Bilateral THR Pinched Nerve in Hip?

[StaceyJG1]

I was just reading a post and it occurred to me that it might apply to my situation. I can stand on my left leg without pain, but not the right. I do know that my right leg was shorter from deterioration in the hip. My legs are now the same and my surgeon told me he was giving some of my height back. Could it be that my right hip hurts more because of the added height? I could understand that, if that's the case.

I got more sleep last night than I have since my surgery. I slept from midnight to 5 am, woke up in pain, took a pill then slept from 8 am to 1 pm. And when I woke up, I was sleeping on my left side! It's so nice to get off of my back for a while.

I went for a short walk outside today, first time since my surgery, but when I came back inside I was shaky and sweating. I may have gone farther than I should have. My hips are starting to get more mobility in them, which is nice. My stride is getting longer. I still have a long way to go, but I'm seeing improvements now.

 

[Hip Hip Hooray!]

Yeah, it sounds like to me that you really need to keep taking your pain meds and icing. It's great that you are sleeping. That's so healing. I used to have to ice in the middle of the night sometimes. If you were shaking and sweating, it sounds like you walked too far. I used to feel anxious when the PT wanted me to do too much too soon. I would feel like I was going to throw up. Rest is best.

You will have to develop new muscles with these hips. Most of us were limping and using the wrong muscles before surgery. (sometimes for years.) It takes time to adapt, adjust, and build up strength. Slow and steady is the best approach. Less is more...

 

[Josephine]

I know it's not likely, but I do worry about becoming dependent on them.

Yes it is unlikely - read this Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds.

Are you saying that PT is not necessary? But what about rebuilding the muscles involved? And the lack of flexibility that I had even before the surgery, I certainly won't have it now. Don't I need to do exercises for that?

Yes I am saying it's unnecessary. Quite categorically. Normal walking and activity and time will see to all that. Truly.

I actually did take a pain pill 30 minutes before my PT session.

That is a very unwise thing to do. Pain is a valuable warning sign for when you are overdoing it. Masking that pain risks damage. I have case studies on this but I don't want to scare you!

 

[Josephine]

Stacey, it isn't necessary to quote a post just to reply to it.
Unless there is some specific phrase you want to address, of course!
Then do it like this How to quote a post.

Thanks for understanding!

 

[StaceyJG1]

Hip Hip Hooray!, I have decided to continue with the pain meds, at least until I can stop using my walker. My leg still hurts if I try to stand on it, but it's not as bad as it's been. I'm hopeful that it will keep going in the right direction.

I know all about limping and compensating for my bad hips! I'm making a conscious effort to not limp and learn how to walk with my new hips. It actually feels better when I do walk! I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back the flexibility that I lost 20+ years ago. Right now I can cross my left leg and it goes to about the same place as before the surgery, but I guess it will take a lot of work to get back to "normal".

 

[StaceyJG1]

@Josephine, I started the quoting because the post I was responding to was above several other posts. Sorry if that's not correct!

I'm very confused by you saying it's unnecessary. If I don't do the exercises or stretches, my hips won't become more flexible, will they? I'm not trying to be argumentative, honestly, just confused here!

I don't need to be scared! LOL I'm sure there are plenty of horror stories out there. I plan to not be one of them!

 

[Josephine]

If I don't do the exercises or stretches, my hips won't become more flexible, will they?

Well let me put it this way - if you DO the exercises on top of the surgery you are likely to get aches and pains that will interfere with your flexibility. 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.

 

[Josephine]

Did you read the article I left you about quoting posts? I didn't say you cannot quote at all for as you can see, I use it quite a lot. But what I never do is quote the entire post. I use the multi-quote tool which you will learn about if you read the article!

 

[StaceyJG1]

Thank you!

 

[Hip Hip Hooray!]

@StaceyJG1, I'm glad you're taking your meds. I really found that my flexibility returned with time and rest, not from work. The tissues need to heal. In my case, doing my household tasks was plenty, but again, not too much. It's so easy to overdo, and then you pay with pain.

I am now able to cross my legs, sit Indian style, and do yoga. I didn't push for it. I waited to stretch. I think you will find that your old abilities return naturally, in time. You don't have to force or apply effort. It's better if you don't.

You'll keep making small victories. They are still important. It takes a lot of self discipline to heal. I still pull back after an hour of ballroom dancing, or working at the gym. In the past, I would push through and work for hours. I just don't do that anymore. Tiny steps...

 

[StaceyJG1]

That's good to hear! My first inclination is not to do exercises or stretches that will cause pain. Of course, the doctor says you should, so being the obedient patient, I go! The walking seems to be enough for me right now. I'll have to rethink this PT thing!

