[THR] Juanita's Hip Recovery

[Ryesgma]

Had a posterior hip replacement on April 2 2019 and have been having a lot of pain behind my knee on the operative leg , not sure if anyone else has experienced this . Any info would be greatly appreciated

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Ryesgma....welcome to BoneSmart. I'm glad you joined us.

You are really early in your recovery so it's quite possible to have all types of odd aches and pains as your body heals and recovers from the trauma of surgery and being put back into proper alignment with your new hip.

Some of the pain may be related to how much activity, therapy and exercise you're doing. Can you tell me what a typical day looks like for you? Are you in formal therapy and, if so, how often do you go and what do they do?

Also, please take a look at these recovery articles to give you an idea of what to expect in these first few months.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for THRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Closure​

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Ryesgma]

So glad to hear from you , I probably over did it in the first 2 weeks cause I was going over to my best friends house 3 days post op ( she was dying of cancer and passed away on the 13 of April) I only used my walker for 3 weeks , been walking unassisted since . I was also sent home within 12 hrs of my surgery and immediately had to walk up stairs. I've had in home pt the first 2 weeks and have been going to pt once a week since then . A typical day for me is what it was prior to surgery. Not sure if I have messed something up

 

[Carriemay60]

@Ryesgma I am so sorry to hear of your dear friend's passing. I would guess you are overdoing it. Take a look at the article "Activity progression for THR" that Jamie left you above.
They really do a number on your knee in surgery to dislocate the hip and most of us have a fair bit of pain there for a while. Ice it often. You are also quite early for no assisted walking. If you are limping at all you should consider using at least a cane or one crutch. It won't do your hip or leg any good at all if you are limping. I hope things improve for you!

 

[Layla]

Hello,
Welcome to BoneSmart. Thank you for joining us. Congrats on your new hip!
A sore, swollen, bruised or aching knee is a common complaint. The knee can be manipulated rather aggressively during the dislocation process. Ice your knee in addition to any other areas you're icing. It's recommend you ice for 40-60 mins, no less, each time you ice. Target 4x daily. Icing helps relieve pain and swelling. Pay special attention to the Big Tip from the Recovery Guidelines -

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

Please read the Recovery Guidelines as I believe you'll find the information beneficial. Stop back often, we'd love to offer support and encouragement as you journey through recovery.
Happy Monday!
@Ryesgma

 

[Ryesgma]

Thank you all for your kind words , I guess I'm expecting too much too soon . It's weird because my os and physical therapist said if I don't need walking aids don't use them , they've said nothing about my limp . Maybe it's because I guess I'm kinda young for this surgery (48) so they assume I should be able to get around no problem , I also stopped taking any pain meds they're making me feel like I shouldn't need them . I'm at a loss

 

[Layla]

Hi @Ryesgma
You really should be using an assistive device for as long as you're limping. Try heel-toe walking, it works!

A tip -
Try heel-toe walking when / if you're limping. Let your heel hit the ground first followed by toes.
It takes a concentrated effort but I believe you'll notice a difference. Give it a try.

If you're still in pain you could be taking 1000 mg of Tylenol 4x daily as recommended by the forum Nurse, Josephine.

You need to make sure you're not taking any other drugs that contain Tylenol (Acetaminophen) You need to stay within the safe limit of no more than 4,000 mg of Tylenol in a 24 hr period. If any other medications you're taking contain Tylenol, add their amount into your daily calculations and reduce another of your doses, so you stay within those limits.

Hope this helps.

 

[leejaa]

It takes time to recover no matter the age. Doctors and PT have a lot of experience with the surgery and the basics but unless they have gone through the surgery they do not quite get it on a personal level. Listen to your body and your hip and it will all move along. Getting rid of the major pain sometimes makes one feel like you should be able to just get back to normal activities but it is not so - it takes time to recover and re-learn walking without limping. Hang in there, follow the great advice in the articles here and all will be well.

 

[Ryesgma]

Thank you so much for all your help , I have my 6 week post op appointment this Wednesday I'm hoping for good news and that everything is going good

 

[Eman85]

Knee pain is common but usually on the top of the knee as that's where the muscles from the thigh terminate.

 

[Ryesgma]

It's odd that I've had more pain behind my knee(that makes my toes go numb) than I've had in my hip since surgery . I can't even lay down with my leg straight I always have to keep my knee up a little . I mean my arthritis pain is gone I just hope I didn't replace that with new pain

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

I had exactly the same post THR surgery 6 years ago... more pain in the back of my knee than the hip (felt like a brick in back was stopping it move)
However, it did ease off once I started walking properly... took a good 3/4 months. I used a crutch for all that time too....I think it’s the way we walk prior to surgery & of course the surgery itself.
Do hope your pain resolved itself very soon xx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Carriemay60]

@Ryesgma If you are heading for your 6 week check, we must be pretty close on surgery dates? I was April 4th.

 

[Ryesgma]

Yes we are!!! I had mine on April 2 how are you doing with your recovery?

 

[Ryesgma]

@Hoppy Nanny I have been walking alot without any assistance , really hoping this pain will go away . I'm really glad to hear that your pain did go away , gives me hope

 

[Carriemay60]

@Ryesgma I am doing quite well. I had my 6 week check today and my surgeon is very pleased with my progress. Mostly using the cane now and have started walking outside. LOVE not being in so much pain

 

[Eman85]

One of the things my OS recommended was to stretch the back of the leg muscles while sitting. If you sat for an hour he wanted me to sit with my leg extended and a rolled up towel under my foot. It kept the back of my leg muscles stretched. When I sat in the recliner I would place the rolled towel under my heel.

 

[Ryesgma]

I will definitely be trying this had my 6 week check today and everything is healing great . My os still isn't sure why my knee hurts , but we have another appointment in 6 weeks so we will see where we are then. Have 4 more weeks of pt , hopefully it will resolve.

 

[Ryesgma]

@Carriemay6 I'm glad you are doing well. I haven't used any walking aids for like 3 weeks and my os said that was ok ? Not sure if it has hurt my walking or not lol , my visits with him are always so quick.

 

[Carriemay60]

My understanding is that if you are limping at all, you should be using a walking aide.