Yeah. My physio is private. I haven't had much luck with NHS physios. I think they work if you have straightforward issues, but not many seem aware of how hip dysplasia can affect recovery because of all the adjustments your body has made in order to cope. My most recent NHS physio (at MSK pain clinic) was a nice person but he was so optimistic about every exercise he gave me, as if he had discovered the holy grail. He also seemed so disappointed if I reported they weren't working, or had stopped working. I think he just didn't really believe that they wouldn't work. But hey, I'm an enigma! I'm much happier now with a female practitioner.
THR Post Op Struggles
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@Annekin I am glad you finally found a good therapist. It is amazing to me how much difference there are in PTs. Some are using all the tools they have and others are: here are the exercises and that's about all I have to offer. Pressure point therapy was eye opening to me. Combine that with appropriate stretching and I was grateful for the relief it provided. I could always do my exercises on my own and give feedback. Being listened to-priceless. It's also very obvious who is doing that. So, hang on to the ones you find.
Swimming has always been my go to exercise and mental therapy. My reward at the end of my workout-a float on my back. A "zen float" as one of my fellow aquatic persons dubbed it. It's the one time, for a few precious minutes, I truly can enjoy being pain free. I do so hope you find answers to your pain. July 2 can't get here fast enough, I imagine. It is such a challenge to keep motivated and stay positive when dealing with ongoing pain issues. Hang in there. We're here rooting for you. Blessings.
Swimming has always been my go to exercise and mental therapy. My reward at the end of my workout-a float on my back. A "zen float" as one of my fellow aquatic persons dubbed it. It's the one time, for a few precious minutes, I truly can enjoy being pain free. I do so hope you find answers to your pain. July 2 can't get here fast enough, I imagine. It is such a challenge to keep motivated and stay positive when dealing with ongoing pain issues. Hang in there. We're here rooting for you. Blessings.
Being in the pool is the time when my legs feel the same. It's when I don't feel the tightness in my left leg or the ache
when I stand on it. In other words I feel normal! Not feeling normal is so frustrating. You know it wasn't always like this, but you start to forget what normal is. Except being in the pool.
I'm also hoping the pressure point therapy continues to work as my back definitely feels better. I have another session this Friday. So we'll see how that goes. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic.
myglasshalffull
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I love being in the salt water. It’s so healing and also no pain!
My son’s pool is salt water as well.
But my favorite soak is in the Virgin islands when we go in February. Nothing quite like it. For 2 weeks I have not one ache or pain!
My son’s pool is salt water as well.
But my favorite soak is in the Virgin islands when we go in February. Nothing quite like it. For 2 weeks I have not one ache or pain!
@Annekin Cautiously optimistic: I can so relate. It is a fine line we walk with chronic issues. I really don't think many people, even in the medical community, understand the psychological toll it takes on you to accept that your body has limitations but still wanting to correct what you can and maximize what you do still have. Being determined to not take up the rocking chair or wheel chair before it is absolutely necessary is laudatory in my book but appears to be mystifying to some practitioners. We just want to know what's specifically going on with us so we can work on it and try to have as normal a life as we can. It really can be a slog but every little victory makes it worth it. Keep on advocating for yourself. I also believe that we offer lessons to those in the medical community with which we come in contact about the indomitable human spirit and what it can accomplish when it is in full force. You are an inspiration for your determination, positivity, and gratitude. Keep the faith.
myglasshalffull
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Hip4life,
I so agree this recovery is just as much mental as it is physical. What is the medical community missing?
I think joint replacements in general have become so common place that we think we should be up & running in 2 weeks!
Cause there’s a lot of stories out there that tell that tale. And I hope there are folks that recover in blink of an eye but most of us do not.
I so agree this recovery is just as much mental as it is physical. What is the medical community missing?
I think joint replacements in general have become so common place that we think we should be up & running in 2 weeks!
Cause there’s a lot of stories out there that tell that tale. And I hope there are folks that recover in blink of an eye but most of us do not.
Deni444
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I hear you about forgetting what 'normal' is! Personally, I've found that recovery seems to have a mind of its own. Suddenly certain things get better overnight and an action feels normal that the day before felt anything but. I sometimes wonder if it happens when I stop overthinking and 'normal' just kicks in automatically.
I think there is some truth in that. The phrase that; it happens slowly then all at once (or something like that!) Sometimes I go to bend & realise it wasn't painful. Or I climb the stairs and it isn't a huge effort! These are not frequent experiences, but they're better than nothing & they show improvement is possible. Holding onto these small wins is the motivation to cling to!
The irony for me was that I was really worried about my recovery when I had my right hip replaced in 2018, because I had a pulmonary embolism during the operation. However, apart from having to take blood thinners for 3 months, my hip had a textbook recovery. Because of this, silly me thought my left hip replacement would be similarly uneventful. So I went in completely unbothered (apart from the embolism concern of course). Good news is I didn't have an embolism. The bad news is after nearly two years post operation I still have hip pain.
Even though it's not as serious as the embolism, I'd happily trade it. Only bc I recovered quite quickly and haven't had any recurrences. It just goes to show, as we're so often reminded on here- no two hip replacements are the same.
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So I thought I'd update a bit following the cortisone injection today.
I hadn't been able to go to hydrotherapy last week bc someone kindly crashed into our car and wrote it off (fortunately we weren't in it). Hopefully we'll get a another one next week as the insurance payment has come through.
