IT band over the two years since my surgery is that sometimes the IT band is aggravated by the muscles that are connected TO it. If you look at a picture of the leg you will see that the IT band connects to muscles in the buttocks, front of thigh, quad and back of thigh in addition to its connection on the side of the knee. So... it helps to figure out what else is going on within your leg that is making your IT band unhappy and a good musculoskeletal specialist can take all your issues in to account and try to develop a plan for how to stretch and strengthen things. Actually, a physical therapist with this specialty may be a good person to be evaluated by.

It sounds like a quick trip to the OS might be helpful both to evaluate whether you have bursitis and also to give you a referral to someone to help deal with the IT band. Scars can do all sorts of different things. I have an anterior scar and a lateral scar from my surgery as a baby. If you have concerns about your scar you can have a sonogram done on the area to determine what the lump is, your GP can order something like this type of evaluation.

Take care,
Cardie

 

[jam2013]

Thanks again for 2 more thoughts on this, I just have to get up the oomph to go to the OS....I'm so tired of doc's visits in the last 2 yrs...this whole thing has aged me more than I ever thought could happen. At least I escaped many yrs of doc's offices MOST of my life....pheweeee....have to look at it all, huh....arthritis is awful....not many escape without some form or another...

 

[sharonslp]

Arthritis can be a baddie, particularly when it truly compromises mobility. BUT....I am every day thankful that it's NOT cancer, NOT ALS, NOT MS, and most particularly NOT Alzheimer's...just to name a few of the things that I think are way worse than arthritis.

I don't say this to minimize or invalidate the pain that you have experienced, Jam. I know you are feeling boxed in with a deteriorating spiral of problems that must feel out of control much of the time. You are dealing with more than just garden-variety osteoarthritis. If you have fibromyalgia, then fatigue is as much of a downer as pain. If you have spinal stenosis, then pain can be intractable....I watched my dad go through that.

But still....arthritis is not a death sentence, and there are many ways to cope. @Cardie gave you some great suggestions. I want you to gather up the oomph to follow through, and report back to us so we can all learn from what you find out. These days, 74 is often still a vibrant, lively age. I want you to have that back.

Sharon