THR night time muscle spasms? collateral damage?

[alexthecat]

Adhesions don't happen with hips, so that's not a concern here.

For hips ROM is related to healing. In the early months post-THR, there's nothing you can do to hurry it along. There is no "magic window" of time beyond which improvement is impossible. We have seen Bonesmarties improve ROM many months or even years after THR.

I expect you will see increased ROM in the coming months, regardless of what you do now. If you like PT, stick with it. If you hate PT or can't find time for it, don't bother. I would advise against stretching to the point of pain, however. That is one thing that can definitely set back your recovery.

 

[Josephine]

[surgeon] said I needed to be working harder on flexion.

With respect to your surgeon - rubbish!

The pain when I try to get up to 90 is probably internal scarring.

You mean adhesions and hips don't get adhesions.

The surgeon says I need to be walking a lot more than I am.

And he is dead right though don't do it to excess. You're only 9 weeks out so it's a little early for him to be giving you these doom-laden prophecies!

In contrast, my physio had said that I don't need to push the walking too far and certainly don't need to push the physio into pain.

And she's right! You should listen to her.

what actions I take now may effect the functioning of the joint permanently? I worry because this has happened to me before: I broke my wrist snowboarding about 5 years ago and had to have surgery to repair it.

A hand is a totally different case to any other part of the body. It's well known that very few people have good very outcomes from injury or surgery to the hand. In no way would this imply that you have 'a problem' elsewhere.

And Alex is right - at 9 weeks it's far too early to be writing off your hip as a failure. If nothing improved at 9 months then perhaps I might be persuaded to change my opinion but probably not even then! This business is a long haul flight, not a commuter trip!

 

[billyedtimmy]

Today is one of those 'wake up feeling good' days! I've been hitting the treadmill for about 20 minutes a day to try to push through the stiffness and I think it's starting to pay off. A week ago I still had pain laying on my side doing the 'clamshell' & leg lift exercises for abduction, but not anymore! Plus, something's different when I walk. My pelvis is finally starting to shift. My operated leg doesn't feel so overwhelmingly longer anymore. It's almost feeling 'balanced'.

 

[bottomshollow]

and you are experiencing the results of both. We try hard to help you understand these two things---but usually only personal experience opens eyes and makes believers. I'm delighted for you that things are now beginning to fall into place----and they will continue to just get better and better.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[billyedtimmy]

12 weeks and 3 days post-op today, and I got my first glimpse of 'normalcy': I was walking around outside with my cane and I was suddenly able to walk with a normal gait! There's no more pressure or stretching feeling on the front groin area and my strides are full/complete and most importantly virtually painless. What a wonderful feeling! I'm thinking the cane will be gone within the week.

 

[Josephine]

That's really good news, Billy. Now don't get overenthusiastic and ruin it all!

 

[Jaycey]

Well done Billy! Keep up the great work!

 

[sharonslp]

That feeling of walking with a normal stride is intoxicating! I'm so pleased for you.

Sharon

 

[billyedtimmy]

That's really good news, Billy. Now don't get overenthusiastic and ruin it all!

No problem, I've learned my lesson: Easy does it.

 

[billyedtimmy]

14 weeks today. I'm walking better these days and even went on a bit of a hike (with hiking poles) last weekend. Flexion still is a problem and is amazingly sensitive. I usually go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes every other day along with my other exercises assigned by physiotherapy, but on Wednesday I decided to try the bike again VERY LIGHTLY. I got on a recumbent and pedaled gently for only 5 minutes. I could feel it pushing the limits of my flexion, but at no time was it painful. I was tempted to go longer, since it felt good, but given my last experience thought I'd better not.

Well, sure enough, yesterday & today I've got stiffness to the point where I'm walking worse than I have in probably 2 weeks. What a sensitive darn this joint is for that bike! I think I'll take at least one month before trying it again. I have no adverse reactions to the treadmill at all, so at least that's encouraging. Bizarre that the joint is so averse to one exercise and not the other.

 

[billyedtimmy]

16 weeks / 4 months today. I'm walking well, even my physio seemed happy with my gait. I only have a little pain now with walking. My ROM is very gradually improving as well. I can almost put my sock on, but not quite. There's definitely a solidly defined boundary beyond which I cannot move, as I discovered accidentally by bending over to pick something up too quickly. Ouch. I was on my feet for several hours the other day and only have a bit of extra stiffness the next day. Pre-op I'd have had to sit down 1/4 of the way through all the walking I did, so it's kinda nice that only 4 months post-op I'm already able to walk farther and longer than pre-op.

I'm doing all kinds of neat new physiotherapy too. The 'balance ball' is quite a challenge, but is definitely helping to build strength. I'm at the gym to do the treadmill or elliptical every other day. Still not trying the bike though, as I've sworn off attempting that at least until the end of April.