Lack of hydrotherapy definitely affected my mobility as I was suffering a bit more than usual. My back also felt more stiff so I struggled to do the superman pose my physio had given me. So I've knocked that exercise on the head until Monday when I see the physio for some pressure point therapy. So I'm hoping the injection at least takes the edge of the pain for a bit as I really want to take the opportunity to go on a walk (not a long one. I've learned from last time to build up these things gradually!).
The injection was at the top of my incision scar as that is where the greatest amount of pain is when they press on it. The surgeon wiggled around the needle to try and spread around the liquid as much as possible. Yes it was painful, even with a local anesthetic!
I now have pain at the injection site which is probably a bruise developing. But most of the subsequent pain has gone (which I think is called a post injection flare up). I was told the cortisone can take a couple of days to take effect, so any positive effects before then are probably the anaesthetic.
I also have to avoid exercise for the first 24 hours. I'll then be seen by the consultant in a couple of months to see if there's been any reduction in the pain. So I'll update at the weekend how things are going - hopefully in the right direction! Now I'm off to bed as I had to get up at 5am to get to the hospital. I need to sleep!
I hadn't been able to go to hydrotherapy last week bc someone kindly crashed into our car and wrote it off (fortunately we weren't in it). Hopefully we'll get a another one next week as the insurance payment has come through.
Lack of hydrotherapy definitely affected my mobility as I was suffering a bit more than usual. My back also felt more stiff so I struggled to do the superman pose my physio had given me. So I've knocked that exercise on the head until Monday when I see the physio for some pressure point therapy. So I'm hoping the injection at least takes the edge of the pain for a bit as I really want to take the opportunity to go on a walk (not a long one. I've learned from last time to build up these things gradually!).
The injection was at the top of my incision scar as that is where the greatest amount of pain is when they press on it. The surgeon wiggled around the needle to try and spread around the liquid as much as possible. Yes it was painful, even with a local anesthetic!
I now have pain at the injection site which is probably a bruise developing. But most of the subsequent pain has gone (which I think is called a post injection flare up). I was told the cortisone can take a couple of days to take effect, so any positive effects before then are probably the anaesthetic.
I also have to avoid exercise for the first 24 hours. I'll then be seen by the consultant in a couple of months to see if there's been any reduction in the pain. So I'll update at the weekend how things are going - hopefully in the right direction! Now I'm off to bed as I had to get up at 5am to get to the hospital. I need to sleep!
myglasshalffull
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Hope the injection helps.
Thank you all for the good wishes. It was a bit of a tough night as I can't currently sleep on the operated side. It's obviously because the injection has caused some swelling around the incision site. So it feels really uncomfortable to lie on my side at the moment. Fortunately it only hurts when I'm in bed. Once I'm up and moving around I don't have too much pain there.
So I think there's still a way to go before I know whether there has been a positive effect. I do feel a bit better, & definitely have more energy today. I have to be careful not to do overdo it as advice was not to exercise for 48 hours.
Fortunately we should be getting a new car tomorrow so I can start book another hydrotherapy session. I really miss the pool!
So I think there's still a way to go before I know whether there has been a positive effect. I do feel a bit better, & definitely have more energy today. I have to be careful not to do overdo it as advice was not to exercise for 48 hours.
Fortunately we should be getting a new car tomorrow so I can start book another hydrotherapy session. I really miss the pool!
Ah. The car. Unfortunately we didn't get the car today. I forgot the RAC need to do the equivalent of a survey to make sure it's roadworthy (my other half is getting the car from a dealership) . So I need to be more patient
It's still sore to sleep on my left (operated side) so clearly the injection made soft tissue fairly angry. Which would make sense given they were angry (inflamed) already!
That said, I do feel less pain otherwise. It's less effort to engage my muscles when I stand up. So less groaning. Some things are still an effort, only less so. So it's not a magic bullet. But then I never expected it to be.
I think the test will be how I feel after a walk, which I'm planning on doing next week. I also think these injections take time to take effect, so things may improve more.
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Injections do take time.
Less groaning = less pain. Made me chuckle, Annekin. Thanks for the laugh.
That's a way to measure progress, forget that silly pain scale with the faces and let's go with sound effects instead.
Wishing you a lovely (sound effect free) weekend! 
Hahaha!
Less groaning = less pain. Made me chuckle, Annekin. Thanks for the laugh.
That's a way to measure progress, forget that silly pain scale with the faces and let's go with sound effects instead.
Wishing you a lovely (sound effect free) weekend! IndigoKnee
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Glad to hear that the pain is a bit less now and less groaning. I imagine injecting into an already inflamed area was painful. Sound effects to indicate pain levels sounds good!
A slightly funny story of my having a cortisone injection a few years ago when my pre-op knee was especially painful……. Dr prepares to give me the local anaesthetic, I say “oh I'm allergic to that particular one” he decides to go ahead without any numbing of the injection site, which really hurts, I scream, kick out and say words that shouldn’t be used in polite company and definitely not to your Dr.
"Oh dear did that hurt?"
A slightly funny story of my having a cortisone injection a few years ago when my pre-op knee was especially painful……. Dr prepares to give me the local anaesthetic, I say “oh I'm allergic to that particular one” he decides to go ahead without any numbing of the injection site, which really hurts, I scream, kick out and say words that shouldn’t be used in polite company and definitely not to your Dr.
"Oh dear did that hurt?"
