THR My THR experience: slow painful recovery

[KatLink]

I,m a 77 year old woman that had a THR on October 9, 2023, 6 months ago. My recovery has been very slow. I just began walking a few weeks ago. This is after my
primary doctor gave me the 5 day prednisone treatment. 5 5mg pills the first day then
4 the second day, 3 on the third day, 2 on the fourth day, then one. It worked so well I
was able to walk for the first time with no pain. Now I'm back to having to get back in bed because of the pain on short walks to the bathroom. using ice packs helps the pain to subside. My trips to my physical therapist were such a nightmare. I stopped going at first. I went back after a couple of weeks and finished my sessions. I was totally dependent on my husband for everything. Now I back to where I have to get back in bed after any short walk. The pain at night is so bad I have to take 2 500mg tyenol plus a gummy to get any sleep. Can anybody tell me this is normal and that pain will all of a sudden stop being such a problem.

 

[benne68]

Welcome to BoneSmart, @KatLink. I am so sorry to read that you are still having difficulty walking at this point in your recovery.

What do your doctors say about this? What was your condition prior to surgery? Perhaps with more information, we can be more helpful.

Also, please tell us which hip you had replaced so we can complete your signature.

For now, I will share our Recovery Guidelines with you. Even though you are six months post-op, there is a great deal of helpful information in these articles that may be helpful.


HIP RECOVERY 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

The recovery articles
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?

Good nutrition is very important during recovery:
Dietary Tips for Recovery
Nutrition Basics

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.

 

[benne68]

@KatLink Please notice that I've merged the other thread you started into this one. We prefer that members maintain just one recovery thread so all your information is in one place, making it easy to find and serving as a diary of your recovery. Having all your information is all in one place, also enables our staff and other members to advise you better. And you won't miss or lose relevant posts and advice.

So, please post any updates, questions or concerns here. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you. You may want to bookmark your thread to make it easier to find.

For more on how to navigate the forum, you can read through this article:
How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[KatLink]

I am 77 year old woman that had the THR Oct. 6 2023. 6 months ago. I was pretty much active but arthritis pain in my hip required the THR. I finished my PT sessions and even had my doctor extend the sessions. Now I am bedridden because the pain is so bad from a short walk to the bathroom causes me to get back in bed with an ice pack that does cause the pain to subside. I need to take 2 500mg tylenol and a gummy to get some sleep because the pain get worse at night. I have been doing some walking and exercises the PT gave me to do. I am not sure if I should continue this or just lay back try to heal better for now. The doctors tell me Everything looks fine. I could use some encouragement.

 

[Jamie]

Hi, @KatLink and welcome to our community. I’m so sorry to hear you’re having problems with your new hip. I agree with Deb that we will need a lot more information about your situation both pre- and post-op along with any information your surgeon has provided about what’s going on.

The short answer to your question about this being normal for a hip replacement is “no”…..it’s not the norm. Most people are up and walking shortly after surgery with a walker and pain is not at the degree you’re describing. So, this little bit of information tells me you have more to your story. Please share what you can and we’ll try to help you.

 

[Freyagirl]

Well that much pain after 6 months doesn’t sound “fine.” Is it in your muscles or at the incision or nerves? I would certainly keep searching for a better answer. So sorry you are having a bad time.

 

[luvcats]

That does not sound 'fine' at all. Did they give you any reasons for the continuing pain? Any proposed solutions?
I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.

 

[mendogal]

Sadly, there are many times we have soft tissue problems (muscles, bursae, tendons) after joint replacement that don't show up on x-rays - and some ortho surgeons just aren't interested!
Yes, they CAN be assessed, diagnosed, and treated.
If you're trying to get proper attention from your ortho and getting nowhere, it's worth talking with your primary care about a referral for a good sports medicine or pain management physician comfortable with assessing soft tissue problems. A good physician + a highly experienced PT may be the team you need moving forward.

 

[Eman85]

Always have to ask what exercises are you doing and how often? If you don't do them does the pain subside?