My goal is just to get back to bowling in the fall. That's my only activity now. I told my husband that if I couldn't bowl any more, I was done, pull the plug on me! If the pain will go away and I can still bowl, this surgery will be a success.

 

[Sommers16]

@StaceyJG1 - 2 hips at one time. Can't. Even. Imagine. I'm just now catching up with your thread, so maybe it's because I read everything at once, back to back. But it sounds like you are taking on a lot in a short timeframe.

I too hate to see stuff around the house that needs to be done. I too am not a fan of having to take pain medicine. And I also will need to transition back to work at some point, as that is a necessity. But even with these, I can say I am not looking to do ANYTHING that jeopardizes my recovery. I only want to climb this mountain once if at all possible. Patience is definitely something I am having to work on.

Sending you warm thoughts and well wishes for your continued healing! You already are accomplishing something amazing. Be proud of yourself. You alone know best what you can and cannot do. Please know we are cheering you on, but that this isn't a race. Oh, and don't forget to return to icing. So concludes my sincere, though unsolicited advice.

P.S. I am very much a student here in the BoneSmarties School of THR. I am supposed to take 1 pain pill and 1 muscle relaxer at bedtime per my doctor's orders. Well, seeing how I am really not a fan of all these meds and my poor tummy woes, I recently convinced myself that just taking the muscle relaxer and not the pain medicine one night should be sufficient. It was ... but only for 3 hours. Then I woke up, feeling physically uncomfortable and frustrated. Hey, I didn't say I always take my own advice. But I am trying to learn.

 

[Josephine]

My goal is just to get back to bowling in the fall.

That night be a tad ambitious. Christmas might be more realistic. Then, if you find you can do it earlier, that will be a nice bonus. Better than aiming at the fall and being disappointed, don't you think?

Nowadays, I never cease to be amazed at the attitudes of doctors in this sort of thing. I worked with a surgeon a few years ago who a) was extremely particular about what was brought in to 'his' theatre such as beds and outside trolleys, b) did innumerable Achilles tendon repairs. Then he injured his own AT. But he refused to have surgery as he said that the tendon would eventually heal on its own and suturing it would interfere with the natural healing and b) used an adapted wheeled theatre stool to go everywhere - on the wards, outside to his car, at home and ..... whilst operating! Talk about a duplicitous mind!

 

[StaceyJG1]

@Josephine , I know I will be lucky to start bowling that early, but I'm hopeful! That was one of his selling points when he told me about the surgery. He's very confident in his own work! And he's an excellent salesman. Lol

 

[Josephine]

I wouldn't trust what a surgeon says about recovery form anything! They always over estimate because it makes them look good and anyway, he's not going to be around then anyway, is he?

 

[StaceyJG1]

Very true!

 

[Krista]

@Krista, I found this post to be very interesting! I don't have the flexibility to sit with my legs crossed at the knee, for spreading my legs (I'll leave that to your imagination!!), or to sit cross-legged. I'd like to hear your experience!

No, I haven't, but I was talking with my daughter (28) who has had a number of very specific types of PT for various issues over her short life! She thinks that you would probably benefit greatly having a physical therapist work with you on flexibility. This, as you said, is for after your surgical wounds in soft tissue and bone are healed. 20 years is a long time to have been limited in your movement, and you probably have a long way to go in flexibility. Even if you can't get as far as you would hope, any improvement would be good for you, as it would make you more able to move to avoid falls, for instance. And, who knows, you might be able to sit cross-legged some day!

I have always been very flexible in one plane, that is, I can bend down and almost put my hands flat on the floor. But anything to the side, forget it! However, maybe when my THR hip finally gets fixed, that leg will be more sideways flexible than I thought possible. I'll be open to it, that's for sure.

 

[StaceyJG1]

@Krista , That's kind of what I was thinking. I will wait for the healing before I start the therapy. Any idea on how long I should wait? How will I know when I'm ready? I realize that I will have to be walker- and cane-free, but then what? It's so great to be able to come here and learn from more experienced people. My OS does not give me much information, that's for sure!

 

[Krista]

Stacey, you should check with your own surgeon for his medical advice. I just took a look at the PT protocols (a long document!) of one of my new surgeons, and he recommends the following precautions after THR for weeks 10-12: "No contact activities, No forced (aggressive) stretching, No joint mobilizations – to avoid stress on repaired tissue." And starting week 12, you can go back to sports if you meet certain criteria for strength, cardiovascular endurance and stability, and can do it without pain. So, it looks to me like he would say not to work on the stretching that you will need for flexibility until after 12 weeks. Your own doctor's advice may be quite different, but that's what mine would probably say.

 

[StaceyJG1]

Thank you, I appreciate your input.