Hope everyone else is doing well. Looking forward to the day I can put my socks on again without my sock aid.

 

[bottomshollow]

Isn't it wonderful that everything continues to improve--even if slowly. And you look up and realize that you can do something today you couldn't a week ago or that you haven't done for a really long time!!! Whatever you're doing---keep it up---you're getting there!!!

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[billyedtimmy]

Today is 5 months post-op. Seems like forever ago I went under the knife, but I still have such a long way to go yet. The 'feeling' and strength is improving little by little. I still have good and bad days, but things on the whole move towards good. Some positions at night sleeping are painful. Some days I can walk seemingly forever without the slightest pain. Leg 'flexion' (e.g., trying to pull my knee to my chest) still has quite a ways to go still. I'm still not able to put my socks/shoes on with two hands (have to one-hand it still, though I'm close). However, I can do most other things comfortably. I'm still working on Physiotherapy, and my physiotherapist says I'll be doing so for a while yet.

All and all, this is indeed a marathon, but as long as things continue to improve, I'll take it. I'm so happy just to be able to walk. It's such a basic function, but you never realize how much you miss it until you can't. It's so amazing to have that back.

 

[NotDancingRightNow]

Good to hear from you! I am in the exact same boat!! I don't think we realized it would be this long of a haul but it's good that you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!
I still walk funny but you are right; it is amazing to have that back! I don't know about you but I am getting tired of the exercises!!! I think because we are relatively young and active that the rehab is alot more extensive to get back to a status that we are happy with.
Do you feel your implant? Most people say they don't. 'but I feel mine; I mean aside from the recovery pains, etc; it feels different on the inside... so was just curious.

 

[billyedtimmy]

I don't know about you but I am getting tired of the exercises!!! I think because we are relatively young and active that the rehab is alot more extensive to get back to a status that we are happy with.
Do you feel your implant? Most people say they don't. 'but I feel mine; I mean aside from the recovery pains, etc; it feels different on the inside... so was just curious.

Hey NDRN! Good to hear from you as well, I was wondering how you are progressing. I hear ya about the exercises! My physio says that I need to keep on until it 'feels right' (whatever that is!) and then go for another 6 weeks after that. As such, these exercises (and some of the new ones are rough) will be here for quite a while.

As far as feeling the implant, sometimes yes, but most of the time not. When I sleep (or attempt to - never quite works) on my operated side, it makes its presence well-known. When I'm at the gym stretching hamstrings (and trying to push the limits of its ROM), it says 'hello'. Walking though, it's almost to the point where I don't notice it. I like that part best.

LLD - visually, it seems like I'm down to between 3/4 & 1/2 an inch now, so getting there slowly but surely.

Hang in there, we're over the worst of it!

 

[NotDancingRightNow]

I'm having the same problems with my "sleep" too. My LLD is also down to 1/2". I've managed to get lifts and it is much better. I've tried dancing a bit but I think my hip is still not strong enough yet.

You are right, we are over the worst of it! My physio coverage ran out so I've been going to the gym and have noticed alot of gains because I'm using different equipment. So things are definitely look up! Of course the weather also helps alot and I am glad to say that I am now narcotic free! It feels like I have woken out of a deep hibernation...lol... you still taking pain meds? Of course I still use tylenol or advil on the bad days but boy does it ever feel good to not have cob webs on my brain!

 

[NotDancingRightNow]

You sound like you are doing much better though and it is nice to see!

 

[billyedtimmy]

Hello all, I'm having strange new pain I was hoping someone could explain or at least corroborate: Yesterday, I had to get up super early (for me) at 5:00am to take my wife to the airport. I was in the car for about 6 hours. The early morning plus the cramped conditions made my hip swollen/painful (nothing new there, really), but when I work up this morning I have a pain reminiscent of pre-op. It's an 'irritant' type of pain. Pretty much every other pain since my THR has been just pain-pain, but this irritant-pain is new and annoying. It's all too similar to the reason I went for this operation in the first place. Up until now, I've described my hip as 'at peace' in lacking this sort of pain post-op, but why in the world would it crop up now?? I did do a bit of heavy lifting this week, but not really that much, so I wouldn't have correlated the two. What's happening down there? Has anyone else had this weird onset of an irritant (it's like a cross between a pain/itch inside the joint) this late post-op (I'm 5 months & 1 week out)?

 

[bottomshollow]

I think it may very well be that you've just overdone things all the way round, but I'll tag Josephine for her expert opinion here.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Josephine]

Best thing is for you to use this chart to tell me exactly where the pain is. I'll need a vertical and horizontal reference for each square, okay? And say whether red/front or blue/back.