Log Leg

[Geordy]

Just a quick question. What is this? I have read people mentioning it but not sure what it means.
Thanks,
Geordy

 

[Pumpkin]

A leg that feels like you are lifting a log, your leg will feel very heavy. It is from the muscles shutting down after surgery due to the trauma, it goes away with use and time.

 

[Josephine]

And the best way to handle it is to get yourself one of these! A leg lifter.

 

[Jaycey]

Log leg does not happen after every THR. But some people get very upset about it. What happens is that your brain tells the leg to move but the muscles and soft tissues are so traumatised they just don't react. This is very temporary and usually disappears fairly quickly.

 

[julesglass]

I seen someone using a dog leash for this. I think I'll try that out first.

 

[Jaycey]

I seen someone using a dog leash for this.

A dog leash or a belt from a bathrobe works great!

 

[julesglass]

Nice, I got two leg lifts then. What about the dressing stick, setting a chair on a platform if needed. I like the slushy ice pack idea. The grabby stick could work as dressing stick. Pillows, pillows I needed pillows. Oh sorry just talking to myself........

 

[Jaycey]

Grabbers - lots of grabbers. They help you dress, reach, pickup the grabber you dropped, feed the animals.... the list is endless. A long handle shoe horn helps too!

 

[alexthecat]

And, if you share a house with cats, even after you've recovered, grabbers are just the thing for recovering toys that they've lost under the refrigerator!

 

[Chihuahuan]

@julesglass I'm the person who used the dog leash when I had my TKR. We can use lots of things we already have at home to solve temporary problems. If I need extra height on a chair I plan on using the firm outdoor chair cushions for the extra height. Our recliner sofas are fairly high so not concerned about them.
My wonderful home PT told me that a lot of recovery is brain work --especially things like log leg --it's a matter of getting nerve systems to do what they did pre-op.

 

[Josephine]

I seen someone using a dog leash for this. I think I'll try that out first.

I tried a belt first but the leg lifter has a wire in it so you're not required to spend ages trying to lassoo your foot! I was not very good at that so was grateful for the stiff leg lifter.

 

[julesglass]

Josephine, that makes sense with the wire. I'll try out the leash and robe tie out and then look at the leg lifter. I'm like my dad, try inexpensive ways first.

 

[Jillie422]

So....I understand what Log Leg feels like..... And I do experience that at times when I'm trying to hoist my op leg onto the bed. Mainly if I'm tired. Hubby comes to the rescue, but I'll sure be glad when it's gone.

I'm 2 weeks PostOp tomorrow... And there is a stiffness now that I didn't have before. It feels like the area around my new hip is a ball of rubber bands that don't want to stretch as far as I want them to when walking. Especially if I leave my cane on one side of the kitchen and I have walk to get back to it unassisted. @Jaycey ..... Normal??

 

[Jaycey]

@Jillie422 Yup, totally normal. Everything in and around the joint has had trauma. At only 2 weeks out it is still early days. Don't push the unassisted walking. When you consistently forget your cane it's a sign you are ready to transition. For now, let that hip heal a bit more. Ice as much as possible. You'll get there!

 

[Jillie422]

Thank you @Jaycey ! I knew you'd ease my mind.....or tell me to go get checked lol. I do still feel the need for my cane, it's more when I get busy at the kitchen counter and walk a few steps to grab something. Hubby's not keen on me doing anything yet, but I'm tickled to death that I feel feel like making coffee again! xoxoxoxo

 

[Cynthia777]

I had it with my first THR, but not with my second one. It only lasted a few days and I used a bathrobe belt (tied a loop at the end) and it worked like a charm.

 

[JayP]

I used a yoga strap I had been using for stretching before surgery. It has a plastic buckle to form an adjustable loop (and I did sometimes have to try several times to lasso my foot... but I wasn't usually in a hurry).